Gardening

Little green bean sprouting!  Can't wait to eat some.

 It's a bit late in the summer anywhere in the northern hemisphere to be putting in a garden, but it is especially so in Alaska.  The sun won’t be rising until 8:00am by mid-September and our first snow came in October the last time we were here so the growing season is obviously a bit shorter.  I, however, will not let time discourage me in my efforts.  First, my houseplants got put in real flower pots with real dirt.  They think they’re something special in their fancy pots with fancy dirt after surviving the trip here planted in shredded paper in plastic cups (Canada is apparently too good for our dirt and won’t allow it to cross the border).  Since arriving, I have also planted 3 tomato plants, a bell pepper plant, chives, and seeds for green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, parsley, and mint.  Since my stacking planter arrived yesterday, I will be adding strawberries to the garden today!  If they survive long enough for cooler temperatures and short days to be a problem (and let’s be honest, that will be no small accomplishment with me tending to them) I hope to bring them inside and keep them going through the winter with a grow light.  Then, I can have fresh veggies year round that don’t cost me a kidney and a plane ride to enjoy!  I will post some pictures of my little garden if the plants are still alive by the time the phone people get over here to hook up my phone and Internet.  That could be a blog entry about patience all in itself.  But after already having an entry on flexibility, it might start to sound more like a character ed program. . .

I've turned the baggie my blanket came in
into a mini greenhouse for my lettuce. 
And covered a box in plastic to turn it
into a planter because I ran out.

Strawberries!  Each layer will hold four plants so
I'll have more plants when they start shooting
runners.  I have two more layers to add to the planter
when it starts really going so I can have a total
of 20 plants - if I don't kill them first.