Garden 2011 Begins Soon

Today was my annual review at work. Well, I'm happy to say I got through another year still employed.  I didn't used to worry about annual reviews.  Last year I received some negative feedback or, I should say 'opportunities for improvement'. That's not happened before or not in many years.  So, I was mindful of it all year and really worked at improving my knowledge of my job and making somebody else's life a little easier while I am there.  I'm a very lucky person in that I really like what I do and the people I spend my days with.   But, due to the emotional stress I was under in 2009, I made some mistakes.  I wasn't surprised and I don't think my boss was either. My heart, mind, and hands were not often in the same place at the same time. Among some of the issues I faced was a broken ankle that kept me down for almost three months. One of my best friends died early in the year. Robert went to Afghanistan. He did make it home this last December.  Marty was arrested and is still sitting in a cell awaiting the outcome of his big mess.  It's been a full two years since the detective came to our house and took him away.  I managed to make it through this year with the same emotional roller coaster going on, but handled it much better. (In front of people anyway.)  Shew, that worry is over for a few. Things went well today.


The big news of the day is that I got my garden!  Yippee!!!  It's like having some sunshine come into the day.  It's time to get the greenhouse in order.  It just needs a little sweeping and organizing.  We've been keeping some avocados alive down there this winter.  Avocados don't generally grow in the Pacific Northwest.  We had some volunteers come up in the compost pile and scooped them up and put them in buckets and have kept them under the lights.  They're doing pretty well. We probably won't ever get any avocados, but we have some cool plants. I'll get some leeks, onions, and lettuces started very soon.  The lettuces can be grown indoors and the leeks and onions can be put right in the ground soon.  They have a better chance if I start them first though.  I'm very excited to get started.

This year I thought I'd try a Victory Garden Seed bucket from Territorial Seed.  It's kind of like ordering a big grab bag. I am not advertising for them, I am very pleased with my purchase.  I bought a few extra packets of herbs, Stevia, Red Noodle Pole Beans, and some cantaloupe.  But, for $79, it's a great deal.  It's got everything you could want to get a full garden going. I could stop here, but that's not likely.  I do have to shop at the farmer's market too for some plants. I can't wait to get to playing in the dirt! 

In the bucket I found seeds for:

  Bean, Dry/Shelling Pole-Bingo
  Bean, Green Bush-Venture
  Brussels Sprout-Falstaff
  Beet-Early Wonder Tall Top
  Broccoli-Thompson
  Cabbage-Danish Ballhead
  Carrot-Danvers
  Cauliflower-Goodman
  Corn-Golden Bantam
  Cucumber-Wautoma
  Kale-Winter Red
  Kohlrabi-Superschmelz ~ My favorite one to say out loud. Try it a few times. :-)
  Leek-Giant Musselburgh
  Lettuce-Heirloom Blend
  Onion-Pacific Pearl
  Pea-Sugar Daddy
  Pepper, Sweet-Cal Wonder 300
  Pepper, Hot-Early Jalapeno
  Pumpkin-Small Sugar
  Radish-Altaglobe
  Turnip-Purple Top White Globe
  Spinach-Bloomsdale Savoy
  Swiss Chard-Rhubarb
  Squash, Summer-Black Beauty
  Squash, Winter-Bush Delicata
  Tomato-Gill’s All Purpose
  Tomato-Saucey
  Herb, Chives
  Herb, Basil-Sweet
. Flower, Sunflower-Mammoth Gray Stripe

Gardening 2011 here we go.