Sunday, January 10, 2010

Many Moons Later...

I've found that there is a dearth of St. Louis urban garden blogs. Or, I've found that I can't find them. So, just like when you skid in snow, you know you should steer into the skid, I see that this blog became a garden blog without me realizing it. I'm steering it that way, then.

It is almost painful to read the last posts as I sit here, trapped inside the house because it is 7 degrees outside. I've been trapped inside for the past 4 days, due to 2 snow days, Saturday and today being Sunday. The couple inches of snow have not melted. The dog still demands a walk each day, even though she gets snow between her toes and then limps the rest of the way home.

But how could I resist that grizzled face?

How did Rabbitt Gardens turn out?
1. I made 5 bags of marinara sauce.
2. I roasted and mashed and froze 2 bags of mystery winter squash.
3. The potato/tire planter suffered too much water and did not work. I have hopes for this year, though.
4. Squash has to go somewhere else next year. It grew into the alley and became a nuisance.
5. Watermelon wants more sun.

6. I will never plant corn again. Sure, it looks neat and orderly, but what the squirrels didn't eat during the day, the raccoons or possums ate at night.
7. Cleome has tiny little painful spikes on it.
8. Money plant reseeds like crazy.
9. I will pull up all dill I see next year.

10. Tomatoes are going in a different place this summer.
11. The front yard is a fine place to grow peppers.

Pictures, you say? Sure, I've got lots!

There were 3 pairs of goldfinches that hung out most of the summer, working on the 3 varieties of sunflowers I grew. The one in the top right is not deformed; he's just itching.


Monarch caterpillars on dill:


Giant yellow and black garden spider. She had made a huge web conveniently across the top of the compost bin. I almost walked into it, and am glad I didn't, for that would have taken years off my life. Here, she is eating a grasshopper, which I am very thankful for. Where do these things come from?!


The last picture of the garden.




Then we look forward to orchid blooms and Christmas cactus blooms:

So, stay tuned as I plan for Garden 2010!

3 comments:

Elizabeth Frick said...

Ok, when I first read #1, I swear it said "bags of marijuana". Then I got to "sauce" and knew something was askew.
I LOVE the pictures of the spider and the caterpillars!!!
And please tell my husband your discoveries about corn. He keeps holding on to this idiotic farmer dream of his where he fills the back yard with corn. Sigh.

AH said...

Maggie is the cutest! These are all great pics! I hope to have a small garden this year. But I will live my large garden dreams vicariously through you.

Mutton Chops Pet Services said...

WHY would you pull up dill? In late August I had an amazing experience at a friend's wedding that took place on a farm in North Carolina smelling dill. Maybe it was the magic in the air from the wedding, but the wonderful smell of the dill nearly made me cry.

PLEASE call me over the summer when you see cool things like gigantic spiders in your garden. I totally want to photograph them.