Gardening with the TDE

Hello blogland,

First, a few quick updates:

1) Schedule Updates from the TDE.
This week is the last week of school in my area. That means substitute teaching is over for the summer and I *should* be able to get posts up on Wednesdays. However, we're also going to be gone for much of June and internet availability is unknown for some of it. So, June could still be a bit hit or miss.

2) The dishwasher experiment is not going well. I haven't done any more trials. Its hard enough just keeping on top of the dishes in general with a teeny tiny dishwasher. I'm not giving up quite yet though.

OK, moving on:

It's spring and springtime means gardening. In the past we've done well with container gardening on our balcony. We built some "Earthtainers" a couple years ago and they work really well. They're awesome. Unfortunately, this year they shall sit unused on our north-facing balcony that gets about 30 mins of sun just before dusk. :(

However, you just can't keep the TDE and the ITH from digging in the dirt. We joined forces with some other folks and have planted a 10'x40' plot in the local community garden. It's a quick (5 min) walk from home and has been great so far. Here's a picture of our plot from yesterday.

We've got lots of things growing: corn, cukes, squash, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, broccoli, potatoes, onions, carrots, leafy greens, peas, and herbs. 

We're also growing a lot of tiny little weedy things. Most of our seeds have sprouted now and are large and recognizable enough that I did LOTS of weeding today. Lots and lots and LOTS of weeding. 

I've never really had a problem with weeding. Of course, I've never had to do a whole lot of it. I used to help my parents in their garden and flower beds when I was a kid, but it was never forced upon me. Today I learned that I actually find weeding almost (not quite, but *almost*) enjoyable. It's definitely oddly satisfying to me to yank out the weeds, especially when the whole root comes out.  It's also really satisfying to see how much better things look when I'm done. Overall, it has a lot of positives. I'm outside in the sunshine, I have a task to complete, it's brainless and oddly calming, and I can see immediate positive results of my efforts. The only really bad part is that you have to be all hunched up and bent over for a long time and if you aren't careful you might step on a couple of bean plants. oops!

NOTE: The TDE is now internally brainstorming ideas for some sort of hanging apparatus that allows for weeding while laying on a lounge chair like device. No hunching or stepping on your plants!

Weeding does, however, make me wonder if I have some mild aspects of OCD. I suppose many people do, but we can control it which is the difference between those of us that do and do not suffer from the disorder. But still, I found myself struggling to stop. Oh, gotta get that one.... and that one... and there's one... and one more... wait, one more.... and oh as I'm walking past this part I already "finished" an hour ago I see at least 3 more that need to go. I suppose, in the grand scheme of things, being a mildly compulsive weeder isn't really so bad though. 

Anyway, I'll post some updates throughout the summer so you can see our garden grow. There will definitely be some harvest pictures for you to enjoy too. But, pictures of MY harvest will be only mildly interesting to you. You should go plant your own garden so you can experience the pride and joy of having your own harvest. 

So, it's time for everyone to get out there and garden! Growing your own food is super rewarding and I swear it tastes better when you grow it yourself. No excuses, wherever you may live, you can find a way to plant a few things. We had no access to any land, but we managed to grow a lot of veggies in our Earthtainers on our balcony. Now we have no land and no sun, so we found the community garden. Gardening also means spending time out in the sunshine with helps your body produce vitamin D and generally makes you feel better (especially if you have SAD.) Plus, there might be bacteria in the dirt that will make you happier. I know I feel a whole lot better today than I did two days ago. Sunshine + digging in the dirt makes the TDE happy. :) 

Finally, one more garden-related thing I learned this week. I can hoe with both hands, with almost equal skill. Yep, the TDE is an ambidextrous hoer.