garden lowlights: stuff that doesn't deserve it's own post

Here are some minor notes from 2014:

free potatoes

I'm still making my mind up about potatoes. Feel free to disagree. To me, these heavy feeders are a big investment for what they return to you - they take up a lot of space for a one-time harvest (unless you feel around for new potatoes in mid-summer, which I never had much luck with), require trenching and mounding and mulching, and then sprout in your basement while you forget to eat them. 

This spring, I had some of those sprouted lovelies leftover from Holly's city farm, and after filling and planting my raised beds, I had a tarpful of leftover dirt as well. It seemed like it was worth the gamble, so I cut up a few and plunged them into my dirt-bag (I guess that can be a real thing). All in all, I got about 8 or 9 plants (here you see them half-harvested) and about 10 or 15 pounds of buttery heirloom potatoes to try to remember to eat.

I have to say, I am pretty excited about my modest potato gleanings, if only because they were so, so free. Also, children love harvesting potatoes, and that might be worth all the care in itself.

Michael's serviceberry, my weed garden

On the right, Michael's serviceberry. We planted it on my birthday, just above where we buried his placenta, long due to get out of our freezer and into the ground. It's gross, I'm sorry. The serviceberry is supposed to bloom white in the spring, bear nutty blueberry-type fruit in the summer, and show great colors in the fall. I put it here to be an anchor of the woodland part of my native restoration project in the backyard.

On a related note, the weed patch below the pine tree are some very lovely pink-to-purple woodland flowers that have survived years and years of mowing, Ben was experimenting with not mowing the back lot, and we discovered a diverse little habitat back there, growing and growing despite the prejudice and persecution of the American lawn. We got a citation from the city. 

You can imagine my inner turmoil as I hacked back the gangly flowers and grasses, watching tiny critters flee the destruction as their homes were reduced to "organic material." In defiance, I left an "underplanting" of the pinks and purples. We weren't fined; I think the city backed off when it saw my sassy attitude and fierce resolve.

compost cucurbits

after powdery mildew

Thanks to Farrah, Max, and Jessi for helping us establish our compost heap. Not only are we making bonus dirt, but we got bonus food out of those bins. Every year since I started composting with Holly and Jesse, there have been volunteers in the compost bins: cucurbits and nightshades mostly, which can handle the hot heat of decomposition. I remember vividly the compost squash of 2011 that took over half the yard, vining out from the sod heap and producing lush, dinosaur leaves from all the nitrogen of decomposing grass.

This year I got a butternut squash for free, and I let it grow, training it to a trellis as it spread. Esther and Michael loved it - it provided a wall of greenery for a sort of play fort between the compost bins, back stair, and trellis. 

Today I am watching 7 beautiful butternut squashes ripen on the vine - albeit a much less beautiful vine after I chopped off 3/4 of the powdery mildew. Look at the size on those!! One is a foot and a quarter long! Here's hoping the flesh is not tough and bitter!

You can't save the world

THE RAIN BARREL. This is a dream come true for me. Ben hauled out to Hudson to get this one for $10. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing.