Fish Like a GIRL

By now, most readers know that for me summer means not only fishing and tournaments but also gardening, which I can now do on a little bit bigger level than I could when all I had was a small balcony garden. Last year was a complete trial year for me in the new house. I planted anything and everything, just to see what would grow. As luck would have it — it all grew!

That might not have been exactly “lucky,” because some of the things pushed out other things. I grew tomatoes horizontally for the first time. Just one plant, of course, as that, too, was a “trial.” I honestly may never do that again. I had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with. Fortunately, they were paste tomatoes, so they were good for sauces and salsa and things of that nature.

The native plants I got from a lady across town are coming into their own in the front of the house. Hopefully the bergamot can outcompete the snow on the mountain at some point.
(Photo by Beckie Gaskill/Lakeland Times)

I did figure out, from that one (very large) tomato plant, that I needed calcium in my raised beds. Blossom end rot, I learned, is caused by insufficient calcium. My tomatoes were suffering from just that. That was one thing I had to rectify before I planted too much of anything this year and it is something I will keep an eye moving forward.

Of course, once again I started my plants too early. Some of the peppers are pretty big and starting to get kind of lanky. I will still put them out soon, and I know the fault is my own. I just have such a hard time waiting to start planting. Once the Christmas and New Year’s season is over, I get bored until spring, so I start planting inside. I thought I waited longer this year, until it came up in my memories on social media. I actually planted three days earlier. 

The nice thing this year is that the “big experiment,” as I called it, is complete. I know what does and what does not grow well, for the most part, although I am giving a couple of things a second chance. My carrots were completely overgrown by that crazy tomato plant, so they did not really have a chance. I am replanting them this year in a place where they are not likely to be overtaken. Some of my cucumbers were taken over by musk melon last year — which grew like crazy and actually produced some great fruit, as did my watermelon! That was probably the most exciting thing to come from last year’s garden.

The herb planter will be in use for one more year. Next year I hope to create an herb spiral somewhere in the yard.
(Photo by Brett LaBore/Lakeland Times)

This year I have also planted raspberries and horseradish. My raspberries just started to grow. Three of the five are growing, anyway, and I think that will eventually be more than enough to cover the space where I put them. I plan to use them to hide the majority of the sump pump discharge pipe. But, of course, I had to fence them in because of the number of bunnies around my house. I have been practicing with my little sling shot, but that is likely a story for another day. I figure a couple little BBs in the hind quarter should remind them to stay out of my yard. They are pretty brave, so some day Zona, our Rat Terrier, just might get one of them. 

We will see. 

As of yet, the horseradish has not come up, but I just recently planted it, so I likely have a bit more to wait on that. 

Also, last year I split up my rhubarb. I am not sure how old the plant was that I inherited with the house, but the stalks were bigger than I ever remember my mom’s being when I was growing up. So I split that into four and also gave a chunk away to the realtor who sold us the house.  I have given rhubarb to my next door neighbor, a girl who works at the insurance office behind our house, and frozen six or seven packs of four cups each. I have made brown sugar rhubarb cookies three times and rhubarb cake once. 

The hope is that the raspberries will take over this small area and cover the sump pump discharge tube.
(Photo by Beckie Gaskill/Lakeland Times)

The garlic I planted last fall came up earlier this year, and I have an entire row of shallots. When I am building flavors in a sauce, there is something about shallots that rings differently, and I need them in my life. As luck would have it, they, too, grow well. 

Last year I did not plant as many and those, too, fell victim to the melons as well as the squash.

Last year I even planted zucchini, thinking if nothing else grew, at least that would. Even after making bread and cake and soups and anything else I could think of all winter long, I still have zucchini left. If I happen to run out and for some odd reason get desperate for some, I am sure I can find some at the farmers’ market. I decided that is where I will get tomatoes this year as well, rather than growing my own.

In the front yard, the native perennials I got from a lady across town shortly after we moved in are finally coming into their own. I am hoping the bergamot I planted on each side of one garden is going to outcompete the snow on the mountain I inherited, but that also remains to be seen. 

Snow on the mountain and nightshade are the two nemesis plants I still have left. The rest have been taken care of, at least for the most part. I am still hand-pulling thistle here and there. 

My word of warning to myself after grabbing the first one — wear the welding gloves.

I have yet to get to the rain garden that will be at the end of the sump pump discharge, but I’m thinking maybe that will be next month’s project.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].