December Houseplant Indoors Apartment Garden

We finally got through the perils of Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday! I'm thankful for getting through it. I wish it gone every year, but alas...

It has also been the most unbearably cold winter thus far. I'm lucky to have been able to buy a truck this winter that was 4WD. I can't believe I lived without it all my life in the Northeast! 

With that said, my broccoli,  lettuce, and cauliflower garden has frozen over. Despite keeping the garden mulched, watered, and covered with a plastic polytunnel system- they have withered away. That's what is absolutely devastating- that I worked hard to keep those babies growing big and healthy, and keeping pests off as well. All for nothing...that's how these days of gardening have been going for thr last couple years. It's become more of a waste than fruitful like in the past years. 

Of course, life is busier- and I no longer live right on top of my gardens...but, it has come a time where I'm rethinking this path, sadly.

Used to- gardening felt like my identity- now it just feels like my failure. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be doing it...or, if I do- it may be in a completely different state, different plants, different methods, different atmosphere. 

I'm still devoted to my houseplants. Thr houseplants are not happy to be inside since the cold has crept in. But, you ensure that they're staying warm, pruning dead leaves, add a little soil on top, water and fertilize sparingly. 

I have a large monstera plant that has produced lots of side shoots, and I've had to cut them back and propagate new plants. Today, I bought some container pots for the new propagated monstera plants. And I'm going to do a project- something I haven't done before- make a coconut coir tower for the monstera to climb! I'll show you all once I have it completed!

Don't let my groveling over my garden struggles stop you from starting your garden. I hope if you're reading this and are thinking about starting your garden- feel free to look back at my projects past 2019. Those were my best garden years. I'd produce massive hauls of cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, lettuce, kale, herbs, figs, and so much more unique little things!

Let me know what your garden New Years resolutions are! And as always, I hope you're all staying warm, dry, happy, and healthy. 

Have a safe New Year!

September Fall things: art, adventure, & listening

Last Saturday after work, Ash and I attended the evening showing of our local Storytelling Festival at the Lake. 

The storytellers were fabulous, the bloomin' onions was pretty tasty, and the sunset on the lake was entrancing.

I took a few pictures of the lake when it was cloudy and at sunset as the storytellers began telling ghoststories...

These last 2 weeks, I have spent my time listening and engaging...Engaging with people from all walks of life...at a conference and at a storytelling festival... engaged with nature....listened to a fire crackling by the creek...

...listened to the sound of the water parting against a riverboat that i got ride...

...going down the Ohio River...

...I stopped and admired some street art murals on the way to the river boat...

...and, stop to have a moment to live your life like you're walking the red carpet...

...stop to have a refreshing drink with the view of the river...

...and, make something beautiful, like an inviting Fall setting...

I cut my corn stalks after they dried in the garden and used them as fodder shocks for the fall scene...

I fully support time away from screens, and tune into your surroundings. When you do stuff like that- you get outside of yourself...

Fall is coming in fast. And as these nights are getting cooler, the leaves are changing colors, and falling to blanket the grass. I'm excited for our upcoming trekking trip to the Red river gorge with the colorful fall scenery in the mountains. 

It has been so cold, I brought in all my houseplants 2 days ago. 

With that, I know I need to begin covering my cold weather crops in my garden. They also need a good bit of rain and fertilize. I will check in on the garden this week and I hope to report back that there is some greens to harvest! 

September Fall Garden starting

You can tell Fall is setting in. Certain plants, like iron weeds grow this time of year; there's a different sound that Fall sounds like- like a creeping sound at the end of the day...like, the bugs are tired but still buzzing around. 

As Fall approaches, I have been sowing seeds, fertilizing and protecting plants I have also started. 

On Thursday, I went up to my garden and checked on plants. My lettuces, spinach,  beets, and peas have sprouted and seem to be doing good. This is the space I have fenced in, and while I was up there- I fertilized those rows of plants. 

As the cooler nights set in, I will also install the PVC piping to make a hoop around the plants to cover over with cloth or plastic. 

Horn worm on tomato plants

Rows of peppers still growing

Pepper plants getting hit by evening sunlight

Fenced in garden of peas, lettuces and other greens

Broccoli plants transplanted 

Tomatoes

Sowed radish seeds 

Planted extra broccoli in containers

Peas and greens fertilized