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Unfinished projects and starting new ones

 I'm the first one to admit that I'm pretty useless when it comes to any thing what I have to build or assemble.  For example it took me three days to assemble a closet from Ikea for our previous home in Florida.

Although to be honest the instructions were not that clear about what part to begin with, although once we did start it came together pretty quickly and, to the best of my knowledge, still stands today.  My comfort zone has moved somewhat since I've moved out to the country.  

I'm not afraid to take on a project knowing that I'll learn from it in some way.

We started planning our garden in the last days of fall, although it appears that both Sue and I didn't communicate enough.  I was thinking that we would do a container garden and grow some some simple things like Basil, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Cilantro, Cucumbers, Garlic, Onions, Parsley, Parsnip, Peppers, Radish, Strawberries, and Tomatoes.  For a family of 2, we would need a minimum of 173 square feet of garden according to the Vegetable Garden Size Calculator.  

Sue had a much more larger garden in mind and that included flowers like Morning Glories and a variety of other flowers as well as a variety of other veggies.   The garden she had in mind was roughly 4 feet wide but 22 feet long.  Obviously there is a big difference in the square footage needed.  This area has such weird dimensions because we planned it to be guarded by the house on side and an existing fence. 

pallets are to kill grass.

Things like Sunchokes, Eastern Prickly Pear (which I was debating about growing for  preparation reasons), American Beauty Berries, Mountain Mints and Lilac's were going in different parts of the yard eventually.   As were my Apple Trees and Persimmons.  These were plants that I wanted to add over time but I wanted to get at least two Apple trees in this year.  Some of those plants will spread over time as well, but that's part of my reasoning for wanting to plant them.   Legacy.  These plants will be planted mostly in the back yard and on the edges of my "forested" yard, whereas garden will be in the front of the house which receives the most sun during the day.

The more we plant the more seed and other things we need.   We have a few things started...but still not as much as I would have liked.  This year was looking like it was going to get expensive as we planned to truck in dirt and a few other things.  

My cold frame idea fell by the wayside as relaying on others to do something proved not to be a great idea, we also lost a few of the window frames to wind as they toppled over and broke.  We are still having some freezing nights which is making early planting doubtful.  I'm actually considering getting a small greenhouse from a local business just to keep the started plants in for now.  It's not the best situation, but it will work.

Frankly the best thing for me to do is sit down with other gardeners and farmers and actually ask questions and take advice from them.  Right now I feeling like I'm reeling from one issue to another and that's not where I want to be, economically or emotionally. 

Another project that I was considering starting, although this would not payoff for at least a year was growing Oyster mushrooms on the maple tree logs from a tree that had come down in a local windstorm.  

I'm not a fan of mushrooms in general but I do like the idea of creating a food forest, and this seems to be an easy to grow crop that will return year after year.  Although, if I'm being honest with myself, that may be a project that falls by the wayside this year as I feel that I have to much on the plate as it is.

In order for me to do this however, I need to make up my mind soon - as in today.  As the logs are drying out and losing vitality even as I type this.  It's not so much the $20 or $30 spent, as much as it is the invest of time and energy into this project.  I would not see results for at least a year, and it's not something that I would likely eat or use myself.   At this time, I have no plan to sell anything that we grow.

Right now....I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of it.


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Location: Stoneboro, PA 16153, USA

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