Starting Off

What I think about a lot is the concept of having sufficient for our needs. It's an interesting concept that has led me to think about the economy, self-sufficiency, and what I value in life. It also has some practical aspects that I think about every day. So, why not have this the topic of my blog.

I think what prompted me to start this blog was a couple of things. First, I have been gardening ever since we bought our first house back in 1982. I think about it a lot, but haven't documented very much. From a practical stand point, I can use the blog to keep track of what I do in the garden and with the bees.

For instance, today I harvested about two dozen carrots. They were pretty nice looking for the most part. I peeled, cut, vacuum sealed and froze them. The point I should remember is that some of them had started to split.

Second, yesterday I finished building two frames that will be turned into cold frames when I attach plastic. I have raised beds -- six 4 x 12 boxes. The cold frames will allow me to keep gardening through the winter. But the story of building the frames is something I should document. (Here it is.) Last week, Jared, my oldest, came home for a few days during fall break. I like to have Jared as a helper, because he joins in and also questions what I am doing and why I am doing it. I had been dreaming about how to replace my old cold frame (made of PVC) for some time. I finally decided on a thin plywood cut into 2" strips and bent over the raised bed. We went to Lowes to get some, but didn't take the trailer; we just tied it to the roof of the Volvo station wagon. We got a few miles successfully, then I must have sped up past the point of catastrophe and, wham! it broke in two and lay behind us on the road. We drove home without it. But then he questioned the basis of how to make it, thinking that what I had planned wouldn't work because the plywood would just break. I showed him what I had planned on a similar piece of paneling (that worked perfectly). So, I went back and got the plywood off the road. We changed the plan a little, and yesterday, with the help of Jeff and Kathy, I installed frames on two of the raised beds.

What I like about these frames is actually two things. One is that there is an artistic element of symmetry and balance to a half-circle. The other is that they are very functional. Rain will run off. (It used to gather on my flat frame.) The sides are relatively free from obstruction. (The flat one had a cross member that ran where you wanted to reach.)

It's a good thing I did this -- build the frames, that is -- because it got down to 33 last night based on the outdoor thermometer. I will need to cover the cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and turnips very soon.