Archive for the 'Gardening' Category
Our Topsy Turvy Tomato Experiment
Kyle and I are both originally from Vermont. I think this means that we are supposed to have green thumbs. My theory comes from the fact that when I was in college just about every person that learned I was from Vermont asked “Did you grow up on a farm?” To set the record straight, neither Kyle nor I grew up on a farm.
Perhaps as a tribute to our “heritage,” each year we try and grow our own vegetables. We certainly try to prove our thumbs are green, but the various critters in our neighborhood (squirrels, raccoons, and the occasional opossum) and lack of adequate sun in our yard always seem to do us in. We have yet to yield a successful crop of anything besides basil. Weak, I know. Some would call us stubborn, others thickheaded. We think we are persistent and just haven’t found the best method yet. Besides, who really wants to lose some Darwinist experiment to squirrels? Not me.
The past couple of years we have decided to focus our attention on growing just basil and tomatoes. We think we have the basil down. It grows in pots on our porch and seems to do relatively well. Critters aren’t interested, the porch is sunny enough. The tomatoes are another story.
We’ve tried various gardens dedicated to tomatoes, moving them to different places each year to try and get them the maximum sun in our mostly shady yard. In most cases it worked. Until the critters decided to eat our entire crop, usually when the tomatoes got to a nice size, but were still green. Well, I guess “eat” isn’t the correct word, “waste” is probably more appropriate. Apparently taking one bite from each tomato, dropping it on the ground, and then moving on to the next and repeating the process is the preferred method of animals trying to break human spirit. *Sigh*
So, will this year be any different? Will we officially give up and resort to the local Farmers Market? Uh, no. That would be the sane thing to do. This year we are putting our eggs in the Topsy Turvy basket, along with a few other methods. Some of our neighbors are also doing the Topsy Turvy experiment. Here you can see our dueling Topsy Turvys…
During the summer months we’ll give you Sunday updates on our progress on which method is working best. Our fingers are crossed that Year 5 of the tomato experiment finally yields positive results. For us, not the animals…
Knox Parks Foundation Plant Sale- May 29-30
We’re entering into the perfect time to be working on your gardens and the perfect time to support a great organization!
The Knox Parks Foundation will be hosting its annual plant sale next Friday and Saturday at 75 Laurel Street in Hartford. Stop by between 9:00am-6:00pm on Friday, May 29 or 9:00am-2:00pm on Saturday, May 30 to purchase annual, perennial, herb, and vegetable plants for your gardens.
Knox Parks works in partnership with residents, businesses and government to build stronger, greener and more beautiful communities in Greater Hartford, with a special emphasis on the Capital City itself. This event is a fundraiser to support the Knox Green Crew, an AmeriCorps Program where members work with community volunteers to beautify the city of Hartford while learning about the environment.
The Green Crew carries out a wide range of projects throughout Hartford, including fee-based landscaping services for local nonprofits and labor assistance for Knox activities. The conservation corps is a team of out-of-school youth who are trained in landscaping and gardening in order to develop marketable skills while improving the appearance and productivity of Hartford’s green space. Programs involving the Green Crew include Hartford Blooms, a collaboration with the Greater Hartford Arts Council; creation of community gardens; and maintenance of public spaces such as the Ancient Burying Ground, as well as other beautification projects.
So if you’re going to be beautifying your home’s landscape in the upcoming weeks, why not support a great cause in the meantime? Please stop by next weekend!
I Want That!
Today I saw the best yard ever. Large, level, fenced and sunny, it had everything I look for in a yard. There were flower gardens and vegetable gardens. The patio had covered and open areas - both large enough for a table and chairs. And of course there was an area for the grill. I want that yard.
This sort of thing has happened to me before. One of the interesting aspects of working in real estate is that you see different versions of the standard features. Sometimes the features are basic elements of the property like the home style, topography, or view. These features cannot be reasonably replicated elsewhere. In this case I can’t have the yard unless I buy the house.
Other times the interesting features could be replicated. For example, I could use the ideas of a particularly well done kitchen in a different house. It wouldn’t be exactly the same, but close enough to capture the feel and functionality of the space.
The ultimate in collecting unique features is to build your own home. You get to make all the decisions (not always a good thing) and set the priorities for the design. I’ve always thought that it would be really interesting to work with a professional to design a home that brings together a collection of my favorite features into a single cohesive property.
My home wouldn’t be over the top. It would have relatively common features like a kitchen with built-in electronics, a master bath with heated floors and towel bars, second floor laundry, and an entertainment system with projector in the family room. I would also want some less common features like a rooftop deck, elevator, and rainwater collection system. All of this would be wrapped up into a traditional design with historic elements. I think it could be done, but I would certainly have to save my nickels.
Now if only I could build it on that yard…