Veggie P*rn.

Hopefully that didn't get anyone's spam checker in a panic.

Yes, it is the time for the books with all those wonderful photos, luscious, primo, just out of the garden lovelies.  And the veggies, too. HA!

I received my usual bunch, and decided to go with two companies.  Unfortunately, a lot of the companies sending out veggie catalogs have devolved since I first started buying from them.  Some have changed ownership, some have less than charming customer service, some just don't have anything that will grow in this area.  Or at least outside.  (I would still love to grow a Paw Paw, though... But I would have to grow it in the house, I suppose.)

So, I have one order out to Texas, where they have a couple items that looked neat, and I couldn't find locally.  I also have an order out, to a town... Just a very short distance away.  I found out about them almost by accident, at a seed swap.

We have seed exchanges all around nearby, and they have other items, too.  This particular one had tools, and catalogs.  I looked at one tool, and asked how much.  She said, "do you need it?"  Yes.  It was a... Okay, I have no clue what the actual name of the tool is, I refer to it as a dandelion popper.  Husband says it's a weeder.  It looks like this...  She smiles, says, it's yours.  Cool! :)

I then found a table of catalogs, after raiding the seed table, and making my donations of seeds I didn't use.  I found the company, and thought they sounded familiar.  Hmm.  Looked it up, Oh My Word, it's just the next town over!  One of these days I will have to see if I can go there in person, but for now I just order from the catalog.  A LOT from the catalog... I will see if I get a response, the first time I ordered, they have a blank page on the back of the order page. It mentions that they would like to see what your garden is, or put a picture of something, just have fun.  So, I drew my garden, and put in my Buzz kitty, showed our "plant prison fencing" with ravenous deer outside of it.  I received a personal reply with the order saying it was on the wall in the packing area, 'cause it tickled everyone so!

So, when I ordered this time, I put a little cartoon of sorts, loosely based on an actual event.  One of my cats loved to sit in the shade, and had picked a spot under one of the broad leafed veggies, crookneck, I think.  Anyway, one of the chickens was exploring, before I figured out where she was getting in the garden at, and I just watched.  Obviously, the cat thought he was invisible, all that was showing, was a flicking tail.  The hen, for some reason, decided this must be a most tasty morsel.

CHOMP!

Next thing I know, the cat is going straight up through the leaves, screeching, the chicken doesn't let go immediately, and the fight is on.  No one was hurt, much, but between dignity damage, dinner let down, and general mayhem, not much was successful at that point!

The cat was not so inclined to be benign to the chickens after that, he stayed away frome them, and hissed wildly if they came anywhere close.  I covered the chicken "leak" in the garden, and so he was safe from future attacks.

So, who knows, I might give them a laugh, and then I get some goodies from the local area, that I will make into dinner at a later date!  Stickers and poppies and beans, Oh, My!!!

Garden Fever...

The weather has been terrific here, for the most part. (Sorry East Coasters...)  This is the time of year I get more than a little itchy to go plant and grow things.

I wander through the veggie and flower catalogs, aka "veggie p-rn" at our house.  I am dreaming about my garden, considering what to grow, (which is always in the category of, "Why not?", leading to "Where am I going to PUT this?" later in the season...) 

I have thoughts about making things (the barn quilt block I have been thinking about for some time, and the Tardis garden shed), and things I would like to add to the garden, (a Doctor Who scarecrow, and drip irrigation), and so I have lots of day dreaming that occurs this time of year.

I will have some real things to do, I have to paint the raised bed boxes, to preserve them a bit longer, and check what seeds I have, and need.  Just off the top of my head, I am out of a particular watermelon that I grow for Mom, I can't save seed on that one.  So, will have to buy that.  A seed swap is coming up soon, I will get more goodies to grow. (see above "Why not?" statement...)

Bless him, I told Husband that I was going to try square foot gardening, and that I should probably figure out what I had for space.  He responds, "You have 10 4x8 tanks, so 320 sq. feet to work with."
He did this in his head, while I was still working out, for sure, that one tank was 32 sq. feet...

I said I day dream.  I never said I did math quickly...