I did it again today. At Costco I came across some tomato plants in 3-gallon buckets. And not just any young tomato plants. No, these were three feet tall, already with fruit on them and many flowers. There were three plants to a bucket, all for only $13 and change. So I got some.
Problem is, I don't have a place to plant them. Yet. The first garden box is filled with the tomatoes and peppers we bought at the Grower's Outlet last week. The second has plants already in a third of it, but the rest of the box is waiting for enough good soil. And the third planting box isn't finished yet. It still needs a retaining wall and more excavation, not to mention planting soil.
So why did I buy the them?
Because I thought how great it would be to have fresh grown tomatoes in April, instead of waiting until July. This isn't the first time I've done this. Last fall, as Lowe's was closing out the season, they put their remaining plants on sale. I bought three raspberry plants and a pecan tree (a stick, really). The raspberry plants are still in their plastic pots in the garage. They've suffered a little damage during the winter, but I watered them and stuck them out in the sun whenever I could, and they are starting to look pretty good now. The thought of having fresh raspberries this summer wouldn't let me pass on buying them long before I was ready. Now, if only I can figure out the good spot of ground for them . . .
I did plant the pecan tree, but you can only tell it's there by the clasps holding it to the pole. Although it's four feet tall, it's only about a half inch in diameter. I'll certainly have to be patient before I get any nuts from that one, but the impatience was manifest in buying it when it was on clearance. (Maybe I'm not impatient, just cheap. Hmmm.)I also bought blueberry bushes and two apple trees in December and gave them to the family as Christmas presents. Knowing it would be a couple of years at least before I get a pretty good crop, I had to go ahead and take the jump. I planted one of the blueberry bushes a few weeks ago, but the other is still waiting on--you guessed it, excavation and retaining wall and soil. But I've made progress.
As for the apple trees, they're flowering and looking nice. I got one Honeycrisp and one Granny Smith. I think I've identified the (third different) spot of ground for them, but I'm concerned that it's not yet a good one. It has a water drainage problem (the whole back yard does), and I read that apple trees need well-drained soil. So now I don't know what to do. I had thought to put in French drains, but now I need to think through whether the roots would damage them. And if I wait to plant them until the drains are finished, that could be the end of the summer, or maybe even middle of the winter. I told myself I would first finish the garden boxes before I do the French drains. But, hey, that could be just in time to plant the apples in their proper season!
See how my impatience perplexes me? It puts the pressure on to take action, but my inexperience leads to indecision. And even when I do make the decision, the action must still wait, because of lack of time, knowledge, or resources.
Part of the challenge is that I'm trying to plant things I want in their proper season. So even though I'm not ready, I go ahead and buy the plants because I don't want to wait a whole year for the next optimal planting season. That's why I have fifty strawberry plants (roots, really, but that's another story) in my garage waiting for that third garden box.
Another challenge I create for myself is that I'm trying to do all the yard and garden on the cheap. While the Lord has blessed us with sufficient for our needs, I don't have lots of extra money to hire landscapers and rent equipment and all that. Sometimes supplies and equipment must wait for that tiny bulge in the budget or a tax refund. In fact, I've been digging and moving dirt and rocks for a year and a half now without even a wheelbarrow.
But not anymore! I bought my first wheelbarrow today on that same trip to Costco. I'd been looking around and comparing cost and construction and found this to be a good deal at $60. It has metal rather than wooden handles, and a metal box instead of the plastic ones that seem to be popular now. It took me two hours to assemble it (go ahead, laugh), but even in the short time left that I used it tonight, I was reminded that the right tools can make all the difference.
Maybe it's not just patience I'm supposed to be learning. Maybe it's also judgment, forethought, wisdom . . .
Amazing all the life lessons you can learn digging in the dirt.
No comments:
Post a Comment