The Garden is a SWAMP, but our plot is high and dry!

The daily thunderstorms have turned the Community
Garden into a swamp.

Community Swamp Part II

There's water all around us, but our SQUARE FOOT
 Garden is High and Dry!!!!!

Box #1: Broccoli, Cauliflower and Peppers.

Box #2: Tomatoes, Green beans, Onions and Carrots.

A first brave tomato appeared today!

The broccoli is coming along.

More broccoli.

The Lettuce overwhelmed the garden and US!
We picked it, washed it and shared it.  We
Still have a mountain of it!

June 15 - First Harvest!

June 15, 2013:  I had to harvest some lettuce!  It was so full and healthy I couldn't leave it another day.  We have two squares dedicated to green leaf lettuce, two for red and two for spinach.  Those others weren't ready but, thanks to all the rain and mild temps, the green leaf lettuce was growing like mad.

I LOVE square foot gardening.  Our garden is miles ahead
of everyone else's at the Community Garden.
Partly because we got it in between the last
snow and the first rain on May 10th!

Our first harvest, June 15.  Not exactly harvest time!
Plenty of lettuce still in the square foot garden for later!

And now, I must report a stupidity.  All my dumbness, not Sandy's!!!!

I planted a row of green peppers between our broccoli and cauliflower!!!
The enormous leaves are shading and overwhelming the little green pepper plants.
I didn't realize they got so BIG!  DUMB!  Won't make THAT mistake again!

Today we are having salads like this!

Inch by Inch, Row by Row

Inch by inch, row by row, I'm gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row, someone bless these seeds I sow
Someone warm them from below 'til the rain comes tumbling down -- Peter, Paul and Mary

Been a good gardening month!  Hardly had to water at all!  Thanks, God!!!

May 21, 2013

June 7, 2013

Box # 1 - Red and Green Peppers, Anaheim Peppers,
Cauliflower and Broccoli!

Box #2  - Tomatoes, Red and Green Lettuce, Spinach,
Onions, and Carrots!

Timing is everything.

I managed to get the garden in after the snowstorms and before the rains!!

My two 4X4 boxes.

Box #1:  Broccoli, Cauliflower and Peppers!  All transplants.

Box #2: Green Beans, Onions, Spinach and Lettuce.
Mostly seeds except the Tomatoes and Onions!

The Lettuce is going to town!

Plot Map

Seeding May 7 - Onions, Green Beans, Spinach, Carrots and Lettuce.
Everything else we will plant May 13 when there is less
threat of frost.

Tomato cages.  Transplants May 13.

Two squares - the left is for transplants (Broccoli, Cauliflower and Peppers.
The right is for seeds mostly.

Tomatoes (los tomates)	Tomatoes (los tomates)	Tomatoes (los tomates)	Tomatoes (los tomates)
Green Lettuce (Lechuga Verde)	Green Lettuce (Lechuga Verde)	Red Lettuce (Lechuga Roja)	Red Lettuce (Lechuga Roja)
Spinach (La espinacha)	Spinach (La espinacha)	Onions (Cebollas)	Onions (Cebollas)
Green Beans (las habichuelas)	Green Beans (las habichuelas)	Carrots (Zanahorias)	Carrots (Zanahorias)

FRAME 1.

Broccoli (Brécol)	Broccoli (Brécol)	Broccoli (Brécol)	Broccoli (Brécol)
Green Peppers (Pimentones verdes)	Green Peppers (Pimentones verdes)	Green Peppers (Pimentones verdes)	Green Peppers (Pimentones verdes)
Cauliflower (Coliflor)	Cauliflower (Coliflor)	Cauliflower (Coliflor)	Cauliflower (Coliflor)
Red Peppers (Pimiento morrón)	Red Peppers (Pimiento morrón)	Orange Peppers (Pimiento dulce)	Anaheim Chile (Anaheim Chile)

FRAME 2.

Putting in our first SQUARE FOOT GARDEN

Building the frames.

I have to move them to the Community Garden, so I
used hinges at the corners instead of nailing them.

Sandy and me at the moment we finished installing the frames.
Filled with peat, vermiculite and compost.
Nylon rope for the grid.

This is day one.  Stop in often and watch our garden grow.

Costa Rica Day 9: Lost in the Rainforest!!

Checked out of my hotel about 7:30.
My room is at the top.  This is one
Of five separate buildings.

My last day in Costa Rica I finally got to go to see the National Park.  You can't come to Costa Rica and pass that up.  Not allowed.  Most of the group wanted to find a beach.  I got lost looking for something else.  Here is a pictorial of my adventure.

Took the bus from Manuel Antonio  to the National
Park.  Big group.  Whole bottle of water. What could be safer?

These flowers are everywhere.  Anyone know what they are?
Hot and sweaty. Water running low.

Most people wanted to take the path that led to the beach. I
took a different one because I wanted to explore the rainforest.
The camera was being held by a friendly log.  I call this, "Where the
Hell am I?"

Water all gone, soaking wet with sweat.  I met a group of 4
Tico teenagers in swimwear.  They knew the way and
invited me to follow them.  My spanish was good enough to manage
THAT at least.   Snapped this shot of the cove where Ponce de Leon tried
to land.  The Quepoa Indians convinced him otherwise.

My return to civilization.  A restaurant at the beginning of the
trail.  Over-priced food, but I didn't care.  Their water was
ice cold and the breeze off the ocean revived me nicely