May 27 2009
Backyard Tales
Small backyard with FIVE Lollys to do the work! Actually, this is a new experiment in “cloning” or “auto align”, done with Adobe Photoshop – we used this tutorial from YouTube. It was fun to do!
We were finally able to get all of our plants in the ground – we started some from seed, and others we got at the nursery as small plants. This year we expanded to more root vegetables – turnips, more carrots, and more beets, and the ol’ standbys of peppers, tomatoes (galore!), eggplant, squash, okra, and lots of herbs. It’s a wonder we get so much to fit into such a small space!
Our worm composter that we got in late 2007 has yielded some great compost for us – and those little worms never cease to amaze me. We eat a lot of vegetables, and they really benefit from that! I considered taking a few photos of the worms to share with you all, but I realized that I might lose some readers if I were to do that… I love them, but I have been warned that not everyone loves them as much as I do!
We have two varieties of worms in our composter: the red wrigglers and the European nightcrawlers, and they love pretty much everything we give them. They get loads of vegetable cuttings – tops of carrots, potato peels, celery stalks, apple cores, but they also get tea bags, newspaper, pet hair. The population dies off a bit over the winter, but within 2 months, they can double, and sometimes triple, the population again. They truly are amazing – it’s like having a little factory on our back porch. And since we are always feeding them, we are always getting more fresh compost for the plants and flower. It is a total win-win 
Kris and I definitely enjoy our gardening – however, I think our favorite thing might be the eating part! Nothing like fresh veggies and herbs straight from the garden chopped up and put on the grill!
…and since our little backyard can’t quite keep up with all of the veggies and fruits we eat around here, we also rely heavily on our nearby farmer’s market and the pick-your-own farm. Both of them open this week.
Bring on the summertime veggies – it is definitely my favorite thing about this season!
I love that first picture, so cool!
Thanks for the link to the worm composter – it looks interesting. Is it true that it doesn’t smell? I live in an apartment and am very interested in composting but I’m also concerned that it may not be feasible for me right now – do you have any tips?
Very cool photo trickery! That is so excellent about your food garden. (I’m listening to “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” on audio book now — wow.) Do you have trouble keeping the dogs from peeing on the plants? Thanks for the fun post.
I have a low tolerance for worms but I do appreciate great compost! Have fun with your gardening…and eating!
That sounds so wonderful.
Oh, and I’m one of those readers who wouldn’t mind seeing the worms. ;-p
Where do you keep the worms? Is the container on the patio as well? Sounds like a great “green” project for me and The Boy!! I know some flowers that could use some good compost!
:O)
Wow, I love your multi-Lolly gardening crew there!
Haha. Very cool.
I’m envious of your little garden! I started my first garden this year and I’m learning as I go. Hopefully in a year or two I’ll have it going as nicely as yours!
Whoa, that first pic is kinda freaky. Must have made the work go quickly, though! I’m sure there’s nothing better than eating fresh from the garden veggies. It’s funny that you say it’s your favorite thing, because I’d say that the summer fruit that are starting to come to the stores are my favorite thing. xoxo
Love that clone photo! Good luck with all the growing. It’s so much fun!
Fun picture! It’s so cool that you’re growing all those veggies in your yard. I now have a yard, and I want to put it to good use too, but I really need to make time for it, and also to learn more about gardening!
The worm composter sounds interesting! I’ll have to look into that, as I’d like to start composting.
We got all of our plants put in this past weekend, too…can’t wait until we start eating from our gardens!
Cool photo trick. This year was my first try at a real garden, too. For compost, we used four wooden pallets off the side of the road to fashion a box with a hinged door. We put it in the yard and dumped blah, east texas dirt (gumbo) in and began putting in our scraps about once a week. Each time, I try to put it in a different corner so as not to heat the worms up too much. But within months, we had big nightcrawlers all through it. Now, I think I love worms more than my son does.
What a productive backyard and no wonder with five Lollys – maybe you could spare me a couple to get things moving over here? Great photo
Cool photo, that first one! There’s just something about growing your own food, isn’t there?
That’s a fab photo! I really miss having a garden, but I am manageing to get some herbs growing on the window-sill at least. Hope you get lots more home-grown feasts this season!
I cannot wait to buy a house so we can have a garden. Until then, I live vicariously through the tales of my gardening friends. This year we joined a CSA, and I can’t wait until it starts producing!
ahh soo jealous of you and your garden and your hot camera skillz
looks so lovely and um YEA grilling is SO the best part of summer!! well that and maybe knitting with nice cotton yarn! haha!
That cloning picture is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time! Thanks for sharing that concept with us!
The top picture is very fun! My four year old got a real kick out of it.
I would not be grossed out by your worm pictures. I found a worm while digging up my community garden plot and was so excited to see him!
I’m curious too how you keep the worms in the compost and not move them. Fun clone too.
Love the photo cloning!!
wow, that first pic is so cool!
I don’t grow many veggies… there are 15-20 farmstands which are easy to get to from my home, and I figure that small family farms need my support too. So for me, it’s all about the cutting garden, and it seems that my rose beds get bigger every year. They all get a steady diet of compost, and do they ever love it!
You’ve just inspired me to add one more requirement to our “dream house” description – good soil for growing veggies! Can’t wait to see what you guys cook up from your garden this season.
I live in a considerably colder climate – but this year we are going to grow carrots, potatoes, rhubarb and a lot of spices in our garden.
I wish a hand even a small handful of gardening talent–I am a plant killer unfortunately.
Love your Pens shirt–5 times over no less
Cute “multi-Lol” picture. Did you plan the colorful wardrobe ensemble?
THe picture of Kris with the grill is great too!
This makes me so happy! I just planted my own little garden in the backyard (carrots, beets, beans and radishes) and I’m so excited to watch everything grow! Although, some little shit walked in my garden yesterday (the day after I planted!) — don’t worry I RIPPED into him! I am SO going to become that crazy lady who runs after kids with a broom!
I have been wondering how I was going to plant all my veggies this year, considering that I have no actual grass space in my back yard – but then I saw your giant blue bin. What a great idea! I’m going to track some down this week. I’m sure that will be a much more economical strategy then buying actually pots from the nursery.
Oh man, I love that photo of you gardening! So good.
Cool picture and wow… We have a composter, but we don’t have worms… I think I might have to get some worms! That’s really cool.
Growing up I knew a girl that had a big wooden box filled with worms in her bathroom… LOL… the stuff we remember…
Your gardening is looking great! I’m having fun with gardening in my back yard & deck as well. This morning I just harvested my second bowl of salad greens from the “cut & come again” bowl I picked up at the farmers market 2 weeks ago. The herbs are coming along nicely. Yesterday I picked up 2 tomatoes & 2 peppers to plant on the deck later today.
And of course, the perennials are exploding in the flowerbed.
I’m debating about doing a small worm composter in a plastic tote under the deck…that’s the next thing to ponder.
Love the cloning pic! And thanks for sharing your new post about Lyme Disease!
We are seriously thinking about getting into worm composting. Can you tell me why you are using two varieties of worms? Also, where did you buy them? Once you buy the initial worms are you set then or do they die off completely at some point? What do you do if you’re gone for awhile? How long can they be left?