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Doesn’t that sound like the start to a really bad joke?

Seriously, though. I’m wondering…

Every time I go into the garden I get this eerie sensation that a stranger has been there. Today the slug trap was totally empty except for one lone dead slug and a pile of ants feasting on sticky jam at the bottom. The beer was gone. The 8 or so beer-drowned slugs? Gone. Vanished. And something had borrowed down into the bed where the potato starts were planted.

At first I thought maybe the beer trap was blown over… but there would be dead slugs all around it, right? And the container wasn’t tipped over, it was upright…

When I was in there this morning it was full… and a garter snake slithered past… Do snakes drink beer and eat dead slugs? But that doesn’t explain the potatoes.

Gardening is like solving a murder mystery sometimes.

So, as you all know, we got our garden in. I immediately noticed (well, the next day, anyways) that something was chomping our little starts.

Then we noticed some slugs.

First attempt to irradicate (naturally) was to put out a couple slug traps.

What you need: a couple yogourt containers, beer, and jam.

Instructions: Fill the container about half full with beer, add some jam, mix it around, and place in your garden.

When: Early evening as the sun is going down.

Result: We actually had about 8 slugs in our two traps. 3 of them were caught by me and dropped in there, so I was pleased about that.

Unfortunately there were still more eating our little plants.

Second attempt to irradicate the slugs was to sprinkle epsom salts around the garden…

Result unknown yet, but apparently it’s great for the plants too, so double bonus. Kills slugs, and enriches soil. Win-win.

In a society where large corporations are corrupt and money-hungry, this story reminds me why I am a Christian.  I believe this post is relevant because it shows what true community can and should accomplish.

Stupice Organic Certified organic! Stupice tomato seeds produce a great small tomato that is sweet and ripe at the beginning of summer. The leaves on this plant look more like a potato than a tomato. This extra early, cold-tolerant tomato is high yielding with a wonderful, low-acid flavour. Bred in the Czech Republic. Start this variety in April to set out in May. Vine (indeterminate), Matures in 60-65 days. (open pollinated seeds) (Source: West Coast Seeds)

Entrance to the Garden

Remember my garden plan?

My Companion Garden Plan – Veggie

This garden is a new plot I’m putting in, using the lasagna gardening concept. It’s in a very sunny spot next to the end of the house, and is fenced to keep deer out.

Plot 1 (back, left): Tomatoes, basil, carrots, chives

Plot 2 (back, right): Cucumber, dill (front of bed, away from tomato), sunflowers

Plot 3 (front, left): Beets, onions, garlic, potatoes

Plot 4 (front right): Pumpkin, squash, radish

Here’s what actually ended up happening:

We have three long skinny plots instead of four square plots.

Plot 1 (back): Pumpkin (2), squash (2), cucumber (2), marigolds (4), celeriac (1) (radish and pumpkin seeds were started, but not ready to put in)

Plot 2 (middle): Potatoes (about 20), spinach (8), marigolds (4) (beet seeds were started, but not ready to put in; too late in the season for onions and garlic)

Plot 3 (front:) Tomatoes (3), basil (2 varieties), chives (1), lettuce (8), marigolds (4) (forgot to buy carrot seeds)

We also added an artichoke plant to the herb border. Yum!

It’s so fun and exciting to be trying out a new method of gardening. It is a bit weird not planting into soil, but we found that pulling aside layers to put the starts in was SO much easier. I can’t wait to see how this garden grows… If Lasagna Gardening really works as well as I’ve read it should, this is definitely an easy way to garden.

Today’s garden tasks accomplished:

• Installed a trellis for a flowering vine.
• Planted a rose bush we got from my MIL, a black-eyed susan plant DH picked out (his favorite flower), a nasturtium my son planted at school, and an artichoke I picked out (my favorite veggie)
• Measured out and marked where we wanted the garden beds and paths
• Rearranged the beds into three plots instead of 4
• Planted all the vegetable and herb starts we bought this morning
• Trimmed back a bunch of long wild grass
• Put in some log borders to edge the herb border and keep the grass out
• Planted beet, radish, dill, sunflower, annual flower mix, black eyed susan seeds into starter trays

Total time: 5 hours

Total cost: $120 (veg, herb and flower starts, seeds, a new hand spade with extension, a wooden trellis, garden stakes, starter soil, seed starter flats)

I’m too tired and sore to take any pictures right now, but it is looking fantastic! I’ll try to get some pictures added to this post later this week. Tomorrow’s my birthday, so it will have to wait. I have plans for a relaxing 1 hour pedicure (much needed!) and dinner out.

I don’t get the whole frenzy, to be completely honest.

1. You post frequent status updates (assuming you have anything interesting happening in your life).

2. You read other people’s frequent status updates (assuming they have anything interesting happening in their life).

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t everyone already doing this on Facebook?

I’m just your average citizen, no celebrity status, no outstanding talents, and I really don’t need the entire world to know what I’m up doing on a minute by minute basis. Colour me old fashioned, but is it really necessary to broadcast your life that frequently? Really?

It took me a couple years to get on the Facebook band wagon, and the only thing that convinced me to get on board was the knowledge that I could reconnect with people that I had lost touch with over the years. The privacy was key as well. I could block or invite anyone I wanted. I update my status on FB maybe a few times in a day to keep people up to date on what I’m doing… I enjoy reading other people’s infrequent status updates periodically, but twittering just seems like overkill.

So you go on a vacation… You are feeling particularly proud of yourself for doing a tough hike, and the scenery is breath taking. So now you twitter about it, via your iPhone, “wow, you should see the view from this mountain… blah, blah, blah… I’m so awesome…”

Here’s what I’m thinking:  TAKE A PICTURE! Post it when you get back. LIVE IN THE MOMENT. Turn the technology OFF.

This is my biggest beef about twittering… Everyone is so busy text-bragging about their awesome amazing life that they are MISSING their awesome amazing life!

Do you really think that your lover, your son, your daughter, your friend is getting the full benefit of the moment while you’re huddled over your technology frantically typing about how awesome you and your life are?!

Simplify your life. Look up. Engage. Make real life conversation. Stop twittering and start living IN your life instead of around the periphery. Life is not a movie that you can rewind. You only get one shot at this particular moment.