My Garden Map

Okay people, even though I was waiting for the rapture as I was planting last weekend, I was confident I would be around with a few of my favorite people to enjoy the results of all this planting. 

I am almost done with gathering everything I want to plant.  This weekend I will finish up.  I am letting Alexa choose what she wants to plant in one of the boxes.  She shows a lot of interest in my gardening, so I think it will be a fun project for us to work on this summer.  I'm planning to take her to the farm to pick up the starts she wants to plant.  Like me, I think it will help for her to have some starts and some seeds to watch grow.  Starts make you feel like you already have something successfully growing, and us newbies need that.  

I got my plants or seeds from a few sources.  We have a wonderful farmer's market in downtown Vancouver about 2 miles from my house.  There is a local farm there, Millennium Farms, they use heirloom seeds that are not genetically modified.  I got several starts from them.  Then I ordered seeds from Territorial Seed Company.  Their seeds are not genetically modified, and their test garden is about a hundred miles south of me in Oregon, so I figure whatever they sell is likely to grow in my region as well.  To select the variety of seeds to buy, I referenced the book Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades, which was written by the founder of Territorial Seed, and the Maritime Northwest Garden Guide.  All of these resources were recommended by sources who have been gardening way longer than me. 

I've been stuck in a hotel room for the last two weeks for work.  Unfortunately for me, we have actually had some nice weather where I could have gotten out in the yard in the evenings.  It is killing me!  I am struggling to focus, cause I want to weed my yard.  Who'd have thought I would ever utter such words?  I get home tomorrow night, and won't be leaving town again for two weeks.  I am looking forward to Memorial Weekend to get out in the yard.  I think I'm going to have to get creative about keeping the birds out of my garden.  Maybe I'll buy one of those creepy owls? I also may rent a goat.  That's right, RENT a goat.  We have these noxious blackberry vines and I am starting to feel like I'm living in Jumanji.  Many people have recommended that I get a goat because they clear it up quickly, and blackberry vines make goat milk taste yummy.  Since I can't have dairy...this is tempting.  But I think Randy might kill me if I tell him I want a goat.  Besides, who the hell is going to milk the goat?  I don't see myself ever going there....So....we'll save that for next year.  For now, I'll just look into renting.....

Thanks for your comments and support everyone :)