The Latest

Because Tater (the puggle) and Tigger (the tabby) don't like the sharp rocks but do like to sit on the garden bench, I decided to expand the river rock pathways.

Since stealing isn't such a great idea, I googled "river rock in Scottsdale." I found a great materials place a few miles away. We decided that we needed to cover 36' of ground.

A & A materials is a playground for boys--piles of rocks everywhere. We loaded the Rodeo with the perfect rocks--about 8" in diameter and as flat as we could find. When we weighed the vehicle, we found out that we loaded 1/2 ton of river rock. We looked like low riders as we drove away.

On Sunday morning, we unloaded, and I arranged the rocks so they looked good in form, shape and function.

We share the garden with other critters when the "boys" are looking the other way.

Everything is growing nicely. Flowers are popping on the tomato and pepper plants, and there are even several pea-sized peppers poking through.

Watching the Garden Grow

The garden is doing amazingly well. The cucumber and cantaloupe plants sprouted overnight several days ago. Pretty cool.

I have already used the thyme, basil and rosemary in recipes.

Last night I made Lemon/Thyme Cornish game hens. The recipe is simple. Thaw your hens and bend the wings back and under the birds. Salt (use coarse salt) and pepper (fresh cracked is best) the birds inside and out. Cut fresh thyme and put a "bunch" inside the bird with a generous wedge of fresh lemon. (We stole the lemon from a neighbor's tree.) Bake your birds at 350 degrees for 1:15 minutes.

I served them with a very-well cooked yam. YUM.

You can use basil in virtually everything, but you can't beat a fresh Caprice salad. Get the freshest tomatoes and best mozzarella you can find. Cut both into slices about 1/4" thick. Alternate tomato and cheese slices on a plate. Drizzle with rich olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Snip basil generously over the entire plate. Be VERY generous!

Again, use coarse salt and pepper to taste.

Garden = stress reduction + joy + pleasure + adventure + nutrition + great meals!

Cukes, Cants...and more...

This week, over night, the cucumbers and the cantaloupe seeds sprouted.

The cilantro seems VERY happy, and the basil is bushing out. The tomatoes and the peppers have blooming yellow flowers.

Everyone seems very happy in the garden!

River Rock Pathway

Btw,

I stole the big river rock from a wash in the neighborhood and filled in with river pebbles. (Home Depot...again.)

Weekend Project

Well,

We went to Home Depot again for the materials. We got six cedar boards, measuring 2 x 10. We got screws, nails and a ridiculous amount of garden soil, including 3 bags of cow poop.

While I leveled the ground, Brent carried and carried and carried soil and poop.

Then we (okay, Brent) put the box together. The final box dimensions were 5' x 10'...HUGE.

After fussing with the box...and each other...we were happy that it was level and square. Brent scootered to get us some lunch, as it was late, and I put the soil and the poop in the box.

I set the plants where I wanted to plant them. Done for Saturday.

On Sunday, I started to play in the dirt...and the poop.

I planted all the plants, and Brent set up the watering system.

On Monday, I glued little blue glass beads around the box to reflect the sunlight. Pretty.

Trip to Home Depot

Okay...

Got most of the plants I need for the garden box, but I had to get cucumber and cantaloupe SEEDS.

I arranged all the plants according to my sketched diagram. I even got a few extra herbs for the pots I have around the yard.

I did get two mint plants, also. If you plant mint, plant it in containers, as it will take over everything if you don't.

Next, we are off to find the material to use to build the box. From what I've researched, the options are lumber (1 x 12) or landscape timbers or brick/cinder blocks.

Oops!

I forgot one very important item. Each region of the United States has its own unique perks and challenges.

Having a keen grasp of the obvious, I looked up what works best when in Arizona. Here is the .pdf:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1005.pdf

Now what?

Once I figured out a place for the garden box, I had to plan what to plant. For the most part, this is completely personal.

On a piece of paper, I simply drew what looked like a 4' x 10' box. Simple. I then listed my favorite garden items, and here is what I came up with:

• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Cantaloupes
• Peppers--a variety from mild to hot
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Cilantro
• Basil

I then arranged the plants in "clumps" that I think will look nice, with the tallest plants in the back and the "wondering plants"--the cucumbers and the cantaloupe--on the sides so they can creep over the sides of the box.

Off to Home Depot to see what plants they may have!

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Getting Started

Getting started is sometimes the most difficult part of a project...any project. I think a part of that is that we don't know what we don't know!

I know nothing about box gardening in Arizona, but knowledge is highly over rated. Learning is the key.

One thing that I must remember is that this project is a P R O C E S S. It is a J O U R N E Y. So, I need P A T I E N C E!

To start, I simply looked around the yard for a place that gets morning sun, but not the scorching direct afternoon sun blast. I found a space that works perfectly for that. It gets direct morning sun and filtered (through a tree) afternoon light.

The space is perfect for a 4' x 10' box.

The next thing I did was to figure out what I wanted. See that in the next post.

Garden Blog

I have been quite sad for a long time, even though I am a very positive person. When you are a bit blue, one way to move forward is to answer the following question, "What is one thing that really brings me joy, pleasure and peace?"

When I answered that question for myself, the answer was, "Growing flowers, herbs and vegetables." I love to grow things I can use for my other passion: cooking.

So...now the question wasn't "what," it was "how." I live in Arizona and have a rock back yard.

Once you ask the question "how?" you WILL find the answer. You WILL.

So, I am learning how to garden in a BOX. It is called "Box Gardening." This blog will chronicle my efforts and results!

This new project fuels yet another passion that gives me joy, pleasure and peace: ADVENTURE!