Off to a Good Start

  Despite the dense fog that was shrouding the Bayou this morning, I headed out to a bit of garden work.  I have long neglected the plot and needed to do a bit of weeding.  The warm, humid weather we are having of late supports massive growth of not only the cabbages but also the weeds.  Things were getting a bit hairy out there!  

  Just before the first of the year, a cousin had given me a whole mess of green onions.  These were the same type that Pop used to plant on the farm so I decided to save the last inch of each stalk to use as a "starter".  Last week, I finally found the time to stick forty onion sets in the garden boxes along with the root end of two celery bunches.  While it is hard for me to grow celery from seed, rooting it is quite easy and the onion sets would have no problem getting a great start.  This is sort of like "recycled gardening" as it is growing food from what most folks toss in the trash.  To my way of thinking, there is far too much waste in this world as it is, so why not recycle when I can.  It pleased me to see how well the plants were doing.  The onions, celery, cabbages, broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards and carrots are growing by leaps and bounds.  It will not be long before I am able to harvest.

  Winter gardens are so much easier than those in the spring and summer.  First, there are no gnats!  Even though I was doing close work, nary a gnat hovered around my face.  Second, the heat is not debilitating.  We had a balmy seventy degrees today making it perfect for gardening.  Third, weeds are kept at a minimum.  Other than a good bit of what Pop used to call "water grass", the gardens were relatively clean.  Also, the winter gardens are pretty much pest free.

  After about three hours of tending the gardens, all of the raised boxes are in good shape.  Tomorrow, the fog will clear and be replaced by rains.   The gardens will be good to go and I shall be stuck indoors once again.