My Cozy Little Farmhouse

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Lett-uce have a moment of silence

For my lettuce (and spinach) bed is no more. It has been destroyed by a marauding, slimy band of slugs and cabbage worms. And some other evil looking bugs that I can't identify.

I noticed a few nibbles and thought it's ok I have plenty-- a few little blemishes won't hurt. There had been constant rainfall and I couldn't get out to look at the bed or harvest because the backyard has been a swamp. Until Monday when I saw the carnage. In my enthusiasm of over planting (thinking it will choke out the weeds) it made a perfect incubator for DOZENS of cabbage worms and even more slugs...umm EEEWWW!

I am so sad! The skeletal remains of the lettuce and spinach were ripped from the raised bed. (The hubbs was helping me so no time for pictures). So I sat next to the raised bed Wednesday night for about 30 minutes after the bed was cleared and watched dozens of slugs come to the top of the soil. I picked them out and dropped them in an nearly empty beer can. So gross! There was enough beer that they drowned. But hopefully they weren't feeling any pain, haha

'Nati light is good for something

I already had green onions/ chives planted (which I THOUGHT was a natural deterrent) After the clean-out I sprayed everything with an insecticidal soap because my radishes look a little munched on. The carrots and chives are fine. Maybe I should plant some marigolds as an extra measure?

I planted the strawberries and so far they look happy. I think I will make this raised bed a permanent strawberry bed (assuming my strawberries survive) once I harvest the carrots and chives. I can't plant the strawberries in the lower tier because of the chives. Not good companion plants.

I am going to reseed some planter boxes near the house with some leaf lettuce. So I can keep a much closer eye on them. Good thing lettuce grows fast!

How do you deal with with the bugs making a buffet out of your veggies? I am always looking for hints and tips--especially those organic garden tips!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Procrastinators Anonymous

Ugh! What is wrong with me? I have no motivation. I need to paint my stairwell. Have I done it? No-sir-reee Bob! I grumble about it. I look at the crumbling plaster, faded icky walls and I THINK about it but I do nothing. Well I did take down the bunny rabbit pegboard. That counts as something. Right?

Same goes for the eyesore of a closet in the spare room. I desperately need to find/ fabricate some kind of covering. But there it sits. Ugly and junky.

Oh yeah, our bedroom with the peeling paint. Anything but restful that's for sure.

I have a KAZILLION things waiting to be re-purposed in the garage. A half finished wall art project. A bird feeder I was making. The vintage bed frame I was supposed to paint.

And the garage attic needs cleaned. Desperately.

I need to pull weeds.

Install my clothesline.

Martha Stewart

Meet with the kitchen planner to discuss our impending kitchen remodel.

web source

And here I sit in front of the laptop thinking I sure would like to take a nap. (Well that and mindlessly nomming on a bag of Honey Mustard and Onion pretzel pieces, chocolate sunflower seeds and slugging back diet green tea like there is no tomorrow.) But if I do that the house won't clean itself. (And by cleaning I mean I put laundry in the dryer and am soaking the dishes) The self cleaning house would be a really great invention right about now.

I swear if you looked up the word procrastination right now there would be a picture of me. I need a 12 step program for procrastinating. Maybe 6 steps. 12 seems like a lot of steps. Besides I will do that later. Right now I am gonna take a few steps over to the couch and take a nap...IF I can get the dogs to move over...