Serious, Committed, Dressed for it?

There's a place just after casual interest where things start to get serious. The equipment gets better, the uniforms start to match, and safety gear is called into play because there is a distinct possibility that someone might get hurt.

The first year I gardener, I developed a huge blister in the middle of my right palm. I was using hand tools to dig through hard soil to churn the ground. I had the wound all summer. I wore a variety of bandage combinations, but it didn't really heal until months later.

Last year, I got another blister. It wasn't as big or as deep. I bought better gloves and bought a full size, long-handled aerator. Not long after I bought a big girl shovel. By the end of summer, I had a full kit and no blisters.

The upgrade continues. I bought a spading fork, started more seeds, and I've purchased some pretty good planter/structure pieces. But I don't yet look the part. I have painted toes for my bare feet, but still...

Last year, I had the bad habit of setting down a tool and forgetting where I put it. Not enough hands! Some things were missing until I pulled out all of the dead plants in the fall.

This year, I decided I would like a smock/apron with pockets. It is HARD to find a "working" apron and I don't care for the neck strap, waist tie apron for something like this.

It doesn't help that I'm a big gal. A smock needs to be able to accommodate size since it's kind of tailored. I'm very happy to say I found a great source on Etsy.  Timeless Apron's Etsy Shop & TimelessAprons.com

Happy, happy, happy. The few that I've seen that I like lots are sold, so I contacted the shop owner to see what I can get.

Do you have a favorite?

Go! Go! Go!

I got the net fence from Katya today. We did a walk-through of the full plot I'm getting from her and the half plot she's getting from me. With the official (?) hand-over, I can really get started on the outdoor stuff.

In the past, we've paid one person who has hired someone to till, but there seems to be a problem finding someone this year. I really want to get to work on improving the soil. If the group isn't going to hire someone, I might just do my own plot myself.

I found a place to rent a tiller for a pretty good price. If I decide to rent it, I'll offer to do everyone's, but I'm a little nervous about the language barrier, timing, and politics. I'd have to clear out my station wagon to bring the tiller home and right now it's full of garden stuff.

If I don't rent, I'll do it myself with my new spading fork. I will definitely pull many, many muscles, and be sore for a long while, but it's a good sore and a nice chance to get dirty.

 I have about 100 pounds of soil additives to fix up our silty, sandy soil. I'll need to double it for the full size plot. Manure didn't go very far in the smaller plot, I used about 120 pounds (3 packages). I think I'll need at least 300 pounds for the new space since it hasn't been take care of very well. Everything I have is in my car since I don't have any storage except my apartment. Things left alone outside will be stolen, even peat moss.

I'm planning a big day of buying, loading, and unloading all of the soil stuff. I'll need to get it all out of the packages and lightly worked at minimum so it can't be taken.

I'll take another day to layout the garden and built the arbor and climbing structure and put up the fence if there's time.

Another day to assemble and install the watering system and lay the outdoor carpet for walking paths. I'll have to dig in the cedar plank baffles to help with erosion and drainage.

We don't have access to water outside yet and the garden shed (tools, stakes and fencing) hasn't been unlocked. That will dictate when we can move plants around outside, but I've got plenty of things to do before I'm ready for that.

I'm very happy to get started.

Tools In A Bucket

This year, all of the tools I use except my hoe and my cultivator fit into a 5 gallon bucket which sits discreetly near the lean-to in the middle of my garden. Too close to the fence or inside the garden shed and it could be/would be stolen.

Last year, I had very little money to buy implements. This year, that's not a problem, but I've found that for a garden my size, these tools, the cloches, and the arbor stuff are all I need.

This is my stuff:

Climber mesh, garden wire, and a mesh bag of zip ties.
Sprinkle plant food, ball of cotton string (recycled from a broken mop head), pint basket full of seed packets and liquid plant food powder.
Two pairs of garden gloves, a drawstring reusable bag, kid's garden shovel, garden fork, scissors, sprayer nozzle, snake-tongue-tool-thingy, trowel (I think, the little pointed shovel thing), terra cotta plant saucer (water for the birds), organic wheat grass seed (grass for the cat),  bulb planter, knee pads, and a hacksaw.

Cloches on a stick - perfect storage until winter.