At short notice I attended a seminar by a Master Gardener last night. It was titled “Planning Your Garden”. An unnamed member of my family said “What’s to know? Short plants in the front, tall plants in the back.” Such support!
Hot on the heels of last night’s new-found knowledge I went out this morning and rented a 1000 sq. ft garden plot from the city. Today was the day that people who didn’t rent last year could vie for a plot. Little did I know you could find out ahead of time which plots were available and you could have gone and previewed them. As I waited outside the office with other would be gardeners, they discussed which plots they were hoping for and how some were weed infested and some overgrown and neglected and I thought hmmmmm. Nonetheless a very pleasant and seemingly knowledgeable women-in-line ahead of us gave a few us of some suggestions about which plots seemed desirable. So i will garden with my friend…there may be considerable coffee drinking and laughing and perhaps not too much gardening. Some fresh potatoes and dill from my garden, enough to complement a summer’s meal would be enough of a reward in itself. Now which is taller -potatoes or dill?
Barb's True Stories 
Sounds like you are going back to your Saskatchewan roots.. Remember a very small amount of Round-up takes care of most weeds to start but if you go GE vegetables round-up continues to control all weeds and there will be so much time for coffee you may have to add another past time.
In reality they will all have to same amount of weeds and just need to be managed it. I agree with “the member of the family” small in the front, keep the corn at the back.. Question how do you deal with the Racoons? May need that 22 yet…
As I remember your mum always had a huge garden, but the most impressive was your mum’s ability to walk out to the house cow in the paddock and fill the milk bucket. I now wonder how she coped with the mosquito’s? But that always did impress me. I never could get those bovines to stand still that long out on the open prairie.. Perhaps you know that secret? Might have to get one for the back yard? The stool will be the difficult thing to find these days.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the wisdom….I had to ask Mick what GE vegetables were…I didn’t think it was General Electric. I am used to seeing GMO-genetically modified. So it’s Genetically Engineered then, The city expressly forbids the use of any “chemical compounds, herbicides and fungicides” so I think Round Up won’t be on the shopping list. I’d forgotten about Mom’s cow milking-you have a very good memory and I enjoy hearing those recollections from you.
Things to remember:
1) Chives never die – they may wilt and fade with the season, but 187 more of them will sprout next year whether you want them to or not. I think half of my grass may actually be chive at this point.
2) Mint is a troublesome, burrowing, invading weed – you may love it. Heck, I love it. But I learned the hard way that mint should be planted in a container…preferably one made of titanium.
3) You will always harvest more zucchini than you know what to do with. If you plant a lot of it, you may be able to sustain entire third-world countries through a famine.
4) Rabbits love lettuce. Rabbits will walk over and around carrots to get to lettuce. I believe rabbits may have some sort of telepathic signalling system that lets them communicate when someone’s lettuce is sprouting. Or maybe just when mine is sprouting.
5) Gardening is best enjoyed with a beer. Well, perhaps not in a community plot. A good friend and some coffee may be almost as good.
Good luck!
Sage (no pun intended) comments on gardening. There is nothing quite like the voice of experience. I heard once that if you plant zucchini and you have too many-it means you have no friends (or at least not enough to to give them to).
No, if you BUY zucchini it means you have no friends