Open, open, open

Remember that old Mervyn's commercial with the lady standing at the door saying "open, open, open, ....."  Well, that it me when it comes to turning our back yard into a garden.  I want it all done and NOW.

This past week has been frustrating - you have to cover the seedlings at night so they don't freeze, then uncover them during the day so they don't burn.  It's worse than being cold with your sweater off and hot with it on.  Who knew Mother Nature gets menopause? When we left for work the other morning, we had to drive back to the house to take the frost covers off. This week is supposed to be more of the same.  Freezing at night and in the 50s-60s during the day.  No wonder everybody has a cold.  If our bodies can't figure it out, how does Mother Nature.

I planted the yukon potatoes according to the almanac and instructions.  They had good growing eyes on them but I think I killed them.  In small print on one of the articles I read said to not use soil amended with cow manure.  Well, I'll blame it on the cows.  Could have been the weather too.  I won't toss the baby out with the bathwater yet.  Maybe we'll all be surprised. 

I'm trying not to push them but I "stepped up" (moved from germination station to individual pots) the cabbage, collards, leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce and and cauliflower.  I needed space to plant some Roselle (Red Hibiscus a/k/a Florida cranberry).  This is the plant that Hibiscus tea is made out of. 

I'm also proving what a nerd I am - I'm really enjoying reading up on growing things.  Did you know that in Texas, by alternating halves of your patch,  you can cut the top 1.5" of your lettuce one day and do the same to the other half the next day and be able to eat salad almost every day?  It goes that FAST.  Can't wait to try this out.  Also enjoying playing with garden plan programs.  I put one on Jonathan's iPad that I found through Mother Earth and it actually interacts with the one for my laptop that I found on GrowVeg.  I think I just got lucky on that one. 

As I said earlier....... OPEN, OPEN, OPEN