The Bucket Garden

So a couple weeks ago Backwoods Home Magazine started arriving at Chez Byrne.

I had no idea that somewhere out there existed a magazine just for me and what I want to do. I've NEVER found a magazine that I wanted to archive before and keep forever and ever, and now I have two: Backwoods Home and Hobby Farms.

Beside an article on the Appleseed Project, the May/June edition of BH held an article on tub gardening. We figured, "hey, why not at least we could bring it in out of the weather" and decided to go the tub route with our herbs.

Herbs are integral to our cooking and nothing beats fresh (and cheap!) when it comes to herbs.

Yesterday I picked up our weekly order from Six Rivers Market (our local farming cooperative) including 7 started herbs and a hanging cucumber basket (for Chris's cucumber addiction).

A note about Six Rivers: any organization that allows me to place an order for fresh eggs from Windrush Farms instead of praying he still has some eggs left come Farmer's Market time is my friend. These chickens must eat like kings because the yolk to white ratio is HUGE. Too bad the kids have decided to eat boiled eggs like they're candy, because one of these days I WILL make creme brulee...

Sorry, got off track. Anyway...

I'd managed to get an 18 gallon rope-handled bucket (Wal-Mart, $5) and 2 cu ft of potting soil already, so today became assembly day.

First I needed to give the bucket some drainage (given the rain, a ton of drainage). Drills can be very, very handy.

From Waterfront House

Then I took the bucket over to the garage, where it needed all 2 cu ft of potting soil.

From Waterfront House

Although the article said to put the soil in where you'd keep the bucket due to weight, I didn't have a problem lugging it back up the stairs to the main floor where my herbs were waiting.

From Waterfront House

I transplanted all the plants to the new soil, making sure the roots were nice and loose. I then watered the herbs with water spiked with transplant plant food. Then I moved the whole assembly to the upper deck where the rain would finish the watering job.

From Waterfront House

Planted today:

Greek Oregano
Rosemary
Kentucky Colonel Mint (gee, I wonder if that was developed for cocktails)
Sweet Basil (from Bear at the Old Ice House Pizzeria in Hope, which has an awesome view and just as awesome pizza)

Oh, and my peppers and tomatoes? The habaneros are starting to bloom...

From Waterfront House

and the tomatoes are ALL in bloom.

From Waterfront House

Turns out I don't have such a black thumb after all.

Adventures in Transplanting

I've never had what you could call a "green thumb".

Granted, I've never really tried either.

Desert Arizona is not the most amenable growing climate after all. My brother Tim was/is able to coax anything out of the soil, but I never really tried. Well, other than that one time after I moved back in with my parents when, fresh with knowledge from my job at the arboretum, I planted quite a few transplants in the back yard.

Tim took it over shortly after and my desert penstemons and Tombstone roses were replaced with melons and grape vines. I'd only been gone three days, on a custody change trip to Vancouver.

Yes I'm still pissed, why do you ask?

Anyway, just because opportunity never really knocked doesn't mean I don't drool over seed catalogs and seedlings. If anything really stopped me before, it was the fact that most of what I wanted to grow doesn't really do well in Zone 9.

When we originally started our search for a new place to live (long story, we'll eventually get around to it) one of my primary criteria involved being able to grow what I wanted to grow. Apples. Berries. Nuts. Grains. Peaches. Cherries.

Every time I pass the nursery on Hwy 95 that sells huckleberry plants I want to pull in and buy a dozen. Even though we're renting and I can't really plant ANYTHING that involves marring the gorgeous lawn.

However, the property has a greenhouse and the greenhouse is all mine.

After 2 1/2 weeks of farmer's markets, I've finally gotten all the seedlings I want for the greenhouse. All started locally, all cheap as hell, all free from sales tax. All easily transplantable when we move, and all more than happy to be in the greenhouse.

The girls and I spent part of this afternoon weeding and planting and we're all excited to see what comes of our plants.

We ended up with 2 each of:


Brandywine Tomato

Tommy Toe Tomato


Glacier Tomato

Giant Thai Pepper

Cyklon Pepper

Fish Pepper


Habanero Pepper

Hopefully this summer we'll end up with plenty of ripe tomatoes and hot peppers.