At the end of last year’s garden, I had injured my knee from so much stooping and bending and whatever else went along with gardening. The grass burrs had taken over and I said “no more gardening!” Vince said he would help with this year’s garden but he always says that. He gets home from work and it’s blazing hot til after dark and . . the bottom line is that gardening is something I enjoy and not something he enjoys doing. Through the year, he said he would help but part of me kept thinking . . it’s just not worth it. I think that once he does retire, maybe he’ll have more interest in gardening. I’m not complaining because I know how hard it is for me to do something that I don’t really enjoy doing – especially something as hard as gardening. I wondered how I would feel when others were planting gardens and talking about it. I can’t remember a year when I didn’t have a garden. Even our last year in MO, we knew we were leaving in August but I still had a small garden.
By mid-February, we should have been working in the garden if we were going to have one. Even though Vince didn’t know he was having heart issues til near the end of February, he just didn’t have any stamina and I didn’t push getting the garden done. With his medical issues, having a garden was out of the question so . . it hasn’t bothered me not planting one this year.
In late Fall, I went ahead and started tomato seeds in the greenhouse . . just in case . . and now they desperately need to be transplanted. I’m trying to decide if I want to put them in bigger pots and stake them or, try to find someone who might want them.
Tomatoes
They’re healthy. They’re full of blooms and now baby tomatoes but they’re not going to survive much longer in the greenhouse. I have to water them at least twice a day in the small pots and within a few weeks, it’s going to be too hot in there for them.
Tomatoes
I thought about trying to plant them in the keyhole but I’d have to use a ladder to keep them tied up to the stakes and I don’t think that would be real safe for me to be out there on a ladder trying to tie tomatoes up.
Same thing with the elderberries. They’re growing like crazy and they’re not going to make it long in the greenhouse.
Elderberries
They’re in bigger pots so I can bring them out of the greenhouse but keeping anything watered in a pot is difficult.
By next year, hopefully Vince will be retired and he should definitely be feeling better and maybe, together, we can have a small garden.
Joyce says
A friend of mine has several round raised beds. They look like they’re about 2-3 feet tall, and she gardens in those. Maybe some large containers (larger than just regular flowerpots) would work for your tomatoes and elderberries.
pandrpeele says
Go to a landscaper, nursery,or grower and get some large black pots that are used. We use maybe 30 gal. (Big as half whiskey barrels. Usually they will give them to you. We do tomatoes, peppers, and every thing. We grow lettuces and spinach in long window boxes from Walmart or Big Lots. We also made friends with a. Young man who grows chemical free. Do you have a farmers market near you.
Cindi says
Is there someone local you could pay to get the tomatoes into the keyhole garden? I think you are going to miss those tomatoes.
Liz says
I would look for someone to dig those holes for the elderberries and perhaps set up soaker hoses to help in the watering task.
Susan says
Do you have a fence where you could train the tomatoes and not have to tie them up, standing on a ladder? Can the elderberries be trained on a fence? I know my next door neighbor used to put his raspberries on a fence, and they were happy. What happens if you just stick them in a hole in the ground? Or could you get one of those watering tubs from the feed store and make a planter out of them? I’m just brainstorming, and you probably already thought of all those possibilities. And many more! =) It won’t kill you to have to buy tomatoes and other things at the store this year. I think you need a teen from high school who is vastly interested in agriculture for a career! =)
Nelle Coursey says
Re-pot the tomatoes or you will regret not doing so. If you need help, you know we all will be out there in a heartbeat! Same with the elderberries unless you were going to plant them in the ground anyway. Put them in a bigger pot. If you need some bigger pots, I have some you can have or borrow.
LK Smith says
My grandfather taught me to garden in large pots. It is much easier, and you never have weeds. Five gallon plastic buckets work well and retain the moisture. I cut a hole in the bottom and add a layer of gravel for drainage.
Jeanette says
Kiddie pool will hold several pots and make watering easy.
Carolyn says
I wonder if you could plant them in the keyhole near the edges and let the vines trail down over the sides? That way they wouldn’t need to be staked.