Spring Garden 2014: Bring it.

Spring is near! The chilly, gray weather outside of my window isn't too promising but unless the globe comes screeching to a halt, spring is indeed on its way. Time to revamp the vegetable gardens!

There are a few things that we're doing differently this year.

• Wooden raised beds in the old garden and adding a new raised bed near our garage
• Improving soil composition
• Focusing on the health and strength of seedlings
• Adding fruit to garden
 

 

So...we've got some work to do.

Raised Bed Plans, Phase I and II

Our 4' x 16' bed frames, on their sides

Last year, we started raised beds made of compacted clay. Fail. This season, we're building proper raised beds out of wood. These won't get washed away and they look prettier. We're also hoping that raised beds and better soil composition will promote better drainage and root health.

We will have two main raised beds that are 4'x16'. Those two will be 1' deep. We're also adding an L-shaped raised bed near the garage that has 8' and 10' legs, each 2' wide. One leg of the L is 1.5 feet deep and the other leg is 1', just for aesthetic purposes.

Though the frames could fit through our basement door, we had to cut the 4'x16's in half so that I could help carry them out. (All the working out in the world hasn't enabled me to lift something like that!) It turned out to be a great decision; they were easier to carry and my husband had the splendid idea to terrace two levels of one bed. That bed fits into the natural landscape better that way.

Original garden during winter, 3 rows. The plastic garden trim prevented the garden soil from washing away during our rough fall and winter storms. That plastic will be repurposed for the flower gardens (mostly buried as a border). We will reposition the deer fencing later.

We created two large rows instead of three small ones. The row closest to the house barely got any sun, anyway. This design also allows for 3 large walking aisles. In this photo, we added the first raised bed, moved the compost bin closer, and added a compost mixing box.

Two beds installed, along with supports for tomatos.

Almost done! Just need to add sisal rope for Florida Weave tomato support system.

This used to be a flat grassy area near the garage. It gets tons of sun so we added two raised beds for growing space.

Filling the Garden Beds

The native clay sucks. The first problem is that it is acidic, hard, clumpy clay. The second problem is that there are TONS of rocks in it, even after the hand sorting that we did last year. My husband made two sifters that we will use to get the rocks out and break up the clay. This will help us to evenly integrate the soil amendments.

The sifted clay will be mixed with homemade organic compost, cow and chicken manure, lime, Fox Farm Happy Frog Soil Conditioner and a bit of Ocean Forest Garden Soil, and Miracle Grow Organic Choice garden soil. To estimate, the soil will be 40% clay and 60% good stuff. We will leave 1"-2" at the top of each bed for light mulch.

Starting the Seeds

Last year, I did it all wrong. I started the seeds in native clay, blended with a smidgen of potting mix. Most seedlings developed but they were weak. Between flash floods, weeks of drought and scorching temperatures most plants struggled to survive. Only my bell peppers and tomatoes produced anything worth talking about.

This year, I brought a Bio Dome to start the seeds. There are a few cheaper styles out there but since I'm starting seeds in full view of my kitchenette, I wanted something that looked nice. Once the seedlings can be hardened off, transporting the Bio Dome outside will be a lot easier that moving all the tiny recycled plastic cups that I had last year. (I didn't have a rolling table.) I loved the idea of using recycled materials but the convenience and aesthetics of the dome won.

Giving the seeds a good start in the BioDome sponges should help strengthen them until I learn to master my own seedling starter mix.

Garden Layout

I don't have much diversity. This season, I'm aiming to master a few things, especially peppers. For one, I love them. Secondly, organic peppers are expensive so growing our own makes sense ($3-$4 each at Kroger. Ew!) The spring/summer garden will contain:

• Marketmore Organic Cucumbers
• Mater Sandwich Organic Tomatoes
• Moneymaker Organic Tomatoes
• Sweet N' Neat Hybrid Cherry Tomatoes
• Carmen Hybrid Red Pepper
• Cayenne Blend Organic Peppers
• Sweet Rainbow Blend Peppers
• Strawberry Rainbow Treasure 
• Hull Blackberry Shrub
• Sunshine Blueberry Bush
• Organic Chives
• Organic Basil
• Organic Cilantro
• Organic Parlsey
• Organic Dill
• Organic Garlic
• Spinach and lettuce

Most will be grown in the raised beds, though the leafy greens, herbs, and strawberries will be grown in containers on the patio.

Our ROI

This year, I'm keeping track of how much we spend on the garden updates. I'm going to compare that against this year's yields, pricing out each harvest as if I'd brought it at Kroger. This will give me an idea of how quickly the garden will pay for itself.

So far, we've already saved money by DIYing the garden. We created 164 square feet of garden space, a compost mixing box, and two sifters. We spent $550 on building materials. We spent $165 on soil, seeds, and fertilizer. DIY Total is $715.

Home Depot sells a 80sq. ft raised garden frame for $285. Buying our square footage in garden space would be $570. Add 4 coated galvanized steel tomato and that's $28. (Not exactly comparable.) Buying our raised beds and cages would be $598. 4'x4' wooden frame for compost mixing would be $40. Two metal sifters would cost $302! (Ridiculous.) Add $165 for soil, fertilizer, and seeds. Store-bought Total: $1,105

On the surface, we saved $390. That's enough to make me happy. But upon closer look, I think we got an even bigger value. Our tomato cages will last longer than the flimsy wire ones from the store. Our sifters are larger, of higher quality, and attach to our wheelbarrow. (They will get plenty of use--going to do flower gardens in the front and back yards.) We got to customize the style and dimensions of our beds. Lastly and most importantly, my husband had a great time playing with his toys :) I couldn't be prouder.

And...we're ready for spring!

Lamanai Ruins and River Safari

The day of our Lamanai Ruins tour didn't look too promising. The temperatures were in the low 70s, which isn't bad until the wind and cloud cover were factored in. We left the Jewel with a backpack stuffed with rain gear, light jackets, and anything else we would need might the weather change for the worse.

We took a small ferry across the choppy waters to the port. If that wasn't stomach churning enough, we then hopped on a Cold War era Grayhound bus. I was expecting it to break down the entire time but it didn't. Captain Chino (yes, that's what he wanted us to call him) handled the details well and got us safely to our destination.

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The first stop was a small, open-air restaurant that overlooked a small lake. We channeled through the restaurant and loaded onto a speedboat. There were a few older couples who were surprised that this was a speedboat tour--they were thinking a river cruise ship--so the cold winds, cramped quarters and lack of cocktails took them by surprise.

During the river safari, Captain Chino pointed out numerous plants and trees. That's interesting and everything but I was most excited about the animals! We spotted a few bird species, two iguanas chillin' in the trees, and a monkey. He was my absolute favorite.

Mr. Monkey had an agenda. I think he knew that the tourist come through that way because he was sitting on a low branch waiting on us. The skipper from the boat ahead of us handed him some fruit and the little monkey paused for his photo op. He was adorable though not as wild as I would have thought.

After a 40 minute ride through the winding channels of New River, we reached the Lamanai Visitors Center. It serves as a gateway to the three major points of interest in the Lamani complex. The first is the Jaguar Temple, which I think was the prettiest. The worn, moss-covered rocks were beautiful. I later learned that most of this temple is still underground. If fully excavated, it would be the tallest temple in the complex. (So dig it up already!) Only downside: I could've lived without the cheesy growling jaguar sounds looping from speakers.

Next came High Temple at Lamanai, the submerged crocodile. It's nearly 10 stories high and is the best excavated of the three. It's the one that most tourist want to climb. Once at the top, we were rewarded with stunning view of the New River, nearby lagoon, and lush jungle.

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The stairs are incredibly steep and narrow, so many people crawled up like spiders and came down sideways. There was one older woman who slid down step-by-step on her butt, which was funny, and incredibly smart for anyone with weak knees.

The last stop on the tour was the Masks Temple, which is tiny compared to the other two but it has the best preserved mask carvings on either side. They're about 8' tall, I think, and quite fascinating.

I don't have any photos of the ride back because it started to rain the second that we got on the speedboat. It was the longest, wettest, coldest boa tride that I've ever had in my life. So worth it! The ruins were beautiful and really spoke to the skill of the Mayans. They were inspirational for a book that I'm working on and the images will stay with me forever.

ATV Jungle Excursion and Beach Break in Costa Maya, Mexico

During our cruise of the Western Caribbean on the Norwegian Jewel, we participated in the ATV Jungle Adventure and Beach Break in Costa Maya. It was an excellent choice.

The ATVs are automatic and super easy to navigate. The course starts off straight and simple (to help beginners get acclimated) and then escalates in difficulty. Check out our video!


Midway through the ride, we had a water break at a pretty outlook area. Our tour guide Daniel told us a bit about Costa Maya and life in the area. Costa Maya is what Cancun was about 30 years ago. Aside from a shopping center at the port and a few private beaches, it's quite underdeveloped. That's a good thing for locals who don't want to be flooded with tourist yet not so great for the economy. As development moves forward, they're playing a balancing act, trying to keep a small-town feel while fueling the economy.

Even bandits need water breaks

Daniel is incredibly kind and helpful so I recommend working with him if you have the option to take the tour.

After the water break we continued the tour. Along the way, one passenger's ATV broke down. It was a minor hiccup. The assistant tour guide switched ATVs with her and he waited for the repair crew to arrive while we continued the tour. Surprises happen so it's nice when the crew is organized enough to handle them.

Overall, the ATV excursion lasts for about 45 minutes. There is a straight paved section, a winding sand track, a bumpy section similar to a pump track for bikes, and then an overgrown jungle and winding trail towards the end. That's where the most photos are taken, so you look all hardcore on your ATV busting through the jungle, hahaa.

There are a few things that you should know to get the most out of your adventure:

• Be sure to wear sunglasses. Aside from blocking the sun, they will keep dust and sand out of your eyes. Oh, and tree branches. 
• The little bandanas that Daniel gave us are optional. After rain, the sand doesn't blow around as much. We didn't really need to wear them. But I imagine that bandanas are really helpful in drier conditions where kicked-up sand could irritate your nose and throat.
• Wear shorts! Some ads for the ATV ride recommended wearing pants. Those who did were hot and miserable.
• Bring a video recorder like GoPro so that you can make your own videos. The pictures that the tour company took came out blurry and were $16 each. Safeguard your memories and save money by taking your own videos and pictures.

I heard saltwater helps locs tighten...?

After the ATV ride we were dropped off at a private resort just for cruise members. The service is exceptionally good (the bathroom attendant was like a second mother, haha). The open bar proved to be a much needed relief from the $12 cocktails on the cruise ship. Drink up!

Note: Food orders do take a while (since large groups arrive at once) so don't wait until you're famished to order. Order ahead and enjoy the beach while you wait.

Snorkeling in Roatan

Captain Bill's boat

We recently cruised the Western Caribbean on the Norwegian Jewel, with stops in Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, and Belize City! This post gives highlights from the cruise as well as things that we learned as first time cruise ship travelers, including tips for packing and land excursions.

First, the fun stuff! Getting off of the ship and into different countries was the best part about my cruise experience.  Each cruise offers shore excursions once you reach a port. At first, I thought these would be a huge rip-off. (I'm naturally suspicious of things that are too convenient.) But there are plenty of benefits:

• If you're on an official Norwegian Cruise Lines excursion, they're responsible for you. The boat won't leave you if you're running late, which is reassuring in countries where people are on "island time."

  

  At Frenchie's Restaurant

• Many excursions include a bilingual tour guide, the activity, transportation to and from the port, lunch, and some sort of beverages. While the price is definitely a bit higher, it's still a good deal for travelers who don't want to worry about the details.
• Excursions do not include tips for local professionals and they may not include all of the equipment needed for the activity, so be sure to ask the reservation specialist aboard the boat!

One excursion offered is a scuba and snorkeling trips in Roatan, Honduras.  The island is world renown for its scuba diving opportunities, boasting beautiful reefs, ship wrecks and stunning underwater cliffs. I'm not scuba certified yet so my husband and I decided to snorkel first. I LOVED it.

Confession: snorkeling makes me feel like a mermaid. I also prefer it to regular swimming because I don't obsess over oxygen deprivation, haha. Below is a sneak peak from our snorkeling adventure, filmed using GoPro.  This was actually taken during our honeymoon so the Norwegian snorkel sites will differ.

The sexiest dude is my husband, Alejandro. The other guys are Captain Bill and his assistant, whose name escapes me.


It was my first time snorkeling. Even is such shallow waters, I was surprise by how quickly pressure built up in my head. I wasn't used to it so I didn't dive very deep. Next time, I'll be more brave! It took about 20 minutes for me to learn what to do with my hands so I doggy paddled, haha. I look goofy but I'll chalk it up to inexperience.

If you're planning on taking an excursion during your cruise, there are a few things that you should know.

Alejandro, relaxing in the bay

Excursions

• The details provided in the ship's brochures are generally inadequate. Go to the reservations desk and ask questions! 
• Get all of the details of machines that you will operate, such as the number of passengers permitted, drive time available for each passenger, stick vs. automatic, appropriate attire and footwear, etc.
• Get a breakdown of the excursion timeline. We have a seven hour excursion where nearly four hours were spent in transit!
• Understand what is included in each packages as far as drinks, meals, and equipment.
• You'll want cash for tips and souvenirs. Seeking out an ATM while in the US is ideal but the ship may also have an ATM available (check the casino). Just about anything is preferably to ATMs at the ports, which charge high fees and may give you funds in local currency only.
• Most post excursions accept $USD.

Up next, an ATV Jungle Adventure, beach party, river safari and trek to the Lamanai Mayan ruins!

Gardening Can Help You Keep Your New Years Resolution

Small space, big impact. dynamichomeandgarden.com

As we begin the New Year, many people are setting health goals and making weight loss resolutions. One of the easiest ways that we can improve our health is by putting the right foods into our bodies. This doesn't require doing much compared to eating junk foods--still open mouth, insert food, chew and swallow--but it does require changing the way that we think about food.

One way to improve your physical and mental health is by fueling your body with nutritious foods. Make access to healthy foods easier and more enjoyable by starting your own organic garden! Even if it's just a few potted plants on your balcony, you'll trick yourself into making smarter food choices. Here is what I've observed:

• Having your own fruits and vegetables is empowering. It's a constant reminder that you aren't powerless over your health. Your decision matter.
• Taking care of vegetable and fruit plants reminds you about your health at least once a day. It's not a brutal, self-abusing reminder like looking at a scale. Rather, gardens of any size can be beautiful inspirations. These little reminders prompt you to make healthier decisions, even if they're small.
• Once you try your own organic produce, you'll begin to notice a difference in taste compared to conventionally grown foods. You can tell why organic produce may cost more; it's worth the investment. This will make shopping easier if you ever run into sticker shock.
• Working with food-bearing plants reminds us where food should come from and our relationship with it. That knowledge encourages you to be more mindful of food sources and ingredients without a lot of work. Bell pepper and hummus dip is made of, well, bell pepper, chickpeas and spices. What are Oreos made of? Exactly. If you can't answer that or pronounce things in the ingredients list, don't eat it!

  

  This dude grows lots of veggies in little space! urbanorganicgardener.com

All of these mini-revelations popped into my mind during my first season of gardening. It really helped me to make healthier food choices and be more mindful of what I'm putting into my body. It's not perfect. I still have Oreos and Krispey Kreme donuts occasionally but that sort of stuff isn't as damaging when the vast majority of your diet is healthy! 

Remember: food is fuel. Food should benefit our bodies. Foods that hurt you instead of help you, that weigh you down instead of energize you, that end your life sooner instead of increasing your vitality are foods that aren't doing you any favors. Kick them out and form a relationship with foods that will love you back!

Central Park: Something for Everyone

Central Park in Cumming, GA has something for everyone with a great social atmosphere.

Trails

We've been going to Central Park quite a lot lately now that the marathon training is in full force.   The one mile paved trail is convenient for easy days and recovery days where I run three miles or fewer. Anything more than three laps around the loop becomes mind-numbing.

The park has a few hills that are great for building leg muscles, which will help with speed in the long term. There’s an insanely steep hill on the south end of the park heading down towards the creek. Look for the lone weeping willow. The more gradual hills are towards the southeast. I’d run up and down these with my husband a few times each week for about two weeks.

Mountain Biking

I’ve gone mountain biking with my husband about four or five times here. The trails aren’t labeled very well anymore since park staff is rearranging and rehabilitating some parts of the park. Generally speaking, most of the course to the northwest of the park is green. Going southbound is gets into blue territory with a challenging patch under the trees in the southeast corner of the park. I hate this area. Repeat: hate.  It’s riddled with roots, rocks, gravel, and death-inducing pump tracks that have sharp pointy rocks at the bottom and slippery roots at the top. Real mountain bikers generally like these challenging parts, though. I just want to cry. *Sorry hubby*

Image by Kurt Picker

I’ve never touched the black trail. Myth tells me that it’s a cardio challenge up a huge mound that use to be a landfill. The mound rests in southwest overlooking water purification center. The hillsides are steep and the path is narrow in some places.

Disc Golf

The park staff recently rerouted the disc golf course. Chaos ensued. People who like the old path are still taking it, generally working in the opposite direction of those who are following the new course. Overtime, I think people will get use to the new arrangement but for now it’s a cluster-mess of flying discs.

Quite a few pro players come out to test their skills here. It’s a decent challenge, with a variety of terrain and obstacles to overcome. Most of the trails do not interfere with pedestrian access to the park, which I like. As a rookie disc golfer I like being able to practice without the fear that I’m going to knock someone’s head off.

Facilities

The onsite gym is great for exercising on rainy days. It does require a membership,  though,  which is competitively priced to other gyms.

The facilities are maintained quite well from what I’ve seen. As far as complaints go, some request more short term storage for those who simply want to walk the indoor track, take a class, or play basketball without having to leave valuables in their car or on the sidelines. The lockers are in the upstairs weight room, a short trek away. What? If you’re at the gym to exercise, why complain about walking upstairs to the locker rooms? It’s called exercise.

Atmosphere

The best part about Central Park is the active atmosphere.  There is always a decent crowd of (generally) kind and good-spirited folks.Seeing people of all ages walking, jogging, playing disc golf, soccer, football, softball,  baseball, and cheerleading is really encouraging. It makes you want to be more fit!  The people-watching also makes the repetitive runs around the track more entertaining.

If you live in Forsyth County, you should definitely check it out!

Winter preparations for spring gardening

My little plot isn't fit for winter gardening. It gets zero sun. The good news is that I can focus my free time elsewhere (maybe learning sign language, touching up my Spanish, home decor, and marathon training). 

More good news? I have time to prep the garden for next spring. I got such a late start gardening this year. It will be nice to be ahead of the game in 2014. I've compiled a list of ways to prepare your garden for spring. Hope it helps fellow beginning gardeners!

Image via terrysliceoflife blog

End of season sales The end of the warm months is the ideal time to scope out season clearances. Many stores get rid of their inventory in preparation for holiday decor. They will certainly want the old inventory gone in time for next spring's arrivals. These sales will allow you to stack on up durable goods at discount prices: gardening supplies, tools, fertilizers and mulches. Buy a few bags of fertilizers each month, spreading out the costs of starting the new garden.

Clean house Remove any plants that have reached the end of their lifeline. Removing them prevents mold, pests, diseases, viruses, and all sorts of nonsense from working their way into surrounding plants and soil. Toss old plants into the compost bin unless they've already bolted/seeded.

Ground cover While ground cover isn't necessary, it is a great soil conditioner. Many gardeners prefer alfalfa and soybeans. Both add nitrogen to the soil and their presence prevents erosion in winter rain, frosts, and melts. This is particularly helpful for raise beds that aren't reinforced with wood or plastic.

Image by Cyndy Crist

Mulch the beds If you aren't using live ground cover, consider mulching your plant beds. It's best to do this after the first frost; in theory, it keeps the ground temperature even. If the ground is frozen, it will stay frosty. You'll have fewer pests trying to burrow in it.

Continue composting The composting process slows down in the cool winter months but it will continue nonetheless. Keep adding to your compost heap or bin and turn the compost every four to six week. In late winter, blend your compost into the soil so that it will acclimate. Without this settling time, an unbalanced compost may continue to breakdown around your young plants and seeds, which can cause more harm than good.

Add garden buddies Don't forget to add earthworms and ground beetles to help micro processes continue in your garden. Don't worry about them freezing. That's rare here in the southeast and when it does get nippy they just burrow down further into the soil.

Image via todayshomeowner.com

Sterilize your pots and containers This is new to me. Remove old plants from your containers, empty the soil, and clean them with warm sudsy water. This way, they don’t carry old diseases to your new transplants or seeds.

Tool preparation Take a few days during the cold months to sharpen your tools and repair any equipment. Do as much as you can indoors, of course. By investing a little time here and there, you will be in tip-top shape for spring without much effort.