Garden Planning!

I have so much to blog about!  Noah's birthday and my brother & fam's visit top the list, and I have about 6,742 pictures to upload and post, which is a bit overwhelming and time-consuming and explains why I'm behind.  I'll get them up in the near future, but for now, I want to talk about gardening.

Because I'm sitting here looking through an online seed catalog, and the bug just bit me about five minutes ago.  You know, that bug; the one whose effects you suffer through on this blog every summer.  The one that makes me a little crazy.  I've been waiting for it to hit, wondering why the joy of it hadn't walloped me upside the enthusiasm gland yet.  And it just did, so I hopped on to share my discoveries and musings and plans.

It's not a bad thing, this craziness--it is motivating and makes me happy--but since my mind turns in the gardening direction this time of year, this blog does, too.  I hope you don't mind. :)

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And here it is, two days later, and I'm here to complete this post.  Life with three kids involves lots of interruptions and lots of busyness.  Whew.

So I've figured out that one of the reasons I had problems with my tomatoes last year was because I have one or maybe two types of plant diseases in my soil: fusarium wilt and/or verticillium wilt.  Basically, my plants would turn yellowish near the bottom, but the top would still be green and was producing flowers, so I'd let it keep growing.  But by the time the fruit should have been setting on those flowers, the yellow would have moved up to those branches.  So it was a case of continual hope deferred.

I'm not surprised that we have issues with our soil.  The previous owner of our house was a very old lady, and the landscaping was a complete, neglected mess when we moved in.  In the spot we eventually cleared out and made a garden, there were decades-old azalea bushes that were almost as tall as me and none too healthy.  So I knew that when we cleared them out but didn't remove and replace the soil that we may have some difficulties.  It's a bummer that there are so many pests and viruses, though.  It also doesn't drain well, which is another issue, in part because it's a great environment for those pests and soil-borne diseases.  But it's the only part of our property that gets sun, which is why we decided to garden there.  So I'm just making the best of it.  But I do dream of having a huge backyard (an acre?  two?) where I can have four or five raised beds with good, rich, well-drained soil, where I can properly rotate my "crops," and where I have room to grow all the things my heart jumps at when I see them in the seed catalogs: all sorts of melons, squash, beans, even more tomatoes, etc.

So this year, I'm going to try a few tomato varieties that I grew last year, but I'm also going to be careful to buy varieties that are resistant to these dreaded wilt viruses.  Thanks to my new Southern Living subscription, I've found a new heirloom seed resource: southernexposure.com.  The one I've been using (which I still love for its variety and for the evident passion the people there have towards their veggies) is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds at rareseeds.com, but the advantage to Southern Exposure is that they'll tell you which varieties do well in hot, humid climates and which ones have some disease resistance.  I'm also going to focus on varieties that are fairly earlier producers (60 days vs. 80, if I can find them).  And I'm going to really try to get some slicers in my garden this year.  Last year, although I did have some plants that were supposed to grow large and medium sized tomatoes, they never produced, so I just ended up with bowlfuls of cherry tomatoes on top of grape tomatoes on top of cherries on top of grapes . . . I sure did miss having some juicy slicing tomatoes. 

Side note: I knew that it was good to raise heirloom veggies for ecological reasons, but I wasn't clear on some of the reasons we should want to keep these varieties around.  Southern Exposure has enlightened me.  Turns out that a big downside to not encouraging ecological diversity is blights: the Irish potato blight of the 1800's happened because there was pretty much only one type of potato that was being grown, it was susceptible to a particular disease, and when that disease moved in, it destroyed everything rather than just one strain here and there.  Apparently there was also a corn blight in the US in the 1970's for the same reason: everyone grew the same type of corn.  Heirlooms, however, have been selected by growers for generations for whatever quality that grower was looking for (uniformity, color, flavor, disease resistance/hardiness, etc.), so many of them resist various diseases.  Also, since there's such a huge variety in heirlooms, the blight that strikes one strain may not affect another.  And let's say you buy a plant at a nursery, you like what it produced, and you decide to save the seeds.  If it was a hybrid (genetically engineered rather than open pollinated), it was more than likely a cross between not two parent plants but three or four, so the next generation will pick up random genes and will have different qualities than the plant you grew the generation before.  So hybrids are only good for one generation, which is another reason heirlooms have a following among home growers.  Plus, let's be honest, isn't it fun to grow purple potatoes and striped tomatoes?

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So here's what I'm planning on growing, at least so far (I'm leaving myself room to plant new things that inspire me or to toss the varieties that don't sprout or aren't doing well):

Brandywine Tomatoes: According to my new friend, Southern Exposure, this variety is not really suited to the hot, humid Houston climate.  But because it is the quintessential heirloom tomato and is supposed to have amazing flavor, the fruits are huge (a pound or more), and also because Courtney has successfully grown them, I'm going to give Brandywines another shot.  My plant last year never fruited--it grew extremely tall before succumbing to disease.

Orange and Green Zebra Tomatoes: These are cherry-sized and are supposed to have a zingy flavor.  I've tried growing them twice.  The first year, they never fruited.  The second year, I got a handful of tomatoes, but they didn't reach their full color or get ripe before they cracked badly.  So I'm going to try them again.

Dad's Sunset Tomatoes: These are yellow-orange medium-sized tomatoes.  I tried growing them last year, but, again, they never produced.  Baker Creek says these are "one of the best tasting tomatoes we have tried," so I'm going to give them another shot.  But it may be that they're not suited to this climate.  Or else one of the wilts killed my plant.

That's all the tomatoes I'm repeating.  Here are the new ones I plan on trying:

Yellow Brandywine Tomatoes: Again, they may not be technically suited to my climate, but I'm going to give them a shot, anyway.

Neptune Tomatoes: These are smallish red tomatoes that mature in 67 days, are resistant to wilts, and are suited for hot, humid, rainy growing regions.

Tropic Tomatoes: These are extremely disease resistant, but mature a bit later, after 80 days.  I'll probably try them out because of their disease resistance. They are a medium sized red tomato.

Hungarian Italian Paste Tomatoes: This is a determinate variety, which means it doesn't continually vine until it dies; it grows to a particular size, then stops.  It is 79 days, and I'm already feeling impatient, but it's highly productive and has good disease resistance.  Evidently, it makes a tasty sauce, and I'm interested in making my own marinara, if I can get enough tomatoes to do so.

Yellow Bell Paste Tomatoes: These are 60 days (hooray!), have heavy yields, produces until the first frost, and have outstanding flavor.  Wouldn't it be fun to make yellow tomato sauce?

I will probably also pick up a dark colored variety at the nursery, and possibly the reliable Husky Cherry Reds for the kids.  The dark tomatoes have a wonderful flavor.  I'd be sad not to have any this year.

I'm also going to try a couple of new and unique types of tomatoes this year:

Red Currant Tomatoes: These are tiny, intensely flavored tomatoes that mature in only 62 days.  I bet that with my children around, they won't even make it inside.

Cossack Pineapple Ground Cherries: I'm new to ground cherries, but they looked so interesting in the catalog that I figured, why not try growing them and see for myself?  These are technically in the tomatillo family, as they grow inside a husk, but evidently they are sweet. 

And I think that's all the tomatoes I have room for!  I'm also going to plant:

Bush Slicer Cucumber: Last year, I discovered that these are not bushy at all, but vine prolifically and love to climb.  However, I didn't get that many cucumbers.  It might have been because my garden took a backseat at some point last year, and I didn't water consistently.  After that, my squash and cucumbers seemed to falter for the rest of the season.  In the end, I only got maybe one good cucumber off of this plant, but it was a good one, so I'm going to try it again.

Zucchini: I have issues with squash.  For some reason, I just do not grow it successfully.  But I am going to try again this year, because I can't imagine summer without zucchini.

Running Conch Cowpea Beans: These are supposed to be good for growing in the South.  Me being me, I tried sugar snap peas and wax beans in my first garden, and I found out that they do not do well at all in the South.  So I'm switching gears and embracing my southern bean heritage.  These are a creamy white relative of the black-eyed pea.

I'll also be growing a lot of herbs, but I haven't decided what yet.  So far, I've got basil, oregano, and chives.  And I'll probably pick up some marigolds and plant them among my tomato plants to help repel some pests, as well as onions or garlic for the same reason.

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I'm going to be taking a gardening class this spring, and I'm very excited about it.  What I'm really looking forward to is getting a lot of information all in one swoop rather than piecing it together and learning as I go along.  There's something to be gained from trial and error, but I'll be glad to learn some things in a more organized fashion.

Is anyone else gardening this year?  What are you growing?

For My Houston Readers

***Hello peeps!  After reading Andrew's comment with the knowledge that he 1.) is a counselor and 2.) works in the prison system, I take it all back!  Ha!  Follow his advice, not mine.***

We get a neighborhood newspaper at our house which we hardly ever read.  Although it does have some value, hardly any of the articles are applicable to me, and I usually find myself thinking, "What a waste of paper this is" when I dump it into the recycling bin every week.  But for some reason, I felt like reading it the other day, and it had some information in it that I felt was worth passing on.

I don't think it comes as any surprise to most Houstonians that homelessness is a problem in our city.  When you drive through certain areas of town or along the access roads of just about any highway, there are people out asking for money.  In fact, this article said that there are an estimated 8700 homeless people on the streets, which was far more than I would have thought.  The general wisdom is that you should not give money to these people; that many of them are dishonest or are addicts.  And who wants to be taken advantage of or to promote an addiction?  This article also points out that your personal safety is a consideration.  But I always hear Jesus' words in the back of my mind:

'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'  Matthew 25:35-40

So what to do?

The best advice that I've heard in various settings is that there are shelters where these people can go to receive help and food, and that the best thing you can do is to point homeless people there.  But where are they?  What am I supposed to do, drive them there?  If I am concerned for my personal safety, definitely not.  So I feel fairly helpless on this issue, yet I do know it would honor God to care for people in need.  A few times, if I've had something handy, I've given some food, which seems like the most immediate help, but that still doesn't help them beyond the next few minutes.  It feels like a drop in the bucket.

The person interviewed for the article, though, had a great idea: he said he hands out nutrition bars with a Help Card attached.  The Help Card is available for download through homelesshouston.org, and it lists all the shelters available in the city and what services they offer.  Now, this seems like something very practical that just about anyone can do.  And, considering that some panhandlers are either not actually homeless (looking for a work-free buck) or choose for whatever reason not to get help from shelters, giving them a snack plus this card not only gives them some immediate nutrition but also puts the burden of responsibility on the recipient--they can accept the help or choose not to, but at least they now know help is available and how to get it.

So one of my projects over the next day or two is to assemble a small box full of cereal bars with these Help Cards attached.  I'll put it under the front seat console in my car so it's within easy reach when I want it.  And the next time the opportunity presents itself and the situation seems safe, I'll be prepared.

I just thought I'd share, since this seems like something small yet practical, and some of you might want to do it, too.

Christmas!

Gymnastics

Noah started gymnastics this week.  He's a little bit happy about it.  Can you tell?

We knew we wanted to get him started in some kind of extra-curricular, but we weren't sure which one.  His school offers a fine arts course after school, but, as Nathan pointed out, this kid needs to be active.  So we chose gymnastics.  Nathan, who played college baseball, has always said that taking gymnastics as a kid taught him how to fall well (I'm sure it also helped him develop some strength and flexibility, too).  So we thought this would be a good form of athletics to start Noah off in.

We got the recommendation for this gymnastics school from a school friend.  I think I may have signed him up for the wrong class, though; he was clearly behind the other kids, most of whom were older than he is.  But there was a smile plastered on his face almost the entire time.

Here he is, being taught how to do a cartwheel.  First, they figured it out which foot he should start on (usually opposite from your dominant hand), drew a smiley face on it, then worked with him to teach him how to put his hands down, flip his body over, etc.  He still hasn't gotten it, but he will.

At one point, he fell on the top of his head while trying to do a forward roll.  He came up crying--the kind of cry where his face crumpled up and made his mama want to go scoop him up.  But the coach told him that he'd be okay and actually helped him to shake it off by calling him "Noah Crasher."  Noah was laughing about this every time he brought it up the rest of the day.

 Here he is showing you his "wall crawl," which he also learned to do on the first day.

 

I decided I'd give it a try, alongside Noah and Jane, when we got home.  Doesn't look hard.  Probably isn't hard.  But I was reminded real quick about how this last pregnancy destroyed my abs when I tried!  I'm going to have to start working on my core strength again, big time.

He had a great time, and I'm excited for him to be starting something athletic.  Go Noah!

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Bonus Pic: a Darth Vader tattoo

Five Years Old!

When I told Noah good night last night, I told him that I was hugging my four-year-old boy goodnight and I'd hug my five-year-old boy good morning.

My little boy is five!  Time flies.  I think of the delight he has been at each age, and it seems hardly fathomable that he is now five instead of a big-eyed baby.  Or a happy-go-lucky toddler.  Or a curious preschooler.

 

Like his dad, Noah has a strong curiosity about nature.  He is also very demonstrative, which has been true since birth: one thing he does is hold his pointer finger up when he says, "I know!" and another funny, untaught thing he does is to close his eyes, rub his tummy, and say, "Mmm" whenever something is especially tasty.  He thinks light sabers are cool.  He loves to make "recipes" outside, which usually consist of water, dirt, and leaves; he'll leave them outside to "cook" overnight then check them in the morning.  He likes to learn, but he gets frustrated when something doesn't come to him easily.  However, he's very gifted at memorization and can memorize something from hearing it just a few times.  Alas, I don't think he has any musical talent, though, or at least not in the form of singing.

Noah is a hilarious kid with a funny--and sometimes snarky--sense of humor.  My mom says that kids who get jokes are usually smart; well, if that's the case, Noah is brilliant.  He loves funny things, he'll make himself laugh, he laughs hysterically at his own jokes, and he finds things to joke about, no matter who he's with.  Actually, his teacher says he is the only kid in his class who laughs at her jokes.

Case in point: today, Nathan and I were both able to have lunch with Noah at school.  All the children with birthdays were called to the stage, and the head of school asked them a series of questions: "What do you want for your birthday?" "Do you feel older?" Yes--Yes--Yes from the kids. "Do you feel stronger?" Yes--Yes--Yes.  "Do you feel smarter?" Yes--Yes--No (with a mischievous smile).

He had such a good day.  He was pretty bummed to be going back to school after Christmas break, and he wore what I call his "profound frown" on his face for the whole ride there.  This frown is amazing.  His lips curve downward to the extreme.  It is seriously like an upside-down U, and it's peculiar to Noah and my grandfather.  Anyway, despite his low expectations, he really did have a great day.  He had a donut for breakfast, his teacher gave him a birthday sticker, Mom, Dad, Jane, and Clara came and had lunch with him, he got to go on stage and do a birthday interview, he got to choose his own cupcake from a bakery after school, he got to watch part of a movie (Swiss Family Robinson) before his grandparents got to our house for his birthday dinner, which consisted of food that he chose (eggs, bacon, sausage, and chocolate chip pancakes), he opened a bunch of awesome gifts, ate most of his cupcake, and was told he could have the leftover half of a cupcake for breakfast.  Then I read him a new book and tucked him in.  Now that, folks, is a happy day.

And let me just add that chocolate chip pancakes followed by a cupcake from Crave is more than enough sugar for anyone.

Here's my boy with his presents.

One of his favorite gifts of the night was a remote controlled snake.  Gross.

He has been wanting this remote controlled snake for months.  And for Christmas, he got some far superior remote controlled items: a Jeep and a space shuttle, for crying out loud.  But he still wanted the snake.  When we asked him what he wanted for Christmas and later for his birthday, he'd always say, "The remote controlled snake I saw at the store."  So we bought it for him.  It even has a snake egg controller.  Gross.  But he loves it.  And, yes, it does actually slither.  [Shudder.]

We are having a birthday party on Saturday--stay tuned to see if I can make a successful castle cake.

Happy Birthday to our beloved five-year-old Noah Thomas Benesh!

My Little Ballerina

My Janey Beth had her first ballet lesson yesterday.  She was so happy.

And beautiful, in my book.

She's never had a lesson, but she loves to dance, and she loves to show me her "ballet leg," as seen here. :)

She was so happy and excited to go to her class; I could tell because she could not stop talking.  She's such a sweet, funny, cute little girl.

And, after it was over, she was extremely happy.  She had a wonderful time.  Ballet, I think you'll be in our lives for some time.  You make my precious girl ebullient with joy.

Four Months Old!

My Clara Grace is four months old today.

This picture doesn't show it, but her eyes are still very much a cornflower blue.

She is a precious, lovely little girl.  She still loves to be talked to and will energetically coo back to you.  She is very attached to her paci.  So much that it's causing some sleep problems--she wakes up in the middle of the night and cries because it has fallen out--but we will soon work those through, I hope.  She's rolling over now (starting at about three and a half months), but she's not quite sure what to do once she gets on her belly.  She lies there for a few minutes then fusses because she hasn't figured out how to turn herself back over yet, although today she did start making some movements that'll lead to crawling one day.  And she's also incredibly cuddly; I think all of us love to snuggle with her.

Clara is a precious, rosy-cheeked little thing, and she's so very beloved by her whole family.