shed of doom – The Neanderthal Gardens

Against the east wall of my garden is a little half shed that holds soil and other things.

The problem is the other things really- including rusted tools, an old chimney starter, broken buckets and spiders.

So. Many. Spiders.

This morning was actually clear, as the latest rain storm won’t start til tonight, and I though maybe I could tackle the side shed.

Note to self: I have to eventually tackle the main shed too- but that’ll take a few days so I’ve tabled it for now.

Here’s how it looks now that it isn’t full to bursting with things I don’t need. I moved the old charcoal and grilling stuff to the main shed, and I recycled the old rusted tools. I actually found some good stuff that I’m totally gonna use- it just didn’t belong in this shed.

All the various pots and old vases I can use as pots are now living under the work table so they don’t fill up with water and become mosquito factories. I found three old plastic pots of a good size that mom bought years ago that were well preserved in the shed- I have plans for them!

The stake graveyard next to the shed got a good weeding, and I’ve made an inventory of my stakes in preparation for April. Not pictured on the other side of the green bin is a few old rusted tomato cages that I’m gonna try to restore in time for them to be useful. I actually have a fair amount of stakes- the problem is what I need for my beans is trellises… I have some thinking to do.

Mind you the Gerry-rigged system I used last year with stakes and netting was good, just not very reusable.

On the left side of the shed is fertilizers and mulches now neatly arraigned in a shed that has been swept of cobwebs-

So. Many. Cobwebs.

And on the right side is my various soils, including a full bag of worm casings and seed starter I didn’t even know I had!

This is why I have to stay organized!

I did a light weeding around the shade herbs next to the bench- but I don’t know why I bothered, it’s just going to pour for 4 days.

I have a crazy idea for this area though- I might grow blackberries against the fence!

Nice perennial plant that grows wild in my area, and the vertical growth will save me room. I’m eyeing my dad’s old scrap wood pile to see if I can cobble together a bed against the concrete with some elbow grease- but it’ll be a while before I can do anything like that. But still…

At least I know for a fact blackberries will grow here- walking home from school as a kid I’d pick and eat them as they grew on an outcropping a few streets down from me. I’m still pretty nervous about my future cucumbers and how they’ll do in this climate- but blackberries are a no brainer!

Gotta batten down the hatches now. Storm’s coming.

My big week of garden construction before university starts up again, has really kicked off! I’m starting with my greenhouse bench.

I actually have a really nice greenhouse waiting to be put together in the shed of doom.

The problem is- I got it like 3 years ago and never set it up, and dad made a really good point about anything that tall being an earthquake risk- so we’re going to brainstorm this winter about best practices before we set up the big one. And it will be *we*. Problem is- the big one is big enough that I seriously doubt I could put it together myself. So since dads not up for it right now- the little one will do. Also, there are a ton of logistics. Do we level the ground and put pavers down? Do we secure it somehow to the fence? To the brick?

Anyways- I have seedlings to start in gloomy weather- so it’s construction time!

Luckily for me putting together furniture/shelving is my idea of a good time. More than half of the stuff in the house was put together by me. I put together my first big piece of furniture when I was 8! It was an entertainment center for one of the old square TVs. Dad was all set for us to do it together, but when he realized how good I was at it and how much fun I was having, he just kicked back and watched me put together a piece of furniture taller than I was. He knew a good thing when he saw it.

So armed with a screwdriver and opposable thumbs- I got to work.

Ta-da!

All I need is some seedlings! So I got out my seed start and my bio-degradable pots and got to work!

Swiss chard, romaine and the “alrite” Japanese spinach.

Here they are in their new home.

Everyone’s favorite plastic owl is on guard! And hopefully by the time the seeds sprout I’ll have the new bed laid out for some of them.

Honestly a lot of vegetable gardening in this sort of completely unpredictable climate is making the best of not great situations. Like the tomato plant is inexplicably still alive- though I doubt I’ll get more than 6 or 7 tomatoes. The peppers are inexplicably still producing, though how good the peppers will be in a month is also sort of up in the air. The fava beans remain the scariest thing in the garden. My herbs keep on trucking. I’m sad the zucchini died- but, it is what it is.

The fall/winter season has officially started!

~~If we have a late season heat wave I’m going to scream~~

Tag: shed of doom

Organization will set you free- or making the side shed of doom less doom-y

New greenhouse bench and sowing some seeds!