The Djinn of the Garden

OK! So it has been one long minute since I cracked the books on the blog.  After three years of regular daily posting I think I earned a vacation.  And it's not like we haven't been busy, heck no! Cass's father moved in with us at the end of last year and of course there were adjustments in our lifestyle that needed to be made to accommodate that but by and large it's a true joy to have him with us.  We've also been here at Hopeville for a year now so we were eager to get the garden plan rolling this season.

Pop is a project man and as soon as he had settled in we started talking about potential projects around the house and garden that we could start.  Since my last gardening interested adult in my family (my maternal grandmother) passed away when I was 11 I was eager to accept him as my gardening mentor and teach me the job as an adult from "the ground up".

Part of our new garden project is the effort to grow year-round in the green house Pop designed and we helped build in the yard.  He's still tricking it out with bells and whistles. I was hoping for two steps up from a cold frame, what we're getting is a small gem of a solarium. And we're eager for our plotted garden as well. While it is a veg. garden I have tried to choose some eclectic versions of your old steady varieties so we'll be growing Purple Potatoes, Cosmic Carrots, Romanesco Cauliflower, Shallots, Georgia Rattlesnake Watermelons and of course plenty of heirloom tomato varieties!!    

So here's what I've been doing for the past few months. Planting seeds with my family, watching them sprout and building our own small plan for sustainability here at Hopeville!

The Camel's Hump

By Rudyard Kipling,

THE Camel's hump is an ugly lump Which well you may see at the Zoo; But uglier yet is the hump we get From having too little to do. Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo, If we haven't enough to do-oo-oo, We get the hump- Cameelious hump- The hump that is black and blue! We climb out of bed with a frouzly head, And a snarly-yarly voice. We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl At our bath and our boots and our toys; And there ought to be a corner for me (And I know' there is one for you) When we get the hump- Cameelious hump- The hump that is black and blue! The cure for this ill is not to sit still, Or frowst with a book by the fire; But to take a large hoe and a shovel also, And dig till you gently perspire; And then you will find that the sun and the wind, And the Djinn of the Garden too, Have lifted the hump- The horrible hump- The hum that is black and blue! I get it as well as you-oo-oo- If I haven't enough to do-oo-oo! We all get hump- Cameelious hump- Kiddies and grown-ups too!