The Frugal Haps with Photos!

The garden is still chugging along in early September.  The zucchini and cucumber are still producing, albeit they are scraggly and so pitiful looking they seem as though they are begging for mercy (pull me you wicked woman!).

Yesterday's snack all from the garden.

Tomatoes are in fine form, and if you can believe it, strawberries are still coming.  Large and red berries and healthy green plants.  I hope to expand to an entire bed for them next year next to the raspberry bed I hope to have. Oh garden dreaming...

My sweet neighbor Marianne gave me lots of spicy lettuce to transplant, and I hope they survive my ineptitude (I replanted them yesterday in full sun). 

The pumpkin patch was overtaken by the blight, but we were able to get a great haul of sweet round pumpkins.  We gave away several to the neighbors, and will save two for my niece and nephew. The few remaining will be part of our fall decorating.

We will keep a few.  One for me, the girl, and our kitty Charlie.

If the weather is nice and I have good energy I tend to go hog wild on my day off.  I take off every other Thursday without pay so I can take my daughter to school and take care of home necessities.  Yesterday was a blissful day of good health and lots of yard work.  Those are my favorite days. It also happened to coincide with the local nursery's fall clearance sale.  Can anyone say FRUIT TREES?!  I was able to pick up a Dwarf Fuji for $10, a peach tree for $10 (we will see how that does in this climate), and a beautiful ornamental somethingerother.

Which reminds me something I haven't shared! Because of my neighborhood's issue with sewer runoff into the Puget Sound, I qualified for a free rain garden from the city! Well, almost free.  I did have to pay $384 for the 200 gallon cistern, but I had wanted one of those for years.  I was able to water the yard with it yesterday. 

The garden is gorgeous and between labor (lots of digging underground pipes) and plants, it was nearly $2,800 FOR FREE!

I really love my time in the garden.  It feeds me (both literally and spiritually).  I love sharing my bounty with neighbors, and they in turn are so gracious in sharing with me.  In fact, yesterday my neighbor Suzie invited me to pick tons of plums from her yard as they are dropping like crazy.  And my sweet next door neighbor Mary shared several different kinds of tomatos!

Thank you Mary!

Along with the photo of the yummy plums, I'll leave you with the classic William Carlos Williams poem on that very subject...

Thank you Suzie!

This Is Just To Say

William Carlos Williams, 1883 - 1963

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Garden Delights and Wise Words from John Updike

My only potatoes of the season, some zucchini, purple beans, and the last of the snap peas.

The garden is full of delights this time of year.  Some things, like lettuce and snap peas which burst onto the scene with reckless abandon, have drifted off into a slumber in the summer heat.

Still growing like mad are zucchini, cucumbers, purslane, kale, tomatoes, carrots and pumpkins.  I've probably got at least 30 pumpkins growing at the moment and I'm hoping there will be enough for the neighborhood and family kids to all get one for Halloween this year.

Just three pumpkin seeds in a little mound of dirt is all it took this year,  The bees have been busy pollinating the large blossoms. 

I had not anticipated the success of the pumpkin patch this year!

While I can't always count on her help in the garden (except for the harvesting part!) my daughter loves to make "fairy houses."  She will spend considerable time on making these homes pleasant for the fairies of her dreams.  Sometimes the fairies leave little gifts.

It might be hard to see, but this has everything a fairy might need!

So much growth and so much wonder takes place in the garden.  Lessons are learned in both patience and acceptance.  What becomes merely a memory of hard work, gives so much in the growth of plants.  That is, until it is time to work again.  The time in the garden rarely does feel like actual work to me for some reason.  Even sore muscles and sweat translate into joy.

Here is a poem I love from John Updike about hoeing in the garden. 

Hoeing

I sometimes fear the younger generation will be deprived 

of the pleasures of hoeing;

there is no knowing

how many souls have been formed by this simple exercise. 


The dry earth like a great scab breaks,

revealing moist-dark loam--

the pea-root's home,

a fertile wound perpetually healing.


How neatly the green weeds go under!

The blade chops the earth new.

Ignorant the wise boy who

has never performed this simple, stupid, and useful wonder.


~John Updike

Swap It! iTunes

Awhile ago I decided that I wanted more music in my life.  It's something that really adds joy to my life, but because of the expense, I've never been one to have a huge music collection.  I would go to the library and picked up cds, but eventually the cd player quit on us (who knew a child's Tinkerbell cd player would be so unreliable?).  And to be honest, while I adore the library, I was never really able to get the kind of music that I wanted there.  And sometimes I would get a bunch of cds and forget about them entirely and return them late.  And pay fines. Ugh, fines!

Then, I received a very generous gift of an older iPhone from a friend of mine.  She had upgraded, and knew I could use it.  And then something happened. I rediscovered iTunes.  Since I don't have internet at home (just on my phone) I had forgotten about iTunes for the most part.  I was giddy with all my new music obsessions! I started buying one song here, another there, and before I knew it, I had spent $40 in new music (Dolly Parton, Sam Smith, and Bob Dylan in case you were wondering). In a week.  I was out of control!

Then I had remembered my friend's love of Pandora.  Whenever she's comes over for dinner she turns on Pandora on her phone and we stick it in a glass which gives it a speaker effect (it's an awesome trick, try it!).  And Pandora is freeeee!  Well, sort of.  It's free with a bunch of obnoxious ads.  They were so frequent and offensive (in your face advertising drives me bonkers), I couldn't take it anymore (which I'm assuming happens quite a bit)!  I took the plunge and ordered ad-free Pandora for $3.99 a month (I locked in that rate because it is a recurring monthly charge.  My rate will not go up.  I think they have since raised it to $4.99/month).

And you know what?  It's awesome! I just uploaded the app on my phone and started "making stations" (really you just enter in the name of an artist and it adds their station).

When you choose a station on Pandora internet radio, it will play music from that artist, as well as artists in the same genre.  About every few songs a song will be played by the artist you chose.  There are endless stations available, and it's a great way to be introduced to new music.  I'm sold!

If you are a music lover with a penchant for spending too much on downloads from either iTunes or Amazon, considering giving Pandora a try!

How do you get your music? Have you made the swap from iTunes to Pandora? Is there another resource like it? Please share your thoughts in the comments section!

The Frugal Garden

After a long but enjoyable day in the garden, the beds have been made (cleaned) and planted.

Gardening can be a pricey hobby, but it doesn't have to be.  And even though I put money into my garden, the benefits far outweigh the costs for me. When my time is spent gardening, I feel fulfilled. When I am fulfilled I am less likely to feel the pull of consumerism. After a day in the garden I don't want to go out and spend money. My body and mind are at peace from working in the dirt.  Who needs a new pair of shoes when they are going to get dirty anyway? Who wants to go out to eat when you are sweaty, covered in dirt and have kale blossoms in your hair?

Not to mention, who needs a gym when you are going up against this?!  This is what two of my garden beds looked like yesterday morning:

Time to tame this beast!

The kale put up a good fight, but I prevailed.

The kale stalks were massive and took a good bit of force to get them out.

It was like hacking through the jungle!

Cleaning the beds.  Looks like a jungle in there!

But it wasn't time to lay down, the clover had to be dug in and dirt added to this bed.

Folding in the Crimson Clover

No matter if you are a seasoned gardener or looking to plant for the first time this year, there are several ways to make gardening more frugal no matter the amount of money you have to spend.

And it produces food! Food you can eat! Food you don't have to buy!

In all of that "mess", there was this glorious food to be harvested.

Thyme and the final harvest of kale from last year's kale plants. It filled a whole grocery bag and weighed several pounds!

And here's what's in one of the beds currently:

Lettuce, broccoli, kale, spinach, beets and chard already thriving in one of the beds.

Below are a few ways to make gardening more cost effective.  This is by no means an exhaustive list.  Your garden is only limited by your creativity (or your ability to google)!

Make your own compost: This is something I'm working on. My parents have done it for years. I found my compost garden cones for free on the side of the road and have seen them offered on Craigslist and Freecyle often. You can also find unique ways to build your own compost bins. Although if you are composting food matter it's very important that no animals (i.e. rats *shudder*) can find a way in.

Use free resources: Craigslist, Freecyle and the side of the road are excellent options for finding many yard and garden necessities. Most of my pots have been found on the side of the road.

Plant stand and pots. Just a few of the many additions I've found on the side of the road.

Seed and plant share: I've had two offers this week alone from passers by who want to share some plants from their gardens. Gardening is such a community activity. When I am out in the garden I connect with my neighborhood in a way that is really unique and beautiful.  People offer help, too! I've had three neighbors this week alone either help with something or offer their help.  However I do live in a very special neighborhood filled with very generous community-oriented people. 

Use older seeds: Don't throw out seeds just because they are a few years old. They can last up to ten years with proper storage! While their efficacy may be affected, my mom and I have always used-up older seeds.  The most important thing is that they are kept dry and cool.

Peas from 2009

Collect seeds: If you notice in my first photo, I still have one kale plant growing that has gone to seed. I will collect the seeds when they are ready and then remove the plant. One plant produces more seeds than you could possibly use at one time. It is the most economical way to procure seeds. 

Start plants from cuttings: Neighbors will happily share a small cutting from their plants. I'm currently sprouting roots from cuttings from yellow curry and rosemary in a jar of water in my kitchen.  I've had to frequently add new water though because our kitty thinks it's really fun to knock over anything with water while we are away at work and school!

If you are going to shop, shop sales: While I love to support my local nursery when I can (and it's where I bought my fruit trees), sometimes Home Depot and other big box stores have excellent plant sales. I was able to fill a huge cart with many landscaping plants for under $100 earlier this year. They are all doing very well and would have cost triple the amount of money if I would have purchased at the nursery.

Dirt: Dirt has been my biggest overall gardening expense. I hope that with my improved focus on compost, that I will be amending my own soil and rely less on dirt I have brought in.

You can also just purchase bags of dirt and compost and plant directly in them! Just slice through the bag and plant - it's that easy!

Soil amendments: Coffee grounds are a terrific soil amendment and add much needed nitrogen to the soil. You can get them from Starbucks or local coffee shops for free! Just ask, they are happy to give it away.

Save egg shells and use them in soil for calcium or sprinkle on the top to hinder pests such as snails. To be honest, I think I might have a strain of mutant snails on my hands and there are so many that the egg shells have not been 100% effective. I'm currently placing a bounty on each of their heads for $.02 per snail that my daughter finds and puts in the compost.

An almost blank canvas. Soil with egg shells to help keep the pests away.

Get creative! Don't buy a trellis - find some sticks or poles instead. I used some decorative curvy branches I had found for free at a garage sale and made this pretty trellis for my peas. The pot was found on the side of the road and originally held a large tree. I just drilled holes in the bottom for drainage. I love the natural look of the branches.  There are so many ways to get creative in the yard and garden.

My free "trellis" for the peas.

All in all, for the exercise, food, spiritual and mental benefits, the cost of gardening is well worth it to me.  Yesterday I worked the soil and my body. I was peaceful and at ease. I planted carrots, beans, zucchini, cucumbers and pumpkins.  In the evening my daughter helped me plant some of the plants that I have been meaning to get in the dirt for quite awhile.  She asked me, "Mommy, can we garden every night?"

I'll leave you with a poem I wrote many years ago. Probably a decade before I started my own garden.

Dors bien, tu es fatigue...

 Harried garden.

 Orphaned en decembre.

 Bit by bit dew

 freezing tulip bulbs

 through.

 Sickly patch,

 you tortured poet.

 Sleep sleep sleep.

 Quiet dear.

Roots!

Tangle up tonight.

Shhh,

Lay down.

 Let go the grip.

~n.l

When Too Much Feels Like Not Enough

Let me set the scene: it's your child's fifth birthday. Streamers hang from the ceilings, balloons abound, and the smell of a (unicorn or Star Wars) cake fills the air.

Kids start to arrive. Each with a pretty wrapped box or gift bag.

“Where should I put this?” Little Sarah asks. “Right over there honey.” You reply as you point Sarah in the direction of a pile of gifts the size of a Toyota Camry.

After the fun and games little Bobby sits down to open his gifts. It takes almost an hour.

By the time the guests leave Bobby is half way into his sugar coma, and gifts are everywhere (if you haven't hosted a birthday party recently, just replace the word birthday with Christmas). 

Then, a month later, this happens:
“I'm bored.” Or, better yet, “Can we go to the store and get <insert toy item here>?” As you sigh in polite disgust over the excess.  “Go play with one of your toys from your birthday” you suggest. Crickets.

Not quite a year later as you are going through Bobby's toys for a garage sale you see many things that he's never played with, or many things that were played with only once or twice. The toys are overwhelming the room and he seems relieved as he graciously gives them up to the garage sale (with the money he can buy new exciting toys that he will never tire of, cough cough).

Now let’s look at you and I and our version of toys: clothes, or make-up or whatever it is that gives you that little post shopping buzz. But for the sake of discussion, we’ll focus on clothes. My guess is that most of us have a minimum of 20 shirts. Some, but not all, necessary.

We have an “I’m bored, there’s nothing to play with” equivalent. It’s called: I have nothing to wear.

At what point does too much stuff make us feel like we don't have enough? Are we attracted to the acquisition? The little high we get when we make a purchase or receive a toy. Or maybe it's something else. Maybe we can't even tell what we have when we have too many options. What do I choose to wear or play with when I have pretty much everything? It’s so easy to be overwhelmed when we have so much stuff we can’t even see what we have.

Now this is not a criticism of birthday parties or shopping, but rather an examination of the byproducts of Western affluence.  Sometimes it’s important to look at it and question, what really makes me happy? How much is enough? And when does too much make it seem like “not enough?”

And this is part of why I’ve chosen to take steps to simplify. Not out of moral superiority or jumping on a bandwagon, but like many of you, I have found that when I have less to choose from, I see things more clearly. I am less likely overwhelmed with choice (Which has become somewhat of a modern day illness in my opinion). I'm calmer. I'm happier. I'm less cranky. And that's "enough" of a reason.