Putting Down Roots

Ahh yes, summer in the lower-48.  I haven't been in the continental United States for a summer season since 2006.  Between Benin, traveling, and Alaska, I've gotten accustomed to living a transient lifestyle, actually planning trips to a store, and making do with whatever I happen to find at said store.  The last 10 months spent in Fort Collins have snapped me back into the world of wading through the many, many choices of every product in creation.  Not too sure how I feel about this, however access to Whole Foods HAS reintroduced me to the luxury of fresh, organic produce allllllll the time.  But since there's a reason it's also called "Whole Paycheck" I decided to go for the garden option.  I was pretty lucky back in August to find an actual human landlord who would let me put things in the ground.

Trolling the Larimer County farmer's market was fantastic; fresh bread, honey, cheese, and most importantly, veggie starts.  I just didn't have time to tackle seeds this year...but there's always next summer...and so the madness starts.  Fairly certain I inherited the gene that drives my mother to blow her knees out every year planting enough produce to feed all of Northern Ohio.  If we ever get a plot of land together, look out world!

I channeled my 15-year old self from the landscaping days and donned my hiking boots and shorts (my legs haven't seen sun in at least 3 years, ca-ute!).  Coming from the rich Ohio soil, the clay in my current backyard shocked my still-vibrating wrists when I was trying to raise the beds.  No mind, landlord Ben to the rescue with composted horse manure...and grubs.  Very curious to see how this planting season goes in a land of little water, high winds, and unfamiliar pests.  Photos below, suggestions are definitely welcome.

Squash, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, strawberries

garden in the far corner...we're working on the grass situation

ready to plant

Herbs that WILL live through the winter

Looks sparse...fingers crossed

It's so dry here things are already starting to fry.