I am over snow!

Indianapolis was hit with more snow again last night.  I know we should be used to this but it really is tiring.  This is how my husband's truck looked before the storm was even over.

This morning, since hubby was at work, the teen shoveled for us and the neighbor.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, I have shoveled my share of snow.  I used to like it but my health will no longer allow me to do it.  That's a little frustrating but we adjust.  

(((Quick PSA, check on your neighbors, the elderly and the shut-ins)))

I am choosing to think about my garden today.  It sure beats thinking about snow...UGH.  Garden time...warm, sunny, green.  Yes, that's what we're gonna do, think about the garden!  According to the stores, it is the time to think about it. This says, "Spring is almost here!"  Now I just need my Cox's Plant Farm catalog to come in...

Due to the above mentioned health problems, if I am going to have a garden this year, it needs to be done differently.  This is how I usually do my garden and have for years...

Although this is less intensive during the growing time and at the harvest end of the garden, it's quite intensive in the early spring when putting the garden out until things get some size on them.  In a previous post, I shared some gardening techniques for disabled gardeners and although, I'm not there yet, I still need to make some changes.

Part of the changes I am going to make is to spread the plants out some so that I can remove the outside tines off my tiller and use it to to the bulk of the weeding.  This means that I won't have as many plants in the actual garden shown above.  This is where we get creative!  

I've been thinking of ways to still have the things I want in my garden with less space.  I know there will be some things that I just won't have as much of but I can make this work.  You just have to think outside the box.

I'm going with containers.  I am going to re-purpose things so I'm not spending a ton of money to make this happen.  I looked around at what I had that would work.  I've come up with a few things.

This green tub was once used to store outdoor toddler toys.  Now it's going to grow carrots.  There are already holes in the bottom on the off chance that rain water got into the toy bucket.  

I have two of these metal wash tubs that I used to use for flowers.  I say "used to" because I can't grow flowers.  As much as I have tried....  I'm going to use these tubs for salad things, lettuces, radishes, spinach, celery, etc.  This will have an added bonus of me being able to put the tubs where the amount of sun hitting them can be controlled.  Too much sun will burn up lettuces.

I don't have a picture but we still have our old trash cans that we would set out for the weekly trash since the city switched us over to those ones that the truck picks up by itself.  I mean, how do you throw away a trash can?  I tried, they don't take it...LOL.  So, I think I can clean a couple of them out, put some serious holes in them and cut the bottoms out.  I can then use one for potatoes and one for sweet potatoes.  I don't know if this will work, but I'm gonna try it!

I also found some large flower pots for house plants in the garage that I am going to use for herbs & spices.  I have one already in use that has Mint in it because it spreads so badly that I want to contain it or it will take over the yard.  I can put the pots anywhere I need to.  

I will buy a load of compost, it's like $25 or so a yard.  That is more than enough to fill the tubs I have.  Any leftover will go to the small expansion area where I enlarged the strawberry bed last fall.  And if there is still some left, it's a great addition to the garden itself as it contains a lot of good nutrients.  I generally put a load of compost in the garden every year anyway.

It's going to be different than what I'm used too but I think it will work.  It is also the least expensive option to change my garden around.  It's a good place to start.  

I know this in particular isn't related to gardening, but I'm going to share it anyway.  A lot has happened to my health in the last couple of years, this last year in particular.  I had a lot of trouble in the beginning in wallowing in what I could no longer do.  It's one thing to say to someone else that "you can adjust" but it's harder to take when it is being said to you.  With the help of my wonderful husband and some very dear ladies, I'm learning to come to grips with my new limitations.  I'm learning that I can do things differently.  I am by no means saying that I'm adapting perfectly, because I'm not.  I'm just trying to take it one day at a time.  One task at a time.  And sometimes, like today, when I mentioned running the snow blower because my husband was called to work early, these dear ladies were right here with me to pretty much threaten me into compliance....LOL  I love them for it.  

Be safe out there!