We finally got some rain over the last couple of days. I awoke Sunday morning to the sound of rain on the roof and against the window next to our bed. I rolled over and went back to sleep. The same thing happened Monday morning. I could not believe my ears. Rain! Two days in a row.
On Sunday, we got just over three-tenths of an inch, and yesterday, we got seven-tenths, so, in total, we got just over an inch of rain. Although it is nowhere near what we need, it was a nice down payment and the yard looked fresher for it.
I decided that yesterday would be a good time to work in the vegetable garden. The soil was still damp and easily worked after the rain and I had some onions that needed planting.
They were multiplying onions that I had planted in the spring, and they had lived up to their name. They had multiplied. They had just about filled the space where they had been planted, so I planned to move them to a larger space.
I dug the bulbs and divided them, ending up with about 150 bulbs or sets. Then I prepared an empty 8' x 4' raised bed to receive them, dug my holes and replanted them. The entire process took perhaps two hours with a break in the middle.
What a joy it was to be working in the vegetable garden again, to feel the soil between my fingers as I pushed the bulbs in. What a pleasure to see dirt under my nails once again! There is really nothing like the intimate contact with the soil to make us feel connected to Mother Earth again.
It's a feeling I have missed during much of this long, hot summer when working in the garden in triple digit temperatures, except for the minimum necessary, has just been too unpleasant to contemplate. But here we are at the end of that summer, just a few days from the Autumnal Equinox, and slowly - much too slowly - conditions are getting a bit better, and the prospect of actually getting a fall vegetable garden planted and watching it grow is enough to make me grin from ear to ear with pleasure.
Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
How dare they grow veggies!
These stories pop up in the news every so often. Some scofflaw homeowner decides that he/she should be able to grow what they want on their own property and the keepers of conformity say, "No, you can't!" It's happened again. This time in Michigan.
In Oak Park, Michigan, the Bass family's front lawn got torn up when some sewer work had to be done. After the necessary repairs were completed, the Basses decided that, rather than replacing the grass, they would put in some raised beds and grow vegetables. They consequently installed five large planter boxes in their small front yard, filled them with garden soil and planted tomatoes, peppers, herbs and other vegetables.
The city code of Oak Park says that yards should be planted with "suitable live plant" material. The Basses thought that vegetables met the definition of suitable. Apparently, at least one neighbor disagreed and contacted the city. Soon the enforcers came out and wrote the Basses a ticket for using inappropriate plants in their front yard. The ticket is for a misdemeanor offense which carries a punishment of up to 93 days in jail.
In the picture of the Bass property that was posted online, their front yard looks neat and well-kept. It is really hard for me to see how anyone could object to it, but the city's Director of Planning and Technology says that the code's "suitable" plants mean plants that are "common" to the area and that includes "grass, trees, bushes, and flowers." Not vegetables.
Now, I'm certainly not a lawyer, but it seems to me that a code that provides for "suitable" plants is plenty broad enough to include vegetables. What could be more suitable than a family using their own property to grow food for their own consumption? I understand HOAs and cities wanting to uphold standards, but why should standards mean conformity and monotony? Shouldn't there be space allowed for individual taste and freedom of choice as long as things are kept neat and are within public health codes?
The Basses vow to fight the city's citation. More power to them, I say!
In Oak Park, Michigan, the Bass family's front lawn got torn up when some sewer work had to be done. After the necessary repairs were completed, the Basses decided that, rather than replacing the grass, they would put in some raised beds and grow vegetables. They consequently installed five large planter boxes in their small front yard, filled them with garden soil and planted tomatoes, peppers, herbs and other vegetables.
Here's the Bass front yard with its five raised beds.
The city code of Oak Park says that yards should be planted with "suitable live plant" material. The Basses thought that vegetables met the definition of suitable. Apparently, at least one neighbor disagreed and contacted the city. Soon the enforcers came out and wrote the Basses a ticket for using inappropriate plants in their front yard. The ticket is for a misdemeanor offense which carries a punishment of up to 93 days in jail.
In the picture of the Bass property that was posted online, their front yard looks neat and well-kept. It is really hard for me to see how anyone could object to it, but the city's Director of Planning and Technology says that the code's "suitable" plants mean plants that are "common" to the area and that includes "grass, trees, bushes, and flowers." Not vegetables.
Now, I'm certainly not a lawyer, but it seems to me that a code that provides for "suitable" plants is plenty broad enough to include vegetables. What could be more suitable than a family using their own property to grow food for their own consumption? I understand HOAs and cities wanting to uphold standards, but why should standards mean conformity and monotony? Shouldn't there be space allowed for individual taste and freedom of choice as long as things are kept neat and are within public health codes?
The Basses vow to fight the city's citation. More power to them, I say!
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