This week you can watch me sweat, heave, drag, shovel, rake and build in real time - live on YouTube. Here's how to watch.
I do stuff. It's kind of my thing. There are so many things I want (or have) to do that I've had to get a bit creative in order to accomplish all the crap that I do.
I've learned little tricks over the years that help gain me time every day. They're all very common sense and easy to accomplish. Like:
- Not eating
- Not bathing
- I still have to figure out how to eliminate eliminating
That's about it.
I struggle at this time of year because it's a really busy time for a vegetable gardener. I need to do everything I normally do, plus days worth of garden prep.
THIS year you can watch me prep my garden in real time on YouTube.
Table of Contents
STARTING TOMORROW
From 1-3 p.m. E.D.T. you can watch me work in my garden as I prep it for spring.
Wednesday
1-3 p.m., E.D.T
WHAT'S THIS GARDEN? If you're new around here or just a casual reader, I have a 40' x 40' vegetable garden in a local community garden. Take a tour of my community garden here.
Why am I doing this?
- To make money. I had to give something up this week if I wanted to prep my garden so instead of writing blog posts I'm live streaming my garden prep. If you're on my site watching, then I'll still make a bit of money even though it isn't a traditional post.
- You can SEE how I actually do things, how long they take, and what my life is like when I'm "up at the garden". Hint. It's dirty and I'm a filthy disaster.
- Because my garden is also a DISASTER right now and I think it's good for you to see that. I also think it's good for you to see how and what I do to get it back in shape for the season.
A garden, like a house or a spouse is in constant need of improvement. These are the things I want to accomplish this year in the garden:
My TO-DO List
- Install 160 ft fence
- Build/repair gates
- Repair cattle panel trellis
- Weed
- Repair & move structures
- Amend soil with peat moss, aged manure, compost
- Lay agricultural landscape cloth on paths
- Cry a little bit
- Add decorative elements to fence
- Neaten / Tidy
- Clean raspberry beds
- Weed
- Weed
- Weed
That's the top of my head list.
To accomplish most of these things I have to demolish everything and rebuild.
Every year I change or improve things in an attempt to make the rest of the gardening year easier. It never works out, but it's a dream I'm unwilling to let go of. 😆
I will send you an email 5 minutes before I go live to remind you.
NOTE: I won't be talking to the camera, or interacting because I really AM demolishing and rebuilding my garden. This isn't an, I'm going to be all pretty wearing a sunhat with good lighting kind of video. I'll really be working. Hard.
BUT if people are watching and interested, I may take a break from work and come over and answer any questions you have about what I'm doing in the chat.
WATCH LIVESTREAM HERE
Wednesday April 12, 1-3 p.m. EDT
I'll see you soon.
Too bad l will be away.l would have liked to watch you work while l did my nails and ate bonbons.
you need a wind filter
I'm not able to watch the livestream, but will it be available for replay? And will you still generate income from if we can watch a replay? I'm curious how that works 🤔
Good luck!
Hi Joycie! I'm actually not even sure if live is available to record. If it is, I'll put it up. ~ karen!
Good luck Karen with all your hard work. Everything here in Ottawa is still frozen, snow melting quickly so this weekend I’ll be cleaning up the asparagus bed which still has ice in it. Amazing how much 4 hours of driving changes the earth.
I know! My aunt lives in Ottawa and sent me a photo of the "Snowdrops" on her deck. It was covered in snow still, lol ~ karen!
I’m about 10 mins away from your garden. Do you want a live audience? 😉😂
Lol! Bring a lawn chair (or 2), a sunhat, a pitcher of lemonade, and some cups! 😂
You can cheer her on (& say, "you missed a spot!")🐛☔
Oh, and a radio!
Weeding to tunes! 😎
Ha! I'll already have one. There are always fellow gardeners up wondering what the hell I'm doing now. ~ karen!
Oh neat. I have a lot of "omg how do people DO this" questions about gardens. Mainly because I've never seen anyone who knows what they're DOING actually garden. My mom was an abysmal gardener, really.
If I can't squeak home with enough time to ask a question tomorrow, here are some pre-questions from the peanut gallery: how do you put down compost? Do you rake it in? Do you water a garden to prep it, at all? Does that compact the soil? How loose is the soil? Do you walk in your beds or try not to? Are you afraid of getting spiders in your hair or upon your person? Do your boobs sweat like a *expletive* when you're in the sun as mine do? Do you wear sunscreen or bug spray? Do you wear your gardening apron to do things, or is that for the time once you've already planted and just need to weed? Do you have a really good belt that magically keeps your pants up with all the bending over? SO Many questions.
Spider question: yes I is. I always wear a bandana and hat when outside. Ants and wasps and ticks, ick! The red wasps down here in GA are the same color as my hair and like to get tangled in it. (Eeeeekkk!!!) One of several reasons I now keep my hair very short.
Obviously not karen, just some cents to throw in the ring. :)
Yes to sweating, ugh & ick.
No to sunscreen, allergic, have to wear long sleeves. Trying to find a good bug spray that won't kill me, give me cancer, actually works, and not allergic to. *eyeroll* Basically mixing some essential oils with witch hazel and water and try till I get it right. Especially important since I've become allergic to mosquito bites.
Leather belt with the holes pre punched all along, pull tight, but comfortable, let your pants settle to here they want to go, then tighten one or two more spots. Initially it may feel a little too tight, but after a few minutes it should feel just right. If not, loosen one notch.
Try till you find the right spot (count the holes from the end to check where you are.) Leather will slowly stretch, especially with sweat, so after some months you may need to tighten one more notch. Hopefully I've been a little help and not just hijacked your questions. :)
I think with compost you either just lay it down or rake it into the top few inches, both should be fine. If you are cultivating a new bed and need to amend the soil, then you would definitely want to dig it into the dirt. But an already existing bed just plop, spread, and go is fine.
Not walking in beds is best. But if you make wide beds and need to walk in, work in some small pathways, mulch a little heavier there and just lay a board down on that area. The board will help disperse the weight so less compaction of the soil. It doesn't have to be a wide board, just wide enough for you to do what you need to do. Just walking through a six inch wide board might work, but if you're kneeling to weed a wider board would definitely be better.
Some people remove the boards when they are done and just bring them back when using. Too much work in my opinion.
haha yes all of this is great. bandanas! I forget about those. I feel like I'm probably the only gardener afraid of spiders but well, here we are. I screech like it's a life-ending event every time I seee them. Ugh, or god help me have to remove one from my person. The belt thing sounds good - I think I really just need a good belt, and I'll try the notching it once they've settled into a place!! Ahh so good. Thanks!!
So you want me to write a book between now and then. Is that it? Because I'm perfectly willing to give up ... I mean I guess all that's left is washing my clothes but I suppose I could ditch that for maybe 3 months if I had to. ~ karen!
Hahah! You are too funny!
I guess I'd appreciate some narration, so we know we're not alone in what we might be seeing/ feeling/ etc! Maybe an "oh my back hurts" or a "there is a wasp in my pants" occasionally.
Or maybe I'll try to simply watch and understand more, because honestly seeing someone actually DO the thing helps me a LOT. I am always looking for better (the right) ways to use tools and quicker ways to do stuff.
Thanks for all you share.
We’ve been working on our garden. Expanded it from a 4x8 to a 4x16 this year. It’s always interesting on what you do.
Thanks.
Hi Dwight! As I mentioned to someone else, I'll probably be doing a lot of standing with my hands on my hips, assessing, lol. ~ karen!
Will hair and makeup be on the scene? I have some old Pancake no. 5 is you need it.
I'm going to wear a white lobster bib as a bounce, so I don't think I'll need those two things. ~ karen!
Cardboard and mulch REALLY help with weeds!!
Hi Ida. I've done that. I've done everything. It will help but it isn't the best solution for my particular garden. ~ karen!
You are amazing !!!
I'm scared and excited to watch this!
Well, mainly it'll probably be me ripping something down, and then standing with my hands on my hips looking around deciding what to do for 15 minutes. And repeat. ~ karen!
Oh, so it's not just me! Good to know! Lol!
I feel like I spend a Lot of time just staring and studying the garden. Last year the hummingbirds started watching me do it. I think they were puzzled. Lol.