One More Time for Verde

Verde was asking for more posts on how the potato condo went together.

The Idea of the condo is simple- better than a pile of tires, makes for easier harvesting of the spuds- you simply start taking the boards off one level at a time. I think the idea is no digging to get your potatoes.

Here are the instructions on my DIY Blog-Well- it is pretty simple- First I took some old 2X4's in the garage and cut them them to 3 foot lengths ( i would think you could use 2X2's as well- I just happened to have some 2X4's), then I cut some 6" wide fencing boards to 3 foot lengths-- Then I attached the fencing boards to the 2X4's using drywall screws. Then I flip the whole thing over and stapled landscape fabric for the bottom. Then I flipped it back over and put some chits (seed potatoes) in it and covered with dirt. When I start to see evidence of potato growth, I will add another 4 boards and fill with more dirt/compost mix, and so on and so on.

You can see the bottom in this pic- it is just landscape fabric- I just happened to have some- I would imagine no harm would happen if you used cardboard or some old sheets or if you like to weed cut the grass out were you put the condo.

A TIP FOR HOT WEATHER RESIDENTS:(this would include Verde)

Nomikins commented on the DIY Post

"I tried and failed at this method two years in a row. I called a potato seed company, and the person there told me to layer in a soaker hose as the layers get built up, otherwise, the "condo" may stay too dry and get too hot in the summer. Of course, your mileage may vary, based on location. Here in the South, the poor plants just get too hot."

We don't have that too hot problem or too dry here in the NW, but thanks nomikins for the input.

Another tip for all: try using hex head sheet metal screws instead of drywall screws on the boards for easier removal!

DISCLAIMER:

PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE NEVER MADE ONE OF THESE BEFORE, ONLY HEARD ABOUT FROM SHIBA GUYZ BLOG. MY FIRST ATTEMPT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DIFFICULTIES- ROBJ98168 IS NOT NOR EVER HAS BEEN AN EXPERT IN POTATO CONDO'S- YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY!

I hope this gets Verde and anyone else on the road to happy taters!

Free tomato seeds from Campbells and CVG's giveaway

Grow your own tomato soup!

Tired of entering blog giveaways only to not win?

Well- Here is your chance to come out a winner!

As reported by Cheap Vegetable gardener and Red- Icculus, Campbell's soup is indeed giving away free tomato seeds. To Consumers and to the FFA- just go to Help Grow Your Soup.com -A great opportunity to join Melinda's Seed to Seed Growing Challenge with free seeds!

And a few hints from the Campbell tomato seeds giveaway page:"An empty Campbell's soup can is just the right size for growing seedlings. Keep the iconic label on for a decorative touch!" What a cool re-use idea!

Another tip:"Don't touch your tomato plants until you've washed your hands. Viruses can easily spread from your hands to your plants." I know this is especially true if you are a smoker. Tobacco plant viruses are extremely toxic to tomato and pepper plants and are easily spread from the hands of cigarette smokers.

Even if you elect not to get free tomato seeds, go to the page to click and help them meet their goal of giving away 22.5 million tomato seeds to community groups and the Future Farmers of America.

Speaking of Cheap Vegetable Gardener and free things- tomorrow is the deadline for his first ever giveaway- a one year subscription to GrowVeg.com so hurry up get over the garden geek's page and sign up!

I wanna go back to my little grass shack....Weekly Challenge update

Well not much got down around Casa De Los Pink flamingos this week- I did start a new project- I had an old canopy (an "e-z up) whose top has seen better days - it was torn- so I did what any good re-user would do and made a new one from reed fencing. I am gonna put this where you see the bikes in front of the rain barrel. I was pricing gazebos and pergolas- $500 to $1500! And you know I am really cheap!
So I got my creative freak on and made this "roof" for my old canopy frame. Cost was about $50 for the reed fencing and $2 for the tie-wraps to attach it.

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge-
Plant Something: Nothing really- restarted some new sprouts
Harvest Something: some pea sprouts
Preserve something: nope
Store something: Bought some Morningstar products on sale, and Safeway had a sale- buy $25 in frozen food get a coupon for $10 of shopping, put all in the freezer
Manage Reserves: Made a new raised bed for garden.
Cook Something New: still into the sorbet thing – made some blueberry (so far it is my favorite) Made some roast chicken thighs topped with Rotola cheese ( mozzarella and persciutto ham rolled up and sliced- very good
Prep Something: Nope
Reduce Waste: Saved the canopy frame and top from going in to the waste stream (see above), Will use the old canopy for gardening and covering my load in the pickup.
Learn a New Skill:
Work on Community Food Security: Made a donation to the food bank, bought some Via coffee (from Starbucks) for troops over seas;

MELINDA'S BUY SUSTAINABLY CHALLENGE: Bought some reed fencing for canopy project; and some tie wraps at dollar store; got two free tickets to Regal cinemas, used those to see "I Love You Man"

Melinda’s Growing Challenge- Nothing to report (tomato starts are still not dead!)

Crunchy’s Freeze Yer Balls off Challenge: Last week of this challenge- I cannot remember a winter with low temps this late into the season (It’s spring, dammit!) But have toughed it out all winter with exception for when I hold the mother of all colds. My power bills reflect the lower thermostats.

Where do you live? I DON't KNOW

UPDATE: The general consensus is this is a Hoax. I have been fooled. Before April 1st!

A friend sent me this- perhaps the dumbest person on the face of the earth. What an argument for funding education.

NEW YORK - Idaho resident Kathy Evans brought humiliation to her friends and family Tuesday when she set a new standard for stupidity with her appearance on the popular TV show, 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. ' It seems that Evans, a 32-year-old wife and mother of two, got stuck on the first question, and proceeded to make what fans of the show are dubbing 'the absolute worst use of lifelines ever.' After being introduced to the show's host Meredith Vieira, Evans assured her that she was ready to play, whereupon she was posed with an extremely easy $100 question. The question was: 'Which of the following is the largest?' A) A Peanut B) An Elephant C) The Moon D) Hey, who you calling large? Immediately Mrs. Evans was struck with an all consuming panic as she realized that this was a question to which she did not readily know the answer. 'Hmm, oh boy, that's a toughie,' said Evans, as Vieira did her level best to hide her disbelief and disgust. 'I mean, I'm sure I've heard of some of these things before, but I have no idea how large they would be.' Evans made the decision to use the first of her three lifelines, the 50/50. Answers A and D were removed, leaving her to decide which was bigger, an elephant or the moon. However, faced with an incredibly easy question, Evans still remained unsure. 'Oh! It removed the two I was leaning towards!' exclaimed Evans. 'Darn. I think I better phone a friend.' Using the second of her two lifelines on the first question, Mrs. Evans asked to be connected with her friend Betsy, who is an office assistant. 'Hi Betsy! How are you? This is Kathy! I'm on TV!' said Evans, wasting the first seven seconds of her call. 'Ok, I got an important question. Which of the following is the largest? B, an elephant, or C, the moon. 15 seconds hun.' Betsy quickly replied that the answer was C, the moon. Evans proceeded to argue with her friend for the remaining ten seconds. 'Come on Betsy, are you sure?' said Evans. 'How sure are you? Duh, that can't be it.' To everyone's astonishment, the moronic Evans declined to take her friend's advice and pick 'The Moon.' 'I just don't know if I can trust Betsy. She's not all that bright. So I think I'd like to ask the audience,' said Evans. Asked to vote on the correct answer, the audience returned 98% in favor of answer C, 'The Moon.' Having used up all her lifelines, Evans then made the dumbest choice of her life. 'Wow, seems like everybody is against what I'm thinking,' said the too-stupid-to- live Evans. 'But you know, sometimes you just got to go with your gut. So, let's see. For which is larger, an elephant or the moon, I'm going to have to go with B, an elephant. Final answer.' Evans sat before the dumbfounded audience, the only one waiting with bated breath, and was told that she was wrong, and that the answer was in fact, C, 'The Moon.'
Caution...they walk among us!

Blowing my own Horn!

Danita over at Burien Undressed wrote a real nice post about this blog. I thought it would be nice to reciprocate. And I like tooting my own horn from time to time!

Burien Undressed is The place to go to find out about local Burien businesses, local restaraunts, and community information. It promotes highly the neighbor to neighbor attitude of the City of Burien, and exemplifies community strengths.

It is a great addition to the local blog-o-sphere. I encourage folks who live in Burien, are thinking of visiting Burien or who have nothing better to do than read about a city they will probably never visit to sneak on over there and take a peak! What about B-town Blog? well they are a great local blog as well, but they have never written a post about my blog, and I am cheesy like that!

No Meat Wednesday!

Today had some mac and cheese at Mom's and salad, for lunch at work I brought some kumqauts and Homemade soup that pretty much contained most of the fridge! It was vegetable stock with some onions, some dehydrated zucchini, some carrots and the rest of the three bean salad I had last week! It was very good, too It also had some morningstar crumbles in it left over from another meatless meal. Grandma Nygard would be proud! She was my dad's mom who would make soup out of anything out of the frigidaire, moldy or not! Tonight I am gonna make bean burritos when I get home!

Happy Birthday, Romeo!

snnnf. My little pup is getting grown up. Today is Romeo's 4th birthday. We partied all weekend. Romeo got lots of new toys- Which he loves. But I found out he doesn't much like candles. Must have gotten that from a former owner. LOL Crunchy would like this dog- he only want's beeswax candles. So far my only complaint with Romeo since I adopted him is he has wanderlust-He likes to sneak off when we are in the front yard or do the great escape from the fenced back yard- if he chooses to escape the back yard god knows when I will see him- so far he has had one good outing- the end result being a bath- which he doesn't like much either. Another dog would have gotten away with playing in the mud- but not this white dog!

Anyway happy birthday Romi-pup! I hope there's many more!!!