Planting my way out of misery

A bit dramatic, I know, but I am miserable, generally, and I am planting. I hope that somehow the meshing of those two things will lead to goodness, light, happiness...I said, hoping.

Anyway, I think I will try to now turn this blog into a place where I can record my attempts at feeding myself. This means I will be able to record my successes and failures in this change I'm attempting (and I really must remember that I am, above all, attempting a change and that that in itself can be...well, difficult and stop beating myself up about the way I feel).

I started planting last weekend. Down at Bunnings (the only nursery here that I can find) I bought a whole lot of seed packeds - which I knew at the time was the wrong thing to do, but didn't know how to find out what the right thing was! - and potting mix (well, I attempted to buy potting mix, I mean, that is what I intended to buy but came home with 'garden soil' which, I suppose is different somehow - it looks different - chalk that up to serious mistake number one), and some long planters with fancy 'self watering' thingys in the bottom which I doubt do anything that a few rocks wouldn't do, but as I don't have rocks in this place.... I then had a merry time putting soil into planters and emptying seed packets into soil. I found out later that I could have saved some of the seeds. But it was fun.

I also bought some little broccoli plants and some bean plants. I planted the broccoli into the garden bed near the existing spinach (yuk!) and the beans into a planter with a trellis to grow onto. I also, against my better judgement, bought a little all-you-need thing for tomatoes. Now, even I with my limited knowledge of vegetable growing know there is something about being able to grow tomatoes - it is not as easy as tipping in soil and wacking a few seeds in. Still, the little pot it came in was a cute bright red and, hey, I'm learning. The tomatoes plants have not poked their heads up yet - are they just teasing or will it really be a total waste of money?

I also planted into 'seed starter' (as far as I can tell, special nutrient rich soil) capsicum and eggplant in a mini-greenhouse. This is a plastic box with a lid and four punnets of eight thingys (you can imagine I'm sure). It has instructions on the side that says, basically, put the seeds in and close. So I did that too.

I didn't actually have to wait long. By Thursday there were little herbs poking their bright green heads up (not sure which ones as I don't remember where I planted anything - they're herbs, it will be obvious at some point I assume) and in my mini-greenhouse the capsicum has shot up impressively. It has been exciting to watch these things happen.

Today, I went back to Bunnings, again, against my better judgement, in search of fruiting trees. Now, it might seem a leap to go from herbs to an apple tree, but I have a book that is very reassuring and inspiring and I decided that the only way I was going to learn was to just go for it. I bought an apple tree, a lemon tree, a lime tree and a gooseberry bush (it was just there, all on its own and I couldn't leave it behind).

I also found a local market on the way and bought (and I was much happier about these purchases) a strawberry plant, a bell pepper plant (with 'fruit' already on it) and a small rosemary bush.

This afternoon I planted the lemon and apple trees and the gooseberry. The gooseberry has pods on it that contain the berries. I opened one, but they are still green. It seems like the completely wrong season for them to be growing so they'll either ripen up in what's left of the early autumn heat of they won't, I guess. I'd like to taste one though - I've never had one. All the plants look very new and spiffy in their pots (yes, you can grow them in pots!). I also put the bell pepper inside (it likes the warm) and made a list of other things I need. I'll get those tomorrow and plant the lime.

I think I'll finish there, there is more to tell, but that can wait.