We have sprouts!!!

It’s working!  Yahoo!  And what a thrill.

Discovering your first sprouts is a great day — especially for the boys. 

“Look mom!  There’s a potato!  And there’s another one! “

Wow.  They really are growing.  While it was exciting last week with the addition of transplants, the added greenery a major boost to morale during the throes of winter (oh, waah — as if Floridians actually knew anything about winter) but now we have proof positive Mandie has a green thumb!

Could be a simple example of Mother Nature doing her thing, but I’m willing to go with the green thumb imagery. 

Not only the potatoes are rearing up, but the carrots are sprouting and so are the conch peas!  Cute little things, they look more like “bird” peas, don’t they?

Either way, we’ve got action — and lots of it.  Why, look at these sprouts – they’re everywhere!   These baby carrots may seem more like baby hair, but they are THRILLING nonetheless.   Like having your first baby.   Sure, it’s red and screaming and covered in awful slime but to you, it’s the most beautiful creature in the world.

You see it now, don’t you?  Yes.  I see your smile.  You see it, too.

But of course, as the earth spins, with every upward tick comes a downward tick.   We have daylight, we have night.  

Yes, you guessed it.   Blemishes.   Bugs.   While admiring all the new sproutlings, eagle eye Mandie spotted a tiny black bug.  Her eyes are better than mine.  

Argh!  Infestation.  Panic.   She turned to me, whom she has affectionately dubbed master, and asked, “What do we do now, Master?”

I smiled.  (Not only because I like being called master, but because this is where the reality of organic gardening hits.)  You get him. 

She balked.  “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, you grab him, get him, pinch him – whatever you need to do to remove the dastardly invader from your garden — without using any awful pesticides.”

She promptly obliged.  

You have to hand it to her, the girl’s a quick study! 

I then mentioned the use of insecticidal soap, an environmentally friendly spray for her plants, touting it was a somewhat easier method of beast removal.   She whipped her head around to her husband.  “Gary, while you’re at the store, grab some of this stuff, will ya?”

Wonderful husband that he is, he agreed without protest.  (Boy, do I love husbands.  They really do make gardening easier.)

After a final inspection, we decided everything was good, perfect, save for the tomatoes.  These pups proved a bit peaked after the close call with the mercury last week, but I think they’ll make it.  Fish emulsion will do wonders for them, along with a well planned fertilizer program.

 

Mandie paled.   Fish emulsion.   “I forgot to pick up the fish emulsion!”  (You remember, this is the busy gal — a lot on her plate?  We weren’t kidding!)   “Gary, will you grab some fish emulsion why you’re out?”

He smiled.   “Sure.”   Then to me, asked, “Can you buy that at the hardware store?”

Probably.   If not, the seed and feed will have it.   Fish emulsion is a wonderful organic fertilizer.   While it won’t address all the needs of your garden, it does provide a solid foundation.

Satisfied all was in hand, he nodded.  “No problem.”

I like a calm, cool and collected guy.   Tends to mellow out my more hyper-tendencies.   Uh, make that energetic.   I’m energetic, not hyper.   I have focus.   Determination.   Why, just this weekend I relocated a rose garden to make way for my new herb garden, and planted a blueberry patch to boot! 

It is blueberry patch, right?   I asked my daughter and she assured me it was patch, not orchard.   But then again, she’s barely ten.   Help?

More on that tomorrow.  Until then, rejoice in Mandie’s success!