The sunny part of my yard is extremely limited. Each year, I try to plan where I can plant those heat and sun-loving vegetables, such as tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and beans. Eggplant and peppers are completely out of the question for me. I've tried and had success about 20% of the years. It's just too shady. To cap it off, in one of the sunniest portions of the yard, a wide, paved path takes up a huge amount of the sun-filled real estate. This year, I decided that I would line that path with my various pots.
While I love the look of terra cotta pots, the winter weather really beats those beauties up. Lurking in the corner of the garage are a stack of chipped, cracked, and otherwise less-than-stellar clay vessels of all sizes. Here is one of the two largest of those broken down, but still useful, pots. The upper edges of both pots have completely broken off, leaving this ragged, "who dragged that thing in" appearance.
So, they're not pristinely beautiful. But they do have a charm of their own -- a shabby, bedraggled chic, if you will. And, they seem to be holding the soil pretty well. I planted some of my zucchini in the pots and am keeping my fingers crossed.
With no realistic way to shop for garden supplies this spring, I'm having to use what I have on hand, even if it's not my first choice. I have revived the components of a pea trellis and put it all together a week ago. I also found part of an old soaker hose running through a defunct part of a garden bed, which I've now used in one of the strawberry beds. And as I need soil for pots (such as these two), I'm looking to my own yard for soil rich enough to hold water during the hot weeks of summer. In past years, I likely would have bought pot soil.
So, while there have been many inconveniences to staying at home during this pandemic, I think I may be saving money and giving a little extra life to some of the belongings that have lingered in corners of the garage or less-wandered parts of the yard.
