Highlights From My Day

This pretty little Limoges porcelain box was on a free pile at a neighbor's yard sale.

Free because the bottom part of the box suffered an accident. Still, I think the box is pretty, and I'm keeping it.

I ran a bunch of errands this morning. My last stop was at Walmart which is right next to Value Village (thrift store). I had been hoping to find a Farberware stockpot to go with the saucepans and skillets that I've thrifted or inherited. This is a previously-owned 8-qt stockpot, a good size for making a large pot of soup for the family. I paid $9-something plus tax. It's in great condition -- no dents. Similar pre-owned Farberware stockpots on Ebay are selling for a minimum of $25 plus shipping. New, the same pot retails for $50 minimum. I made a large pot of lentil and leftover soup for dinner tonight in my new stockpot.

I think my Farberware set is now complete. I love how shiny stainless steel cookware is.

For the last few months I've been taking this OLLY gummy supplement to take the edge off of anxiety. It contains GABA, l-theanine, and lemon balm. It doesn't completely relieve my anxiety, but it allows me to take a step back and rationalize my feelings, bringing about a more calm me. I'm mentioning this here because I think it really does help without overmedicating me. The other night I woke up in a panic again. I took two gummies and was able to go back to sleep shortly. I've also been taking these on mornings I've had stressful appointments and everyday for the past week. 

My surgery is Tuesday morning. I'm doing okay with it. I'm glad I've had all of this time to think through my thoughts and feelings.

Here is my trough of turnips. The leaves are huge, and the roots are now forming. I expect we'll have roots to eat in another 2 weeks if I can keep the trough well-watered.

And finally, our hanging baskets of nasturtiums have just begun flowering. This beauty ended up adding color to our tossed salad with the soup dinner tonight.

How has your week been?

My Experience Using a Grow Bag

I don't know if you've ever used a grow bag before. So I thought I'd show you mine. 

This was a gift from a good friend a few years ago. I've had fun trying out different plants each year, seeing what will do well in this type of container.

Last year, I had 1 leftover tomato plant that didn't have a home in the rest of the garden. So I popped it into this bag surrounded by bunches of annual herbs. The tomato plant actually did well and gave us lots of ripe tomatoes. I thought it might be too large of a plant to add to container where root room might be more limited.

The year prior I grew kale, flowers, dill, and more green onions.

This year I've got all of my green onions (those started from seeds as well as those propagated from the root ends of purchased green onions), nasturtiums (to use leaves and blossoms in salads), and a volunteer parsley plant. I'll also add some cilantro seedlings in about a month.

I have my grow bag on the deck next to the kitchen door. I water and fertilize the plants in the bag as I do the rest of the containers on the deck. I initially filled the bag with ordinary potting soil, as potting soil drains easily. It also lightweight than garden soil. So I can move the planted bag by myself when needed. It's still heavy, though. So I only move it when I'm planning on relocating it for the season. Many folks recommend emptying the bag at the end of the season and give it a good cleaning. I have yet to do that, but may give it a go this coming fall. 

I've been pleased with the results so far. I haven't had any issues with bugs or soil fungus, perhaps a result of having my grow bag on the elevated deck and in a very sunny spot. 

The real value to using a grow bag is that you can turn any spot in your yard, patio, or deck into a garden, while still being able to clean it up and fold it away at the end of the season. 

Have you ever tried a grow bag? What did you plant in yours? How would you rate your success?