On This Day - Garden Chores

November 20, 2023 (Monday)

Sorry Lois, no plumbing adventures today, I need to take care of the plant life. All of the houseplants that I took in need to be watered. I was most pleased with a potted parsley that was outside for the summer and will continue to produce sprigs of parsley late into winter.

Years ago I was driving by a farm in Townsend, Mass when I saw a pile of fiberglass bins by the side of road with a  "Free" sign. I'm still trying to find a use for them. Last winter I used them to store the dahlia bulbs. They can stack without nesting which meant that the bulbs had some breathing room. This summer I used them as planters for those dahlia tubers. The only downside is their appearance. They are truly ugly. The only thing uglier are the blue barrels.

Hügelkultur Experiment

Hügelkultur is a permaculture practice of covering logs and brush with soil to create a raised bed. In theory the logs and brush rot and release nutrients to the plants. I decided to give it a go with my ugly blue barrels. One problem I have with all the container gardening is having enough soil to fill them up. I thought it would be easy to dump some logs in the barrel and top it off with good soil. Even with a good load of logs it was hard to find enough soil to cover them. I was able to grow a few zucchini but the barrels are such an eyesore. Today I decided to empty them. It was almost impossible to tip them over because the logs acted as ballast. I had to snag them with a hook to remove them. I'm certain that the logs will eventually break down in a few decades but next year I'll plant directly in the ground.

Daily Picture Theme - Rest

I participate in a daily photo challenge on the social media site Spoutible. Everyday there is a different subject announced as a Daily Picture Theme. I select an appropriate  photo from my collection to share. I have been sharing these exclusively on Improves With Age, my Substack newsletter. However since I have untaken the task of writing daily entries, I decided to introduce a daily picture theme photo to this website.

The Picture theme for November 20, 2023 is REST. I decided to use this analog photo of "Abigail" that was taken decades ago by my sister Pat. Cats are experts at resting and sleeping.

https://flic.kr/p/2kVt8dn Abby - Photo taken by Pat Poltrack circa 1970shttps://flic.kr/p/2imU8gN Nothing beats a hammock for relaxation - Coffee Pond, Maine - June 24, 2005

In 2013 I took part in a hike on the Wapack Trail here in New Ipswich. It was a very hot day and a rest stop was most welcome.

https://flic.kr/p/277hdyu Resting at the shelter along the Wapack Trail in New Ipswich - Jun 1, 2013https://flic.kr/p/sXfsC3 A "Rest" stop on the Wapack Trail - June 1, 2013