Chattanooga Market Visitors

Last Sunday, October 12th, some people I used to work with came by the Chattanooga Market. While I don't miss the Corporate world one iota, I do miss my comrades from the trenches. More times than not, it was the clever remarks, jokes, and general frustration-sharing that made it all bearable.

Paul and Dan work in R&D/Product Development. Dan is based in Chattanooga, but Paul works in the tech center in Chicago. I hadn't seen him in quite a while. (Paul on the left, Dan on the right)

Libby, who works in accounting, had a new camera and was capturing the moments! "A leetle snap-happy with the new camera, no?" She was still learning about what it would do, but still took some great pictures of everyone. There was a little hiccup in downloading them, but that was cleared up in no time. The more she uses it the easier it will get. I know that from experience!

There were pics we didn't even know she had taken of us toiling away (yeah, right!). She was sneaky!


However, she wasn't as thrilled to have the camera turned on her!! She tried to scoot away, but I caught her - with my cell phone camera!

Dane and his lady friend Meg were there, too. Dane is a pretty regular visitor to the Market. Currently, he works in payroll, but has worked in production, quality and environmental. At one point he was the president of the LEPC for Hamilton County (way to go, Dane!). He always stops by every time he's there. Aren't they a good looking couple? I've got my fingers crossed!


Bree and her friend Mary came by as well, but managed to dodge the snap-happy Libby.

It was really great to see everyone. When you work together for so long, and survived some of the rough times, it's like family. I hope they are able to come back for Oktoberfest on October 25th and 26th and bring others with them! I always like seeing my peeps!!

Cuttings and More Cuttings!

When most people are watching the last bits of their once lush gardens succumb to the autumn changes, we are already full steam into the next growing season. The work is hard and often tedious, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

In the past 10 or so days, I have done approx. 3200 cuttings of a variety of plants (but who's counting?). About a third or so of those were done with help from my friend Cindy. We spent 2 full evenings working with these tiny pieces of plant material, dusting their sometimes thread-like stems with rooting powder and sticking them into potting soil in plug trays. Some of the little sprigs looked pretty sad, but we gave them a fighting chance. Of course, after a few hundred you need some kind of relief, so margaritas were in order. It didn't have any negative effect on the planting quality, but it did increase the giggle factor exponentially!

Here are the fruits of my/our labor:

Needless to say, I'm almost cross-eyed and am going through the motions of sticking these little sprigs in my sleep! But hey, I can't complain - it's improving the profit margin!!

Fall in the Garden

The beans and squash are long gone and the tomatoes are slowing down. If I can get enough ripe tomatoes to can a little bit of juice, then the remaining green ones will go into green tomato relish. The okra is still bearing, but some of the plants have gotten so tall, I can't pick it! That job will now have to go to dh, Mark. Since he's 6' 5", he's the only one who can reach them without a ladder!

I planted swiss chard, red leaf lettuce, turnip greens, collards, mustard and kale. They are coming along nicely and will love the cooler weather over the next several days. Who am I kidding? We're ALL loving the cooler weather. The turnip greens have reached a nice size, so I harvested some for supper. There were a few of the other greens that looked pickable, so I threw them in, too.

The spinach and beets had to be replanted, as the first go-around didn't fair so well. I'm not sure if it was the heat at the time, or maybe I didn't water enough. I've also added about 30 or so broccoli plants.

I've already decided that I will expand the size of the garden for next season and try a few new things along with the normal fare. It will take multiple tillings over the winter to make it work, but I think it can be done. With the batch of compost that is brewing in the tumbler and maybe a cover crop of red clover, the soil should be workable.

I love my garden!

A Hint of Fall

It may still be hot outside, but there are definitely signs of fall. Something about the quality or smell of the air, the breeze that doesn't feel like a dragon's breath, or maybe it's that the humidity has dropped a bit from 190%!
Fall is my favorite time of year. I'm hoping we have a decent fall season, but the dry weather may cause the leaves to fall more quickly. At any rate, the respite from the heat will be welcome. Plus, fall means vacation and we already have reservations for a few days at Callaway Gardens.
Now that I'm 'greenhousing', fall is the busiest time of year. Within days we will be sowing perennial seeds and sticking cuttings. Mark still has tables to finish and I still have pots and trays to clean. There will have to be a dirt run soon, because all I have left is what is in the potting tub. Each year brings learnings, and I am going to try to do a few things differently this season. Maybe they will improve my productivity. However, I'm thinking the best thing for my productivity would be for my internet service to go on the blink!!!

Goodies From The Garden

Even though the garden had a late start, we are reaping the rewards. I absolutely love picking the garden goodies. Here is part of a recent haul:

I have frozen 12-15 quarts of Enterprise hybrid squash, a few quarts of Taxi yellow tomatoes and a quart or 2 of Starship patty pan squash. I am in the process of canning the combo of Blue Lake and Kentucky Blue green beans. The Soleil wax beans are still growing and maturing.

The Celebrity tomato bushes are loaded, as are the Health Kicks and Big Beef. As soon as the Celebs mature, the canning of tomatoes, sauce and juice will begin.

In spite of the ever-present weed population, it is a satisfying feeling to walk into the garden. It was so hot when the seedlings were planted, I wasn't sure we would get much of anything in the way of a harvest. Now that the veggies are coming in, I'm hoping that the 'season' doesn't run out on us before everything is done!

Returning to the Chattanooga Market

We we will be back to the Chattanooga Market tomorrow (8/31/08). I've been working on some new bath brew combinations to fill out the existing selections. Here are a few of the existing selections:


(left to right - Bad Day Bath Brew, Breathe Bath Brew, Lemon & Green Tea Bath Brew)




If you want to see the rest of the line up and the new blends, come to the Chattanooga Market (http://www.chattanoogamarket.com/) from 12 to 5 on Sundays!!

What's Growing On

Even with a late start, the garden is filling out and providing a bountiful harvest. The recent rainy stretch followed by intense heat also produced a bumper crop of weeds. I've managed to whip the weeds back to a manageable level and the garden looks like a garden again - instead of a jungle. The Kentucky Blue beans have climbed their strings and are waving over the tops of the towers like some kind of botanical Medusa.
The Soleil wax beans weren't climbing their strings. I guess the term 'upright' in the seed description doesn't necessarily mean pole bean. It makes for a unique sight: bush beans in a circle at the bottom of a bean tower of empty strings. Does that make them marionette beans?





Adding to the fun is the spaghetti squash. So far, it has managed to run two rows in each direction, into the field, and has taken over 2 tomato cages. Looks like there will be plenty of spaghetti squash for anyone who wants it! Luckily, I planted a variety called Small Wonder, so each one only gets the size of a cantaloupe. Harvesting it will be like an Easter egg hunt - that will be the fun part - where will the next one be found???

Tell Me The Truth...

Is my garden mooning me??

Lovin' The Good Life

My friend Cindy swears she is going to turn my name into the program The Good Life. If you haven't seen it on the Fine Living channel, it features people who have chucked their work-a-day life to pursue their dream(s). It appears to me that most of these folks have a fair amount of disposable income. I used to have a fair amount of disposable income when I was working the 60 hour Corporate week as a Quality Systems manager. Of course, I had all the associated stress, increasing disgust and general unhappiness that went along with it. I really wanted to make the leap of faith into something I loved, but it took a while to muster the courage. I reached the end of my proverbial rope on 12/21/07 and with my husband's blessings, my last Corporate work day was 1/8/08. I left on my own terms and I haven't looked back. I've had offers to go back as a consultant, which I have politely declined. I figure if they didn't listen to my wisdom for 32 years, why would they start now? As I told someone not long ago, I'd eat dirt and chase it with rainwater before I would go back to that kind of life. We've never been extravagant in our lifestyle and have planned for retirement. Life is way to short, people. Start doing something you love, even if it's just a hobby.

One thing that has amazed me is how very busy I've been living the Good Life. How on earth did I have time to 'work'? Of course I am now embroiled in the greenhouse business daily and Possum Creek Herb Farm is in its 3rd season at the Chattanooga Market. This has been a very good year for us at the Market, as we have topped 2007 sales every Sunday thus far. Now for a plug: In case you've never visited the Chattanooga Market, it is open every Sunday from the end of April until the first week in December at the First Tennessee Pavillion. You can go to http://www.chattanoogamarket.com/ for more info and directions should you be visiting or passing through our fair city. Mid-summer is a great time at the Market. Fresh produce from local farmers abounds. Much of the produce is grown organically. There are also a variety of crafts, baked goods, bath and body products and food vendors. On stage you will find established and up and coming music artists throughout the day. Whether you just breeze through or come to spend the day, the Chattanooga Market is a great place to visit.

Long Time, No Post

Until 1/8/08, the Corporate 'hellhole' and trying to start and keep half of a greenhouse business alive left little time for anything else.

Once the greenhouse construction was complete, only the largest one was functional and being used. Wiring had not been completed on the smaller one and we still needed to purchase a heater. Over the summer of 2006, the smaller house grew an luscious crop of weeds, most of which was some kind of demon bermuda. The stuff actually grows up through and out the top of the polycarb corrugate on the ends of the greenhouses. I expect any day to hear the words "Feeeed me" eminating from its wiry runners and blades! It took some doing (translated 'major work') to get the weeds under control. My husband ended up putting 2 layers of ground cover down and we added even more gravel. Hopefully, the demon grass is now controllable. The next step will be to keep a decent swath killed back around the perimeter of both houses.

With the 2nd house now operational it was time to revamp the first house (pull/kill weeds, patch gravel, etc.) You can be assured there is ALWAYS something to do in a greenhouse.

Greenhouse Part 2 of 3 - A Bit Late

Between the 'day' job and greenhouse/herb activities, a year has passed since I started the Birth of a Greenhouse play by play. Hopefully I can catch up and start sharing the other exciting things that have happened as a result of having the biggest greenhouse operational.

Back to the original story line:

We found a 24’ x 60’ greenhouse, a 20’ x 48’ greenhouse being used as a cold frame and a 13’ x 20’ frame with shade cloth only. The two larger houses were full of tables and had automatic sprinkler systems. The largest house had a gas heater. Also included were trays galore and boxes of brand new pots. We agreed there was only one thing left to do: WRITE THE CHECK!

Now, how on earth were we going to get these structures apart and move them 35+ miles to their new home? We agreed the best way to protect the investment and our marriage was to have someone who knew what they were doing dismantle and move the greenhouses. A big truck was a plus, too. I was having nightmares about going down the highway with big greenhouse parts hanging off a too-small truck, ending up in ditches or whacking other drivers! The call was made, cost was absorbed and the date was set for the move.

If I told you it all went that smoothly, I’d be lying. Without incriminating detail, let me offer these warnings:
1. Even though you may get a bill of sale in writing, be very careful of any casual conversation you have with the person from whom you are purchasing. They will sometimes carve into stone the general statements you make. Put every little detail down, no matter how trivial it may seem at the time.
2. Even if you think you are quite handy with tools, don’t attempt to dismantle and rebuild a greenhouse without plenty of research.
3. Plan for a place to store the parts and equipment if the rebuild is not going to be immediate.
4. There WILL be extra costs involved. However, if you get a good deal, you may still be paying less than you would for one brand new, decked-out greenhouse. Do your homework first.
5. If you don’t have a friend in the business (I was lucky – thanks, Michele!), I would highly recommend going to a local garden center and ask questions. There are also some very good resources on the internet.
6. The weather will NEVER fully cooperate!

The greenhouse parts sat through the winter and we used that time to ponder our options. Since we both have full time “day jobs”, it became clear that we could not piece these bad boys together after work and hope to have at least one of them fully operational by fall. The best spot we had for them was not table-top level. After more serious discussion, we decided that if we were going to do this, we were going to do it right. We called the same greenhouse firm that moved them and hired them to put the two largest ones up, structure and plastic only.

Remember that thing I said about the weather? Well, it was the last week in April, 2005 before they could start. Prior to day one, we had to scalp the area and lay down ground cover. Their first day, they installed the wall posts and informed us that we had the following day to have gravel delivered and spread; almost 50 tons of gravel. The third day, they would be back to continue with the rest of the construction. We learned another valuable lesson: although it may be a great labor saving idea to have the dump truck drive through and spread the gravel, you can bet it will make holes in the groundcover that weeds will find. In spite of the work, setbacks, and unexpected expenses, it was still an exciting time.

Baby Greenhouse 

Birthing the Greenhouses

Part One of Three

I thought the dream began approximately four years ago when I went to a basil festival at Possum Creek Herb Farm just north of where I live. In fact, it began when I was born.
I cannot remember a time when my Dad didn’t have a huge garden and my Mom and Grandmother didn’t have all varieties of flowers and shrubs. I grew up surrounded by Oregon grapes, red barberries, pussy willows, scaly bark euonymus, bachelor buttons, “butter and eggs”, iris, tulips, daffodils, and on and on. There would be swaths of zinnias and marigolds four feet wide and 10-plus feet long throughout our yard. Dad would have yellow corn, white corn, tomatoes and more tomatoes, beans, peas, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, cabbage, and “greens”. Family dinners in the summertime would be a smorgasbord of fresh vegetables. Even so, helping in the garden, flower or vegetable, was the last thing I was interested in doing. Whether I knew it or not at the time, dirt-digging and growing was in my blood.

Now, fast-forward to the basil festival. I was intrigued by the small aromatic plants. From that point on, I spent many a Sunday attending various classes on making potpourri, living wreaths, dried wreaths, cooking with herbs, herbal teas, well…you get the picture. I got to know the herb farmer, Michele Brown, and pretty much became a regular to the farm. Being a born shopper, I also began building and filling my own herb gardens, as well as filling my bookcase with various books on the subject. The jaunts to the herb farm and creating my gardens became my respite from the stressful corporate world. Soon, I had 7 raised beds full of various culinary and fragrant herbs. In addition to the herb garden, I was growing vegetables in a 30 x 60 garden plot. Buying vegetable plants that originated who-knows-where and then losing a good number of them for reasons unknown was becoming more and more frustrating. If only I could start my own seeds, for as many of the plants as possible, my yield would surely be better and healthier. I was convinced that plants preferred to live where they were “born”.

My husband grew tired of hearing this over and over again. He also saw and liked the therapeutic effect my gardening hobby was having on me. As a result, 2 ½ years ago he surprised me with an 8 x 12 polycarbonate greenhouse. It was delivered and set up on the same property where my parents had exposed me to flowers, shrubs, trees, fruit and vegetables.
"Baby Greenhouse"
As soon as the season would allow, I promptly began planting a variety of vegetable seeds. Just as I had expected, the plants had a much better survival and yield rate. The next year, I dropped and added varieties of vegetables and introduced edible flowers to the mix. I became so zealous in my seed planting that I was pushing the limit of the greenhouse capacity. At one point, the shelves were full and I had used all available benches and buckets as additional “shelf space”. Two and a half years into the life of “Baby Greenhouse”, it became obvious that it would not provide enough capacity long-term.

One day in June of 2004, my husband walked into my office at work and tossed a folded piece of newspaper on my desk. It was the farm/garden section of the classified ads. Circled was an ad for 3 greenhouses, including all equipment and supplies. He was convinced we should check it out. Who was I to argue?
Was the offering too good to be true? Were the greenhouses just hunks of junk? Was the price and value in line?
Stay tuned for Part Two to find out!!