Due to ongoing ground pest and feral cat issues in our neighborhood, traditional ground-level gardening has proved a challenge, even more so after a recent car accident made such activity much more difficult. In response, I designed and built several styles of raised table gardens and this spring am testing out a new format using 8 five gallon food safe buckets as planting containers. We like being able to isolate each container in terms of soil mix and watering regimen, and are looking forward to seeing which vegetables make the most of this arrangement. Right now we have purple beans, okra, Greek pepperoncinni, and purple tomatillos starting to grow. Here in Central Florida it's been hot and dry already so the pergola tops on the tables have been really helpful in keeping the young plants from getting burned. Bored by stay at home orders? Not a chance. We've spent most of our time expanding what we lovingly refer to as our "Preservation Garden". Well, that and canning and baking when we're inside. This week my wife is putting up pineapples; last week it was our harvest of winter collards. So thankful to be actively preserving and relearning those old fashioned, practical skills that sustained generations before us.
