Queen of Underestimation

I have got to be the queen of underestimation!! I started out today with high hopes and major plans. According to my nifty calendar, Gardening by the Moon 2009, today is propitious (don’t you love that word?) for planting for root growth, especially flowers and herbs, and for dividing perennials.* So I made my list: divide and share daylilies, divide banana, plant herbs and flowers. I had my herb bed all planned out – a corner by the back stairs with afternoon sun, protection from winds, close and easy to water. I had my method all planned out -- the no-till lasagna method of layering wet newspaper, peat, organic matter, etc. First I removed the sea oats and baby palms to replant elsewhere and then I was ready to prepare the bed.

My mother has used the lasagna method before and she warned me to make sure the newspaper was wet all the way through, so I put water in a plastic box and threw in some of the newspapers my neighbor has been saving for me. I quickly determined that it wasn’t a good idea to soak the papers too long or they would start falling apart. But overall the project went well -- until I ran out of newspapers about half way through. As it became evident I wasn’t going to have enough newspaper, I started using the slick inserts and old catalogs, but even they didn’t stretch nearly far enough. Oh well, I would do half the bed today and half another time.


Next came a layer of sphagnum peat moss. I drove over to Walmart and bought a 2.2cuft bale thinking it would be enough. Well, it covered the newspaper, but barely. That bale of peat cost me $8.56 and it only covered half the bed!! Next came a layer of free weeds, then a layer of topsoil. I dumped three bags of topsoil onto the bed and found it didn’t cover even half of my half. Back to Walmart! Four more bags of topsoil later, I finally finished that layer. Next came a layer of compost from my tumbling compost maker. Some of it has been in that thing for four years waiting for me to actually use it! The composter is now three-quarters empty. The other half of the bed is going to get short-changed!! Finally, I put down four bags of composted cow manure. It does look beautiful!


By now I was drenched in sweat and dead tired. All that planting I had planned would have to wait for the next propitious day. . .

So far, this dirt has cost me $8.56 for peat moss, $8.40 for top soil, and $5.08 for composted cow manure. I still have the other half of the bed to go and organic fertilizers to add. Expensive dirt!!! If I knew for sure this dirt was going to be here year after year, it would make more sense, but who knows when the next hurricane will wash it all into our canal? Okay, let’s call this ‘tuition’ money – better than calling it foolish!

So, not only did I underestimate the amount of money, newspaper, peat moss, soil and compost that I would need, I also underestimated the amount of time and sweat it would take. After lugging 40 pound bags around all day, I’m tired. But it’s a good tired. Now for a glass of wine . . .

*I’ve never planted by the moon before – don’t know if there’s anything to it or not. But I’m for anything that might remotely give my garden a fighting chance, so what-the-hey!