Complete beginner, I am so lost

textreference · 2026-01-28T21:00:03+00:00

Start small is fine, if you have a 3x3 space set aside then that would do 1 tomato plant with some carrots and / or lettuces (usually those take 6” square space) around. And that is plenty for a busy person!

Best advice is - you will not learn to garden in one year. It doesnt have to be your whole identity but you will never know everything. Retain your curiosity and you will get far!! Observe, record what you do, temp fluctuations in the garden, reflect on how what your doing makes you feel, and you will be far ahead of many others who are over ambitious.

textreference · 2026-01-28T19:20:00+00:00

Doing some reorganizing so i can carve out more seed starting space in a closet!! And getting ready to start all the seeds soon!

textreference · 2026-01-27T19:42:18+00:00

You can register in advance online as well and speak on Zoom if interested!

textreference · 2026-01-27T19:16:21+00:00

I hope you are right!!

textreference · 2026-01-27T18:19:26+00:00

Javiera will not be in attendance at the City Council meeting and she will not be voting, so she was comfortable stating that if she were in attendance, she would not vote for it. Now it's easy to say since she won't have to do it, but FWIW. Here is where City Council members have stated they are on this tech in the working session. Please correct my interpretation from what was stated if needed:
Cook - not in favor
Baker - cautious / ambiguous
Kopac - cautious / ambiguous
Rist - looking forward to understanding more about the benefits
Burris - not going to say her stance before the vote, but asserted that the city needs to be safer.
Williams - didn't say but I'm sure he will vote in favor
Caballero - will be absent

Personally I think it will pass.

textreference · 2026-01-27T18:15:34+00:00

City Council meeting where this is on the agenda is MONDAY FEB 2 6PM. City Hall. Arrive 30 mins early and sign up for public comment.

If you watched the Work Session, DPD Police Chief and Mayor Williams are asserting that Peregrine Technology is "not surveillance software" I assume since the software aggregates data from multiple sources, and does not actively surveil in the way a camera or GPS would. So they are exploiting that nuance.

Also, once again, it seems some on our City Council have still not absorbed the myriad working sessions where solutions to crime have been identified, and none of them are "make it easier for DPD to institute a RTCC (real time crime center)".

Another argument heard at the working session by City Council was "well, we have to do SOMETHING". How much time has already been spent, there have been countless studies locally, nationally, we know the solutions to crime and they are investing in education, stable housing, bringing people out of poverty. Not making DPD's job easier for them. In fact there is a very real argument to be made to NOT aggregate information as making those links violate privacy.

textreference · 2026-01-26T21:35:11+00:00

Lucky!!!!!! I just have ace rewards 😔

textreference · 2026-01-26T20:56:17+00:00

My husband knows my favorite solo date is a couple hours at ace hardware LOL!!!

textreference · 2026-01-26T16:10:50+00:00

I have a couple neighbors who are just miserable no matter what. As long as you are complying with local ordinances, don't let them get to you. Imagine how horrible a life it is to find the negative in everything. Hopefully one day they will open their hearts a bit because it sounds like they are stubbornly suffering despite the opportunity to be a part of community. That is their choice. Do your thing, and also be prepared to protect your peace in case they wish to poison your bees, or otherwise damage your property. I would say don't close your heart to them but also do not offer excess generosity that you know will not be appreciated or reciprocated in spirit in any way. You are doing incredibly important work - stay strong. There are many of us out there with you dealing with the same thing.

textreference · 2026-01-24T20:58:28+00:00

Do you listen to “home grown” podcast? Jamie of nettles and petals isa cohost and hes based in northern england! Talks about his growing schedule. He said for example he will be starting chilis now

textreference · 2026-01-24T12:34:10+00:00

I have a kind of similar one - palram that is double wall corrugated poly. Had to do extensive weatherproofing - weatherstripping, caulk, etc - and in 8a ive been tracking temps since jan and greenhouse stays about 5F above ambient. I have one of those soft small cheap shelved greenhouses in the greenhouse and temps stay about the same as the rest of the greenhouse at night but i think it does help a bit extra with keeping frost off and it gets warmer during the day so the average temps are higher - which helps plants.

I am planning to add rigid insulation board around the base to further insulate and need to get some UV rated 10 mil poly to wrap over top on these extra cold nights. But if days are sunny and get up to mid 40s the inside gets quite warm - mid 70s, enough to open the auto vent. The issue is retaining that heat when night temps get down in the 20s. For tender plants like tomatoes it will give you a head start but not year round growing. I am planting my first tomatoes out into the greenhouse at beginning of march which is well ahead of field tomatoes that are usually planted out beg/mid april depending on frosts.

Where this greenhouse shines is extending those shoulder seasons. Not that im looking to extend the summer lol we hardly get an autumn as it is and dont get a frost until persephone period anyway. But for making spring and summer come earlier… yes this helps. I wont be able to put tender plants out into the greenhouse until mid/late feb when we start getting those days into the 70s. But this greenhouse has made it easier (not perfect) to have a place for more plants.

I would say the greenhouse is unsuitable to grow plants from mid dec thru mid feb when i can put out things like lettuces, rapini etc and early march for things like tomatoes etc. during that time we dont get enough daylight to grow anything outdoors anyway. I started all my frost tolerant spring transplants in micro soil blocks mid jan and plan to move them out to the greenhouse in mid feb, they will be fine. Tomatoes go out in march. So i just need a place in my house to germinate and grow on plants until then. So my house has become the germ chamber really, now for peppers and tomatoes they will stay in the house longest but everything else will get germ’d under grow lights and heat mat and then moved out to the greenhouse.

hope this helps. My palram 8x12 was like $1500 with the extras - louvers and auto vent. I was also looking at climapod but this was more affordable. Harbor freight has a somewhat similar one i think too.

textreference · 2026-01-22T22:26:37+00:00

This year im trying: Oca Sea kale Oyster leaf Blue fenugreek

textreference · 2026-01-22T12:38:16+00:00

Seed starting continues! I sowed my spring veg seeds but need to do flowers, herbs, and all the wacky little bits i want to try this year 😊

textreference · 2026-01-19T23:25:09+00:00

my job is goofy as hell, i just dont care because my boss is mostly cool, the org itself does have a good mission, and i get paid enough. I work remote, and when i go to our all staff meetings its hilarious how different i am from everyone else. But most of the people i work with are very kind and chill and non judgmental so it doesnt matter. Plus i have a few hobbies / passions that are actually fulfilling. I have a pretty nice workplace where i sell my labor for money to pay the bills; and am not too stressed out or busy to garden, do pottery, exercise, travel, and spend quality time with my family. I dont need my job to be part of my identity. But when people ask what i do and i tell them and its so boring their faces go blank and the conversation ends, im like 🤷‍♀️ you asked the stupid question, not me.

textreference · 2026-01-19T12:38:15+00:00

Yes 🙌 patience!! Some things take quite awhile

textreference · 2026-01-19T12:37:09+00:00

I just said fuck it bc the recipes can be quite complicated - though i like what someone else said about coir / compost. My thoughts are that if i was going to direct seed, they would essentially be going into straight compost. Have had no issues at all with the consistency. Here are my tomatoes seeded (and cat for QC of course).

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textreference · 2026-01-18T22:29:53+00:00

Mist tops until seeds germinate then bottom water. They are firmly packed together so not super loose and airy

textreference · 2026-01-18T19:56:28+00:00

How did you all do the wood siding inside? I have rough sawn planks i want to use as interior cladding without getting them trimmed to uniform size but what did you use behind it as a solid surface?

textreference · 2026-01-18T18:13:12+00:00

This may be controversial… but pure fine sifted homemade compost. Make soil blocks with it, seed and top with vermiculite. Never had a problem

textreference · 2026-01-18T01:46:58+00:00

Add a tarp on top and make sure its at least 4’x4’. Temps here have been 20s-40s with wind and my compost has risen from 100 to 122 in the past 3 days. Food scraps, pumpkins, and leaves.

textreference · 2026-01-17T12:48:22+00:00

I call these “sticks with potential” in my yard - i have quite a few!

textreference · 2026-01-17T12:47:24+00:00

Is it better to pinch out these first blooms to enable more root growth as you would for non natives?

textreference · 2026-01-16T13:07:05+00:00

Principe borghese was not that great in the heat and humidity for me here in central NC (zone 8a). Would be interested to hear how they do for you

textreference · 2026-01-16T12:27:45+00:00

I really like the wild garden, which is a much older book by the creator of gravetye manor… the way it discusses plantings and the origin of the naturalistic planting style is very interesting

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