Gripe of the Day page 597

[Rasputina]

so, my workplace [like many] is a haven for junk food lovers. people bring in snacks every single day and it is tough to escape. I'm the receptionist so I don't get to leave my desk unless it is an emergency or my break time or lunch when someone covers for me, so I am able to easily avoid the treats in the office.
the finance department ordered in an insane amount of doughnuts, danishes, croissants, etc. for their coffee break, and invited the rest of the office to join in once they had their fill. so people were all filing down like the good little fat sheep they are, and someone [with two doughnuts stacked in her one hand, and an iced coffee drink in the other] walked by my desk and asked me if I would like to go get anything and she would watch my desk. I said no, thank you. she says, 'what! are you sure? it's all really good!'. and so I explained to her that I don't eat grains, and I don't like coffee, so there really isn't anything there that I'd want. then she says, 'there's no grains, honey, it's just doughnuts!'.
instead of using this as an educational moment for this well-intentioned dummy, I just said no, thank you again and she went on her merry way.

--end gripe--

now you have to go post on "Rave of the Day" thread.

[Blackcatbone]

Fucking Tennessee gardening. My experience is all from The Netherlands, good moisture, loamy, reasonable temperatures. Now? Clay, dry, hot as fuck.

[Rasputina]

Fucking Tennessee gardening. My experience is all from The Netherlands, good moisture, loamy, reasonable temperatures. Now? Clay, dry, hot as fuck.

Good for planting bodies, though.

[Blackcatbone]

Good for planting bodies, though.

Heeeeeeeey, now there's an idea. I bet they'd make great fertilizer.

[RitaRose]

Fucking Tennessee gardening. My experience is all from The Netherlands, good moisture, loamy, reasonable temperatures. Now? Clay, dry, hot as fuck.

I hear ya. When I had a house on the side of a hill in California, I literally had to use a jackhammer to garden.

[Crabbcakes]

Good for planting bodies, though.

Ever see that Johnny Depp movie "Secret Window"? He kills people, plants them just under his house windows, and then grows corn on top. The last set of scenes is a classic...

[Crabbcakes]

Fucking Tennessee gardening. My experience is all from The Netherlands, good moisture, loamy, reasonable temperatures. Now? Clay, dry, hot as fuck.

When I used to live in central Texas as a kid, brother and I had an annual summer ritual - taking a hammer outside and seeing if we could bust up the parched, cracked earth in our backyard... as little kids, we hardly could.

[Blackcatbone]

When I used to live in central Texas as a kid, brother and I had an annual summer ritual - taking a hammer outside and seeing if we could bust up the parched, cracked earth in our backyard... as little kids, we hardly could.

Fortunately it's not that bad, but digging into it I sometimes wonder if I've hit a rock (good possibility) or it's just the clay. It doesn't help that nothing has been done to the soil in at least 50 years, probably more. Last year we raised the level, amended, amended and amended and this spring put most of the plants in. I just tested the nutrient levels today because nothing seemed to be growing and a few that are supposed to be drought/heat tolerant are looking just sad. It's quite deficient in potassium and nitrogen, which surprised me, until I started researching it a bit. We had a warm winter and really early spring and summer and new plants tend to suck up more nutrients than established ones. And heat can make them even hungrier. So, off to the garden center tomorrow to buy (organic) fertilizer as a quick fix then I'll amend more as needed. Never had any of these issues overseas.

[Saoirse]

Fortunately it's not that bad, but digging into it I sometimes wonder if I've hit a rock (good possibility) or it's just the clay.

we have the same type of soil here; i've spent so much on peat moss just to help loosen it a little. i really should test it for nutrient deficiencies, no doubt there are some.

[Blackcatbone]

we have the same type of soil here; i've spent so much on peat moss just to help loosen it a little. i really should test it for nutrient deficiencies, no doubt there are some.

Oh man, I've added gypsum, green sand, blood meal, kelp, compost, soil conditioner, manure and better soil. And it's mulched. It's MUCH better than it was, but will probably need another year before it really gets going. There's a garden center at the farmer's market with mostly pretty knowledgeable people so I can ask which products are better. I'm also leaning towards adding bacteria, basically probiotics for the soil. I have a lot of natives planted and once they settle in a lot of it will take care of itself, but right now everything is being touchy.