barter

Last weekend, when we did the sodding project, I had weeded and raked my veggie garden beds in the backyard, intending to plant seeds Sunday afternoon.  But by the time we got home from MTBing, I just wasn't in the mood.  By glorious coincidence, I got an email from one of my coworkers whose husband is a terrific gardener - we call him "Farmer Bob" - saying that Bob had planted ninety tomato plants and had a few left over that he wasn't going to use, plus he had some broccoli, sweet pepper and basil start too, and would I like any of them?  I said that I would take any little plantlings he didn't want and gladly give them a home.

Tuesday morning Susan showed up at my office door with a flat's worth of plantlets: six tomato plants, three basils, two broccolis and eight peppers.  I handed over a bottle of WeWentWest Winery's own Cecret Chardonnay - knowing that she likes sweet wines - and we both walked away happy.

I put everything in the ground that night, plus planted several rows of radish seeds.  I still have one bed's worth available, plus two-thirds of the bed that holds my strawberries (which I need to cover soon before the dang magpies eat the four berries that are ripening) so I need to figure out what to plant.  I tell you what, though, bartering a bottle of homemade wine for all those healthy plants is a great way to get a garden going. Bartering is the way to go!