A Tale of Two Thumbs....

I have two distinct thumbs.... one is black and the other is very very green.  The black thumb of plant death occurs inside the house.  House plants run screaming for help when I head their way in the nursery.  I don't know why I can't keep a plant alive inside, but I can't.  I either over water and drown the poor plant or I forget to water it and it dies of dehydration.  Sunlight?  It's either fried by too much sun or asking what is sunlight.  I can't seem to win.

The green thumb shows up every spring, normally speaking up in early March in its excitement to get outside and plant.  You see, my green thumb is the outdoorsy type.  It loves digging in the dirt and planting and growing mainly vegetables, but also has had success with native plants.  It's fun to see plants not run in the opposite direction when I'm choosing them.

My garden has had a fun year with all of the crazy weather we have had.  I still have a lettuce patch that I am struggling to keep up with and have given some to my neighbors.  My tomato plants are happy clams.  I go out into the garden and get my hands dirty, feel the sun on me, and think life doesn't get any better than this. 

Why can't my outdoor thumb speak to my indoor one?  Or should I just enjoy my outside time, which is where I prefer to be anyway.

Some of my lovely lettuce.  It is soooooo green and tasty.  My only complaint, slugs love to live at the base of the plants in the moisture filled area.  I practice organic gardening, so my slug repellent is me.  euwwwww!  I pick them up and throw them away. 

Ya!! My tomatoes survived the cold wet spring!  The bonus, every flower on my plants have set into tomatoes.  Now for my confession, I don't eat raw tomatoes.  They make my tongue itch like crazy!  It's not pleasant.  I do, however, LOVE LOVE LOVE homemade tomato sauce, especially my Aunt Shirley's recipe.  I bottle it by the gallon to get me through the long cold winter.  Also, I found another use for tomatoes, I make tomato powder.  I dry tomatoes in my food dehydrator until crumbly, then grind them up in my Magic Bullet until it becomes a fine powder.  It's an intense tomato flavor.  :)  Plus, you can add equal parts water and tomato powder to make homemade easy tomato paste as needed.

This is a massive success for me!  It's Kale.  I've been trying for years to grow kale with no success.  This year I tried a new area, and I've got Kale growing.  I am so happy.  I've become addicted to kale.  Crispy kale, kale salad with fruit, and sauteed kale are appearing regularly on my dinner table.

I tell you this tale of two thumbs, not to show off my garden, but to show you that if you can't grow a plant inside, try going outside and vice versa.

Melissa