I guess I must have shamed myself into it, and got the garden started yesterday. I went out to the shed and liberated some pots and flats, and moved some stuff around. The tiller diesn't look as bad as I feared, so it shouldn't be too much fuss to get it going for another season. This will be its 47th year of stirring up the dirt! It's a 1963 model, that I bought in 1987. I replaced the original engine in 2003, and will replace the (rear) tines again (4th set) before I start tilling this year. It's a good old beast, and I've gotten way more than my money's worth out of it. Even wrote a short story around it. Guess I should dig that out too, and brush it off and see if I can get it published.
Anyway
While I was out in the garden I grabbed the long-handled spading fork and went looking for parsnips. Sorry, Andria, no luck. But maybe I was in the wrong row. Will try again when things start sprouting -- makes it easier to find them.
So, back in the house, I was able to start some tomatoes (4 kinds), onion seed, 8-packs of sweet peppers (2 varieties), hot peppers (2 varieties) husk cherries, besides some sweet basil that I repotted.
Starting to get the garden bug again -- happens every year about this time!
Maybe this week I can get the tiller going and actually plant a row of peas! oboyoooboy!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
3 hours ago
I know the feeling! Now if I only had the energy to go with the feeling.
ReplyDeleteIs your tiller a Troy-Bilt? I had one for about 20 years, but left it in Seattle when I moved to Texas.
Yes, it's an old Troy-bilt Horse model. Dunno if I'd buy a new one, as the warranty isn't as good now. This one (supposedly) has a lifetime warranty on it. In the early 90s I took it to the factory at Troy to have some work done on it. It's about 180 miles from my house, so it wasn't a bad day trip. I got there about 830AM, and they took it right in and worked on it. Had a loose gear housing, so it was leaking gear oil. They steam cleaned it, put new seals in it, welded the housing, put new belts on it, and I was on my way back home by 3PM, with a free lunch under my belt, a copy of Dick Raymond's Garden Book, and all sorts of gardening brochures on the front seat of the truck. They even threw in a tour of the factory, and all they charged me was $20 for the belts. Now that's warranty service! I told them I had bought it used, and the guy said "No matter -- it's a Troy-bilt!"
ReplyDeleteDunno what kind of service I'd get on it now, since MTD bought them out. I'd buy MTD because of the fact that they're American made (and good stuff), but I don't think they have anywhere near the same warranty as Garden Way gave on the original Troy-bilt products.