So I started a blog. I'm a planner. I like to organize and prioritize. Sounds kind of weird for a gardener, but hey, its who I am. I like dirt. I like starting things from seeds and help them become the greatness that is veggie! I spent countless hours/days/weeks/months preparing for my garden adventure. I read. I read seed catalogs, old books of my mother's, other gardeners' blogs, random websites about gardening basics, and magazines. With that said, I will forever be a beginner gardener/farmer. So, again, I started a blog. I'm going to share my gardening ups and downs, what worked for me and, of course, my epic failures. I love to share tricks and knowledge and experiences with people that I've learned over time. So please, read my blog and come over to my garden, and mostly, enjoy!
One of the most peaceful looking flowers I have ever seen.
Ever seen anything so proud to just be what its supposed to be?
I'm making seed packets for myself and friends of my most successful flower and veggie adventures from this year. Just some pics from the flowers around the yard that I plan to regenerate next year! I really loved my flower adventures this year. I think I could get as addicted to flowers as I am veggies. Most folks say they don't serve a purpose as veggies do, but they make me happy just by looking at them so thats enough for me!
Never is it more apparent to me where I should be than when I'm spending a beautiful Friday afternoon inside a dirty building at work rather than in my garden that is in dire need of maintenance. I was slightly productive this weekend. I managed to weed most of the beds and planted some lettuces for fall. I found a pretty large pumpkin that I'm hoping is going to turn white. I've got tons of little Baby Boos (mini white pumpkins) and a Sugar Baby pumpkin. I was hoping for a bigger turn out. The pumpkins are going to get their very own plot next year because they kind of took over everything. I've already started planning the layout for next year and the expansions. (sorry Hubby, more boxes, more digging)-More space for pumpkins-More tomato plants-More cucumber plants-Different variety of green beans (yucky)-Adding some new herbs (going to try some teas)-Spaghetti squash did awesome but had a few problems (troubleshooting and solutions added later)-Potatoes NOT recommended for my small raised beds. I had a great yield, but I think I can do better in open groundrather than confined in beds. (12lbs of reds, 10 lbs russets, 10 lbs yukon golds) I'm also going to try a few new varieties. http://www.potatogarden.com -My onions are also going to get a new home. 2010 will have a few new varieties but I will definitely plant less. I'm still trying to give those things away even after freezing about 5 lbs worth of chopped onions.This year was great for experimenting. I had fun watching new things grow and trying to learn what not to do next year to help the things that didn't grow get a better start. Hopefully my chickens will help me do a little composting and insect control. Don't tell Hubby, but I was thinking of adding a few bunnies as well.As my beds are being cleared of old plants and I prepare for Fall and Winter, I'm a little sad, but also very excited for next year. I'm planning on some shut-in time with my knitting needles and scrapbooks and daydreams of chickens.
A friend got me this book for my birthday and I haven't put it down since. Reading about urban farming makes what I have look like a real farm . Carpenter managed to keep bees, chickens, rabbits, 2 pigs, turkeys, ducks, and as she puts it "two monkeys" in a small apartment and an abandoned concrete lot across the alley. Along with making me appreciate the space that I have to work with, reading this book has opened up the potential for, and I'm sorry if I offend anyone, the idea of raising animals for more than just companionship and a few eggs. When I first started venturing off into the idea of having my own chickens the only things I thought of were eggs and compost. Novella vividly paints a relationship between animals and humans as it was intended; to raise animals, to respect their life, and to be thankful for their gifts. Once upon a time, knowing my food would have seemed morbid and I wanted no part of picturing my fried chicken's former life of clucking around a yard, pecking at worms and dust. Fast food, grocery stores, and any other modern "conveniences" have cut us off from the reality that what we eat was alive. We have no connection to how those animals lived. Were they confined in tiny cages? Or, were they roaming free and allowed to be cows or chickens or pigs before they became our nourishment? At least with my chickens, I can ensure they will live as chickens should with sunshine and scratching dirt and chasing grasshoppers. This book reminded me of the waste and carelessness of our convenient world. I find myself avoiding as much as I possibly can at the grocery store if I can make it myself or buy it at my Saturday farmers' markets. The more books I read about homesteading, the more ashamed of myself for living the way that I did for so long. By leaps and bounds or by baby steps and caution, I will become more self reliant. I will provide for my family. I will show my daughter the beauty and rewards of growing your own food.
