Juncos seem to be the only ones interested in the mixed seed.
Black oil sunflower seed. I’ve been doing an experiment with my bird feeders. I used to have just one feeder, but for Christmas I told both my sister and my husband that I would like to have a new bird feeder, as the one I have is made of acrylic and it is quickly falling into disrepair after around ten years of service. It is cracking all over, [...]
Read moreAmazingly enough I’ve got almost all the vegetable beds ready. Only one big one and one small one to go. I should have them all cleaned out and amended in time to start planting my early spring crops next week, as we’re supposed to have a pleasant warm weekend, without rain, coming up.
Trimming trees so that they’ll grow for better crop production is important.
One task that many of us need to be about right now is trimming back some [...]
Read moreHow can something so big come from something so small?
I love growing plants from seed. You take this tiny little thing (usually), stick it in some dirt, give it some water, and ta-da you get a plant. To me the fact that something about the size of a grain of sand (and some seeds are even smaller) can turn out a plant that will grow to be about 2-3’ tall and provide me with food, is just amazing.
Every year [...]
Read moreDo I want a real journal or a one in the cloud?
Every year I tell myself I need to get a gardening journal going, and every year I get so frustrated trying to find something that will fill my needs. I’m at it again today. Looking online at templates for garden journals.
I never seem to find something that is exactly right for my needs. I find something that 50-70% good, but missing a few key components. Then I find [...]
Read moreThere’s nothing tastier than homegrown and dried paprika pepper.
I started my early spring crops almost two weeks ago. They’re up and growing now. Today I need to concentrate on summer crops that need to be started indoors. In most areas of the US that means all your tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and the like. If I have time I’ll start some of the annuals, as well, otherwise they’ll have to wait for the next moon cycle.
Above Ground Summer Crops
Today is [...]
Read moreI still feel like a complete beginner at knitting, but even being a beginner you can create something fairly quickly. I wanted to make a simple gift for a friend of mine. While at a knitting circle one person asked me about doing a dishcloth. I took her instructions, but was too insecure to try and do it on my own. I went online and found a huge collection of free knitting patterns available online.
Bright, cheerful and easy to [...]
Read morePatience Or Stubbornness Reaps Reward
You know the old saying “what goes around, comes around,” I’m finding it to be true. In the past year two of my favorite gardening items have been resurrected. Last year my small garden cart, which I had been using for nearly 20 years, finally kicked the bucket. Not only did one of the sides split all the way down, but the handle finally rusted in half, so there was no stability to hold the broken [...]
Read moreAs I expand this blog to include not just outdoor, but indoor projects as well, I realized I promised to share things that worked and didn’t. Well today I’m going to share a couple things that didn’t work.
It’s Cold In Here
If we don’t find a way to warm up my office, my husband might just be able to enter me in an ice carving show!
We’re trying to find a way to insulate our windows better, because our heating bill [...]
Read moreOK, I thought I was safe from supporting Monsanto if I bought heirloom varieties of seeds. Come to find out Monsanto now owns some of those varieties. This means that they are not GMO seeds, but they are owned and more than likely produced by one of Monsanto’s subsidiaries. Scarily Monsanto now owns 40% of the home gardener seeds!
Sadly some of our most popular vegetable varieties are now owned by Monsanto.
Some of these are big names in the industry, [...]
Read moreIt’s Planning Time
After moving a tree and large shrub that were blocking the front of the house. Now’s the time to sit down and plan some landscaping.
It may seem early to a lot of you, as you look out your window at the mounds of snow, but here in the mid-Atlantic region I need to get my list of spring projects organized and ready to start working on them. Even now we’ll be having a few warmer days where [...]
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