Sunday, November 6, 2011
Alas gardening is gone for a little bit
Hello bloggers! It has been quite some time since I posted a new blog. About 2 weeks ago I was put on bed rest, since I am already dilating! So the hopes of a fall garden have all vanished :( alas, I am hoping that come February, I will have enough energy to start another spring garden :) with all the extra time I have from the couch, I have gotten quite crafty.I enjoy making jewelry in my spare time, and have given Michael's more money than I would like to admit. As such, I want to start a new blog about my DIY projects. It will be more of a watch me stumble through some cool projects rather than a this is how you do it format. I hope you all will join me! It's called Confessions of a Fledgling Crafty Mom, please check it out!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Iced Pumpkin cookies
Though it may not feel like it now (especially to those of us in Florida) autumn will be here before we know it. It officially starts Friday September 23, or in 6 short weeks. One thing that I am finding I am lacking the energy to do is start my fall crops. I know I need to pull out my seed packets and see which ones need to be started indoors. I also need to pull out the few willful weeds lingering in my two garden beds. That involves crouching down in 90*+ weather, which is hard for me to do now.
Oh well, one thing I am finding the energy and motivation to do for the fall is try out my fall recipes! I LOVE LOVE LOVE fall and winter cooking- so rich and hearty and filling! I have been trying to find unique and fun desserts and drinks to make (my areas of specialty) from scratch that I can make along with my son. I stumbled upon one for iced pumpkin cookies, and I was ready to try it. I had my son help me with the dry ingredients, and the mixing. It made about 32 large cookies. I ran out of the glaze, so I may make more of that. Here it is in case you want to try it:
Oh well, one thing I am finding the energy and motivation to do for the fall is try out my fall recipes! I LOVE LOVE LOVE fall and winter cooking- so rich and hearty and filling! I have been trying to find unique and fun desserts and drinks to make (my areas of specialty) from scratch that I can make along with my son. I stumbled upon one for iced pumpkin cookies, and I was ready to try it. I had my son help me with the dry ingredients, and the mixing. It made about 32 large cookies. I ran out of the glaze, so I may make more of that. Here it is in case you want to try it:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar | 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups confectioners' sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon melted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
Directions:
| 1. | Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside. |
| 2. | In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly. |
| 3. | Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork. |
| 4. | To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency. |
| The next time I make them I will take a picture! Next fall recipe I am trying tomorrow: Hot spiced apple cider :) |
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Rain barrels, and the lack of rain here
As mentioned in my previous blog, I went to two classes last week at my local extension office. The first was a composting class. The second, and topic of this blog, was a class about water barrels. I have always wanted to save money on watering my garden, so this was right up my alley. We paid the $30 for a water barrel and signed up.
This class taught me a lot more about collecting rain water than I had anticipated. Using a rain barrel has many benefits besides saving money. Catching rain in a rain barrel reduces the amount of rain water that gets pointlessly rushed into storm drains and sewers, where it benefits nothing. Also, it reduces the chances that rainwater contaminated with fertilizers or pesticides end up in our water supply. Another benefit of rain barrels is eliminating erosion. When rain comes down hard and fast it doesn't have time to absorb into the ground and used by native plants. Instead it displaces dirt and causes storm run off. And lastly, you save money if you use nature's faucet instead of your own :)
We ended up getting a standard sized blue rain barrel. It was formerly used as a bin to store grapes in. Normally, you need a gutter with a down spout to hook a rain barrel to. However, one of the many ways my house still puzzles me is that we have NO rain gutters. The rain falls off the roof and right onto the ground. I have very bad erosion all around my house, making it very difficult to garden with any kind of tender plant along the borders. In my backyard, once upon a time we had a downspout but it fell off, so rain empties out particularly hard there. We decided to put the barrel on two bricks and station it there. The water falls right in with little splashing. We don't have a net to cover the hole from mosquitoes yet, so we set a piece of plastic over it for now. It has not rained much where I live. This time of year, it could pour five minutes up the road every night but be dry here, and that is how it has been. I hope it rains soon, my plants are starting to look sad!
My good friend and incredible artist Rachel agreed to paint our barrel for us. I envision a light and dark green background, with lots of bright beautiful zinnias, sunflowers, daisies and roses. Once you put a plastic primer and bottom coat on, the rest can be acrylic paints, topped with a polyurethane clear coat to weather proof it. I have no doubt it will look beautiful, she is a wonderful artist. Wonderful creations just seem to come out of her and onto paper/ceramic/easels. I am very excited to have some of her art be a permanent part of our house! She has a pottery shop on etsy, Rivermist Clay, if you are interested in buying some unique, eye catchy pieces ;)
I will post pictures of the painted product here soon!
This class taught me a lot more about collecting rain water than I had anticipated. Using a rain barrel has many benefits besides saving money. Catching rain in a rain barrel reduces the amount of rain water that gets pointlessly rushed into storm drains and sewers, where it benefits nothing. Also, it reduces the chances that rainwater contaminated with fertilizers or pesticides end up in our water supply. Another benefit of rain barrels is eliminating erosion. When rain comes down hard and fast it doesn't have time to absorb into the ground and used by native plants. Instead it displaces dirt and causes storm run off. And lastly, you save money if you use nature's faucet instead of your own :)
We ended up getting a standard sized blue rain barrel. It was formerly used as a bin to store grapes in. Normally, you need a gutter with a down spout to hook a rain barrel to. However, one of the many ways my house still puzzles me is that we have NO rain gutters. The rain falls off the roof and right onto the ground. I have very bad erosion all around my house, making it very difficult to garden with any kind of tender plant along the borders. In my backyard, once upon a time we had a downspout but it fell off, so rain empties out particularly hard there. We decided to put the barrel on two bricks and station it there. The water falls right in with little splashing. We don't have a net to cover the hole from mosquitoes yet, so we set a piece of plastic over it for now. It has not rained much where I live. This time of year, it could pour five minutes up the road every night but be dry here, and that is how it has been. I hope it rains soon, my plants are starting to look sad!
My good friend and incredible artist Rachel agreed to paint our barrel for us. I envision a light and dark green background, with lots of bright beautiful zinnias, sunflowers, daisies and roses. Once you put a plastic primer and bottom coat on, the rest can be acrylic paints, topped with a polyurethane clear coat to weather proof it. I have no doubt it will look beautiful, she is a wonderful artist. Wonderful creations just seem to come out of her and onto paper/ceramic/easels. I am very excited to have some of her art be a permanent part of our house! She has a pottery shop on etsy, Rivermist Clay, if you are interested in buying some unique, eye catchy pieces ;)
I will post pictures of the painted product here soon!
Composting
Last Saturday, the hubby and I dropped our dear son off at nana's house, and made our way to our county's extension service. Let me back up and explain a little. One day I was bored and a little on the "going green" crazy side, so I googled a bunch of ways to go green and cut back on my carbon footprint and my energy bill. One of the things my power company's website suggested was a link to county extensions. I clicked on the link and explored all the things it offered. They have many classes that cover everything from bird watching to rain barrels. I signed up for the rain barrel class and the composting class.
So, fast forward to the class last Saturday. It was taught by a master gardener (what do you have to do to get that title??) from the University of Florida's gardening unit. He went over the basic principals of composting, what it is, what the benefits are, and how to make it happen in your back yard.
I must say, I am still a little intimidated by it. We got a free compost bin at the end of the class, and it is still sitting in Chris' car. It seems like such a delicate mixture of browns and greens (nitrogens and carbons) and heat vs. cold (at least 120*, no more than 140*), and I don't want to end up with a stinky bin in my backyard that does nothing but attract animals. I would love to do something productive with all my kitchen rubbish, and the grass clippings (that we seem to get weekly now that the grass is growing again). And I would love to have a fantastic soil amendment to plant my fall crops in.
I will get off my butt and start it next week I think. Until then, wish me luck!
So, fast forward to the class last Saturday. It was taught by a master gardener (what do you have to do to get that title??) from the University of Florida's gardening unit. He went over the basic principals of composting, what it is, what the benefits are, and how to make it happen in your back yard.
I must say, I am still a little intimidated by it. We got a free compost bin at the end of the class, and it is still sitting in Chris' car. It seems like such a delicate mixture of browns and greens (nitrogens and carbons) and heat vs. cold (at least 120*, no more than 140*), and I don't want to end up with a stinky bin in my backyard that does nothing but attract animals. I would love to do something productive with all my kitchen rubbish, and the grass clippings (that we seem to get weekly now that the grass is growing again). And I would love to have a fantastic soil amendment to plant my fall crops in.
I will get off my butt and start it next week I think. Until then, wish me luck!
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Sorry for disappearing for a little bit! I have been trying to enjoy the fleeting days of my summer vacation. We found out we are having a girl :D! I couldn't be more excited!
But allow me to return to my regularly scheduled blog. Today I ordered my fall seeds from Baker Creek Seeds. I know there are many seed companies out there. Burpees is one of the largest and oldest, and there are tons of others. My friend Brittany introduced my to Bakers Creek. They are the largest supplier of heirloom seeds in the country. They pride themselves with selling only non-GMO, non genetically altered, heirloom seeds. Many of the seeds can be traced back to pilgrims first settling the United States. I like knowing that the seeds I am planting are tested by time, and in their purest form.
Baker Creek's website is very user friendly. They give background on themselves, a link to different magazines you may be interested in, and a way to search their over 1400 seeds for a specific kind of seed. Each seed gives a history on that particular seed, where it grows best, and how it will look. One of my only complaints is not very many of the links have pictures. And since they are based in Missouri, many of the plants they say will grow well in the summer would melt in my zone 9 climate, so I just have to keep up in my zoning.
Buying the seeds is a breeze, and the seeds come surprisingly fast. My packing slip always has a personal hand written thank you from the owners, which means a lot to me in a world of ebay and amazon impersonal-ness. The seed packages themselves are works of art. Many have pictures of the Baker Creek farms on them, or old timey illustrations. And, they always throw in a free seed packet! I have gotten a purple carrot and a beautiful wildflower in the past. If you don't like the internet, they have a toll free number you can call and speak to someone in person. Also, on their site, they have to link to request one of the beautiful seed catalogs for free. It is an attractive glossy tome filled with fantastic descriptions and color pictures of many of their seeds. I could spend a whole day planning out future gardens with that magazine in my lap and a cup of lemonade in the other. Best of all, it's free!
Well, that is my review of Baker Creek's heirloom seeds! I hope you decide to check them out :)
But allow me to return to my regularly scheduled blog. Today I ordered my fall seeds from Baker Creek Seeds. I know there are many seed companies out there. Burpees is one of the largest and oldest, and there are tons of others. My friend Brittany introduced my to Bakers Creek. They are the largest supplier of heirloom seeds in the country. They pride themselves with selling only non-GMO, non genetically altered, heirloom seeds. Many of the seeds can be traced back to pilgrims first settling the United States. I like knowing that the seeds I am planting are tested by time, and in their purest form.
Baker Creek's website is very user friendly. They give background on themselves, a link to different magazines you may be interested in, and a way to search their over 1400 seeds for a specific kind of seed. Each seed gives a history on that particular seed, where it grows best, and how it will look. One of my only complaints is not very many of the links have pictures. And since they are based in Missouri, many of the plants they say will grow well in the summer would melt in my zone 9 climate, so I just have to keep up in my zoning.
Buying the seeds is a breeze, and the seeds come surprisingly fast. My packing slip always has a personal hand written thank you from the owners, which means a lot to me in a world of ebay and amazon impersonal-ness. The seed packages themselves are works of art. Many have pictures of the Baker Creek farms on them, or old timey illustrations. And, they always throw in a free seed packet! I have gotten a purple carrot and a beautiful wildflower in the past. If you don't like the internet, they have a toll free number you can call and speak to someone in person. Also, on their site, they have to link to request one of the beautiful seed catalogs for free. It is an attractive glossy tome filled with fantastic descriptions and color pictures of many of their seeds. I could spend a whole day planning out future gardens with that magazine in my lap and a cup of lemonade in the other. Best of all, it's free!
Well, that is my review of Baker Creek's heirloom seeds! I hope you decide to check them out :)
Friday, July 1, 2011
Planning the fall garden
During the summer time, many of the crops and spring plantings start to die off in Central Florida. Whereas much of the rest of the country is just planting and harvesting ripe tomatoes, lettuce and broccoli, we Floridians are confined to going outside before 8am or after 8pm, and growing only okra or peas. But alas, I sit back today, comfortable in my 80* house, clutching a cool glass of water, and harvesting big dreams of a fall crop. My good friend at Gradening Adventures introduced me to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They are the largest supplier of heirloom seeds in the country. I will write a review of them and other seed companies next.
So I sit here with my catalog, planning my fall crops. In Florida, our summers are like winters everywhere else. We simply cannot grow much. However, come September or October, the cool weather crops can grow, and many last through the whole winter season.
So, here is my list of crops to be planted late September/early October, and anything I know about growing each, in case you want to give them a shot:
Cauliflower- cauliflower can be planted anytime between September-January. It can take low temperatures, but needs shielding from frost. I am going to get the self-blanching "Snowball" type. It turns white all on it's own, and is virtually bug free. I hear they need lots of space for ventilation, so I think I will do two wide rows.
Broccoli- broccoli is another great winter crop for Florida. Since it doesn't like any heat, I may start seeds inside and transplant them in mid-October to my garden. I am excited that you can cut off some of the heads and it will continue to produce. Talk about the plant that keeps on giving!
Lettuce- I have always wanted to grow lettuce. I have seen some beautiful lettuce leaves that rival that of any ornamental bush or flower. I want to try staggered planting, and a few different kinds. For a typical leaf lettuce, I will plant the "tango" variety. It's a deep green and the leaves are crinkly. For a splash of color, I want to try the romaine "cimmaron" variety. It's an old variety (18th century) and a strikingly bright red color. They both are pretty hardy to frosts (not that we get a lot of frost down here, but where I am, we have been known to go below 32* about 8 times a season).
Peas- There are quite a few varieties of peas that can be grown in Florida. I am leaning towards "wando" and "oregon sugar pod II". Both are high yeilding, compact and heat resistant. I may plant them early September to maximize the growth time.
Garlic- This is the one that I do not have access to. I do not want to plant a bulb from the store, since I have no idea what kind of chemicals or other processes have been done to it. But I do not know who sells heirloom garlic bulbs. They need as much time in a cool ground as possible, so I was going to plant them in late October. They get mature when the ground warms up, so I would have garlic heads next May. Does anyone know where I can find heirloom garlic bulbs?
So, I will place my order with Baker Creek soon enough, and wait for the heat to wane as I prepare to put all the knowledge I have gained in my first year of gardening to good use :)
So I sit here with my catalog, planning my fall crops. In Florida, our summers are like winters everywhere else. We simply cannot grow much. However, come September or October, the cool weather crops can grow, and many last through the whole winter season.
So, here is my list of crops to be planted late September/early October, and anything I know about growing each, in case you want to give them a shot:
Cauliflower- cauliflower can be planted anytime between September-January. It can take low temperatures, but needs shielding from frost. I am going to get the self-blanching "Snowball" type. It turns white all on it's own, and is virtually bug free. I hear they need lots of space for ventilation, so I think I will do two wide rows.
Broccoli- broccoli is another great winter crop for Florida. Since it doesn't like any heat, I may start seeds inside and transplant them in mid-October to my garden. I am excited that you can cut off some of the heads and it will continue to produce. Talk about the plant that keeps on giving!
Lettuce- I have always wanted to grow lettuce. I have seen some beautiful lettuce leaves that rival that of any ornamental bush or flower. I want to try staggered planting, and a few different kinds. For a typical leaf lettuce, I will plant the "tango" variety. It's a deep green and the leaves are crinkly. For a splash of color, I want to try the romaine "cimmaron" variety. It's an old variety (18th century) and a strikingly bright red color. They both are pretty hardy to frosts (not that we get a lot of frost down here, but where I am, we have been known to go below 32* about 8 times a season).
Peas- There are quite a few varieties of peas that can be grown in Florida. I am leaning towards "wando" and "oregon sugar pod II". Both are high yeilding, compact and heat resistant. I may plant them early September to maximize the growth time.
Garlic- This is the one that I do not have access to. I do not want to plant a bulb from the store, since I have no idea what kind of chemicals or other processes have been done to it. But I do not know who sells heirloom garlic bulbs. They need as much time in a cool ground as possible, so I was going to plant them in late October. They get mature when the ground warms up, so I would have garlic heads next May. Does anyone know where I can find heirloom garlic bulbs?
So, I will place my order with Baker Creek soon enough, and wait for the heat to wane as I prepare to put all the knowledge I have gained in my first year of gardening to good use :)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Green stuff for next to nothing
Since I will not be gardening much the next few months, I may be posting more things related to outdoors in general, or how to be greener in life. I was doing a search about trees and stumbled upon www.arborday.org. They have wonderful resources to get your children involved outdoors, a huge database where you can search for trees, and a pretty reasonable membership.
The membership is what interested me, so I clicked the link. You can join for 6 months ($10) or one year ($15). When you join, your are subscribed to a bimonthly newsletter called Arbor Day. Also, you recieve a book called The Tree Book, and get up to 60% off any order through them. The best part is, you get to choose to plant 10 trees in a forest in your name, or they will send you 10 trees for free! I choose the 10 free trees. You enter in your zip code and it gives you a few options of trees that grow well in your area. I could pick 10 bald cypresses, 10 live oaks, or 5 myrtles. I picked 5 myrtles. I can't wait- my myrtle I planted last year is well over 7 feet tall, and gave me beautiful baby pink flowers last year. I want to plant them along the border of my yard. They should arrive soon, along with my newsletter and tree book!
The membership is what interested me, so I clicked the link. You can join for 6 months ($10) or one year ($15). When you join, your are subscribed to a bimonthly newsletter called Arbor Day. Also, you recieve a book called The Tree Book, and get up to 60% off any order through them. The best part is, you get to choose to plant 10 trees in a forest in your name, or they will send you 10 trees for free! I choose the 10 free trees. You enter in your zip code and it gives you a few options of trees that grow well in your area. I could pick 10 bald cypresses, 10 live oaks, or 5 myrtles. I picked 5 myrtles. I can't wait- my myrtle I planted last year is well over 7 feet tall, and gave me beautiful baby pink flowers last year. I want to plant them along the border of my yard. They should arrive soon, along with my newsletter and tree book!
New apple tree
My biggest purchase from last weekend's Saturday Morning Market adventure was a fruit tree. More specifically an Ein Shemer apple tree. Most apple trees need another apple tree planted by it to pollinate it and help it produce fruit, but this one is self pollinating. Also, most apple trees grow best up north because they need 250-300 chill hours. Chill hours are the amount of time a tree needs temperature to be 45*F and below. This allows the leaves to go dormant. Obviously we do not get a lot of chill hours in west central Florida, especially where I live along the coast. This particular apple tree needs 100 chill hours, which is perfect for Florida.
I purchased it from Debra, the owner of The Edible Plant Store, at the Saturday Morning Market. She has a wide variety of plants suitable for zones 8-9, including herbs, fig trees, olive vines, pomegranate trees and banana trees. Her website is http://www.edibleplantstore.com/index.html, and she will deliver or you can pick it up at the market. She is very knowledgeable and has a large variety of plants, even more than her website lists.
We just planted the tree in my front yard today. It gets full sun from 9am until about 7pm during the summer time. It is about four feet tall now. Debra said it should produce blossoms next spring and some fruit next June. i can't wait to smell apple blossoms! And, in a few years I will have some actual shade in my front yard!
Here is a picture of the tree:
We made a little reservoir around it so when we water it, it will want to retain water into the root system. Here is a close up of a leaf:
I Think it looks kind of neat! I am used to my magnolia tree's leaves, which are waxy on top and very hardy. These seem delicate. And it is deciduous, so the leaves will turn colors in the fall!! A little bit of season in my yard :) Overall, I am very excited!
I purchased it from Debra, the owner of The Edible Plant Store, at the Saturday Morning Market. She has a wide variety of plants suitable for zones 8-9, including herbs, fig trees, olive vines, pomegranate trees and banana trees. Her website is http://www.edibleplantstore.com/index.html, and she will deliver or you can pick it up at the market. She is very knowledgeable and has a large variety of plants, even more than her website lists.
We just planted the tree in my front yard today. It gets full sun from 9am until about 7pm during the summer time. It is about four feet tall now. Debra said it should produce blossoms next spring and some fruit next June. i can't wait to smell apple blossoms! And, in a few years I will have some actual shade in my front yard!
Here is a picture of the tree:
We made a little reservoir around it so when we water it, it will want to retain water into the root system. Here is a close up of a leaf:
I Think it looks kind of neat! I am used to my magnolia tree's leaves, which are waxy on top and very hardy. These seem delicate. And it is deciduous, so the leaves will turn colors in the fall!! A little bit of season in my yard :) Overall, I am very excited!
Review: Saturday Morning Market
So my family has decided to try to be healthier and greener with the way we live. Planting a garden was one way we tried to combine both of those ideas. What better way to eat right and save the Earth then getting your food from your own backyard? This season it worked well. But alas, summer time in Florida is when most crops come to an end. Wanting to stay local, we decided to give the Saturday Morning Market in St. Pete a try. We loaded up our wagon with plenty of cloth bags and set out at 8:30.
When we got there, we were pleasantly surprised to see plenty of shade trees. Apparently this is the smaller summer home of the market. They had all kinds of vendors selling everything, from artisan bread to pottery to herbs and trees. We ended up with bananas, pineapples, strawberries, a loaf of tomato basil bread and two frangipani (plumeria) sprouts. The vendors were super friendly and helpful, and there was even a man playing a guitar up and down the rows for entertainment.
I can't wait to go back again! Judging from their list of vendors on their website, it looks like it is pretty scaled down during the summer months. I look forward to going back in the fall when the weather is cooler and there are many more vendors.
When we got there, we were pleasantly surprised to see plenty of shade trees. Apparently this is the smaller summer home of the market. They had all kinds of vendors selling everything, from artisan bread to pottery to herbs and trees. We ended up with bananas, pineapples, strawberries, a loaf of tomato basil bread and two frangipani (plumeria) sprouts. The vendors were super friendly and helpful, and there was even a man playing a guitar up and down the rows for entertainment.
I can't wait to go back again! Judging from their list of vendors on their website, it looks like it is pretty scaled down during the summer months. I look forward to going back in the fall when the weather is cooler and there are many more vendors.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Local happenings
For all my local friends, I am excited that I will finally be going to the Saturday Morning Market in St Petersburg this weekend! It's a local farmer's market, and has a new summer location and hours. I will report back on it for you afterward :)
Also, this weekend only, the city of Gulfport is having their Gulfport Organic Landscaping days (GOLD) on Saturday from 1-4. From their facebook page:
Also, this weekend only, the city of Gulfport is having their Gulfport Organic Landscaping days (GOLD) on Saturday from 1-4. From their facebook page:
"Learn how to grow food. Highly informative free seminars for beginners, key note speaker and displays relating to sustainable living... Meet local farmers and buy awesome organic produce and edible plants for your garden. Kids will enjoy cookies baked on site in our solar oven also story telling with live music. There is a super yummy vegan food at our community table... and much more.
Aiming for zero waste with this event. Bring your own eating utensils and bucket or bag to gather soil amendments."
Aiming for zero waste with this event. Bring your own eating utensils and bucket or bag to gather soil amendments."
I am hoping to make it to this wonderful event too! Come out and support your community!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Trees, and mythology
Ever feel drawn to a tree? Or always seek out to sit next to a certain tree? Who among us doesn't enjoy the feeling of walking amongst hundred year old trees? If so, you have been captivated by the allure of trees. Our facination with them goes back to the ancient Celtics.
Way back when the ancient Celtics lived, not much was known about science. They lived a wholly pagan life, relying on the Earth to provide food and shelter, and for predictable patterns of weather. They looked to their gods and goddesses for answers to life's mysteries. To them, a tree had it all: it provided shelter from the elements, wood for a fire and tools, fruit for food, and bark for clothing. Indeed these beautiful giants seemed to span into another plane of existence. The roots traveled down into the Earth where only the dead were presumed to roam, and it reached high up into the sky, scraping the homes of their gods and goddesses. It truly united the heavens and Earth, making trees spiritually significant and highly worshiped. They believed that trees were sacred, and many rituals were done around trees.
Each area on Earth has trees that are native and special to that area. It has adapted to the local environment and worked to help shape the landscape. They also work to clean up the pollution out of our air, and provide fresh oxygen for us to breath. Have you ever tried to cut down a tree? Their roots run deep, and it isn't easy to clear out that much age old growth. They still provide us shelter, wood for tools and fire, fruit and beautiful flowers.
So next time you find yourself next to a tree, go ahead and touch it. Feel the texture of the bark under your skin, feel the surface of the leaves, look at the patterns the leaves are arranged in. But most of all close your eyes and feel the energy coming from that tree. It's seen a lot, and endured a lot, and you could learn a lot by stopping and listening.
Way back when the ancient Celtics lived, not much was known about science. They lived a wholly pagan life, relying on the Earth to provide food and shelter, and for predictable patterns of weather. They looked to their gods and goddesses for answers to life's mysteries. To them, a tree had it all: it provided shelter from the elements, wood for a fire and tools, fruit for food, and bark for clothing. Indeed these beautiful giants seemed to span into another plane of existence. The roots traveled down into the Earth where only the dead were presumed to roam, and it reached high up into the sky, scraping the homes of their gods and goddesses. It truly united the heavens and Earth, making trees spiritually significant and highly worshiped. They believed that trees were sacred, and many rituals were done around trees.
Each area on Earth has trees that are native and special to that area. It has adapted to the local environment and worked to help shape the landscape. They also work to clean up the pollution out of our air, and provide fresh oxygen for us to breath. Have you ever tried to cut down a tree? Their roots run deep, and it isn't easy to clear out that much age old growth. They still provide us shelter, wood for tools and fire, fruit and beautiful flowers.
So next time you find yourself next to a tree, go ahead and touch it. Feel the texture of the bark under your skin, feel the surface of the leaves, look at the patterns the leaves are arranged in. But most of all close your eyes and feel the energy coming from that tree. It's seen a lot, and endured a lot, and you could learn a lot by stopping and listening.
Trees, and shade
So I have decided that I want a tree for my front yard. The Western sun comes blazing through the sky and melts everything in front of my house from 1pm on. I can't even touch my front door because it's so hot sometimes!
So I have decided that I want a holly tree. Yes I know the berries are poisonous to humans. But I have done a lot of research (just ask Chris my husband if you don't believe me!) and this is the tree I want:
They are hardy in my zone (zone 9) and grow in many soils. They prefer full sun and are slightly drought tolerant. It's an evergreen, so it will not loose it's leaves in the winter. This tree has beautiful berries that I can't wait to use to make some Yule wreaths! It gets 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide.
I can hardly wait to have a shady front yard :)
So I have decided that I want a holly tree. Yes I know the berries are poisonous to humans. But I have done a lot of research (just ask Chris my husband if you don't believe me!) and this is the tree I want:
I can hardly wait to have a shady front yard :)
Updates
Hello all!
I have not been on here in a while- I found out I was pregnant on March 28, and I have had 12 weeks of morning sickness and energy drain. I could barely get up and play with my three-year old, much less go outside in the 85* Florida heat and pull weeds. But, I feel better, and am ready to get back into the swing of things again!
Some random updates- most of my veggie garden is gone. The corn yielded one good ear of corn, the rest my husband picked too early. The cucumbers gave me three cukes, then succumbed to the Florida heat. They are water hogs, and watering every other day did not cut it for them. My basil got 3.5 feet tall, then went to seed so I cut it back. Same with my oregano. My three pepper plants seem to be struggling under the heat, but I have gotten two jalapenos and a habenero pepper so far. My tomatoes are out of control, well over four feet tall and giving me more tomatoes than I could possibly eat. My family has been eating tomatoes for a while lol. My onions seem to have stopped growing, maybe because they are in the shadow of the tomatoes. The carrots are coming along slowly. My lavender and rosemary are doing well.
That is it for for updates, more pictures and topics soon!
I have not been on here in a while- I found out I was pregnant on March 28, and I have had 12 weeks of morning sickness and energy drain. I could barely get up and play with my three-year old, much less go outside in the 85* Florida heat and pull weeds. But, I feel better, and am ready to get back into the swing of things again!
Some random updates- most of my veggie garden is gone. The corn yielded one good ear of corn, the rest my husband picked too early. The cucumbers gave me three cukes, then succumbed to the Florida heat. They are water hogs, and watering every other day did not cut it for them. My basil got 3.5 feet tall, then went to seed so I cut it back. Same with my oregano. My three pepper plants seem to be struggling under the heat, but I have gotten two jalapenos and a habenero pepper so far. My tomatoes are out of control, well over four feet tall and giving me more tomatoes than I could possibly eat. My family has been eating tomatoes for a while lol. My onions seem to have stopped growing, maybe because they are in the shadow of the tomatoes. The carrots are coming along slowly. My lavender and rosemary are doing well.
That is it for for updates, more pictures and topics soon!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Flower mania!
So, it seems that I keep finding spots in my yard that I want to destroy and start over. This week, I took a 5x10 plot of sparse grass, ants and gnarly roots and uprooted it all. It has a fence to the east behind it, a shed to the north, a gigantic oleander bush on the south and my arbor on the west. Along the shed I put three trellises, with two confederate jasmine and a purple passion flower. The west has a newly built border of Indian hawthorn and butterfly weeds. The hawthorn is still small so it is not much of a border. The oleander is about 15 feet tall, pink and white, and will shade the area more as the sun moves further south.
So anyways, I took some packets of flower seeds and just randomly started to plant them. I tried to pay attention to which needed lots of room (since apparently I did not leave enough room for my cucumbers and green beans and now the are crowding what is around them, lesson learned). Here are the flowers I planted:
Alyssum
Snap dragon, though mine are lavender colored too
zinnia
borage
candy tuft
marvel of peru
yeti
court jester marigold
So that is a lot of flowers in one area! I can't wait to see how they fair. If only half come up I will be happy. I just can't get enough flowers :)
So anyways, I took some packets of flower seeds and just randomly started to plant them. I tried to pay attention to which needed lots of room (since apparently I did not leave enough room for my cucumbers and green beans and now the are crowding what is around them, lesson learned). Here are the flowers I planted:
Alyssum
So that is a lot of flowers in one area! I can't wait to see how they fair. If only half come up I will be happy. I just can't get enough flowers :)
Summer is creeping in
So I went outside today, and I noticed something- the humidity is creeping back into our weather! Don't get me wrong, it still isn't hot yet, but man oh man am I starting to sweat! Guess planting season is pretty much over here in the sunshine state. Just waiting to harvest what I planted months ago.
Speaking of, here are some more updated pictures:
This is the first bed. Clockwise back left- corn, cucumber, stevia, dill, lavender and basil.
This is the second bed. From far left- tomato, lavender, basil, various kinds of peppers, carrots, rosemary, oregano, and green beans.
Close up of the baby tomatoes
Close up of the green beans
Cucumber flower
tomato cage
Carrots
peppers
blueberry bush
Can someone please tell me what this is? It cropped up where I planted nothing, and it looks like nothing else I have. It wants to wraps it's little vine on things...
purple passion flower
bird of paradise
I got these at a local gardening fair. They can each hold six potted plants. What a great way to decorate my entrance way!
That's all for now. I will write about my new flower bed after Indiana goes to bed tonight.
Speaking of, here are some more updated pictures:
That's all for now. I will write about my new flower bed after Indiana goes to bed tonight.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Pest problem
So, I have noticed that I have a little problem in my garden- ants. I have never noticed them before. I don't know if it is because they are truly becoming more prevalent or if it's just because I am in the garden more. Either way- they are a nuisance! They creep into all my potted plants and infiltrate them. They are eating my morning glory buds. Now today (the absolute last straw) I noticed one of my green beans was a little droopy. I checked it out and saw the a bunch of ants were crawling up and down the stem!!! Luckily they hadn't gotten to any other plant-yet.
So, what do I do? The bed with the green beans is 8 inches off the ground surrounded by wood. If they can get up there, they can get anywhere. I can't just spray them with pesticide, since they are around delicate flowers and veggies. HELP!
So, what do I do? The bed with the green beans is 8 inches off the ground surrounded by wood. If they can get up there, they can get anywhere. I can't just spray them with pesticide, since they are around delicate flowers and veggies. HELP!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Orange blossom memories
Growing up in central Florida, we had a lot of time to garden. As a child I never liked to myself. I did not (and still don't) like to get dirty (go figure!) and it seemed to be something I wasn't good at anyway. Looking back we were surrounded by all the wonderful heat loving plants and veggies Mother Earth allowed to grow in Florida. On one side of my house we had a huge hibiscus- easily 6 feet tall, with gorgeous fuchsia flowers. My grandfather would cut it down to nubs every winter, and by April it would be six feet tall again. On the other side we had a gigantic oak tree. The kind with roots that got so gnarly you would have to jump over them if you happened to be running. It shaded the whole east side of our house. Our back yard was crazy. Right behind our back fence was a mini jungle. We grew bananas, at least 4 trees. Some random elephant ears, and a bunch of other greenery I never knew what they were. I was always scared back there because it was home to dozens of snakes and spiders.
My grandfather also had an old antique bath tub. The kind with legs that made it stand up off the floor. He planted all sorts of annual flowers in there, and in a refurbished toilet. In the corner of the yard was a huge Aloe plant. It was at least 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. He also grew peppers and tomatoes in large 5 gallon plastic buckets. I remember putting 2x4s in the soil and tying the plants to it with an old ripped t-shirt when it got too big to stand up.
The big kicker, though, was the fact that right next store was two lots full of grapefruit and orange trees. Some guy in another state owned the lots, and he had us take care of the trees. Imagine enough space for two houses to go on full of citrus trees! I hated having to go in them. The ground was covered in fallen leaves and bugs and gross stuff like rotting citrus surrounded by those tiny flies. I will never forget the smell of rotting citrus! My grandfather would take this long pole with a saw on the end and trim the topmost branches and knock oranges and grapefruit off. You had to watch out or you would be caught in an orange shower! We would drag back garbage bags full of fruit, where we would peel and squeeze them. To this day I have never developed a taste for citrus. The trees are all gone, and two houses are squeezed where they once stood. Even my grandfather is no longer around. But one thing I do have that I can grab onto is an orange tree in my front yard. Every year, right around this time, it gets covered with orange blossoms. The easterly breeze brings their scent in the house. One whiff of it and I am taken back to when I was a kid in those trees. And it's a great feeling :)
Orange blossoms from my own tree!
My grandfather also had an old antique bath tub. The kind with legs that made it stand up off the floor. He planted all sorts of annual flowers in there, and in a refurbished toilet. In the corner of the yard was a huge Aloe plant. It was at least 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. He also grew peppers and tomatoes in large 5 gallon plastic buckets. I remember putting 2x4s in the soil and tying the plants to it with an old ripped t-shirt when it got too big to stand up.
The big kicker, though, was the fact that right next store was two lots full of grapefruit and orange trees. Some guy in another state owned the lots, and he had us take care of the trees. Imagine enough space for two houses to go on full of citrus trees! I hated having to go in them. The ground was covered in fallen leaves and bugs and gross stuff like rotting citrus surrounded by those tiny flies. I will never forget the smell of rotting citrus! My grandfather would take this long pole with a saw on the end and trim the topmost branches and knock oranges and grapefruit off. You had to watch out or you would be caught in an orange shower! We would drag back garbage bags full of fruit, where we would peel and squeeze them. To this day I have never developed a taste for citrus. The trees are all gone, and two houses are squeezed where they once stood. Even my grandfather is no longer around. But one thing I do have that I can grab onto is an orange tree in my front yard. Every year, right around this time, it gets covered with orange blossoms. The easterly breeze brings their scent in the house. One whiff of it and I am taken back to when I was a kid in those trees. And it's a great feeling :)
Orange blossoms from my own tree!
New crop, and such
Hello again! Well, it has been about 3 weeks since I planted veggies and herbs in my garden. We already have some things sprouting! Here they are:
This is my red rose bush. It has never given me a rose in two years, until now!
I planted my aloe vera and mulched around it. It seems to be doing good, except it absorbed some of the red from the mulch :-/
Larkspur! Doing great in my front walkway.
My cucumbers are coming in nicely. I planted these strictly at the request of my husband and mother-in-law. I can't stand them, but they love them!
My corn! 6, each gets a square foot. Everyone had a horror story about their corn growing experience to share when I mentioned I was growing it, so we will see. The back row is Country Gentleman, and the front is Silver Queen.
The sprout in the back are green beans. To the left are a colorful mix. The right is some organic bush type green bean. They have some kind of Jedi force with them, they are willful little guys! Sprouted after 3 days. In the front is a rosemary I planted.
These little guys are carrot sprouts. Nanes half long to be exact. I am nervous about these, veggies that grow underground and I do not have an awesome track record.
Above the lavender is basil! And lots of it.
This is dill. It too has really taken off. My friend Brittany had some last year, and it smelled wonderful. Can't wait!
Welcome back crepe myrtle! The bush definitely looked sad all winter, but even it is starting to get it's leaves back :)
That's all for now!
I planted my aloe vera and mulched around it. It seems to be doing good, except it absorbed some of the red from the mulch :-/
Above the lavender is basil! And lots of it.
This is dill. It too has really taken off. My friend Brittany had some last year, and it smelled wonderful. Can't wait!
That's all for now!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A Hard Days Work
So, this Sunday my husband gave me $200 and said "Go work on the garden." Sweet! I proceeded to make three trips to Home Depot (once was because I forgot something). Coincidentally, they were having a kids planting expo, so Indiana got to get his hands dirty and learn how to plant a flower!
So anyways, I ended up doing two projects. First, I secured my arbor. It was actually harder than I thought it would be, and I think I may have to fix it. I have an area next to my shed I wanted to kind of border off and make into a "reflection" area. So I put the arbor in the front, and planted 6 Indian Hawthorns and 3 butterfly weeds. I am hoping to put a table and a few chairs, and eventually either a fire pit or water garden in their as well. here is what it looks like:
I planted morning glories and moon flowers at the base of the arbor. They should grow and vine about 3 feet up into the arbor. We were trying to decide whether to put the water garden or fire pit inside, so that is why they are piled in the middle. The second picture is of my Indian Hawthorn. The third one is the butterfly weed.
I also dug a pathway in the front. I bordered out about a foot and a half from my front walkway, and planted alternating petunias and pansies. I threw in a few snapdragons as well. Then I mulched it all. Here is what it look like:
The wooden border is temporary, just to keep the mulch in.
I also planted my aloe vera, two blueberry bushes, and finished adding manure and organic compost to my two garden beds. Here they are:
Aloe vera!
My blueberry bushes. They like highly acidic soil (4.5-6.0) and my soil is slightly acidic already. But I put a bunch of peat moss into the soil, since it is supposed to be acidic. I know this is going against the old adage "go with what works and it will cause you less work" but i REALLY want blueberry bushes! Let's see how it goes.
2 beds, ready to be used!
And lastly, I bought four herbs from a local nursery a few weeks ago. Three lavender and one rosemary. Here is a picture:
The first three are the lavender, and the last one is rosemary. I will plant them in the ground this weekend.
This Saturday is my big planting day! I am going to plan out my rows, and sow most of my seeds. I will be planting onions, cucumbers, green beans, corn, carrots, lemon balm, dill, rosemary, basil and lavender. I am also planting my zinnia, dame's rocket and larkspur. Fingers crossed for a sunny day!
So anyways, I ended up doing two projects. First, I secured my arbor. It was actually harder than I thought it would be, and I think I may have to fix it. I have an area next to my shed I wanted to kind of border off and make into a "reflection" area. So I put the arbor in the front, and planted 6 Indian Hawthorns and 3 butterfly weeds. I am hoping to put a table and a few chairs, and eventually either a fire pit or water garden in their as well. here is what it looks like:
I planted morning glories and moon flowers at the base of the arbor. They should grow and vine about 3 feet up into the arbor. We were trying to decide whether to put the water garden or fire pit inside, so that is why they are piled in the middle. The second picture is of my Indian Hawthorn. The third one is the butterfly weed.
I also dug a pathway in the front. I bordered out about a foot and a half from my front walkway, and planted alternating petunias and pansies. I threw in a few snapdragons as well. Then I mulched it all. Here is what it look like:
I also planted my aloe vera, two blueberry bushes, and finished adding manure and organic compost to my two garden beds. Here they are:
My blueberry bushes. They like highly acidic soil (4.5-6.0) and my soil is slightly acidic already. But I put a bunch of peat moss into the soil, since it is supposed to be acidic. I know this is going against the old adage "go with what works and it will cause you less work" but i REALLY want blueberry bushes! Let's see how it goes.
And lastly, I bought four herbs from a local nursery a few weeks ago. Three lavender and one rosemary. Here is a picture:
This Saturday is my big planting day! I am going to plan out my rows, and sow most of my seeds. I will be planting onions, cucumbers, green beans, corn, carrots, lemon balm, dill, rosemary, basil and lavender. I am also planting my zinnia, dame's rocket and larkspur. Fingers crossed for a sunny day!
Spring is coming!
In Florida, the first signs that the Earth is waking up are starting to be visible. My gardenias and jasmine are slowly starting to turn green again. Trees are beginning to blossom. Early blooming flowers like roses and milkweeds are showing color. In short-- bye bye winter! I went around my yard and started to take pictures of all the signs of life I could find. Here they are!
My dwarf rose bush has started to bloom! This is the tree that my husband accidentally mowed over back in November. I am glad it is coming back. The flowers smell so nice.
This is the rosemary I bought from Lowes last year. It is doing so well. It's almost a small bush now. It is so fragrant!
This is the front bed I planted last year. The front bush is hibiscus, and the other bushes are lemon lime plants. The dead flowers are annuals (silver fog and pentas) that I need to pull up and replant something else.
My beautiful magnolia! This March I will have had it for a year. No blooms yet, but I wake up and check every day. I have a feeling it will happen when it warms up a little bit.
These are my three gardenia bushes. The one in the middle is perking up well. Even the one on the left I thought was dying is getting some leaves. The one on the right looks a little droopy :(
My jasmine vine. It still has yellow spots and looks kind of sick, and has stopped growing. I will see how this does.
My flower shaped thermometer, and my flower pinwheel I got in tarpon Springs, Fl.
That's all for now!
My dwarf rose bush has started to bloom! This is the tree that my husband accidentally mowed over back in November. I am glad it is coming back. The flowers smell so nice.
This is the rosemary I bought from Lowes last year. It is doing so well. It's almost a small bush now. It is so fragrant!
My beautiful magnolia! This March I will have had it for a year. No blooms yet, but I wake up and check every day. I have a feeling it will happen when it warms up a little bit.
These are my three gardenia bushes. The one in the middle is perking up well. Even the one on the left I thought was dying is getting some leaves. The one on the right looks a little droopy :(
That's all for now!
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