Tag: gardens

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Saving money by rain harvesting

Talking to a lot of farmers that live in my area, and I know personally, have been telling me about rain harvesting. I personally think it is an awesome idea. We pay a water bill here now, when before the township decided to pipe “city” water in, we had well water. I am a firm believer in having a well, and also I make sure my cistern is clean and it always fills up with water from the rain. I used to depend on it for my gardens.

Rain water barrels, I’ve decided will be one of the ways I’m going to start collecting rain water.  Sometimes, thinking about it and what is now in the atmosphere, it’s kind of scary what I’d be using, but memories of my Papa washing my hair in rain water, since he had harvested rain, won over thinking about what might be in my rain water. Besides, it serves at totally useful survival tips.

I have a feeling, like the farmers I’ve talked to, that we are going to be in for some rough dry weather around mid summer. This makes watering the livestock really costly. Plus with a large family and using so much water now, I’m going to start looking for rain barrels for sale, and get quite a few of them. Better to be safe than sorry. It would give me peace of mind to be able to have water if needed. I’m still remembering also, how soft and silky my hair was after washing and rinsing in rain water that was harvested!

 

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Thinking about stenceling

Lately, I’ve been looking at my walls and in the past, I would on whims, stencil a bit on my walls. Actually, I have stenciled an archway with ivy vines, fairy’s, butterflies and flowers. Since to me, it looked like  simple…well…stenciled stuff. To me, it looked “flat” on the wall. Not what I go for.

The more I looked at the archway, the more I wanted to change it. One night, everyone was asleep and I was in a really mellow mood. I got out my paints and hand painted connections between leaves and vines and such. Then added definition to the whole thing, buy painting what these subjects really looked like. I’m pleased to say, that the ivy on the wall, now looks like real ivy. The Fae’s are fluttering, and the flowers should have a smell…

I realize that there are patterns out there that an artist has made and the scene is awesome. But if I bought others pattern pieces, it wouldn’t feel like my own art. So, I’m going stick with my gardens on my wall and do this project all myself. Great thing about painting on walls…you can always paint over it, if you don’t like what you painted. That to me, is more home improvement!

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Seed shopping

Today it seemed almost like Spring outside. I even went out for awhile in just a sweatshirt and for me, that is saying a lot, considering I am always cold unless it is in the heat of the deep summer. After I had been outside for awhile, I went with my husband to do errands and drop some papers off to my doctor that needed to be signed. While we were running errands, and because it felt so good to be out and about without my neck and back hurting so much, I went to Dollar General store. I only needed a wash bucket and old style mop. But I couldn’t help looking at all the garden items they had.

Bless my husband’s heart. He is not a patient person when it comes to waiting for me to shop. He is the kind of person who goes into the store, gets what he wants and needs and leaves. Takes all of maybe ten minutes and that is pushing it. Today he was patient, since he has been at me to get outside or do something so I’m won’t become a hermit. (His words)

I found a HUGH display of seeds that were 3 for 1.00. In the past…a few years ago, I used to get them there 10 or 1.00. They always came up, and the herbs, veggies and flowers were hardy and grew very well. What a jump in price, though. Goes to show what this world is coming to. Not only is it hard to buy groceries at the supermarket and afford to feed our family a healthy meal, but it’s getting to the point of even growing our own produce and feeding our livestock, is hard and expensive. It really is distressing. I try to save all my seeds from what I grow, but sometimes it’s just not enough. Have to keep on going on though.

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Seed catalog jackpot

Today when the mail man came, I went out to get the mail and thought I had hit the seed catalog jackpot! It really was a surprise. At first I thought my box was just filled with junk and the kid’s magazines, or my husbands junk mail. In actuality, among a few bills and some college info for the kids, there were eight new seed catalogs!

I’m sure the neighbors are used to me jumping up and down in the middle of the road either in total happiness and glee, or in ticked off anger if I get junk mail or a bill that I already paid and am battling about. But all day I’ve been in such a down and sad type mood, that I guess I really did the happy dance pretty well, because my neighbor came out and asked if I had won Publishers Clearing House or something similar. LOL!

Nope, simple seed catalogs were enough for me today, along with a mega hug from my daughter, to make the day much better. I have some work to do tonight, but ya’ll can bet that after I do what I have to do, I’ll be pouring through the catalogs and making lists, dog earring pages, circling prices and drooling over various flowers, herbs, plants, and garden plans!

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Botanical gardens

This coming weekend if all goes well, I’m planning on going to the Zoo, that is in the city that I grew up and go home to nearly every other week. The Botanical Gardens are open all year around, but I like to go around this time each year, to get my garden incentives flowing.

This is a wonderful place to go. And this is just a start. I have to say that some of the local exhibits and also the out of town attractions and recreational places to go, are indeed a great joy to me.

When I go to the Botanical Gardens, I can stay there all day. Not only do I love the warm humid environment of the massive greenhouse, but I also love the earthy smells, the smells of the plants and exotic flowers, along with the more known species. There is also a simulation of a rain forest in another part of the zoo that I like to go to, when I am in that area. It’s amazing. Complete with the alligators, turtles, fish and all kinds of birds native to the rain forests. Not to mention the really unique plant life. I’m in seventh heaven when I’m there and always plan to be away from the time they open in the morning, until they close in the evening. I’m really looking forward to this.

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Sharing seeds

A friend of mine has made me a trade. She is recording her first CD…and she sings like an Angel…for some of my herb and flower seeds that I gathered last fall.

Like me she is an avid, though not professional gardener, which is the kind I like. I would say we “old world/school garden. It is a perfect description. We both are always experimenting with what we plant and how to make the most of the space, along with making our gardens useful, but beautiful also.

I love this exchange also, since I always listen to music in my garden. It seems my plants love the music as much as I do. My friends are so cool. This is a great exchange!

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Grand daughters garden plans

My grand daughter who is nine called me this evening. My daughter had called earlier to ask me if I would be home so KK could ride the school bus to my house after school. She had to take my grandson to the dentist before school was out and didn’t want to take KK out of school early.  Of course it was fine by me, but I didn’t want KK riding the bus, her aunt and uncle ride home, as they were staying after school (at the high school) for computer lab and wouldn’t be able to make sure the bus driver stopped at our house. Plus this bus has a long route and doesn’t get the kids home until a lot later, so I’m going to go to the school when the kids are let out to pick her up.

Well, when my grand daughter called she told me that she had drawn out plans for her garden here. I wasn’t really surprised, since even when she was really young…not even in school yet…she would sort seed packets into the right categories, and knew the difference between annuals and perennials, and the herbs that could be eaten and the ones that couldn’t be. She knew which flowers and herbs could heal which ailment and actually she was pretty impressive with the way she caught on to all of what I told her at such an early age.

Now that she is nine, KK knows about root systems, various was to use herbs for healing, and which ones are to make tea out of, and the herbs that go with what foods to make them tasty. Not to mention the ones that are for decoration since they are poisonous. I’ve taught her how to make ointments for both people and animals. And the list goes on. In the winter she studies seed magazines, my books and all the garden magazines I get and had to her for the winter to read.  I can’t wait to see her garden plans tomorrow. She is so excited. I might just take her into town when I pick her up for school and get her some seedling trays and some packs of seeds to start. I’m looking forward to this!