Wow its been a while since I've last blogged. I guess I've been so busy planning my organic veggie garden that I've forgotten to write.
That's right, organic vegetable garden. In the back yard where there were once huge fallen oak trees now lies a nice cleared area and a small pile of smoldering leaves and wood bits. There are still a few huge logs but
they're out of the way and will eventually get chopped up for next winter's firewood and what wont chop will be burned outside. My BF and I cleared away all the brambles and blackberry thorns and I now have a nice clear space to plant a good sized veg garden.
Its been raining
a lot lately so I took the opportunity to start my seeds inside in egg cartons. I filled them with potting soil, planted my seeds and covered the whole thing with plastic wrap and set on the window
sill on the south side of the house to germinate. I have a few that have already started. I planted
Basil
broccoli
brussel sprouts
Buttercrunch lettuce
Beans, pinto
Beans, green
Beans, black
Beans,
limaCabbage
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Chamomile
Chili peppers
Chives
Cilantro
Collards
Copenhagen cabbage
Eggplant
Garlic
Green bell pepper
green onion
green onion2
Jet star tomatoes
Lavender
Marigold
Mint
Okra
Peas
pickling cucumbers
Potatoes
Red onions
roma tomato
Rosemary
Round dutch cabbage
spinach
Sweet yellow peppers
watermelon
white daisies
yellow daisies
yellow squash
zucchini
and a green heirloom cotton that I am totally psyched about.
Once my plants get growing and make seeds I plan to do some seed saving. I'm curious to see what happens with the jet star tomato though, as it is a hybrid and its offspring wont turn out like the parent plant.
So, in my little back yard area I plan to do a "lasagna" or no-till type garden. This means that instead of tilling up the dirt, which is clay, I will lay down a thick layer of newspaper, then leave, then straw, then maybe some more leaves,
lol, since I have plenty, and finally some top soil i bought for cheap mixed with what
I've been composting for the past year. I only got the top soil for this season. The yard needs to be built up as it has a drainage problem and it needs better soil. the layers of the lasagna will decompose and help to improve the soil conditions. I've also been thinking about getting some wheat or barley to plant in the off season as a cover crop as it will help replenish the nutrients in the soil.
I'm getting some free landscaping timbers from a friend and for my plant supports, i.e. tomato's peas, etc. I am using cane poles since I have a plethora of cane growing in my front yard.
Aside from the garden I've been trying to get my alpaca fibers spun and out of the way because I am getting 3
Jacob's sheep fleece from my aunt who has a petting zoo. Its going to be a lot of work cleaning and carding all that fleece. I'm excited about it though. It will be a new experience and a chance to learn something. plus, I will have lots of wool to spin into lots of yarn to weave and crochet. I'm going to attempt to make a frame loom with some salvage lumber and supplies I already have. I
haven't quite figured out the design though. I need to finish getting my garden ready before I can focus on the loom.
Oh, I also got a little dog. I'm not normally a little dog person, but this one was free and needed a good home. He's a
Chinese crested hairless and his name is Brody. He's a sweet little dog and goofy as heck. I've had him for a week now. He follows me all over the yard and likes to eat the cold charcoal from around the fire. Weird dog.
Well,
that's about all I've got. Until next time...
