I finally crossed over 4,000 followers! Thank you so much for choosing to spend time with me in the garden! I hit kind of a plateau that lasted from last year (when I started posting daily) until just recently. My subscriber stats slowed down to a crawl over the last year, even though last year … Continue reading Yippee!
Painting Pavers To Look Like Books
I got a call the other day from a neighbor. "I have seven bricks, do you want them?" "Yes! Yes, I do!" I have plans for bricks, and free ones are the best kind! These plans were sparked by regularly spending hours on Pinterest (Can't sleep? It's Pinterest time!) and randomly remembering a few pins … Continue reading Painting Pavers To Look Like Books
My Favorite Hummingbird Feeders
Because of our heat, and the fact that our main hummingbird variety will not share with other birds: I use really small feeders and place them all over my yard. On the way out the door with fresh hummingbird food. I usually have five out at a time. In our feel like 112° heat, they … Continue reading My Favorite Hummingbird Feeders
Pomegranate: Texas Style
I have a pomegranate thicket. I figured out this year that this plant was grafted when I put it in ten or eleven years ago. The majority of this monstrosity is rootstock. I almost never get fruit off of the back of this plant's mess. I'm usually very busy all year long because I have … Continue reading Pomegranate: Texas Style
Don’t Wait To Get Rid Of Soil Borne Insects.
Instructions on use. We're coming up on the last few weeks to get beneficial nematodes in before the summer heat. I buy nematodes every year. Sometimes I add them in fall, sometimes in spring. But no matter which season you choose, heat is your enemy. Full list of target insects and the variety of nematodes … Continue reading Don’t Wait To Get Rid Of Soil Borne Insects.
In The Garden
If you are my age (in my 50's), you might remember the music at the bottom of this post. It's music we don't hear anymore. But in the past: I always heard it at grandma's. I remember eating cereal in the morning at grandma's house. The radio would be on, first came the farm report: … Continue reading In The Garden
Finishing The Vegetable Beds
Soil has been added to my vegetable beds. The bananas have been fertilized. Bird baths have been scrubbed. I added water crystals to the beds this year because the bags of composted manure have a ton of sand in them and water runs right out of the beds, without something to absorb it. Pvc marking … Continue reading Finishing The Vegetable Beds
Spring Fever
Out in the raised beds. I refresh the soil every few years. This is compost and manure. I'm going to grow corn in it. Different bed. This one is full of garden soil and peat. I opened the bags and raked out the soil, then I added some hydrated water crystals and raked the peat … Continue reading Spring Fever
Winter: Garden Planning
Winter is a wonderful time to read up on gardening literature. When your garden is fast asleep, it is the perfect time to make preparations for next year. Whether you are new to gardening or an old hand: this is the yearly time for reflection. What has worked for you? What have you struggled with? … Continue reading Winter: Garden Planning
Would I Do It Again?
So, I try out things I find online that are super affordable. Sometimes I'm happy, (like with clothes from temu... if you adjust for American sized women. A large is a 3x on there) and sometimes I'm super disappointed, (like with sale sparkly shoes from Betsey Johnson, that kill my feet.) I look up certain … Continue reading Would I Do It Again?
Quotes For The New Year
Homemade Yogurt: Is L. Gasseri, L. Reuteri or BC30 Bacillus Coagulens The Only Bacteria for Yogurt Making-The Ultimate Yogurt Guide
There are three ingredients and four steps to making your own yogurt: ultra pasturized half and half (for those of you who live outside of the United States, it's half milk/half heavy cream), a bacteria, and inulin. You add these all together and heat the mix for 36 hours. The rest of this article is … Continue reading Homemade Yogurt: Is L. Gasseri, L. Reuteri or BC30 Bacillus Coagulens The Only Bacteria for Yogurt Making-The Ultimate Yogurt Guide
Overwintering Plants Indoors/Year End Wrap Up
I have a lot of tropical plants that wouldn't make it if I left them outside during our few freezes. I have all kinds of one year old plants in this single, twenty inch pot. (BTW I got this pot, and many more, in the trash my neighbors put out. Don't pass up free pots! … Continue reading Overwintering Plants Indoors/Year End Wrap Up
Stone Age Bread
I love getting down to completely, unprocessed ingredients. The more whole foods, and the fewer the ingredients: the better. So when I heard about a very basic, flour-free: egg, nut and seed based bread: I wanted to try it! Sliced after baking It just looks delicious, and it didn't disappoint! I wondered what the texture … Continue reading Stone Age Bread
Bye Bye Bananas.
Putting the banana bed to sleep for the winter. Leaf stalk falling. This electric pole saw was too small to get into the main trunk. The pole filled with water from the plant as it was sawing and the banana fibers completely clogged up the chain. Tried our new battery powered extension chainsaw and it … Continue reading Bye Bye Bananas.
Just In Time For Christmas: Modern Cinnamon Pickles And Lemon Candy Pickles!
My grandmother used to make cinnamon pickles out of watermelon rind. It was a dessert she proudly put on our plates. They were delicious and in memory of her, I now make them yearly for my extended family and my kids. Last year I also tried a vanilla pickle which was pretty gross. I'm not … Continue reading Just In Time For Christmas: Modern Cinnamon Pickles And Lemon Candy Pickles!
Candy Cane Straws and Ice Cream Sundae Outdoor Decorations
So now that we're past the #!$@:! Frigging pool noodle lollipops, I have some relaxing projects to round out a candy themed Christmas display. First are the super simple candy cane straws. You can make canes with a bunch of PVC elbows but I think those look way more like a PVC pipe creation rather … Continue reading Candy Cane Straws and Ice Cream Sundae Outdoor Decorations
Big Beefy Pool Noodle Lollipop Decorations
This tutorial shows you how to make the best looking pool noodle lollipops out there. Don't mess with the dollar store noodles. I decided to add some Christmas tutorials for my decorations outside. I'm creating a candy background for some characters from the Nutcracker Ballet. My first task was making some candy. I decided on … Continue reading Big Beefy Pool Noodle Lollipop Decorations
Not Quite Ready!
So I went and checked on the bananas today. We are still having 80+° days but the nights are getting chilly. Friday and Saturday are really our last decent days at about 65°/62° but the nights are already bouncing around in the 40s and 50s. They're a little bigger but they have a ways to … Continue reading Not Quite Ready!
A Man With A Great Heart
There are still wonderful people out there! This is a YouTube channel I follow. The guy drives around his city and finds areas that need attention. He's cleaned up sidewalks for kids, to be able to walk home from the bus safely. He cleans up abandoned properties to bless the community and make it safer. … Continue reading A Man With A Great Heart