http://gardenpool.org/

So many exciting things in the works!!

 I wish I could share them all right now but it's not quite the right time.  

We've had more rain this season than I expected! We have filled and used the >80gal rain barrel 3 times now and last night Jordan rigged it to sit higher on concrete blocks so that we will get a better gravity feed for easier use. This week I'm harvesting tomatoes, jalapenos, tobacco, basil, purslane, kale and black beans!

Dreams and Plans!

http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/family-of-four-grows-their-food-in-a-swimming-pool.html

The rain is over for now. We had a 3 day rest from watering and now a full rain barrel to use up soon. The sunflowers are starting to attract hummingbirds along with an assortment of other birds I've never seen in town, I think they are worth putting in again next year.

THE ANTS
I came home last night and they were out in force again, this time there were several winged drones up top which I took as a sign that I've pissed them off and they have decided to move away? I wasn't totally sure if that's what their behavior translates to from ant speak though, so I doused them with another round of the spice and soap mix just to be sure. As of this morning there are none to be found...we'll see what the afternoon brings.

This morning finds me up from bed later than expected as I lost myself in Rosemary Gladstar's "Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health." Yesterday was a very productive day on my mini farm. I did battle with some giant ants in the back garden, whom I had been trying to ignore but had taken enough bites of my toes that something had to be done. (I garden in flip flops mostly). I haven't been outside yet this morning to see if they are are out and about yet. I applied potent mix of boiling water, followed by oil mixed with vinegar, hot peppers garlic, ginger, black pepper, and Dr. Bronners soap. I'll update you on the success of this venture at a later date, when I'm sure they've moved away.

I also set up a temporary grey water collection system for my bathroom sink. I spoke to a plumber about having this done and at the moment it is cost prohibitive while I'm in school. So for the time being I have disconnected the drain hose at the bottom of the sink and have that funneling into a 5 gallon bucket. I'm planning to use this water to add moisture to my compost pile and trees. It's almost 3/4 full and I only set it up yesterday morning....that's a lot of water that I've been wasting.

I harvested several leaves of the Nicotina today and am doing research about the best curing methods.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/plants-fungi/seeds-of-trade/page.dsml?section=regions&ref=tobacco&cat_ref=&region_ID=1&time_ref=&page=post_harvest&origTimeID=&origTimePoint=&origTpTitle=&ori

http://www.tobaccoleaf.org/conteudos/default.asp?id=18

http://www.batcentralamerica.com/group/sites/bat_88lh9a.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO87JHC7?opendocument&SKN=1

The mini farm 2014

 Nicotina

Red Sunflowers

Hopi

Pomegranate and Mexican Ice the I rescued from the side of the road in T or C 

My currently unhappy peach tree

Post harvest of turnips last weekend. Kale, Chard, Beets, Marigolds and sunflower starts.

Kale in a bed overtaken by grass 

Next year I'm going to move my rosemary and dandelions up here since I cant rid the bed of this stuff.

Ocra

Zinnia 

Corn flowers and corn

Vitex

Asparagus and squash.

Onion, dill, calendula and marigolds.

All of my tomatoes came back from dropped fruit this year. I can't count the number of them I've pulled out and fed to Chicka Dee.

Chicka Dee in all of her glory.

This is my quick solution to wanting to have a fresh egg here and there. It still needs a lot of work but I think she's happy. I may grow a grape vine on an arbor over the pen so that she has a little more shade.

Jalapenos, Dill and Strawberries. The dill is everywhere this year.

A few basil that cam back on their own.

Out of control tomatoes. 

Okra crowded by black beans.

The curing compost pile

Romero

My other fertilization system. They survived the winter :)

Herb bed.

Onion, purselane and marigolds.

The sunflower and corn wind block.

Optuna making fruit.

The street side garden. I'm hoping to add several 'Keyhole' beds in the next year or so, I've started construction on one so far utilizing old beer and wine bottles.

http://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/nature-outdoors/keyhole-gardening

I'd like to say that my excuse for not writing has been that I'm out diligently working in my garden day in and day out...but that's just not true. Life carries me away some times and I forget about those things I want to do. I forgive myself for that and plan to be here every morning, I moved my desk over so that I am perched in front of the south facing window where I can look out at my garden and smile at the birds perched atop the sunflowers.

Some of the things I've been thinking about since I last wrote:

http://humanurehandbook.com/downloads/humanure_sanitation_paper.pdf

http://www.snappypixels.com/diy-ideas/106-used-pallet-projects-and-ideas/3/

http://foodisfreeproject.org/

I really don't have an intention set with my post this morning other than to check in. It's rained here for 3 days and the ground is wet, so I'm going to sign off and pull weeds while the job is still easy.