Keeping the green thumb going through winter day one

This time of year January always fools us , or at least me, into dreams of spring.  Today it is in the 50's * F . But winter is just pausing because February and March are our snowiest months!

I love to keep the green and gardening dreams alive through the winter. An indoor winter garden is just the thing for me.

Pothos  - each winter I repot or regenerate some type of plant. Last year it was dividing up all the Mother-in-law tongues and giving as gifts or selling them.   We also divided aloe. 

I love the mother-in-law tongues because they give off oxygen at night.  We have one on each nightstand to benefit us at night.  Today I am rooting parts of my large pothos. The cat knocked it over in a spiteful revenge the other day.  She was playing jungle cat and I told her to get out of the plants so she knocker it over.  Part of it fell off the climbing post and could not reattach.  I trimmed it up and took the trimmings to put in water to begin rooting. Soon I will have ten new plants. 

Sprouts - I love sprouts for sandwiches and salads. For some reason I only do this during the winter probably because we are so busy spring to fall.   Here we are for day 1.  I use a mason jar, muslin but usually use cheese cloth (until they begin to sprout) and then a mesh lid afterwards.  I simply put 1/4 cup of sprouting seeds in a clean jar, cover with good clean water ( I say that because our well water isn't the best and we buy water) and let sit overnight … that's it.

Hopefully this week I will get some micro greens on the heat mat and will share with you.  

I will post the progress of the plants above as well. 

peace

Recycling feedbags, mugs, and what to do with apples.

A rainy muggy Sunday

We try to recycle whatever we can on the homestead.  To do what we can in our own tiny section of the world is important to us. A point was made today...you go to the grocery store and get your goods in a plastic bag to bring home to use only once for that purpose.  We need to carry our store bought goods in another way.  We will recycle the plastic bags.  Today I recycled feedbags for groceries, carrying stuff to work and family .  Dude saves them for me after feeding the animals. We have lots of them and we need to reduce our carbon footprint. Today, I , again, began to sew them up. If we have Thanksgiving here this year, (we have enough turkeys growing) these bags can be used to carry home leftovers. 

I used another bag to plant potatoes. 

I put cuts in the bottom for drainage. 

Made some cuts down the sides a bit. 

Put dirt in the bottom 1/8 of the bag.  Put in cut potatoes (red) eyes down and covered with dirt. Potatoes like the dark.  As the potato vine grows I will put more dirt and straw over it until the bag is full and ready to harvest potatoes. 

Back to the bags... yes, this is how my scattered brain was working today. 

I got to work and began to focus.

I didn't wash the bags (you really need to and I did with the second batch) and the animals seemed to really like me today. The cats sewed with me, the dog licked the bag as I turned it and the lambs wanted to hang around when I went out to feed the chickens. 

Tada!

This was one of my favorite mugs... until it got a crack in it. My aloe is reproducing like crazy... again, so , I use the mug as a planter. Filled the bottom with gravel and the rest with dirt. 

Look! He has hair!

My son gave me a coleus plant. Today it got a trim to make 3 new plants.  I can't wait until it roots in the water so I can transplant it to dirt. 

Someone at work gave me a bunch of nonsprayed apples from their trees.  Apples do not like to touch each other so I had sort out the bad apples and spread them on the counter until I used them. 

Look how happy that apple is!  Organic produce are like us... the look beautiful without anything added, pretend or covering up.  The flaws life creates makes it attractive.

Today I made apple crumble. I had to make the pie filling and the crumble. 

It baked up nicely (needs ice cream - smile). The "white" bits you see is melted butter. 

Happy Sunday. 

peace 

How we decide what to plant

When we go to plant our gardens we think about what we like to eat.  Here are some ideas for gardens:

Salsa garden: tomatoes, onions, garlic, tomatillos, cilantto, regular peppers (bell, banana, pimento), jalapeños , cherry peppers.

Herbal/tea garden - raspberries (I love to dry the leaves too), mint, catnip, borage, basil, oregano, chives, chamomile, dill, parsley, sage, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, and rosemary.

Salad- lettuce (variety), spinach, radishes, carrots, beets, cucumbers, beans.

We don't usually grow potatoes or peas because they are so cheap in the stores.

Extras  - zucchini, watermelon, variety of pumpkins, corn, sunflowers, zinnias, variety of squash.

Fruit - boysenberries, strawberries, raspberries, peach tree and two apple trees.

I did get an eggplant plant today because it was on sale .  -smile-


We love it when the grandkids come out.  They came to see the gardens, animals and learn to crochet.  They are working on single crochet stitch and making a scarf.  They had been practicing just make a chain before. 

Yesterday we got a downpour of much needed rain and the last for a while. 

peace 

The weekend... planting, fleece, and Sunday Funday.

My mentor  and teacher is getting ready to move. I went to see her on Saturday. We are farmsisters. Her husband recently had a stroke so we lend support. She has always been there for all of us. I wish I knew how to support her more. 

Anyway... I was greeted by her peacocks. They had no fear and didn't seem to mind the dog that ran past them. 

We hugged and talked and then got to work sorting alpaca and llama fleece.  She suggested that I store mine in plastic bins otherwise these are just a nice fluffy home for mice. 

Since she is moving, she shared many of the bags she had. What a difference they felt after working with lamb fleece.

It was good to be with her but soon her home was filled with people willing to help and it was time for me to leave. 

I came home with a wonderful surprise from my nephew's wife.  An essential oil package. She is teaching me and encouraging me to use them. Fun, I just know nothing about this!

Next up I headed to the greenhouse to get to work. The greenhouse puts me in such a good news. 

First up I separate packages of strawberries. Typically, there are 6 plants in each but I had 7.  I am hoping for a lush  patch of strawberries this year. 

Then I plant the austrees I started in water during the winter. They are rooting well. 

Austrees are a type of hybrid willow tree used as a windbreak, grow fast and help with ground erosion. 

I soaked the roots of the strawberries. 

I had been started apple trees. I am not sure if they will make it but I am giving it a good try. 

Strawberries are tucked in. 

Austrees planted.

All the plants we potted are going into the house since there is no heat in the greenhouse and snow is due this week. 

I did plant some Oriental Greens seeds too. 

The rest of Saturday was spend cleaning for our Sunday Funday party. Family was coming over to celebrate two birthdays.  My daughter-in-law's brother, Rick and my son Nick. 

Sunday

We lined up and plugged in crockpots. 

We filled them with homemade macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and dips.  We also had salads, hamburgers, cheese and crackers , chips and desserts. 

It was a Sunday Funday. 

It is interesting to watch how children try to mimic adults. Be sure you are a good example. 

He wanted Grandpa to know he was strong enough to do whatever he does. 

Kindness to animals reigns supreme on the homestead. 

It was a bit chilly but we did get some horse riding in . 

We did take time to remember the time of Lent . Raising four sons it was always challenging to try and get them engaged growing up.  One way was to remind them it was a time of spiritual cleaning and to try and show them was by carving soaps.  So today we carved soap. (of course, raising sons they used to carve knives and skulls but it got us talking).  We will share later what we do with the shavings. 

Our readings today remind us of our 40 day Lenten journey and that Temptation is real. 

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.  Mark 1:12-13

How is Lent going for you? 

peace