The Cold Dead of Winter

It is the coldest part of the year in Colorado. Today I woke up to see 2" of snow on my porch. The fluffy white continues to fall as I contemplate projects for this summer. Composting, of course, is one of the items most prevalent in my thoughts.

I tended my outdoor compost yesterday. It was around 65 degrees in the middle of the day and knowing that a storm was fixing to blow in made me want to check on it. The plywood compost box is doing well. I noted the fresh soil smell as I turned it despite having small bits of food waste still in it. Even with below freezing temperatures occurring on and off for the past 2 months my efforts are being rewarded. I worried a bit when I was setting up the pile that it wouldn't hold enough heat to continue to compost after winter set in - I'm too lazy to try to cover it with a tarp to hold in heat. It has held up though and with VERY little attention.

Since the cold weather I have only been forcing myself to turn and add to the compost pile maybe twice a month. It has fallen into a nice routine when I do add to it though. I carry out my containers of green waste and dig out one of the four corners in the box to a depth of maybe 12 inches below the rest of the contents. I pour my composting matter into the hole and spread it around with the shovel. On top of that I add my most recent collection of shredded junk mail. I add a few inches of dirt (not soil - this is the crappy clay filled stuff that plagues my backyard) on top of the shredded paper until I think there is enough to keep the paper from blowing away. My last step is to half-way dig out the corner where I will put my next batch of compost by shifting everything counter-clockwise. I add to it in a clockwise fashion just sort of pushing everything out of the way. This makes my compost box have a perpetual slope to it.

I am worried about how it will work this summer though. Even in the cold dead of winter the plywood box keeps up with my family's vegetable waste production. This summer as it heats up I may have to start bumming compost from the neighbors (oh darn!) to keep up with it. My husband and I discussed adding a second box this summer too. That way we will have a box that is "in use" (being used to fertilize the grass we plan to start) and a box that is "in production" (being added to).

We plan to use our outdoor compost for the yard while my worm box will supply even richer fertilizer for our garden. The reason for this is that our outdoor compost MAY have traces of old chemicals in it from the weeds that got sprayed when we moved in. My worm box on the other hand has been kept pure and clean (if you can call worm poo clean) so I don't have to worry about chemicals getting into the food we grow.

Other projects I have been pondering include a private outdoor shower area, a root cellar, and automating my greenhouse with an arduino based setup. I blame Pinterest for most of these obsessions.

Things I noticed I really like in a luxury shower: outdoors, river rock drainage under the tub, a waterfall type shower head, plants that get watered as you bathe, simple colors, grey water collection abilities... it almost makes me weak in the knees! You can see some of the pictures I'm using as inspiration on my Pinterest board. It's still a dream in progress.

As for the automated greenhouse I've been reading up on nerd blogs for the best tips to do it with an Arduino board. I want it to measure temperature and humidity as well as being able to open/close windows to maintain the environment. Yes, it will take some hardware knowledge and a bit of programming... that's why I married a nerd! Really though, I imagine I can do it myself with minimal troubleshooting from the hubby. Programming, I learned the other day, is a lot simpler than people make it sound in most cases. For all you computer geeks that read this: my first program was nested If Then statements to light LEDs corresponding to distance read-outs from an ultrasonic sensor. Not bad for a newb!

Ok, end random rant.

Genetic Gaurding or Growers Grave - You Decide

A Patent is the exclusive right granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years. People often apply for a patent to protect their creations and inventions from others who would copy it to make money. How does this apply to plants though?

Plants have been here since man can remember. Plants were not created by man. In the United States a grower can apply for a patent on any number of unique genetic lines that they helped start. Does this mean they "invented" that genetic line or simply that they were lucky enough to combine the right genetics to make something new and desirable?

After scouring the web to learn about roses I discovered something frightening. Many rose varieties being sold have patents on them. This means you can't reproduce that variety in any way even if you don't intend to sell it. The repercussions of doing so can be very harsh and will most likely get you sued.

To scare you even more is the fact that many large plant distributors sell roses with patents on them. In 2003 Lowe's Stores started selling patent roses from a large company called Jackson and Perkins. Often these rose varieties aren't clearly labeled that they are under patent making it difficult for would be rose enthusiasts to feel safe trying to grow them.

The first plant patent was given to Henry F. Bosenberg in 1930 for the Climbing or Trailing Rose. Since then many roses have been placed under patent. These roses are then protected from DIY gardeners for a period of 20 years. After the patent expires it is then safe to propagate, clone, root, and reproduce that variety.

My front yard is practically a maze of rose bushes of every type. My grandmother started her rose garden before I was born and cared for it meticulously until the day she died. Even after her death most of the root systems were strong enough to survive an 8 year period of no care. I have been working hard since moving into her house to return the yard to it's former glory. Included in this was a goal of starting my own roses the way she did so many of them. Now I am facing the fact that I may need to grow from seed so that I know for a fact that my plants are not "illegal."

The problem with starting roses from seed is that the odds are against the average gardener. Many of the seeds will not grow. The ones that do are rarely a variety so pretty you can't let it go. Then there are the genetic concerns of root health, resilience to pests, cold tolerance and the list goes on.

Grandma's roses are old enough I feel confident that my yard is "safe" from legal action but I still have to wonder where each one came from. My mystery rose garden...

There is no such thing as a "true blue rose"

Yard Work is Hard Work

It's been far too long since I've posted. I spent the better part of 2 months with no internet (unless you count a "smart" phone which I don't) which makes it very hard to blog. On the upside I've gotten more done in my newly acquired large yard than I would have if I did have the distraction of millions of people to socialize with.

So, how is my garden doing you ask? Meh. When I attempted to move all my lovely herbs from the former living space the few that survived the rough truck ride died shortly after arriving here. My chives hung on the longest but in the end they too slowly withered and had to be tossed. No worries though! I started new projects and my hubby thinks I'm even more crazy now... don't tell him he's probably right.

I ventured into my greenhouse the other day and was pleasantly surprised. It was relatively clean and free of bugs. Come spring it will be minimal work to clear it out and start my seedlings in it. The downside is the panels that make the walls need to be washed and the plastic seals holding them in have to be pushed back in constantly. Kinda cheesy design but very good for the price (FREE)!

I threw a few peach pits in some water to see what they would do. That was almost 3 weeks ago. They have long hairy roots coming out of everywhere now and I must transplant them into soil in the next week or so. Leaving fragile roots like that in water is never good for too long as it causes rot and roots don't like seeing the sun. Luckily I still have potting soil and LOTS of worm goo.

That brings me to my worms. I thought they were dead. I looked all over for them in the drawer and couldn't find one. I just left the bin sitting there for months until we moved thinking there was no point in feeding imaginary worms. When I finally threw it in my truck I saw that there were little red things slowly oozing through the soil and so I rejoiced! "They live, they live!" I texted my hubby. The wrigglers currently thrive in their same bin in my garage and I feed them about 2-3 lbs of vegetation each week. The bin gets heavier as time goes on and soon I will have to migrate them into a new one so the plastic doesn't crack under the pressure. My plants will love me this spring!

Onto my roses... a bit of a painful topic to be honest. My grandfather passed recently. I took a rose from his funeral and decided to try my best to keep it around somehow. My propagation may or may not work. Even if it doesn't though I pollinated one of my well established roses with it. The rose (on the bush) quickly started forming a hip (what rose seed pods are called) and I am monitoring it daily so I don't miss harvesting it at peak ripeness. I will harvest many rose hips this year as I rarely had time to prune the dead flowers. I will try to post more on this later with some photos. Of the over 50 bushes that were here at one point only 9 survived the mower. 2 are threatening to come back since I started watering them daily - thankfully the well established root systems of roses give them a good fighting change even after years of laying dormant.

My tomatoes are still growing and blooming. A few branches suffered from frost during the first freeze of the year but I'm amazed at how well they are doing this late in the year. Being against my house helps keep them warmer I think.

I started an outdoor compost with husband. That was a bit of an adventure... As we cleaned our yard up we spotted a plywood box that had been covered with plastic and overgrown with weeds for several years. We thought it would make a great compost container and started digging a 12" deep spot for it in a far corner of our yard. When we went to move the box to its new home though we quickly discovered yet another wasp nest - a very large one! I bolted as quickly as I could for the back door and even contemplated jumping the railing to get on the deck quicker. My husband climbed the fence on the other side of our property as they came after him and soon knocked at the front for me to let him in. We waited till this morning to spray them and plan to finally move the box to its hole tonight where I will layer grass clippings, fall leaves, dirt from the hole, and eventually some kitchen scraps. Should be god for the yard next year.

My oak tree turned colors the other day. Crazy how one day the tree is every color of red, orange, yellow, and green and the next day it looks bald. Nature had to give one last colorful show before winter set in. I wish my phone would let me transfer it to the computer so I could post... :(

No lovely photos for you today, sorry. I'll get on that for my next post.  ;)

Thanks for reading!

Feels Like Home Grown Tomatoes

     It's done! I'm finally moved. Might have been the hardest move I've had yet but it was worth it. Every aching muscle and sore joint was quickly forgotten the moment I tasted my first fresh tomato. Store bought tomatoes have nothing on these - NOTHING! I used to hate tomatoes. I avoided eating them at all costs. The texture of store bought tomatoes was all wrong - slimy and mushy. The taste of store bought tomatoes was... well, not there.



Juicy little round tomatoes from my planter box.

     Now these... Beautiful, freshly picked, all organic, and raised with love and care. These tomatoes are freakin' fabulous! They are tangy and bright with a firm texture that  yields nicely when you bite. I never knew that this is what tomatoes really are. I could live on them!

     Just last night my husband complimented my chicken tomato soup saying it was, "the best he had ever had." I blame the home grown tomatoes.  :)

If ever there was a plant to grow yourself... it is a tomato plant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a lovely picture to close on. One of the remaining rose varieties around my grandparents house. When Grandma was alive she had more than 50 types. Now there are only 7 or 8 types but they are still beautiful.



Rose from Grandma's House. Grandma has been gone for years but her roses live on.

 

Keep checking for more garden updates!

Giddy About Garlic

 

Mmmmmmmm... Garlic!!!

     I started some garlic in my window the other day. Yes, I know I said I wouldn't start anything new until after the move but I just couldn't resist. They were sprouting anyways so I figured why waste? I grabbed a tiny glass jar and stuffed them in root side down with a quarter inch of water. They seem to be doing great! We will see what comes of them in the near future.



     The green onions I had been keeping in a vase on the window sill did well until I ate them all. I guess it's time to go fork out another 60 cents for my next 2 month supply. It's worth it though. The last batch kept fresh (adding new growth each day) with no refrigeration and had me making amazing eggs the whole time I grew them. My husband even got fond of chopping himself fresh green onion on top of anything he pleased. I do keep scissors near the green onions to make it that much easier to just cut them whenever and I change the water everyday to prevent the roots from rotting. A little bit of work will have you eating better in a jiffy if you decide to try this.


If you would like to follow me on Pinterest I have over 2700 pins at this time of which over 150 are garden specific ideas. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Sloppy Dead Greens

I find myself needing to post and not wanting to. This month has been insane. I've been helping my family clean my grandfather's house on top of cleaning my own. I'm trying to wrap up a charity event I led during July, get the donations ready for the August event, and not forget the big yearly donation due in October. I have my hubby's birthday this month and I just signed a lease on a new home that starts September. Oh and did I mention I want to take on more projects after the move?

I moved my plants to my lovely green room and watered them every morning. It didn't take long for me to figure out which plants needed more light, they died. The survivors are my chives, the basil, a few radishes that sprouted after replanting, and a couple carrots. The spinach is gone along with the parsely (it held on for a while). I have decided not to start anything new for now and to instead focus my efforts on moving. I will have a greenhouse at my next house so I feel my efforts will perhaps be better rewarded. Should the greenhouse be unfit to use (it has been unloved and unused for many years) I will start on ideas to make my own.

I'm sorry for the absence. I promise next month will mark the start of a new garden (with my hearty survivors) and posts with better detail. I failed the first attempt but I will not give up!

Someday, I hope to feed myself like this and harvest it all from my yard...

Dig Your Roots in Deep

Ladybug in my Garden Window

     My lease will be up in under 2 months where I am currently living. My husband and I will not be renewing it as we hope to be able to move into a house with a large yard. Either way, my gardening will continue year round. The house we hope to get has a greenhouse in the backyard that the owners may leave for my use. Just thinking about the possibility of having an actual greenhouse makes me smile ear to ear. My limited space would be a thing of the past.

Basil

     With all the rain we've had the past week I've had plenty of time indoors to spend on my plants. I finally got my first round transplanted into the recycled 2-liter containers and hung up in the grow room. I learned that hanging more than 3 per vertical strand is too heavy so I will keep making them in sets of 2 and 3.

     Making the recycled planters is quick and easy (not to mention cheap.) Rinse an empty soda bottle (any decent size plastic bottle will work), turn it on it's side and use a rotary tool (or whatever tool you like) to cut the round top opening where the plants grow. Directly opposite the hole you just made drill 4-6 small holes for drainage. These drainage holes will face the ground and prevent your recycled planter from collecting too much water (which will kill your plants.) I drilled 8 holes total to tie strings that hang the planters. Two on the top left, two on the top right, and 4 holes directly opposite those on the bottom.

     Before putting any soil in them I covered the holes on the bottom with rocks. Not doing this results in soil running out the drainage holes over time. I used rocks that I found around my house. Most of them were about quarter to half dollar sized. Minimal amounts of soil will wash away now.

     When I water I start on top and let it run down before watering the lower containers. In this way the garden is very efficient on water. The only waste is what comes out of the bottom container of each column. This of course is slowly being eliminated as I stack metal canisters of carrots and radishes under them. My garden consumes about 12 oz of water per day right now.

      As I am trying to do this on a budget I have been looking around for ways to make my own fertilizer at home. I accomplished this by using vegetable waste that would normally either be thrown away or fed to my worms. For my first batch I boiled the odds and ends from all the fresh produce used in a chicken and vegetable soup. I had the green vine from tomatoes, the peel of 1 yellow onion, celery tops, bell pepper core, and garlic peel that I threw into a pan with some water. I simmered this vege waste for about 2 hours then transferred it to the fridge to cool overnight. The process of cooling will help leach some of the nutrients from the waste as well. The liquid should be a mostly transparent amber color.

     The next morning I strained the cooled vegetable water poured it into an empty 2-liter bottle. My bottle was about 1/4 of the way full so I mixed it to the top with tap water. When I use this mix to fertilize I cut the strength down even father by mixing it 1 part fertilizer to 3 parts water. By the time the fertilizer is fully mixed and ready to use it has barely any color at all. There shouldn't be any large chunks of waste matter in your mix when finished. Cheesecloth, nylons, or a very thin old t-shirt can all help strain the mix to get chunks out. The finished watered down mix can then be used to water your plants like normal. I plan to fertilize once a week with this to start. I will adjust as needed and let everyone know if this worked well or what changes need to be made.

Recycled Planter hung with 2 nails

    To make sure my planters didn't fall I stuck two nails in the wall an inch apart. One planter hangs off both. This allows me to hang 3 recycled planters per column without worrying about the weight making it fall. If I need to hang more I will simply have one column of 3 hung above another column of 2 or 3.

     At this point in time I have Radish, Carrot, Basil, Chive, Parsley, and Spinach in large containers and all of those except spinach started new for the next rotation. I'm beginning to see which plants need to be started in advance and which ones work better if they aren't transplanted. Spinach, Basil, Chive, and Parsley work fine to transplant. Radish and Carrot I will most likely start directly in the large planters from now on. If I have excess of anything I plan to make use of it by bartering with people I know for other things. One of my friend's mothers likes to cook with fresh herbs and has already expressed interest in fresh or dried from my crops. My own mother will take spinach. The carrot and radish will be used in my house no question. Excess vegetables are a blessing. Even half rotten is of value to me now that I have a working vermicompost.

Full Double Rainbow in front of my house