Photo Project - Five Senses

Smell: The crisp spring air, the blossoming of flowers, the warm earth longing for seeds to be sown...

Taste: Crunchy baby carrots and just picked greens...

 
Feel: The sweet softness of newly buzzed hair...and the makings of a mohawk...

Hear: The sweet morning coo's of happy chickens...

See: The absolute trust of a new puppy in a loved one's lap

Linking up to the 2012 Color Photography Project 

hosted by An Offering of Love and Insert Metaphor

Top Bar Plans

I've had a few requests for a post on how to build a top bar hive.  Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I though it might be best to simply give you the link to the source.  So, courtesy of Tool Lady, here's the link...

Free Top Bar Hive Plans

Of course, Tool Lady tweaked them a bit, but this plan will give you all the information you need :-)

Happy Building!!!

Independence Days

Happy Friday, everyone!

It's been another wild week of unseasonably warm weather this week.  All I want to do is put seeds in the ground, but I have to keep reminding myself that we still have almost two full months of potential frost.  So, instead of putting seeds in the ground outside, I just keep putting more and more under the grow lights...


Plant something:

• Outside
• Fava (Broad)Beans
• Super Sugar Snap Peas
• Dwarf Snap Peas
• Under Grow Lights
• Jalapeno
• Bolivian Rainbow Chile
• Serrano Peppers
• Peruvian Purple Chile
• Black Beauty Eggplant
• Italian Heirloom Tomatoes
• Roma Tomatoes
• Purple Dark Opal Basil
• Genovese Basil
• Red Drum Head Cabbage 

Harvest something (from this Harvest Monday post):

• Mixed Greens = 1 ounce
• Beet Greens = 1 ounce
• Chard = 1 ounce
• Spinach = 3 ounces
• Kale = 3 ounces
• Carrots = 2 ounces
• Eggs = 34

Preserve something: Zip.  No excuses.

Waste not (beyond the normal composting and veggie scraps to the chickens):

• I decided to revise my original DIY seed starting pods and created these new guys using old newspaper and toilet paper rolls.  They're working out great!  You can read the DIY here.

Want Not: Ummm...nada.  Oh, wait!  Not sure of this counts, but we got a new-to-us dresser and a storage shelf at a garage sale super cheap!  Oh, also...I propagated some mint to plant out a little later in the season.

Eat the Food:  Oy, this week was pretty bad.  Somehow, last weekend escaped us and we didn't do our grocery shopping until Tuesday night...that means that we ate out a few times early in the week.  We also didn't bake any bread last weekend.  Homestead failure.  We did, however, eat lots of eggs, all the greens that were harvested, some ground beef from the chest freezer and some canned pinto beans.

Build community food systems: We happily gave eggs away to a co-worker, my dad and my brother :-)

Skill up:  Tool Lady designed and built me the most wonderful garden/potting table.  You can read all about how she did here.

Independence Days Challenge is hosted by

Sharon @ The Chatelaine's Keys

I'd love to see what you've been up to!  If you'd like to join in simply leave a link to your Independence Days post and I'll pop on over!  If you don't have a blog, feel free to let me know what you've been up to in the comments below!

The Best Potting Table (Ever)!

Hello everyone!  Bee Girl here...introducing, for the first time ever, Tool Lady!!!  She is going to explain how she built me what is quite possibly the best garden gift ever!!!  
Full disclosure: there are a few pictures missing from this explanation since, while she was busy building, I was busy doing homework, which means I wasn't busy taking pictures :-/

Please let us know if you have any questions after you read through the post and we will try our best to talk you through it.

******

So first of all, I looked and looked online for a design for this table and couldn't find one with everything that I wanted (a sink, a work space and a container to hold potting soil) so I came up with my own design.  Most of this table was built by measuring as I went and visualizing what needed to happen next. USE THESE MEASUREMENTS AT YOUR OWN RISK.  They are most likely not exact.  At all!

The frame is built out of hardwood 2"x4".  We bought 7 - 2"x4"x96" studs.  It is very sturdy.  All of the other materials were pulled from scraps we had left over from other projects.

I started by deciding how tall the table (counter) top should be.  We decided to go with the same as our kitchen counters which is 36".  I cut two front legs to 36" and two back legs to 68".  We were going to make the back 6 feet tall but decided to cut it a little short to allow room to be able to reach the back shelf without needing a ladder.

The sink (purchased at the Re-Store) is a standard size and was approximately 21 1/2 inches so I decided to make the depth of the table 28" to accomodate the sink with room in the back and a small lip in the front.
I cut the connection piece to 28".  I then connected the two legs. Each side needs to be made opposite of the other so that the 28" connection piece will face the outside.

This next picture skips a few steps.  After I built the two side pieces I cut a piece of 2"x4" to fit in between the the two legs on the opposite side of where the 28" board was.  It was 21" long (I think).  Then I stood the two ends up and had my trusty helpers hold them in place as I connected them using a 1"x2"x72".  This is the length of the table in total.

I then attached the skirt in the front and back of the table.  2 - 2"x4"x72".  as well as small blocks on the inside of the back legs on each side piece (these will be used later to attach the table top materials.

I also attached a bracket running from front to back at 32 1/2" because this was the opening I needed for my sink.

Now, the table top was made of entirely reused materials so here I needed to get creative to make it come together.  I started with the back of the table top and used 1"x4" from our orginal chicken coop we took apart last year.  Because 1"x's are really 3/4" thick they matched the 3/4" plywood I was going to use for the other side.  I placed one 1"x4" running the length of the back and attaching to the blocks at each end and in the middle bracket.  This left me with a 1"x2"space behind the rear legs as well which worked perfectly.  I used 1"x4" for the countertop on the side and in front of the sink.  I played with the overhang to allow for a tight fit for the sink and to give us a little bit of lip over the skirt (side boards).

On the right of the sink I place a 3/4" piece of plywood.  It measured 25" in depth and 18" in width.  At the 18" I placed another bracket to have something to screw down into.

From here I worked on the dirt compartment on the far right.  From the last bracket I added I attached 2 more 36" legs on the left side of the bracket.  (Now this could and probably should have been added in the beginning framing but I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to build this when I began).

I ran 2 2"x4" brackets from front to back on 17" down from the skirt for the bottom plywood dirt compartment to sit on.  I thought 16" deep was deep enough to hold a good amount of dirt and yet not so deep that you couldn't reach the bottom.

From there I cut the plywood to fit in the bottom and then on the outside of the sides.  We didn't have enough to cover all the sides so I used random boards that were 3/4" thick as well for the back of the compartment and right side.  On the inside I placed filler boards to assure the dirt could not fall out the spaces. 

I then cut the lid (3/4" plywood, 25" deep X 17"wide) to the dirt compartment and attached it on the right with hinges (also from our old chicken coop)

We attached one 2"x4"x96" across the top of the back legs leaving 16" of overhang on each side.  We also added a middle shelf and two supports.  One support went in between the counter top and middle shelf, the other in between the middle shelf and the top shelf.  These will be for planters later that will get lots of heat off the back of the house.

We then painted it green!

I attached the drainage plumbing to the sink that drains into a garden bucket.

I also rigged the garden hose to connect to the faucet by purchasing a cap for the end of the hot water intake and a female adapter from 1/2" (faucet) to 3/4" (garden hose) to the cold water intake.  A little plumbers tape and we were in business.

Bee Girl, back again...Now, can I just tell you how incredibly excited I am about this!?  Not only do I have a space outside to up-pot and re-pot all of our veggies and flowers, but I can also wash all of our eggs and veggies outside and reuse the water in the garden after it flows into the bucket!  All we need is some eco-friendly soap and we can even wash our hands outside!  
How cool is that?

Linking up to Homestead Barn Hop #56
and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #21

Beans & Peas & Roots, Oh My!

Yesterday morning I got out and played in the garden for a bit.  I've been wanting to plant some fava beans (broad beans) and some snap peas but keep getting distracted by work and school and wind and the bees and...well...a million other things.

Of course, the yard is a mess.  We've been working on several projects which usually means that everything gets torn up before it can get put back together again.  Also, I still haven't cleaned out the beds or prepped the for planting at all, so that had to be done before I could put any seeds in the ground.

While cleaning out this little bed in the backyard, I noticed a few roots...more like a few thousand roots...from our neighbors trees.  Yep, they've grown up into the raised beds because that's where the water is.  Ugh.  Well, we're thinking that we'll have to empty out the beds completely (there are two raised beds in the back right now) and try to create a barrier for the roots.  Any ideas?  We're thinking a couple of layers of weed cloth stapled to the sides of the beds, but I'm not sure that will be strong enough.

Anyhow, I was determined to get some seeds in the dirt, so for now I simply tore up a ton of roots and threw some seeds in the bed .  They all have a short season, so if need be, we can empty the bed once the beans and peas are done.

I planted favas, dwarf snap peas and some super sugar snap peas up against the wire trellis.  I hope they all do well.  I can't figure out if I'm too early for the peas, or too late for the favas.  I guess I'll know in a few weeks, ha!?

Anyhow, below is a shot of the bed after I cleaned it out, stripped it of some roots and sowed a few seeds.  Not too shabby ;-)

Pull Something from the Flashes of Beauty

"I’m reminded today that bees gather nectar from all 
the flowers they can find as far as they can fly, 
and create beauty and sustenance for their colony 
in the form of honey.

They journey outward, pull something from the 
flashes of beauty they find, and bring it back home..."

~Round Mountain

 

Robby & Char are Round Mountain, a local Folk Band, 

whose "poetry" speaks to their talent and depth.  

The quote above came from one of their regular emails . 

 I don't believe it was intended as poetry, 

but it spoke to me as such and I wanted to share it with

 you all here in honor of Spring as she unfolds before us 

here in this hemisphere.

Harvest Monday

Happy Monday, everyone!

We're coming off an amazing weekend here (temperatures up close to 70 degrees) and according the forecast, we're supposed to have a full week of 60 and 70 degree weather with lows above freezing!  Crazy.

I opened up the hoop houses yesterday and decided it was going to be warm enough to just leave them open overnight :-)  I'll do this as much as possible.  While I'm excited for the warm weather, I know that it probably won't last...give it a couple of weeks and we just might have some snow on the ground...but who knows after the interesting winter we've had!

While I've started lots of little seedlings inside, aside from the beets and snap peas I mentioned a couple of weeks ago I haven't planted anything outside yet this spring.  I do think, though, that it's time for my little broccoli starts to go out and I want to get some fava beans and more peas in the ground.  I've never grown favas before, but am a little worried it might be too late already given our warm weather.   Any thoughts?

Just enough for two delicious salads!

This weeks totals:

• Mixed Greens = 1 ounce
• Beet Greens = 1 ounce 
• Chard = 1 ounce
• Spinach = 3 ounces
• Kale =  3 ounces
• Carrots = 2 ounces 
• Eggs = 34

Happy harvesting!

Linking up to Harvest Monday @ Daphne's Dandelions

DIY Seed Pods-Revisited

A couple of weeks ago I posted about the all paper seed pods I was experimenting with.  While they've worked out just fine, I've adapted my process a bit and am now using both toilet paper rolls and newspaper.  The toilet paper rolls offer just a bit more support than the newspaper alone and I've been pretty happy with the results so far.

Now, why have I decided to make my own seed pods instead of buying them at my local nursery?  Cost.  Buying seed pods from our local nursery can get very expensive depending on how many seeds we start each season and this season we are attempting to start everything we grow from seed! 

All you need for this project is a few empty toilet paper rolls, some newspaper and some seed starting/potting soil.

First, cut your toilet paper rolls in half.

Next, tear your newspaper into 1-1 ½ inch strips.

Then, fold your newspaper strip in half and stick it into your toilet paper roll.  This creates a bottom for your “pod”.  The ends of the paper can sit upright along the sides of your toilet paper roll.

Next, pour in some of your soil and tamp it down a little (not too tightly, though)

Finally, plant your seed(s) in your new pod and place on a tray or a plate (it won’t be water tight) and water it gently.   Then, place it on a window sill or under your grow lights.  Check your pods daily and keep moist.

Since both the newspaper and the toilet paper roll will decompose, when it is time to up-pot or transplant your seedling you can simply plant the entire thing.

Linking up to Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways #20

Propagating Mint

Last fall, before everything died back, we trimmed some mint and put it in some water until it rooted.  Once rooted, it was put in a pot under the new grow lights.  Now that spring is upon us, I've been thinking about where to plant that mint when it's time to plant everything out.  Then, it dawned on me (yeah...sometimes I'm a little thick)...I don't have to just plant one...I can propagate the long stems that have grown throughout the winter and have several individual plants to put in different places!

Now, I know that mint can take over everything, but our mint has been doing really well with limited sun and we have several spaces in our yard that get limited sun that pretty much nothing else will grow in.  I also have a few pots I can throw some in if I decide to completely contain it.  Mint can't stay in the same pot forever, but I'll be happy to up-pot it all in a few years.

Independence days

Happy Friday, everyone!!!

Man, has this week felt crazy to anyone else?  Not sure what's going on, but it's been a little batty around here.  Well, thank goodness for Fridays and warm weather...I could really use some meditative time in the yard...  :-)

Plant something (under grow lights)...I'm kind of out of control:

• Loofah
• Eggplant
• Italian Heirloom Tomatoes
• Yellow Taxi Tomatoes
• Yellow Pear Tomatoes
• Barnes Mountain Yellow Tomatoes
• Brandywine Tomatoes
• Roma Tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Purple Opal Basil
• Genovese Basil

Harvest something (from this Harvest Monday post):

• Mixed greens = 3 ounces
• Spinach = 6 ounces (2 ounces form under the grow lights and 4 from the hoop house)
• Kale = 1 ounce
• Eggs = 25

Preserve something: I have some beets in the fridge that I meant to pickle this week...but it didn't happen.  Maybe this weekend...

Waste not:

• We used 3 pallets (from my dad), and weed cloth we had stashed in the garage to make these pallet "beds" to help us create an enclosure for our bees
• Cut up several sprouting potatoes that were meant for eating and put them to chit in the pantry

Want Not:

• I got 9 packets of new-to-me seeds from a local Seed Savers Exchange on Thursday.

Eat the Food:

• Homemade whole wheat bread
• Roasted chicken and root veggies
• Roast from the freezer
• Lots of harvested eggs
• Lots of harvested greens
• Red chile from the freezer

Build community food systems:

• Gave some seeds to the above mentioned Seed Savers Exchange
• Sold a dozen eggs to our accountant

Skill up: 

• We learned how to build pallet "beds"
• We learned how to move a top bar hive full of bees

Independence Days Challenge is hosted by

Sharon @ The Chatelaine's Keys

I'd love to see what you've been up to!  If you'd like to join in simply leave a link to your Independence Days post and I'll pop on over!  If you don't have a blog, feel free to let me know what you've been up to in the comments below!

Pallet Gardening - Planning

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what to actually plant in our new Pallet Beds since, before last Friday, they hadn't fully existed in our imaginations, let alone in our yard ;-)   Until then we thought we'd just put a fence around the new bee space...this is so much better though!

See, sometimes Tool Lady and I will separately come across cool ideas online...sometimes we share those ideas with each other and sometimes we don't.  And, sometimes we just do things without thinking them all the way through to the end.  This is fun for Tool Lady and keeps me on my toes ;-)  So, now we have all this extra growing space and we need to figure out what to plant!

Lemon Cucumbers are my favorite

I have to keep in mind that the bottoms of the red and yellow pallets won't get much sun at all, so I'll have to stick with shade loving veggies.  The blue pallet will get some sun for about 6 hours a day.  The tops of the pallets, where I can plant climbing veggies, should get anywhere from 6 to 8 hours of good sun each day.

I've been thinking about mint, strawberries, bush beans, spinach and cucumbers to climb up the trellis.  What do you think?  Any cool ideas?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

In a Couple of Months...

These little cuties will be giving us...

 A lot more of these!  WooHoo!!!

We've gone through periods of egg shortages this winter, but I'm thinking/hoping that won't be the case next year ;-)

Pushing Through

Happy Spring everyone!!!

Look what I found in the garden a couple of days ago!

Yep!  Rhubarb!  We transplanted it out of a big pot and into the ground last fall, crossed our fingers it would survive and it did!  We haven't gotten anything really harvest-able off of it in the past two years, but I'm really hoping this year will be different!

I know, I know, it's only the first day of spring and here I am fantasizing about strawberries and rhubarb!  But, really...I could really go for a homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie to kick off an unofficial beginning of summer in a few months!  

How about you?