A Garden Amongst The Weeds

A Garden Amongst The Weeds

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Paper Pulp Hearts

Good Day Dear readers! Today I will take you through the steps of how to make paper pulp seed hearts!
First, dig through the remaining tissue paper left over from Christmas and gather together the most pleasing ones!


I chose heart shaped cookie cutters for this project but you can use whatever pleases you.
Shred paper, add water and let sit for several hours
Drain off excess water
Place wet tissue paper into the forms, notice the paper towel underneath, as you press, the water wicks away into the paper towel.
I chose Giant Orange Oriental Poppies for my seed hearts.
Sprinkle seeds liberally on top of wet tissue paper.
I was concerned that when these dried, this seed could easily brush off of the paper hearts. 1/3 of a piece of tissue paper, shredded was pressed onto the two heart forms, on top of the seed.
Added layer to support the tiny seeds.
Gently lift the forms off and leave to dry.
Flipped over, this is what appears on the other side, still nice and bright. Will add pics as soon as these little darlings are dry and ready to tuck into greeting cards to send to my seed buddies!


TTFN
Blessings,
A Garden Amongst The Weeds

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Becoming More Self-Sufficient

For the last couple of months I have been trading seeds online with friends. There is a vast world of gardeners out there! Very generous, kind and funny folks who are happy to help a gardener get started, or restarted in my case. The past two gardening seasons have been hard. 
Grasshoppers have had the upper hand and it's high time I take control of the situation.





Did somebody say GRASSHOPPERS??

(Not my bird, Abigail represents the turkeys that I hope to have out here in the future! This may just be the answer to my big question. How the heck do you compete against a mass invasion of tiny eating machines? Why, turkeys of course! 
Come on spring! Yeah, I'm well aware we are a long way off from spring but a girl can and will dream!)


This is our work in progress area. Over time this will be completely fenced in and used as a turkey run. In future years, these two areas can be rotated. Crops one year, turkeys the next.


This area is the new vegetable garden. This area was completed this fall. Many many friends have been willing to donate or trade seeds. Special thanks goes out to Lolly McCutcheon for creating the Seed Swapper's Paradise Group! I appreciate the gardening friends that I have made there more than they will ever know! 
With the generosity of these gardening friends, next year's garden is sure to be a bountiful one.


 The idea is, that if you plant a vegetable garden within a fenced area, to keep out deer and then re-fence and add turkeys as an outer eating barrier, maybe, just maybe they'll eat the majority of the grasshoppers and leave us something to eat. Don't tell the turkeys but they will likely be on the menu next fall as well!


More than a little tilted, I included this shot to show the full size of this area. I love to think big!



Isn't this gate interesting? A very sweet gift from a good friend. 
I'll think of you every time I'm out here Jas. Again, many thanks!

I have never really wanted or needed much help in the garden, but then again I've never gardened on this scale before. In time we hope to be completely self sufficient. We are well on our way. 
I've had plenty of help from my family this year.. 
What a wonderful gift to have help!

Next year this space will hold tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, onion, green beans, melons, squash, peppers, many herbs and about anything else I can find room for. All of this sits outside the house fence-line. Within the fence-line is a greenhouse and several planting beds. I've always grown a mix of flowers and veggies together. Next season should be amazing.


Grass hoppers be warned! 
Next year I'll have a secret weapon...
 

Happy Autumn and as always, 
Happy Gardening...




Tuesday, October 18, 2011

A Wind Storm in the Forests

The mountain winds, like the dew and rain, sunshine and snow, are measured and bestowed with love on the forests to develop their strength and beauty. However restricted the scope of other forest influences, that of the winds is universal. The snow bends and trims the upper forests every winter, the lightning strikes a single tree here and there, while avalanches mow down thousands at a swoop as a gardener trims out a bed of flowers. But the winds go to every tree, fingering every leaf and branch and furrowed bole; not one is forgotten; the Mountain Pine towering with outstretched arms on the rugged buttresses of the icy peaks, the lowliest and most retiring tenant of the dells; they seek and find them all, caressing them tenderly, bending them in lusty exercise, stimulating their growth, plucking off a leaf or limb as required, or removing an entire tree or grove, now whispering and cooing through the branches like a sleepy child, now roaring like the ocean; the winds blessing the forests, the forests the winds, with ineffable beauty and harmony as the sure result.
After one has seen pines six feet in diameter bending like grasses before a mountain gale, and ever and anon some giant falling with a crash that shakes the hills, it seems astonishing that any, save the lowest thickset trees, could ever have found a period sufficiently stormless to establish themselves; or, once established, that they should not, sooner or later, have been blown down. But when the storm is over, and we behold the same forests tranquil again, towering fresh and unscathed in erect majesty, and consider what centuries of storms have fallen upon them since they were first planted,—hail, to break the tender seedlings; lightning, to scorch and shatter; snow, winds, and avalanches, to crush and overwhelm,—while the manifest result of all this wild storm-culture is the glorious perfection we behold; then faith in Nature’s forestry is established, and we cease to deplore the violence of her most destructive gales, or of any other storm-implement whatsoever. 
John Muir 1894

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Pyrate Technics Takes The Green Show By Fire Storm!

Last night was the annual Green Show in Ashland, Oregon. 
Our beloved Pyrate Technics danced the night away...

Our fire breathing dragons...

Matthew James dances with Poi



Master of Ceremonies Shamus T. Cannon





Robyn Vandiver dances with fire sword

Fire fan dancing with Angelica Case and Errin Bellwood

Josh Case dances with a triple headed fire staff. LOTS of fire!


Cera Collins, Fire Fan Dancer



Puddles of fire

Our boys stealing the show


The roar of the fire is intimidating!

Ladies give praise to the fire gods...


Would you give up your refrigerator shelves for this project??



Our eldest daughter, Angelica

Our baby girl, Tiffany

Eldest son, Joshua




Youngest Son, Johnny, preparing tools for the show



This isn't the best shot, but one of my favorite moves,
Josh spins contact staff, using pivot points on his body to spin fire







It was an amazing show! Good job me lovelies!