New to the Homestead garden this year is to grow my very own Poppin’ Peas.  My past gardening efforts have centered on Tomatoes, Peppers, Lettuces and Herbs, but with a new garden area to expand into, peas are at the top of the list of things to grow.  Along with radishes, beets, carrots and spinach…more on those at a later date.

Today we are concentrating on how to build a support for your peas.   The type of peas I bought are a dwarf-low-shrubbery kind (Green Arrow), and they will need a trellis to climb onto.  If a package … Read more...

Skepticism

As defined by Wiki: Is generally any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere.

For the most part, I am a highly skeptical person, always leery of strangers coming to my front door to sell me everything from elephant ear cleaning devices to toys for your hamster.  I am also a frugal person (i.e. cheap) and like to reuse/re-purpose things instead of throwing them away or buying plasticized versions of what I need.  We already live in a huge throw away society and I for one … Read more...

I asked the Easter Bunny to save me some egg cartons from his Easter Egg Hiding foray last month…bless him, he came through with 4  x one dozen cartons and an impressive 18 count carton.

Now I can proceed with my experiment.  I have *seen* other internet posts about how marvelous (and not so marvelous) turning egg cartons into seed starting pots can be.  Note ~ you must use the recycled paper variety, NOT the styrofoam type.

Some people have failed miserably, only being successful growing mold on the containers…others have glowing recommendations about them with lush seedlings springing forth.… Read more...

It’s Spring…or so the calendar says.  I was late getting the garden prepped this year because apparently Old Man Winter didn’t get the memo that his season had ended.  I swear I saw him being dragged by Mother Nature kicking and screaming down the street just last week, hurling snowballs in fits of anger like a petulant child.

But now that Spring seems to have arrived, it is time to get the garden churned up and open for business.  I know it is still way too early to set my lovingly reared little toms and peppers outside that have been … Read more...

The Gardener’s Morning

The robin’s song at daybreak
Is a clarion call to me. Get up and get out in the garden,
For the morning hours flee.

I cannot resist the summons,
What earnest gardener could?
For the golden hours of morning
Get into the gardener’s blood.

The magic spell is upon me,
I’m glad that I did not wait;
For life’s at its best in the morning,
As you pass through the garden gate.
– Howard Dolf

The above poem pretty much sums up me and my garden.  I love Spring, time for plants to awaken and the cycle … Read more...

Psst…. come here…I have a FABULOUS New Workout Regime for you try out.  Guaranteed to melt away any and all fat left on your body ~ If you live through it….

It is called ‘De-Thatching Your Lawn’….

and it is probably one of the hardest things to accomplish in your lawn care maintenance program.  If you have one that is.  Maybe you are the type that just ignores the grass and lets Mother Nature take it wherever she wants…like dandelion puffs blowing in the wind.

Not us though, we have been known to be a tad overzealous in our lawn … Read more...