New Garden residents & Zentangle treasure

I'm back & finally settled into routine after the moving trip of my little brother & sister in law. Some of my plants were dead but thankfully nothing like it was when I left The Captain in charge of the seedlings a few years ago. The mass of my herbs are dead with a few holding on. Hopefully by planting them yesterday, they will be rejuvenated and thrive. The garden, as I have mentioned before, has been mulched with wood chips. The fight of the weeds is in yet another year of experimentation. I know, your thinking that whole nitrogen robbing thought as many do when I mention the wood chips. Have a look at this site which is my reason to give it a go*.

I left a few spots bare for the purpose of direct seeding, leaving FAR less space which will need my attention. The spot closest to you in the picture, with the 2x4 barrier is the flower space, just in front of the Potter Shed.

Speaking of the Potter Shed, have I mentioned a Robin built her nest in there on the Garden hoe? Oh yes, I believe I had mentioned it just recently. For 2 days after the nest was spotted, we had rain & cold. Surely the Robin would not lay her eggs in that short of a time... But I was wrong. So ALL work on the Potter shed roof and door as well as the painting of the interior has been put on hold long enough for Mother Robin to raise her chicks.

As you can see, she is rather protective and watchful over the Potter shed. There simply is not a solution I can deal with that would prevent me from disrupting her off the nest. I take breaks from the garden every 30 minutes to ensure she can get back in there as well as when I see she comes back with worms hanging from her beak, I leave the area so she can feed the babes. I had hoped she would become accustom to my presence and not be such a nervous Nelly every time I would be working in the garden. Instead she yells at me from every fence corner to the shed rooftop, flitting between the Bentwood arbor and the expanse of the wide open grass just beyond the pickets. Silly Bird. Or is it more like silly human...

Mama Robin is perched on the middle temporary roof beam, above, on the Potter shed I made.

Another new Garden resident is this little songstress who has belted out such charming calls, I can not help but hope he or she stays. I have seen it coming & going from the shabby coffee can house as well as bring what I can only guess is a mate. I'm not too knowledgeable on bird species but from what I was able to find as a possible match, this may be a Winter Wren ,{correct me if I'm wrong. I truly would like to know the variety}. For Winter Wrens, In their life, they have just one mate. The male finds nest locations and the female will choose amongst them her preference. I saw her visiting this nest last Sunday. I'm not sure if she has chosen it or not but this other bird has been bringing little twigs to insert into the hole. At times, it becomes comical watching it try to fit them in through the hole when the only obvious solution is to NOT clench it the beak sideways.

Before I go, I must share a most treasured gift I have received. My Mother in law has been enjoying the hobby of what is called Zentangle. Panda quickly picked up the art herself and both have been enjoying workshops and time together with this new passion. Now, I must explain WHY this gift is even more special. On this very shelf, I desired something of my 3 wee ones to be framed. I thought I might take them out & do a photo session for the perfect shot to be framed & placed in this very spot. Then, to my astonishment, I opened this Mother's Day gift and could not have been happier. It is the PERFECT piece to go in the spot I had long contemplated filling. I will treasure this for a lifetime.

Obviously, It is a tracing of each child's hand and filled with the art of Zentangle. You may wonder, What exactly is Zentangle? This site**link will be far more helpful then I could explain.

Be sure to have a look around the site linked above. Zentangle is such a beautiful form of ink work. I for one, could never sit still long enough to produce such pieces.

As you can also see from the photo, my Rugosa Roses are in bloom. I am not able to identify it's exact variety name but they are a hybrid. A mix of Rugosa with another Rose Variety, the parent for it's multi petal form. Which ever variety it may be, it has a scent I wish I could fill the air with all day long. Thankfully, they are a continuous bloom rose I can enjoy up into the Fall.

There is mention of Rain in the forecast for Wednesday so I have been rushing about to get so much done after being away for so long. Yet I feel I am running out of things I can do by myself. I can only recruit The Captain on the weekends for jobs that need more muscle then I can provide. I do believe I am hitting a lull in my daily amusements. 

I am sure it will not take long for me to find something to get into, being I flit amongst my interests like a field of flowers to a butterfly.. For the time being, I wish you the best of...

Sweetest Dreams,

~Tammie

Solar pit greenhouse update and tea samples

I swore this day was never going to come. But here I am feeling rather satisfied with myself. Or rather I should say, The Captain, for all his hard labor of love which was put into getting things to this point. Poor guy has concrete burn on his fingertips from not wearing the plastic gloves I insisted he wear under his work pair. He learned after the first time and did finally succumb to my mothering ways. I bandaged up his fingertips after applying Kim's Extra moisturizing lotion all over his hands. (The main ingredient is Aloe Vera).

His hands were so dry and sore, he was amazed there was no "burn" like the other lotions I have put on him. Duh! It's all natural you silly boy! Why do you think Frog lets me put it on her eczema without a fuss?

Anyway, all 4 walls are finished! We have 1 more sunny day which is Monday so I need to get the big window section cleaned up and secure so I can start assembling the A frame roof. Or as The Captain likes to call it, "The bomb shelter"...

He always jokes that when we sell we could advertise it as a solar pit greenhouse -slash- Bomb shelter. I of course do not bother pointing out how that was not possible as one but instead just laugh at his goober comments. He tries. He really does. But I still have a lot of work ahead of me. Example being he suggested we use "tar" to coat the inside of my pit greenhouse( he was thinking waterproofer and heat absorber) since I mentioned painting the North wall black... he was confused by my disgusted look and I had to explain why.

Now as to Tea Samples. I need 4 participants who would be willing to allow me to mail out a few samples of our tea blends next month. We have just 2 tried and true as of this posting but I am working on another for mid day enjoyment so it may be 3 kinds of which I would send 2 samples, each variety. (Enough for 2 cups of tea.) So "Sweet Dreams" blend and the "Panda's Belly" would be a part of the samples for now.

Our Sweet dreams loose Tisane

I need HONEST opinion input. Others who are willing to share what their taste buds speak while sipping them. What comes to mind and if/ how it makes you feel. Your input will help produce a well rounded tea. I have a neighbor friend who is my willing guinea pig but more opinions would be so much better.

These would be loose teas (Tisanes), pre measured into a glassine envelope so all that is needed will be a tea ball or such for preparation. Brewing instructions will be included along with ingredient list and a little info I collected on them. FYI- the Sweet Dreams does not include Chamomile so those with a sensitivity to the plant due to allergies can enjoy a relaxing cup as well as the colicky baby or infant).

My sewing machine is down so I have some tinkering to do before I can finish up a few things. Actually it has been down for a week. I do believe someone small must have played with a few dials and ran the machine. I have thread which just today have successfully removed from the gutting's. Now I am playing with dials to get it back to where it will run smoothly.

So many delays have been in my life as of late. In the end I get over it and move on.

So those who would like to test out the teas, please leave your interest in a comment. I will let Frog pick out 4 if there is more of which show interest.

Speaking of who... Someone just woke up and wants to cuddle so I bid you....

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie

Spring heat has the Unusual Farmchick at play!

Weekend Tidbits:
Baby chicks could care less for the silkie hen. They care for themselves very well and free range between the chicken pen and our garden. Still small enough to fit through the fence holes. They stay close between the two, but I have to admit I like hearing their little talk of peeps as they scratch for bugs while I am in the garden.

These two almost pullets are inseparable. They sleep together, eat together, drink together.
Now I just need a Delware roo to breed with this gal and bring back my population of Delawares. I am hoping by next year to have around 10 Delaware hens from a pairing. And more chicks to start selling on the local craigslist.

Little man's Teeter totter/see saw is finished with it's second layer of cement. Yes, you are seeing it right. Someone must have played around the tire while still wet and it has cemented crooked- plus the top board will not fit now...Why? Why does this always seem to happen? I knew I should have put that board in place while it was wet...But I was afraid the kids would try it out before fully dry. Double jeopardy gets me every time. I will see what I can do to make it work, if not then it will be back to the beginning...

Panda's Peace sign greens are growing great. We are putting a mesculan lettuce seed in the background if I do not find a red lettuce tomorrow to plant in it.

What a mess I left! I have sunburn on my sunburn and just did not have it in me to clean up after planting everything into the garden....

The Garden pond is set up for future inhabitants and the sound is just wonderful to hear while around the Hill top garden. The solar fountain we purchased must be returned. It will work for under 5 seconds before no more water flow. You can hear the engine running, but no water flowing out the top. I brought up the electrical one and have an extension cord lying across the yard, from the house, so0 we have water being pumped. The kids brought back some blue gill babies after fishing with Daddy.

Panda planted her garden full of Heirloom tomatoes. Her sugar pea's have grown to about 3 inches.

The Fairy/toad log is home to a tree frog and a garter snake.
The Yarrow patch is bigger beautiful as the logs front lawn!

The Kits are beginning to grow fur!

So now that it will cool down some, i need to get covers for the plants. Things were getting too leggy under the grow lights and had to be hardened off and planted. They could not wait and I would never of had enough containers for transplanting 6 flats of cell tray seedlings.
I still have Rattlesnake pole beans, sunflowers, bush beans, bush squash, more herbs, and of course the 4 blueberry bushes which should arrive in the next 24 hours.
Think I may be a bit over Zealous in the garden this year? Nah... What excess is planted of veggies and fruits will supply the Produce stand. Money which will buy the new camera or help in cost of a new computer.
Now if I could just get a back hoe to help in the solar pit...
Sweet dreams,
~Tammie

Put some magic back in the garden!

Try some unusual ways to grow your garden this year. Think about what you have seed for and what you may need for interesting views for the visits in the garden.

How about adding some different colored lettuce in a wide open tub or kiddie pool. Make designs such as a peace symbol (That was Panda's request) or like this "aww" inspiring spiral:
Now think about what climbing veggies or fruits you are going to grow. climbing beans? Cucumbers? Squash? or maybe even some small melons?
I have drooled after the Bean arch I have seen over at Pile o' Melay's for some time now, as many others have. I am using some of the extra fencing we have left from the old animal pen to do just.
Grow some climbing garden food plants over arches. Here is a great pic showing cucumbers at an early stage to give you a better view on how to make one yourself(a pic off the net- not mine):
It does not have to stop there. You could do tepee designs or border a few sides of the large garden with walls of climbing plants.
do not stick to the ordinary straight rows and poles for your garden this year. Get creative and add some interest that wow your friends and family. gardening is an art form in itself. Why not add more interesting forms to it?
My baby brother Army and his Fiance Ms. marine are moving into their first house together down in Texas. So excited to hear she is into gardening and they are interested in my kind of lifestyle. I am putting together some seeds out of my stash to send down to them for their first garden. Along with some printouts of pictures/how to's on some of the things I write about here on my blog such as this one to inspire their creativity. Of course...what is a package from his big sister without some homebaked goodies... I miss that big goober and wish so much he was closer. Maybe Ms. Marine would nudge him north? But of course she has family down there so I would understand if not.
The zipline is up and has enteratined almost every child in our 'hood. The solar pit has still not been dug but I did get all the lumber and such for it's top portion. The tobacco has been seeded. The spanish peanuts and collard seeds are on their way and will be started indoors as soon as they arrive. The 4 lemon and 1 lime dwarf tree will not be shipped out till mid April.
Lil Man's birthday is the 4th so I making him the see saw I posted a few back. Almost done with it. The tiller is acting up and Tractor boy has been so kind trying to figure out what is going on with it.
we are planting more ginger in window box's and i picked up some ale yeast for making ginger ale from scratch.
Rain keeps coming so I guess I best catch up on the indoor chores and activities.
Sweet dreams,
~Tammie