Gardening Adventures

Strawberries in Syrup

2012-03-09T15:49:00.000-05:00

This recipe is VERY easy (I think) just a little time consuming

What You Need:
16 cups of strawberries~ about 1 flat
3 cups sugar
a kettle of boiling water
8 Pint jars

Recipe:
~ Put your strawberries in a LARGE pan
~ pour sugar evenly on top of strawberries and stir slightly to coat ALL berries
~ Let sit in a cool area for 5-6 hours
~ Prepare you canning jars
~ Get a pot or tea kettle full of water going to a boil
~ Transfer pan to stove top and heat on medium until all sugar is dissolved and strawberries are heated through, Stir occasionally
~ Start filling jars with heated strawberries and juice (make sure all jars are even)
~ Top jars off with boiling water if necessary to leave 1/2 inch of head space (strawberries should be covered in juice/water mix)
~ Tighten screw bands with fingertip tight
~ Process in water bath caner for 10 minutes
~ Remove lid and remove from heat, let sit for 5 minutes
~ Remove jars from caner and set on counter, listen for the Ding of sealing
~ Cool overnight and label :)

Peak Strawberry Season

2012-03-08T23:46:00.003-05:00

Strawberry season is a short 3-4 months reaching its peak right now, and with it bringing the strawberry festival in Plant City. We didn't go but instead went to our favorite plant city market called Parkesdale, there we indulge in fresh strawberry milkshakes, check out their selection of cheap plants, and shop for cheap local produce...

We got 3 bags of juicy, wonderfully yummy citrus for a total of $3.60, we also bought a baby banana tree for $3 and a chocolate habenero for $3, but my pride purchase was a full flat of bright red, juicy, and sweet strawberries for $7..

That was 2 days ago and this morning i noticed they had started to go bad (that's what happens when you pick local ripe foods they go bad quickly).. so before work I had to make a decision let them continue to go bad, or core, cut, and can.. So I got out my spoon and a bowl and started coring them... the whole flat 16 cups of strawberries were cored, washed, and ready to can.. I chose to make more strawberry lemonade concentrate (a huge hit around my house)and strawberries in syrup, everything turned out well and sealed properly so its being cooled overnight then room will be made on our canned shelf :)

What a wonderful time of year!!!

Above are the strawberries in syrup, recipe is the following post

Spring Forward

2012-03-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

So spring has sprung and with it brings the sprouting of my beans, okra, sunflowers, and squash.. it also comes with heat waves that make me wish we had a longer winter, so far its been dry but humid stifling you every time you walk outdoors.. it also means the awaking of sleeping plants and first blooms, like we had our first wonderful rose bloom and it was cut and brought inside, its smell is heavenly!

With spring comes longer sunlight hours which means the hens are laying more and more, and the other chickens are growing big so fast.. the ducks have almost doubled in size since that first day and its only been a little less then a week (time to start working on building them a shelter and protected area)..

It also means spring cleaning, the ridding of the old and not getting anything new :)
So far I started my spring cleaning with a clean up of the blog, its more streamlined and clean, the pictures are not lost in the background and show more proudly.. your favorite pages that were on the top bar are now click-able picture links in the side bar.. The picture of me and my fiance is a link to the about me section, I also added out mission and a brief overlook at our homestead size (only 1/5 a acre and that includes the house)

Spring also means a lot of planting, the tomatoes have finally set their true leaves so tomorrow afternoon when the sun lessens its heat level, the tomatoes will be set out and watered in, the squash was set out but the very next day was so windy it broke about half of them so those will be direct seeded, the potatoes are starting to bloom and the ones that never came up were re-planted with fresh seed potatoes

Also as a reminder this Saturday before bed spring forward a hour!!

A Great song I had to share

2012-03-08T10:52:00.002-05:00

I am thankful

2012-03-06T18:34:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning to ducks cheeping and birds flitting outside my window, I stayed in bed for about another 30 minutes enjoying the morning, we went out and let the hens out of the coop and I got dressed and went for my job interview (its a higher up position at my current job), after that we grabbed some food and went to Parkesdale in plant city where we all had a wonderfully delicious fresh strawberry milkshake, and looked around at all the plants (ended up with a baby banana for $3), then we came home and went into our gardens where the chickens playfully ran around, the gardens burst with bright greens, and things are coming alive once again...

I thought about all the wonderful things coming to pass, and the fact that we can be so lucky and rich with love and family. Though we go through hardships with things like money and bills I will always have my gardens, my hens, and most of all my wonderful family..

The universe has blessed us and for that I am thankful

Powerful, Modern Day Slavery in South Florida

2012-03-05T21:56:00.003-05:00

March Classes:

2012-03-04T19:41:00.001-05:00

To help raise money for the urban farm I will be trying to host a couple classes a month!!!

Canning Class:
Learning to make strawberry lemonade concentrate then learn the basics of canning while we do hands on canning of the just made strawberry lemonade concentrate, then walk around the gardens while drinking a nice cool glass of the just made lemonade :)
Saturday, March 10th @ 2pm - 4pm
$20 a student and a thing of strawberries
Please RSVP

Chicken 101:
Learn the basics of chicken raising.. creating a brooder to raise chicks, then moving them outside, protecting them, basics of a chicken coop, flight feather clipping and more
Sunday, March 18th @ 12 (noon)- 2pm
$20 a student and bring a notepad and pen
Please RSVP

Classes are at:
9509 N Dartmouth Ave Tampa FL 33612
Phone Number: 727-254-3757
Email address: bjaukett@gmail.com

A new adventure... Ducks!

2012-03-03T19:05:00.002-05:00

So today after my errands I came home to find some baby ducks in a box on my doorstep.. I have really really been wanting a duck but now that's they are here in my house I am in shock! A Happy shock, but still a shock.

I am duck clueless so i contacted the feed stores in the area and got them set up in my old chicken brooder, they have to have a special feed for fowl(no antibiotics it can stunt their growth and its also higher in protein) so we took a trip out and got a bag.

I came home and got them all set up and held them, they are little fluff balls but feel so different then chicks.. I put down their water and dipped their beaks like i do chicks to show them that's their water, almost immediately they jumped in and splashed around, lol!!!

They are very very cute and I hope everything works out with them.

P.S: To the person who left the ducks on my doorstep, THANK YOU!!

Once your done here go Barnhop :)

Mustard Green Recipes

2012-03-02T21:00:00.001-05:00

***Braised Mustard Greens:***

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped
3 bunches mustard greens, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Coarse salt
2 cups chicken broth

Directions

In a large skillet over medium high heat brown bacon and render its fat. Add chopped greens to the pan in batches and turn until they wilt, then add more greens. When all of the greens are in the pan, add vinegar and cook a minute. Season greens with sugar and salt. Add chicken broth to the pan and cover. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer greens 15 to 20 minutes then serve.
(From Rachel Ray)

***General Greens:***

Ingredients

1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound mustard greens, washed and torn into large pieces
2 to 3 Tbsp chicken broth or vegetable broth (vegetarian option)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Method

1 In a large sauté pan, sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat until the onions begin to brown and caramelize, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more, until fragrant.

2 Add the mustard greens and broth and cook until the mustard greens are just barely wilted. Toss with sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper.
(from simply recipe)

***Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas and Mustard Greens:***

Ingredients:
10 ounces mustard greens
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
4-6 tablespoons vegetable broth, divided
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon agave nectar or sugar
1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Instructions

Remove any large stems from the greens and discard. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
In a deep pot or wok, sauté the onion in a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth until mostly faded to pink, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper and another tablespoon of broth and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the mustard greens, 2 tablespoons of broth, and cook, stirring, until greens are wilted but still bright green, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the salt, if using. Remove greens and onions from pan with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish, leaving any liquid in pan.
Add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and agave or sugar to the liquid in the pan (if there is no liquid, add 2 tablespoons of broth). Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Spoon the chickpeas over the greens and drizzle the sauce over all.
Serve warm, with additional balsamic vinegar at the table.

Todays Harvest!!

2012-03-02T20:25:00.000-05:00

Today after I got home from work and relaxed a little (out of the hot sun) we went out and harvested the larger of the mustard greens, and some ready peas...

After harvesting we brought it all inside and weighed it out..

After all was said and done we harvested just about 1 & 1/2 pounds of mustard greens and 0.11 pounds of peas!

Its my first time growing peas and its so much fun!!!

The Homestead:

2012-03-01T13:32:00.000-05:00

The Entire Lot:
7,440 sq ft~ Almost 1/5 acre

The House:
1,058 sq ft

The Porch:
231 sq ft

Planting Area:
6,151 sq ft~ About 1/6 acre

The 2012 Sustainable Living Conference at All World Acres

2012-03-01T00:06:00.001-05:00

The 2012 Sustainable Living Conference at All World Acres
4715 Bruton Rd, Plant City FL

**March 23, 24, 25**

Nutrition, Community, Economics

Sponsored and organized by The Community of All World Acres and The Barefoot Gardeners of Central Florida

Richard Fiallo, All World Acres

~ Schedule~

Friday:
Movie and discussion in the Media Center:
An Introduction to Sacred Economics - the work of Charles Eisenstein

Saturday:
8:30 Yoga with The Thai Yoga Center
09:30 Awakening The Dreamer -- David Sinclair, Media Center
10:00 Transition To A New Earth -- Peg Campbell & Tom Carroll, Pavilion
10:45 Nature Walk -- Andy Firk
11:30 Preparing Food Naturally: Cooking, Fermentation -- John Starnes, Pavilion
12:45 Collaborative Communication for Sustainable Communities -- Mercedes Frace, Media Center
12:30 Surviving Food Addiction -- Rita Sewell, Pavilion
1:30 Gardening with Seed Blocks -- Jim Kovaleski, Pavilion
2:00 Weston A. Price Foundation -- Preston Larus & Cynthia Calisch, Media Center
2:30 Birdhouse Buyers Club & Announcing Joel Salatin at the Roosevelt -- Ryan Iacovacci, Pavilion
3:30 7000 Yrs of Carbon Sequestration -- Jungle Jay, Media Center
4:00 Making Recycled Gifts -- Karen Brown, Pavilion
5:00 Time Banks -- Marie Nelson, Media Center
plus: Nature Walk -- Andy Firk

6:00 Dinner Break

7:00 Richard Fiallo, All World Acres
7:30 Shawn Brown, Entertainment
plus: Movie and discussion in the Media Center: (To be announced)

Sunday:
8:30 Yoga with The Thai Yoga Center
plus: Qigong with Bob Abbenzeller
9:30 Sustainable Health -- Dr. Anthony James, Media Center
plus: Exploring Hugelkultur - Building a Hugel Mound -- Jim Kovaleski, in the Garden
10:30 Gaia's Gardens -- Neil Brown & Tom Carroll, Pavilion
plus: Nature Walk -- Andy Firk
11:00 Whinot Garden -- Lynda Mink, Media Center
11:30 Health Initiatives through Diet and Exercise -- Brian White, Pavilion
12:00 Where does Garbage Go? -- Karen Brown, Pavilion
12:30 Resilient Communities --Tracy Mullins, Media Center
1:00 Ara McLeod -- Food Not Bombs Lakeland, Pavilion
1:30 The Work of Byron Katie, Radical Honesty and Self-Inquiry -- Susanne Gionet, Media Center
2:00 Permaculture and Transitions Towns -- Cristy Abbott, Pavilion
2:30 Soul Freedom, Sacred Aliveness -- Mark Schoofs, Media Center
3:00 Health Initiatives through Diet and Exercise -- Brian White, Pavilion

~ Vendors

A variety of vendors will be on hand. Vendors need to pre-register. Please send email with basic list of the type of items that you will offer in booth. No food vendors please.

~ Cafe

The Cafe will be open throughout the event. Menu will include fresh made-to-order juices and smoothies, home made soups with veggies from our own organic garden, salads with all local grown produce, baked goods, coffee, and a variety of teas. Ice is also available for purchase in cafe.

~ ADMISSION:
Full Event admission (3 day ticket) Includes all workshops and activities for the entire weekend. Camping is also included. Friday through Sunday per person: $40 at the gate, $30 in advance.
Proceeds to help support All World Acres, a not for profit sanctuary.

or

Saturday Day Pass -- $15 at gate or $12 in advance.
Sunday Day Pass -- $12 at gate or $10 in advance.

More to come in details on these activities, and schedule..

To register or buy tickets in advance ~ Go Here

And the winner is...

2012-02-29T23:36:00.001-05:00

The winner of the fabulous Intensity Academy hot sauce giveaway is... Dollwood Farms.
Please contact me with your details! (bjaukett@gmail.com)

For the rest of you wonderful blog readers who want to give them a try..

Contact them at:
Email: IntensityAcademy@verizon.com
or
Facebook

This drawing was chosen at random by Random.org

What to plant: March (Zone 9)

2012-02-29T23:18:00.003-05:00

March
Plant seeds of:
Beans: Bush, Pole, and Lima
Cantaloupes
Sweet Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Okra
English Peas
Peppers
Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkin
Gourds
Squash
Tomato
Watermelons
Carrots
Collards
Kohlrabi
Beets
Lettuce
Mustard
Green onions and Shallots
English Peas
Radish
Turnips
* Mound up soil around potato stems to protect tubers from sun damage.
* If you are planting the cold weather leaf veggies listed above do so in partial shade so they can escape the mid-day sun here in FL

Okra in the garden

2012-02-29T23:17:00.000-05:00

If i learned 1 thing from last year its that okra likes its water.

My plants seemed stunted not growing and not producing for half the summer but when those rains came they took off, to bad it was so late in the growing season and the plants had to go to make room for the cold season plants.

This year I will not make that mistake, I am planting my okra in the kiddie pool turned garden to make sure they stay moist. I figure the pool will hold about 12 plants which should (hopefully) give me enough to pickle and can.

Another Garden

2012-02-27T22:34:00.002-05:00

In my ever expanding attempt to totally transform both my front and back yard into a food paradise I created a new garden space, these spaces are smaller yes but will still produce wonderful goodies for my family. This newest space came to be after walking into my backyard and noticing the first thing that caught your eye was a open blank space near the fire pit.. not any longer.

Now when you walk into my backyard you are greeted by a stack of wood then where the porch ends and the yard begins is a scavenged metal shelf full of pots of herbs, behind that is the new garden space and just a little further our fire pit where we gather 'round to enjoy a nice night just us or with friends.

The new garden space has a thin walkway down the middle giving way to 2 beds on either side, towards the front yard you have a new herb bed where our lavender is already planted but will be consumed with many more herbs because honestly you can never have to many, the other half will be for misc veggies, right now we planted left over lettuce starts as a experiment, and since I always start extra seeds (just in case) after all is said and done in the main beds the extras will be planted in these beds so no plant or planting space goes to waste.

Im just loving how my yard is coming along and cant wait till the yard really takes off in full food paradise splendor :) this summer my front yard will be filled with yummy things like peanuts, sweet potatoes, Seminole pumpkin, and other yummy goodies as well as sunflowers (just because I love them) :)

Here the garden area is after a soil loosening and grass pulling.. its being worked over by the chickens so they can scratch, and fertilize it :)

Here is the garden after its been fully worked with compost and peat moss added.. the beds have been formed and the walkway made

Here is a view walking into the yard

Rocket Stove Update

2012-02-26T22:46:00.003-05:00

So last time when I worked on my stove I created a really good base but it was losing a lot of heat and it took 5 minutes to cook a egg, after my defeat i covered it up and forgot about it.. Today i uncovered it and started fixing and updating, this is what I got...

A wonderful fire going in the stove!!

A lovely lunch of fresh laid eggs, garlic chives, and edible flowers!

The egg cooked in 1 minute and 7 seconds.. SCORE!!! Yay for update

Here you can check out other peoples homesteads here.

This is sickening...

2012-02-26T11:18:00.002-05:00

Pictures around Sunny Spot Garden (Feb, 25th 2012)

2012-02-25T18:28:00.001-05:00

Freshly prepared garden bed

Our kitty kitty

Garden

Brooke's Garden

Kale

Mustard Greens going crazy

Flowers!

Peach Tree

Brooke in the garden

Marigolds

Asparagus

Chickens

Tomato in a bucket

Aloe ready to bloom

Leaves

New fig leaves

New Canna emerging from the ground :)

My TV Spot

2012-02-23T22:50:00.001-05:00

So I've been thinking...

2012-02-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

Why do I really grow my own food, why am i diving so into this instead of something else..

Let me first answer my first questions, why do I grow my own food... really it boils down to the face that I am highly suspicious of the government and them wanting the "best" for us.. I don't like the studies that are kept out of the public eye about GMO foods, or the fact that they refuse to label them, I don't like the fact that we in America waste so much including our food products, I don't like the fact that we dump chemicals onto the foods we then consume, in fact there's a lot that I don't like.. but what I do like is having total control over what I put into my body, the fact that I can walk outside into my front yard or backyard and pick food that I can eat right then and there, the fact that my daughter can run in between the rows of beds filled with her dinner and eat whatever she wants without having to take it inside and wash it then hope there are no chemicals left on it, I like knowing that I can provide for my family whether money is tight or not we can still eat and I can still provide, that nature is welcome to my yard rather then killed, that I can work with nature instead of against her..

Now for my second question.. Why am I diving into this vs something else...
I think this really has to do with my personality and is a 2 step question, first I throw myself into any project I set my mind on.. there is no pace yourself Brittany it is a go hard or go home attitude, my mind gets fixed on it and its go go go.. if I don't have the money I scavenge what I need on the road side, on Craigslist or freecycle.. anywhere I can. This has always been how I am, sometimes its good sometimes its not and yes sometimes it is a process but just 2 years after I moved into this house I have almost converted all my grassy area into gardens or chicken area including in the front, I have planted fruit trees, installed a small pond to grow water edibles in, raised 6 chickens, and felt the best I ever have. The real question then is why this.. why did i choose to devote all mine and my families free time to a urban farm, I think the better question might be why not? Yes you can raise animals, yes you can knit or sew or home brew or any number of productive homestead things and I do a lot of those (currently learning about the home brewing thing) but my first and foremost goal is to be as sustainable as I can and that starts with a large and productive, happy garden so that's where my prime energy is being spent, the cheese making, brewing, sewing, knitting, and other goodies come second for me :)

Tv Update

2012-02-21T22:07:00.001-05:00

They moved my TV premier to this coming Thursday February 23rd once between 5 and 530 am and again between 6 and 630am.
Its news channel 8 which is our local NBC.
If you don't have access to a TV or live in a different state I will hopefully be posting a internet video later that day!! :)

Whats the big deal

2012-02-21T22:04:00.000-05:00

I don't know why everyone keeps posting or saying hateful things about Monsanto, I mean they only create food that kills insects, women, children and men, that seems reasonable to me.
Its not like they wont label their products or sue farmers who don't use their product and have a monopoly on our food... right?
Whats the big deal?
LOL!!!!

Down and dirty in the gardens

2012-02-19T21:39:00.000-05:00

So this weekend was all apart cleaning, family, and gardening.

It started with a good soaking friday afternoon setting the mood for the gloomy but fun weekend. First we set up and built a basket for delivery to a dentist office filled with local produce (who needs harry and david's $250 baskets when you have my local goodness) so we went around to farmers markets.
While out we picked up a bunch of herbs, 2 lavender plants, thyme, oregano, and garlic chives.
Bags of leaves were picked off the street and spread into gardens, empty beds were filled with leaves and topped with compost, buckets were filled with dirt and compost to plant a couple roma tomato starts, tomatoes were planted in Brooke's garden as well as seeing more volunteer beans popping up in there, peppers were planted (both sweet and hot), eggplants were planted, seeds were started, seeds were ordered from bakers creek for items like Seminole pumpkin, and a couple canning tomatoes.
The chickens were moved from the porch to the chicken area and into the coop, Salt and Pepper hated them and chased them down into a corner pecking them nonstop so they were placed into a separate coop area were they can be seen, smelled and heard but not attacked they will stay in there for about a week then let back out, if salt and pepper is still attacking she will be removed and put into quarantine for a week while the pecking order gets readjusted.
All in all it was a hugely productive weekend and cannot wait to get those seeds sprouting and planted in the gardens!! :)

2012-02-17T18:05:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time someone said they wanted me to grow food like they get in the supermarket, so I raised up a little seed, watered it everyday, then once it started producing I dumped every chemical pesticide killer, fertilizer, and other "helpful" chemicals I could find on it. The person stared at me in horror.. I turned around and said what do you think you get in the grocery store..

Growing Hypericum perforatum (aka: St Johns Wort)

2012-02-15T20:21:00.001-05:00

COMMON NAMES:
St. John's Wort, Klamathweed, Goatweed.

This plant is a lovely Perennial with showy flowers that can tolerate and likes sandy warm soil! Back in the day they believed that St. Johns Wort could ward off evil spirits :)

PARTS USED:
Herb tops, flowers.

SOIL REQUIREMENTS:
Does best in light, warm, sandy soil.

SUN:
Partial sun is ideal but can be grown in partial shade.

HEIGHT/SPACING:
1 to 3 feet High, plant 12 inches apart.

GROWING ZONES:
Zones 3 through 8, I am trying it here in zone 9 as a experiment.

USES:
Sedative, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, astringent, and expectorant. Used for soooo many things like urinary and bladder conditions, lung conditions, dysentery, parasitic infestations, diarrhea and most recently as a modern-day treatment of depression.

PLANTING TIME:
After danger of frost has passed. Transplant when seedlings are around two inches tall.

STARTING:
Propagated from cuttings, seeds, or division of roots.

FLOWERS:
Late summer of second year.

HARVESTING:
Harvest when flowers are in full bloom. Both the leaves and flowers can be harvested. Cut off the upper 1/3 portion of the plant for harvest

DRYING METHODS:
Dry flowers and leaves in bundles, upside down, in a cool, dry place indoors.

PRESERVATION:
Dried flowers may be stored in an airtight glass container for up to one year. Infuse the flowers into a carrier oil for topical use. The oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory.

***CAUTION:***
People taking the herb over a long time should avoid direct sunlight. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should not take this herb. DO NOT take with alcohol. Severe depression should not be treated with St. John's Wort.

DRUG INTERACTIONS:
ALWAYS ask your doctor before using any herb.
This herb should not be taken if you are currently taking any form of anxiety or depression medication, as it may interfere with the action of the drugs.

TINCTURE RECIPE:
To Make Tincture
You will need:
~ 8 oz. 100 proof Vodka
~ Pint Jar with lid.
~ 2-3 oz. Dried St. John's Wort Tops or Whole Herb fresh or dried (enough to fill jar)

Starting Garden Plans

2012-02-15T19:36:00.000-05:00

Sink or Float: The tale of a good egg vs bad egg

2012-02-14T22:51:00.001-05:00

One upon a time there was a very bad egg where it once had whites it now had just air pockets, all because it lost its moisture and carbon dioxide. One day this bad egg took a trip to a bowl of cold water for a dive.. it dove in but floated to the top unable to dive to the bottom it got mad and left. Then along came a good egg to take a dive, It jumped in and dove to the bottom of the bowl of cold water, once it got to the bottom it decided to sit there for a while and rest, later that day the good egg and some of it friends were nice enough to feed a wonderful happy family breakfast!

The End!

The morale of the story:
A bad egg will float to the top while a good egg will sink to the bottom, all eggs but the floaters are ok to eat.

Photo Courtesy of Google.com

A late winter freeze

2012-02-13T18:48:00.001-05:00

This winter has been very mild and when i say very I mean it.. in most parts of the country everyone has been warm, here I had 3 days of freezes and many days of 80+ degrees, the last couple years its been freezing for many weeks at a time. After the last 4 weeks of really warm weather I planted out my warm season veggies to get a early start.

Last night we had a freeze.. I lost everything... Beans, basil, nasturtiums, eggplant, tomatoes, fennel.. FRICK!!!

Oh well lesson learned

A fresh dinner

2012-02-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

Its amazing what you pick from your garden can be on your plate just a hour or so later. No transport, no washing chemicals, nothing.. just picked from the garden, cooked, and eaten.

Above this is the before, freshly harvested from the garden...

And for dinner chicken from a small local meat shop on a bed of wilted mustard greens with chickpeas, onions, garlic tops and decorated with a few edible violas! :)

I love this, thats why its so exciting to grow!!!

Rain

2012-02-10T22:08:00.000-05:00

There is nothing nicer then sitting in your living room with all the windows and doors open wide listening to the calming sound of rain hitting the ground and roof.

With the chicks cheeping in the background it is a fantastic night!

Tomorrow in the nicely soaked soil I will plant seeds of squash and beans, plant edible violets, plant jalapeno starts outside and start more seeds. I also need to draw up my garden plans.

So you want to lasagna compost

2012-02-08T20:11:00.001-05:00

Fantastic! You are on your way to simple easy no care composting!!

Lets start!

First pick out the spot where you will garden, this is where you will compost.

Here are the basics:
Lasagna composting is the easiest form of composting, you compost directly where you will plant. You do this by starting with a bottom layer, normally cardboard boxes or newspaper then continue to layer your goods. This is a no dig no hassle method.

Here is how you will rotate:
Greens
Browns
Greens
Browns
etc..

~ Greens: vegetable scraps, garden trimmings, grass clippings, manure

~ Browns: fall leaves, shredded newspaper, peat, pine needles, hay, twigs, sawdust

Try to make your brown layers 2x thicker then your green layers don't be to picky about it though.

Example Bed:
~~Top~~
6 inches of rich soil
Hay
Garden trimmings, and no longer producing plant
Newspaper & Sawdust
Grass clippings
Fallen Leaves
Veggie scraps
Hay
Cardboard Boxes
~~Bottom~~

SO work your way from the bottom if you use this example in your garden.

Keep adding more and more layers because as everything decomposes it will settle down cause a 2 ft tall bed to become something like 6-8 inches of wonderful compost.

(Note: As with most compost do not add meat or meat products)

You can start your lasagna compost garden at anytime if you plan to use it right away make sure you top it with about 6 inches of rich soil to plant in as the rest decomposes.

This is a fun and simple way to compost easily!!

Going Green Tampa

2012-02-07T22:51:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time not so long ago a wonderful website was born. The name is Going Green Tampa and may I say it is quite fantastic! A resource for "green" businesses and events this website has taken off! Filled with everything from organic restaurants to clothing businesses and even some hair stylists this is your one stop website to gain the knowledge you need to shop responsibly.

Wonderful Listings Include: ("like" these guys)
GreenDreams ~ that designs & installs urban farms, backyard homesteads, community gardens & learning gardens for schools in the Tampa Bay area. They also provide consultations/classes & also have an edible nursery at their office.

Fisher Honey Bees ~ Providing 100% raw, all natural, never heated honey from the local area. They have bees in Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough county. They do not use any pesticides of any sort on our bees.

Intensity Academy Gourmet Sauces ~ Intensity Academy is an all natural local award winning sauce company. The owners’ commitment to supporting their local community with the best that spice has to offer is apparent in their choice of bottling their products in Tampa Bay.

Down2Earth ~ Offering sensible gifts for earth-minded people, highlighting reusable bags and bottles, organic cotton graphic tees, soy candles, re-engineered goods, and more!

But its not just their wonderful listing of businesses that attracts me to them they also have useful articles, list local blogs, and seem to care about really trying to make Tampa Bay a better greener place for all to enjoy!

Not to mention a killer list of green events in the local area!!

If you havent yet "like" them on facebook and bookmark their website!!

and we will be on the news....

2012-02-07T10:35:00.002-05:00

So today a little after 9:30 AM I began speaking about my gardens to a lovely pair from News Channel 8 (WFLA). Her name was Leigh Spann and she was so sweet and pleasant to be around, making my nerves and stomach calm a little bit. She asked me some questions on gardening which is of course my passion so they were easy to answer but my mouth was so dry form the nerves causing my to choke on my words a couple times.

They were around a little less then a hour, touring the gardens, taking shots, asking questions!

I will be aired March 1st twice, once between 5 and 530 am and again between 6 and 630 am

YAY!

Heres some blogs of friends mentioning me and the news:

Connected Roots Garden

Gardening for Newbies

Local Spotlight & Giveaway: Intensity Academy Gourmet & Hot Sauce Company

2012-02-07T08:22:00.004-05:00

If you want some saucy goodness this is the stuff to get. Filled to the top with love and spice, sealed and wrapped in a awesome label, put into your kitchen and used in every meal.. then you have a intensity academy hot sauce.

I have tried a lot of their saucy awesomeness and just LOVE the hot cubed, it is really a remarkable hot sauce, not to mention the thai sweet chili which gets mixed into our stir fry dishes all the time!! This up and coming company are ever expanding and being sampled around the world now! WOW!

I found them one summer night at the Green After Dark event in Odessa, sampled their goods, stuck around for a chat, and fell in love, after that i have been scouting them out, and our fridge is never without a open bottle.

Producing carrot based hot sauces & organic tea infused gourmet sauces that wow everyone, that's what they have perfected!!!

Company Overview:
Intensity Academy sauces are all natural, award winning gourmet & hot sauces. In less than 4 years of being in business they have won 50 national awards including their Chai Chipotle Chup' being named the #1 ketchup in the NATION thru the 2010 Scovie Awards.

Contact
Email: IntensityAcademy@verizon.com
or
Facebook

The Giveaway:

To enter:
Check out their facebook page, "like" them, then click a share button or post on facebook for this blog, and leave me a comment that you have done so. This will enter you into our drawing!

What you get if you win: A saucy pack!

This drawing ends: Feb 29th 2012 @ 10pm

"Creating flavors to make the world a saucier place to live...one bottle at a time." ~Michele Northrup, Founder

Above: Shrimp made with hot cubed

Below: A Saucy arrangement of their sauces

Above: A cute little gift pack!

Barn hop here!!

Below: A very YUMMY pot of chili made with their new spice mix (heck yes i bought a pack)

Above: A box of assorted sauces (these were Christmas gifts around my house this year)

What to Plant: February (Zone 9)

2012-02-05T18:46:00.002-05:00

February
Plant Seeds of:
Beets
Carrots
Celery
Collards
Endive
Kohlrabi
Leek
Lettuce
Mustard
Parsley
English Peas
Potatoes
Radish
Turnips
Beans: Bush, Pole, and Lima
Cantaloupes
Sweet Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Peppers
Sweet potatoes
Pumpkins
Gourds
Squash
tomatoes
Green onions and shallots
Watermelon
* Make sure Fall-planted strawberries are getting enough water so they produce fruit.

A garden where there was once a path

2012-02-05T16:21:00.001-05:00

Doing a good look at my yard I relized I had perfectly square raised beds with walkways on all sides, and not tiny walkways, large you can sit down in them walkways which is really unneeded in my space, so my most recent goal is to remove a lot of the wasted walkway space.

The plan:
Of course we still need walkways, you need to be able to get around, pick veggies etc but we must get rid of wasted space!! A peach tree in the chicken area starts the transformation, there is no reason a chicken area should be bare, so we planted a floriprince peach surrounded by compost and enclosed with a circle of chicken wire to keep them from digging while it gets established. The second thing we did was create a small garden area in front of the blueberries and behind the rocket stove, there was no reason that had to remain empty, so i laid down newspaper to serve as skinny walkways so you could harvest from all sides and raised up soil and compost to create a uplifted garden space, this created 3 small planting spots, 1 area we already planted some collard starts. Im am very excited about this transformation, it will help turn the ENTIRE backyard into a lovely food forest at some point, full of grains, veggies, and fruits!
BEFORE:

AFTER:

Seed and Plant Swap

2012-02-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

Once a year Diggin Florida Dirt arranges a plant/ seed swap. This was my first time attending (and their 2nd ever). I was very excited to see flowers, and plants I didnt know about, chat with some local gardeners, and just enjoy the atmosphere. As a mostly edible gardener I was sad to see no edible plants for trade but hope people make use of the edible seeds I brought, I picked up a couple shade flowers, and some seeds of flowers like the blanket flower and a type called belamcanda chinemis otherwise known as a blackberry lily.

All in all it was a very enjoyable time had by all, and maybe next year I can get a bunch of edible local growers to join in the fun!!!

The Class

2012-02-04T16:49:00.000-05:00

After 4 cancels I had one person show up to my first ever class here at the gardens, thats ok I was happy! We chatted toured the gardens, and made a killer batch of fresh strawberry jam. She went home with a pint and a half of strawberry jam!!

I hope I was able to show the basics about canning and start her on the way to put up for her family :)

I hope to have some classes in the future where more people will join us!

Pictures around Sunny Spot Gardens ( Feb 4th, 2012)

2012-02-04T16:42:00.002-05:00

Lemon Grass

Phone Book Pots

Honey Suckle

Part of front yard

Asparagus

Just sprouted bunching onions

Celery sprouted from a cut bottom (day 10)

Part of the backyard

Mulberry Tree

Lemon Tree

First Leaves on Peach Tree

Our big hens (just over a year old)

Pea Flowers

Potatoes

Kale

Mustard Greens

More winter greens

Garlic

Strawberries

Blooming Tomatoes

Turnip

Compost

Tomatoes

Chickens (1 1/2 months old)

Blueberries

High Chair Parsley Garden

Chicken Face

Strawberry Jam from my first ever canning class

Our week and a half old buff orpington chicks

Strawberry Lemonade (homemade)

Check out what going on at others homesteads

New Hardiness Zones

2012-02-03T19:32:00.001-05:00

Plant hardiness zone designations represent the average annual extreme minimum temperatures at a given location during a particular time period. Low temperature during the winter is a huge factor in the survival of plants in different areas!
This helps determine what we can and cannot grow, and about all gardeners/farmers/ anyone in the garden uses this.

The new version of the map includes 13 zones, with the addition for the first time of zones 12 (50 to 60 degrees F) and 13 (60 to 70 degrees F). Each zone is a 10-degree-F band, further divided into A and B 5-degree-F zones.

To help develop the new map, USDA and OSU requested that horticultural and climatic experts review the zones in their geographic area, and trial versions of the new map were revised, based on their expert input.

Compared to the 1990 version, zone boundaries in this edition of the map have shifted in many areas. The new map is generally one 5-degree F half-zone warmer than the previous map throughout much of the United States. This is mostly a result of using temperature data from a longer and more recent time period. The new map uses data measured at weather stations during the 30-year period of 1976 to 2005. In contrast, the 1990 map was based on temperature data from only a 13-year period of 1974 to 1986.

Some of the changes in the zones, however, are a result of new, more sophisticated methods for mapping zones between weather stations. These include algorithms that considered for the first time such factors as changes in elevation, nearness to large bodies of water and position on the terrain, such as valley bottoms and ridge tops. Also, the new map used temperature data from many more stations than the 1990 map. These advances greatly improved the accuracy and detail of the map, especially in mountainous regions of the western United States. In some cases, advances resulted in changes to the cooler zones.

Below is the updated hardiness map for FL..

For anyone else here is a link the new map!!

Home From Work

2012-02-03T19:09:00.000-05:00

A long week at work it was but finally home for the weekend, with awesome plans to work in the garden. spreading hay, cleaning the coops, picking up trash, starting seeds, creating gardens from otherwise wasted items (just finished a high chair planter and sowed parsley seeds in it).

I have my canning class tomorrow afternoon and am looking forward to it, although 3 people have canceled do to other plans I hope to have at least 2 people but no matter the amount of people it will be fun and hope I can teach others how to put up some of their own food :)

A days work is never ever done...

2012-02-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

Clothes to wash and fold, stuff to pick up and put away, seeds to plant, hay to spread, coops to clean, dirt to dig, chickens to care for, kids to chase, husbands to cook for (or the other way around), a wedding to plan, Whew!

I am excited though because now i feel most confident in starting my warm weather veggies, so I am starting the tomatoes, squash, beans, peppers, and all those fantastic veggies! Garden plans must be made, Books to be read, Phone book pots to be made, Yes this is the very best time of all!!!

Ah Sunday

2012-01-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

Sundays used to be a day of rest but with February 7th fast approaching and the News people coming to see the "farm", house, and us we didn't rest at all. From the moment we woke up there were chores to be done. Picking up the bathroom I had redone just the day before, picking up scraps of whatever "art" project our little one was working on, wiping down the counters from the crumbles of a good meal, trying to clean up our life and make it seem organized and perfect. Its actually far from it. The heat steadily climbed and for midwinter we were just about sweating, the house wasn't perfect and looked.. well lived in.. there is still laundry undone sitting in piles, the table is cluttered with items that have no place, and books are laying around with bookmarks or torn pieces of paper sticking out like jagged teeth.. but none of that matters I felt like we have had a very productive weekend and still have one to go before the big appearance! With the joy and frustration of waiting for our tax refund to come in and the news segment to be done its been hard on my sleep cycle but after this weekend of busy busy bee work I know I will sleep well tonight!

Outdoors horse manure has been dumped into a pile for spreading, blueberries dug up and moved into containers, bulbs about to be planted, plans taking form from brain to paper.. Ah yes... Sunday

Spring

2012-01-28T19:03:00.000-05:00

Well I think it is mid winter but feels like spring! Daily temps in the upper 80's nights in the 60's. I am not sure how I feel about this. My cold season plants are HATING it but the tomatoes that made it through the freezes have re-sprouted wonderfully bright green shoots and some are even blooming again.

I got some bulbs that will grow here in Central FL, I got Canna and Gladioli. Both are beautiful flowers and I love the idea of mixing flowers and edibles!! I cannot wait to get them into the ground and watch them grow and bloom!

I also got some rose bush plants (3 types).. Fairy, Gold Medal, and John Hancock. They all look quite beautiful and after watching many gardeners post pictures of beautiful roes blooms i must join the party!

My bunching onions have sprouted, as well as my 3 types of basil, and fennel!

The house is under going a heavy spring cleaning which also brings in a redoing of the house. So far we have painted the bathroom and removed the medicine cabinet and replaced with a beautiful mirror and shelves (all this was done today, by me) its a blue and brown theme which I think is cute retro type feel. The kitchen has been updated but needs a good paint which is the final step for completing the kitchen I am thinking a rusty orange. The next room we are working on is the bedroom, Brooke's room was recently done is a tinkerbell/princess type room mixing pinks and purple with more natural elements including a new overhead light that looks like a sun that we put in today. So its our room that in next to be under construction, then the living room, laundry room and finally ending with the dining room. Wheew.. and thats just the inside.

Outside spring cleaning plans are to continue to work on and expand food forest, remove blueberries and replant into containers, expand the blackberry patch towards the fence, finish off the pond with some rocks, plant a couple more fruit trees, clean up areas and maximize planting space, mulch out fire pit area.

Transform the Phone Book into little seed pots

2012-01-23T19:28:00.004-05:00

Its that time of year again you walk out your front door and there at your feet is a bag with a heavy phone book in it. Many people just toss them out but instead do something awesome with it.. make little seed pots!!!

What you need:
~ 1 phone book
~ 1 short and fat shot glass, or a spice shaker

What you do:
~ Start by taking a sheet of phone book, fold it in half (long ways)
~ Wrap it tightly around your shot glass leaving a overhang on the bottom
~ Fold in the overhang around the bottom of the glass creating a bottom
~ Press the shot lass onto a hard surface and twist
~ Slowly pull up glass leaving a little pot
~ Push up the bottom just a little
~ Fill with potting mix and plant seed
~ When ready to plant into garden, plant whole thing (it will decompose)

To see what others are up to in their gardens click here

What we are up to

2012-01-22T22:21:00.000-05:00

So in prep of the upcoming season we are fixing up the backyard..

Marking plants and beds √
Prep garden beds for planting
Planting another round of cold season plants
Start warm season seeds
Removing trash √
Chopping the remaining wood and stacking near back door √
Fixing blown over structures
Paint shed like a old red barn
Plant flower bulbs like canna
Organize and sweep out back porch
Dig up blueberries and replant in containers
Spread compost in garden beds
Refresh container gardens with a dose of soil and compost
Getting a outdoor (in the shade) vermiculture compost going
Finish boxing the pathways and mulching them in
Finish making the chicken area higher to keep jumping chickens
Work on adding more plants and expanding the food forest

RE-Growing Celery

2012-01-22T22:06:00.001-05:00

I learned something really cool I just had to share.. From what it says you can re grow celery from the bottom of a cut one..

Here is the website

Im very interested to try this and will post my results!!!

Canning Class

2012-01-21T10:06:00.002-05:00

Canning Class~ Learn to make and can strawberry jam
Date: Saturday, February 4th
Time: 1-3pm
Cost: $20 per student and a pack of strawberries
Why: Everyone should know how to make and preserve their harvest or in season foods
Where: 9509 N Dartmouth Ave Tampa, FL 33612
Contact to RSVP: bjaukett@gmail.com or find me on facebook: Brittany Aukett

Bring yourself and a open mind to soak up all the knowledge, also each student will go home with a jar of just made and canned strawberry jam, and a copy of the recipe we will be using. Please feel free to bring a notepad and pen but this will be hands on as I think humans learn better that way!

https://www.facebook.com/events/214237842002921/

Chicken siblings

2012-01-21T08:08:00.004-05:00

There is nothing cuter then little chicks but they grow up and fast!! At the start of the year we added to our flock 2 little ameraucana chicks. Both have their own personalities... Charlotte is very laid back (and likes to lay on her back)while Happy who is the smaller of the 2 makes up for it in spunk, always trying to peck at Charlotte or jump on her.. but they are no longer the small little chicks we first got and in just the 20 days we have had them they have almost completely feathered out and have at least tripled in size!!!!

Happy and Charlotte were already the little sisters to the big girls out back (as of right now the big girls hate the little girls) but now we have thrown in a curve ball.. a brand new 3 day old chick.. YIKES!!!!!

So the little sisters are now also big sisters and they do not like the little fluffball on bit!!! Charlotte seems to be more relaxed about it, even allowing the little fluffball to sleep under her wing but Happy will not leave her alone, always pecking and chasing.. and when Happy starts Charlotte starts, and I feel so bad! :( I know they will get used to each other and it takes time but the new chick is just so small I feel like my heart is being torn when I hear her peeps of concern! Last night was the first night of them being together so I could hardly sleep, worried they would smother her, or peck her to death. I swear I had a dream where I woke up went to check on her and the older chicks had grown to monster size and there was blood everywhere and I just knew they had killed the little fluffball like some kind of horror movie scene. But when I woke this morning she was fine, relaxing under her heat lamp while the other 2 cuddled in the opposite corner. I do hope they hurry up and bond or I might just go crazy!!!!

I refer to the new buff orpington chick as the little fluffball because she is one, and as of yet we have not named her!

Update: January 22nd... Little Fluffball didnt make it :(

Learning Tropical Permaculture

2012-01-20T20:57:00.000-05:00

RIP Etta

2012-01-20T14:43:00.001-05:00

Etta James have graced us with wonderful music and now may she RIP

\

Homemade Deodorant

2012-01-18T22:32:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

~ 1/4 cup baking soda
~ 1/4 cup corn starch
~ 6 Tblsp. coconut oil
~ A old empty deodorant container or/ a toilet paper cardboard roll

Directions:
~ Heat up coconut oil, baking soda and cornstarch in a pot
~ Add a few drops of an essential oil into the mixture. *optional*
~ Once the ingredients are melted together, place the cardboard roll or old deodorant container vertically on a flexible cutting board or small plate, and pour a small part of the mixture in. Allow it to solidify and then add the rest. You may leave it out to solidify, as long as its cool in the house otherwise stick in fridge!!
~ USE!!!!

Why store deodorant is scary..

British researchers have found traces of chemicals called parabens in tissue taken from women with breast cancer.
While there is no evidence they cause cancer, the scientists have called for the use of parabens to be reviewed.

Dr Philippa Darbre and colleagues at the University of Reading carried out tests on samples of 20 different human breast tumours.
Writing in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, they say they found traces of parabens in every sample.
Their tests suggested the chemicals had seeped into the tissue after being applied to the skin.
"This is the first study to show their accumulation in human tissues," said Dr Darbre.
"It demonstrates that if people are exposed to these chemicals, then the chemicals will accumulate in their bodies."

In 1995, the Archives of Toxicology published the results of
a study by French scientists from the Toxicology Laboratory at
Bordeaux University: when aluminum chloride (once commonly used in
antiperspirants) was applied to the shaved skin of lab mice, the
aluminum in their brains doubled. This seems to suggest that the metal
may be absorbed by the skin, a concern that has only been compounded
by the recent appearance on the market of aluminum free
antiperspirants. A number of studies have suggested a possible link between
Alzheimer and aluminum says Prof. Jim Edwardson, Director Of the Medical
Research Council Neurochemical Pathology Unit at Newcastle General
Hospital.

Take a ride on the barn hop HERE

Homemade Garden Markers

2012-01-18T22:10:00.000-05:00

I made these awesome little markers by scavenging a large plastic outdoor sign from my works trash and cutting into 3x6 inch rectangles.. I painted them and waited for them to dry then marked my veggie and fruit names onto them. Simple and cute!!

Now I will find little twigs or large Popsicle sticks and staple them on!

Cute way to mark your garden!!!

Grow Potatoes in ANYTHING!

2012-01-18T21:53:00.000-05:00

You can pretty much grow potatoes in anything that will hold soil...

Here is a couple methods:

Potatoes in a bag..

~ Prepare the Bag
Use a pair of scissors to cut several drainage holes in the bottom of a 30-gallon black plastic trash bag. Roll down the sides of the bag and fill about one-third of the way up with potting soil. Place the bag in an area of the garden that receives full sun.
roll down sides of bag and fill with soil

~ Plant the Potatoes
Dust the seed potatoes with agricultural sulfur to protect against fungal diseases. Plant the seed potatoes by burying them, eyes pointed up, about 2" deep in the soil. Water well.

~ Add More Soil
When the potato plants get about 6" to 8" tall, it is time to add more soil and straw to the bag. Add enough soil so that just the top few leaves poke through the dirt. As the potato plants grow, continue to unroll the bag and add more soil. Keep the potatoes well watered but not soggy.

~ Harvest the Potatoes
One clue that the potatoes are almost ready to harvest is that the leaves will yellow and the foliage will die back. At this point stop watering and leave the potatoes alone for two or three weeks so that their skins toughen up. To harvest, slit open the side of the bag to release the potatoes.

Potatoes In Tires..

~ Get yourself some old tires
Try a add on craigslist or freecycle!!

~ Paint them or leave them plain

~ Find a sunny Spot
Potatoes love full sun so find them a wonderful sunny spot and set down your first layer of tires

~ Fill with good rich soil and compost
Fill up the first tire completely full of soil mix

~ Plant your potato
Dust the seed potatoes with agricultural sulfur to protect against fungal diseases. Plant the seed potatoes by burying them, eyes pointed up, about 2" deep in the soil. Water well.

~ Add More Soil and Stack
When the potato plants get about 6" to 8" tall, it is time to add another tire and add more soil and/or straw to the bag. Add enough soil so that just the top few leaves poke through the dirt. As the potato plants grow, continue to stack more tires and add more soil. Keep the potatoes well watered but not soggy.

~ Harvest the Potatoes
One clue that the potatoes are almost ready to harvest is that the leaves will yellow and the foliage will die back. At this point stop watering and leave the potatoes alone for two or three weeks so that their skins toughen up. To harvest, unstack the tires!!

Grow Potatoes in a Container..

Here are the simple steps:

~ Poke or drill several holes in bottom of garbage can.
~ Fill with one foot of soil
~ Push five whole seed potatoes into the soil, spread apart evenly.
~ Make sure the potatoes are completely covered by about two inches of soil.
~ Water the seed potatoes.
~ Once the plants have grown to 6-7 inches in height… add more soil into the container.
~ Water the plants as needed. Keep moist but not wet!
~ As soon as the plants begin to flower, be sure to water generously and consistently.
~ Each time the plants reach 6-7 inches above the soil level, add more soil!
~ When the plant turns yellow and dies back, Dump out your container..
Dig all around the dumped out soil and gather potatoes.

Mid-Winter Rain

2012-01-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

Florida winters are dry and chilly.. this year though has been pretty mild.. we had 3 days of freezing temps her at Sunny Spot Gardens which fried a lot of my plants like the figs, moringa, and bananas but that has been it so far!

Most days are in the 60's with nights in the upper 40's or low 50's. It seems like perfection except for the dry dry dry weather!

Luckily today we got a nice rain! It seems it dropped a little less then a inch of water but it was a great relief since I recently planted a lot of new goodies!

I got 7 bananas from a local man (4 went around the pond, 3 in the food forest), I transplanted some strawberry runners into the food forest, I planted nasturtium seeds, sowed another round of cosmic purple carrots into a large plastic container turned garden pot, sowed basil, fennel and chive seeds.. as well as some perennial bunching onions, and artichokes. I also got 6~ 2 year old crowns of Mary Washington asparagus planted.

This rain gave everything a decent soaking in and for that I am thankful!

Classes

2012-01-16T19:52:00.000-05:00

So I know many gardeners help raise money for their gardens/homes by hosting classes.

Ive been thinking a lot about that recently.

With it being strawberry season I was thinking about having a class where we make and can a batch of strawberry jam. Would anyone be interested in doing a class like this?

Do you have ideas about other types of classes?

News Channel 8

2012-01-16T12:35:00.001-05:00

Today Leigh Spann contacted me to do a tour of my gardens and a interview!!!

Feb 7th is the day! :)

Im very excited!

Gotta get the freeze damaged garden going again!!!

WOOOOOOOO

Seed Organizer

2012-01-14T22:57:00.002-05:00

Since I ALWAYS have many packs of seeds (I like my variety's) I have to keep them organized or they would be all over the house.. So after about 6 months of having them in a basket I created my seed binder and have kept them this way ever since.. :)

Below is a look at my closed binder.. I got one with a clear sleeve on front so i could slip my seed order papers in front so I always havea record of what I have ordered and from where..

Below.. we have a open look at my seed binder

As you can see I took those nifty little sports card plastic binder holders and placed my folded seed packs into a slot.. each page holds 9 packs.. I organize mine this way.... warm season/ cold season/ herbs/ flowers/ perennials

I think this is a great way to organize and stay compact.. I slip my binder into the fridge door and it takes up almost no space..

Hope this helps! :)

Click HERE to check out other peoples homesteads!

Avocados.. Bad for you?

2012-01-14T20:17:00.003-05:00

This is FALSE! Avocados are not "bad" for you!!

One whole avocado is 245 calories (usually).. Do you eat a whole avocado in a sitting? Prob not.. but anyways there are 194 in a small bottle of coke so just cut one out for the day (average American drinks at least 2 a day)** ;)

There are active compounds in avocados that might help prevent cancer. One recent study found that those compounds can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. While conducting the study, these researchers found avocados are loaded with a variety of antioxidants, including familiar disease-fighting compounds such as lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamin E. And with over 1,200 milligrams of potassium per fruit, contain more than two-and-a-half times as much potassium as a banana.

Avocados Crush cholesterol- The avocado is high in fat - 30 grams per fruit, but it's mostly monounsaturated fat (which is extremely good for the heart--and for health in general.)This fat helps protect good HDL cholesterol, while wiping out the bad LDL cholesterol that clogs your arteries. That means you not only lower your bad cholesterol, you also improve your ratio of good HDL to total cholesterol.

Another recently discovered benefit is that avocados help the body absorb phytochemicals from other foods.

Eat up!!

Guacamole:

Ingredients
3 avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

~In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat.
~ Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated.
~ Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash.
~ Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic.
~ Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice.
~ Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

** Please do not drink 2 bottles of soda a day.. they are empty calories and are really bad for you.. just had to include this

Perennial Veggies for Hot and Humid Areas

2012-01-14T17:21:00.003-05:00

Perennial in all of the Hot and Humid zone:

Allium ampeloprasum ~ Perennial sweet leek

Canna edulis ~ Achira

Allium cepa aggregatum ~ Shallot

Allium cepa aggregatum ~ Potato onion

Allium cepa proliferum ~ Walking onion

Allium fistulosum ~ Welsh onion

Allium tuberosum ~ Garlic chives

Apios americana ~ Groundnut

Aralia cordata ~ Udo

Asphodeline lutea ~ Yellow asphodel

Atriplex halimus ~ Saltbush

Beta vulgaris maritima ~ Sea beet

Brassica oleracea acephala ~ Tropical tree kale

Bunias orientalis ~ Turkish rocket

Camassia scillioides ~ Wild hyacinth

Cedrella sinensis ~ Fragrant spring tree

Cnidoscolus spp. ~ Bull nettles

Cynara cardunculus ~ Cardoon

Allium ursinum ~ Ramson

Colocasia esculenta ~ ‘Celery Stem’ taro

Cynara scolymus ~ ‘Purple Sicilian’ globe artichoke

Cyperus esculentus sativa ~ Chufa

Dioscorea opposita ~ Chinese yam

Diplotaxis spp. ~ Sylvetta arugula

Helianthus tuberosa ~ Sunchoke

Cicorium intybus ~ Chicory

Malva moschata ~ Musk mallow

Nasturtium officinale ~ Watercress

Nelumbo nucifera ~ Water lotus

Oenanthe javanica ~ Water celery

Opuntia spp. ~ Spineless nopale cactus

Petasites japonicus ~ Fuki

Phytolacca americana ~ Pokeweed

Polygonatum biflorum canaliculatum ~ Giant Solomon’s seal

Rumex acetosa ~ French sorrel

Rumex acetosa ~ ‘Profusion’ sorrel

Rumex acetosella ~ Sheep sorrel

Rumex scutatus ~ Silver shield sorrel

Sagittaria latifolia ~ Arrowhead

Sagittaria sinensis ~ Chinese arrowhead

Scorzonera hispanica ~ Scorzonera

Stachys sieboldii ~ Chinese artichoke

Taraxacum officinale ~ Sandelion

Tilia spp. ~ Linden

Perennial in colder parts of the Hot and Humid zone:

Allium tricoccum ~ Ramps

Chenopodium bonus-henricus ~ Good king Henry

Cicorium intybus ~ Chicory

Crambe maritima ~ Sea kale

Laportaea canadensis ~ Wood nettle

Levisticum officinale ~ Lovage

Urtica dioica ~ Nettles

Perennial in warmer parts of the Hot and Humid zone, or perennial with protection. Most of these species can also be grown as annuals in the colder parts of this zone.

Abelmoschus manihot ~ Edible hibiscus (as dieback perennial)

Alternanthera sissoo ~ Sissoo spinach

Arracacia xanthorhiza ~ Arracacha

Basella alba ~ Malabar spinach

Brassica oleracea ~ Wild cabbage

Brassica oleracea acephala ~ ‘Western Front’ perennial kale

Brassica oleracea acephala ~ ‘Tree Collards’, ‘Walking Stick Kale’

Brassica oleracea botrytis ~ Perennial broccoli, including ‘9 Star’

Brassica oleracea ramosa ~ Branching bush kale, including ‘Dorbentons’

Carica papaya ~ Papaya

Cnodoscilus chayamansa ~ Chaya (as dieback perennial)

Cucurbita ficifolia ~ Malabar gourd

Dioscorea alata ~ White yam

Dioscorea esculenta asiatic ~ Lesser yam

Dioscorea trifida ~ Cush cush yam

Dolichos lablab ~ Hyacinth bean

Eleocharis dulcis ~ Water chestnut

Gynura crepioides ~ Okinawa spinach

Hibiscus acetosella ~ Cranberry hibiscus

Ipomoea aquatica ~ Water spinach

Ipomoea batatas ~ Sweet potato

Momordica charantia ~ Bitter gourd

Manihot esculenta ~ Cassava

Moringa spp. ~ Moringa (as dieback perennial)

Musa x paradisica ~ ‘Rajapuri’ banana (warmest parts, with long season

protection)

Oxalis tuberosa ~ Oca

Phaseolus coccineus ~ Runner bean

Phaseolus polysantus ~ Cache bean

Physalis pruinosa ~ Ground cherry

Psophocarpus tetragonobolus ~ ‘Day Length Neutral’ winged bean

Psophocarpus tetragonobolus ~ Winged bean

Saccharum edule ~ Pitpit

Sauropus androgynous ~ Katuk (as dieback perennial)

Sechium edule ~ Chayote

Smallianthus sonchifolia ~ Yacon

Tetragonia tetragonioides ~ New Zealand spinach

Trichostigma octandrum ~ Basket vine (as dieback perennial)

Xanthosoma brasiliense ~ Belembe

Xanthosoma saggitifolium ~ Tannier, yautia, malanga (roots need long season)

~ From: http://perennialvegetables.org

Interesting Plant: Perennial Sea Kale

2012-01-14T17:05:00.000-05:00

Sea kale (Crambe maritima) is a clump forming perennial growing about 3 feet high and wide. The plants grey-blue foliage is much like true kale (Brassica oleracea), but the flowers are white and produced in large masses.

Hardy from Zone 5-9
Like Full Sun
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds

Parts that can be eaten:

Spring Shoots: The blanched asparagus-like shoots are cut at 6-9 inches and have a slight hazelnut flavor.

Flowerbuds: Resemble broccoli heads, are not only beautiful and fragrant but also have been said to have a very good flavor.

Leaves: First and second year plants taste like collards. In the fall, after flowering is complete, the leaves of more mature plants can be eaten.

Roots: can be used raw or cooked, usually boiled or steamed like asparagus and served with butter.

These plants can provide good harvests for up to 10 years!!

Normally not grown in FL I'm getting a pack of seeds to see how it will do in my food forest..

And the food forest is under way

2012-01-14T16:54:00.000-05:00

My food forest is officially underway.. we laid out the foundation covered with leaves, and branches and are now planting..

It currently has 3 bananas, 1 mulberry, 1 lemon tree, and 3 little strawberries (they were running off my big momma plants in the strawberry beds).. I have some water saver buckets im going to half dig in to the ground (though still removable if need be) and plant in.. and I also got some seeds im going to start to plant there once they are going strong!

I have fennel and evergreen bunching onions, im also ordering a bunch of supposedly perennial veggies like seakale, and good king henry!

Im excited and its already looking good :)

Banana Trees.. Round 2

2012-01-13T17:25:00.000-05:00

Before I was graciously given about 8 banana trees which were killed off by the freeze but is already shooting green!!

Now for round 2 another kind soul gave us another 8 or so banana trees!!!

2-3 of these will go into the "food forest" that we are building, the rest will go near and around the pond in the back.. we also got some duckweed for the expanding wildlife pond :)

Sleep..

2012-01-09T23:42:00.001-05:00

As I sit here trying to sleep I realize I have a Goldilocks complex.. meaning..

If I have both legs or arms out of the blanket I'm to cold if I have both legs or arms under the blanket I'm to hot... 1 leg and one arm must be out of the blanket and the rest under for me to be perfect... GEEZ!!! Lol

Not to hot not to cold :)

Our Urban Farm Wishlist:

2012-01-08T20:58:00.002-05:00

We take donations anytime and everything is put to good use and MUCH appreciated!

Things we need:

~ Spare wood (building wood)

~ Compost, Manure

~ Trellis

~ Wheelbarrow

~ 5+ Gallon Buckets

~ Re-bar

~ Anything we can plant in

~ Plants
- Fruit trees
- Flowers
- Herbs
- Exotic Veggies and other edibles
- Roses

~ Fencing.. any kind really mostly animal

~ Nails, Screws, Etc

~ Bricks, Pavers, Etc

~ Mulch, hay bales

~ Stones, Rocks

~ Pond Plants:
- duckweed
- watercress
- lily pads
- other edible pond plants

~ A old bathtub

~ Jars, bottles, and storage containers (Glass please)

~ Overabundance of fresh produce, that we will freeze, can, eat, etc

~ Chicken Food, waterers, feeders

You can also donate money via paypal using the sidebar..

Our address: 9509 N Dartmouth Ave Tampa FL

~ Thank you in advance!!!!!

My Green Harvest

2012-01-08T17:42:00.002-05:00

I say my green harvest because everything is unripe.. 80% of my heat loving plants died in the 2 nights of hard freezes we hard here in Central Florida!!!

I had to harvest my large tomatoes and black cherry tomatoes.. the only ones that made it were my violet jasper, the eggplant died and we lost 2 eggplants.. this baby eggplant is the only one that made it!!

Now just to figure out what we are going to do.. with batch 1 we made green tomato salsa so I might just make another batch!

My green harvest!

6.6 oz of green unripe black cherry tomatoes

A huge unripe tomato

Batch 1 of green tomatoes.. 5.75 lbs

Batch 2 of green tomatoes.. 5.9 lbs

My Weird Chick

2012-01-08T16:44:00.002-05:00

I think my chick Charlotte has taken a lesson from the cat.. she rolled over in my hand and when i started to pet her belly she just closed her eyes and relaxed.. I mean really??? So cute but doesn't seem chicken like LOL!!!

A simple goal

2012-01-08T09:57:00.001-05:00

So my goal is to invite people to learn more about their food..
curious passerby's, friends, etc are always asking why I removed the grass in my front yard, why I am building beds, taking people trashed leaves, yard waste, etc...

I want to inform people about what we are working towards, allow them to watch and understand the transition, have them get excited about watching the plants grow..

So I posted a sign explaining what we are doing and I will also label everything I can that I will be growing or have growing out front, hopefully starting a trend and getting more people excited about their food!!

Green Tomato Salsa

2012-01-06T20:01:00.003-05:00

7 cups chopped cored green tomatoes
5-10 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 loosely packed chopped cilantro or parsley
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
water

~ In large stainless steel saucepan combine tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, and lime juice and bring to a boil~ stirring constantly, if your green tomatoes were underdeveloped and dry and some water.. about 2 cups water for 7 cups tomato

~ Stir in cilantro/or parsley, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.. reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes stirring frequently

~ Remove from heat and set next on pot holder

~ If you are canning this you will pour into heated and ready jars 8oz jars (this recipe makes about 6 jars) leaving 1/2 inch of headspace.. process for 20 minutes, remove from heat and uncover canner leaving for 5 minutes, remove jars and let sit on counter untouched until you hear that *ding* that tells you they have sealed, cool jars, and store on shelf!!

~ ENJOY!!!!

Wilted Tomatoes~ Freeze

2012-01-04T10:02:00.001-05:00

So all my tomatoes even the covered ones wilted.. the ones that were uncovered have wilted and turned dark green with damage. The covered ones are wilted but still green so I am hoping to keep them alive long enough to finish growing all my green tomatoes.. Here is what I am doing..

Saving Tomato Plants From Frost

~ Prune any obviously dead or frozen leaves and stems immediately. They will not regenerate after frost damage, and leaving them on the plant will only make it more difficult for the plant to supply nutrients to the healthy portions.

~ Pull any red fruit from the vine, but leave green tomatoes. Often, young green fruit is able to recover after a mild frost, and in a week or two should begin to develop normally. If no new growth is seen in this time, remove the green tomatoes as well.

Use you Christmas Tree in your garden

2012-01-02T20:55:00.002-05:00

Here are some great ideas!!!

~ Use Branches as Pea Brush
Stick branches into the ground wherever you plant your peas. The pea vines will climb the branches. Use a criss-cross fashion, so that one branch helps support the one next to it. You can also tie the branches together where they intersect to help stabilize your pea brush.

~ Cut the branches off and lay them over perennials in your garden. This will provide protection from temperature fluctuations and prevent the plants from heaving out of the soil.

~ Use the trunk to make teepees to grow beans on, rustic fences, and as supports for shade covers and floating row covers.

~ You can cut the branches up into smaller pieces and use them to mulch your beds or garden paths. Snip a few branches into pieces every time you go to the garden so its not such a chore

~ Provide a home for the birds. Once you're done with it indoors, remove the decorations and place your tree, stand and all, out in the yard. Birds will find it and use it as shelter during the winter months. In spring, once the birds don't need it anymore, either chip it up or lay it on its side in a part of your yard where it can serve as a brush pile for other backyard wildlife.

~ Use the trunk of your Christmas tree, you can lay it on the ground to use as a rustic garden bed edging

~ Cut the trunk into little round disks to make small cute "stepping stones"

~ Chop it into firewood and kindling. A typical fir can be turned into 13+ pounds of firewood. Dry branches make great kindling for starting fires. ** Warning: Please use caution while burning this indoors because they contain flammable turpentine oils. Though I have never had a problem in my own house, I advise you to watch your plants and use sparingly **

~ Some people place their used trees in their fish ponds, where they serve as refuge and feeding areas for the fish. **Some experts recommend removing all the needles first, as they’re mildly toxic to the fish.**

~ Cut the branches off and use them at the base of a fresh compost pile. It's a good idea to have coarser materials, like tree branches, at the bottom of the pile because it helps increase air flow to the pile.

What to plant this month~ January (Zone 9)

2012-01-02T19:43:00.002-05:00

January:
Plant Seeds of:
Eggplant
Peppers
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrots
Celery
Collards
Endive
kale
Leek
Lettuce
Mustard
Parsley
English Peas
Potatoes
Radish
Turnips Beets
Chinese Cabbage
Kohlrabi
Green and Shallot Onions
* Remember to keep mulch around your vegetable plants to conserve moisture and reduce weed problems.

New Years Day Harvest!

2012-01-01T16:18:00.000-05:00

A strawberry ( i think the birds may have taken a holiday from eating mine), 2 huge gold medal tomatoes, and a violet jasper tomato!

A freeze is coming :(

2012-01-01T16:12:00.000-05:00

So I had to prepare and cover my heat loving plants..

the other beds will be covered the day of because they will have towels and sheets and cannot get sunlight.. Heres hoping my tomatoes, peppers and eggplant make it through.. everything else is cold loving so they will LOVE it :)

Canning Time

2012-01-01T16:03:00.002-05:00

With strawberry season comes some awesome canning opurtunites!!

So I had great plans and have followed through with 3 of the 4 already..

1. Strawberry Jam
2. Strawberry Wine Jelly
3. Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
4. Strawberry Lemon Marmalade

So number 1, 3 and number 4 are done and sitting on our shelves

Canning has been a blast and I love knowing I am putting up food for my family!

Making Strawberry Jam:

Strawberry Lemon Marmalade:

Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate:

New Chicks

2011-12-31T17:56:00.001-05:00

Ok so after the loss of Shadow I have been going through chicken withdrawal so what better way to welcome in the new year then new baby chicks!? I couldn't think of one.

So off to the feed store did we go, picking out our little chicks and getting them into the car.. they then made the trip to my grandmothers for a visit, where we sat and watched them... one little girl didn't look so hot. She was small and just laid around not making a sound... we started thinking of names and I scooped up that little chick in my hands. We decided on Happy for her for happy new year, as soon as i held her up to my face and asked her if Happy would be a good name for her, she changed.. she started peeping, I put her back down in the basket.. she was up cheeping loudly, walking around, stretching her wings and legs, acting like a completely different chick.. I was thrilled and knew we had found her name, the other is currently not named but I'm sure she will be soon!

After that we went on the ride home where I set them up in their new brooder, a simple rectangle laundry basket, lined with hay, and topped with shredded newspaper and paper towels.. we set up a little food dish, and their water bowel.. dipped their beaks and set them on a high bar stool under the heat lamp!

I feel wonderful having new little chicks in the house, hearing their little peeping is just wonderful!!!

Resolutions

2011-12-31T08:43:00.000-05:00

Ah yes the new year where people make promises to themselves they break within a month.. I want to lose weight, I want to quit smoking, I want to make more money... I hear these over and over and over again, but they are hardly achieved!!

My resolutions this year are different..

- Plant 3 new fruit trees
- Finish transforming my front yard into a garden area
- Start and finish my small scale food forest where there is now just leaves..
- Learn more about ways to work with nature
- Can enough food to fill up my shelves
- Grow as much of our own food as we can
- Start a Bee Garden
- Be the best mother and wife I can be
- Pay off as much debt as I can

As you can see most of my resolutions are attainable with a little hard work and many sweaty dirty days,
but some are harder like paying off my debts.. because after bills we really don't have much left.. just enough for food and a couple packs of seeds to grow our food..
One is personal because I strive to be the best mommy I can for my little angel and hope I am, and this year we will be getting married so now I also will strive to be a awesome wife ( which should come easy because I bleed awesome ;) lol lol)..

I would also like to lose weight.. and I already quit smoking over 4 years ago but I am not setting that as my resolution because its to easy to go off track.. nobody likes going on a diet to lose weight, or going through withdrawal to stop smoking so these things are easily pushed off to the side and forgotten.. but I love being a mom, and I love gardening, working to transform my yards into a living, and producing wonderland of fruits and veggies so these goals though there may be many will be fun projects to work on throughout the whole year, giving me a steady stream of satisfaction when one is completed!!!

So whatever your resolution(s) might be this year I wish you the very best in achieving them!!! Remember pick something fun and attainable because studies have showed that many get depressed after failing to reach those goals they have set.

Have a safe and very happy new year!!!!

My New Years Eve Day

2011-12-31T00:43:00.000-05:00

It has been a very exciting 2011 full of happiness, learning, and loss...

But today is the final day and I have a big day planned!

First is the cleaning and purging of our house..
Do you find that you get overwhelmed in clutter and things? I do and I find 2 really good times to purge.. one is in the middle of summer, when your so sick of the heat you just have to be indoors so you crank up the ac pour yourself a glass of iced tea and CLEAN, the second time is right after Christmas and the start of the new year this is the very best time because more then likely you got a bunch of goodies and awesome gifts and need a place for these goods.. so its out with the old and in with the new.. new pan set for Christmas? freecycle the old pans (keeping only the best) and replace with the new! New clothes? Freecycle the old that maybe you don't really wear anymore either do to style or size!!

Second is getting new chicks..
As my readers know the day after Christmas we lost our best hen.. she was the sweetest hen, and laid the biggest eggs of the bunch! Well we need to replace that hen and since chickens HATE being alone we are getting 2 new chicks :) I'm very excited and hope it works out otherwise we will be getting some around the 15th.

Third is cooking new years eve and new years day dinner.
New Years Eve..
So tonight will be filled with appetizers type foods... Swedish meatballs, chips, homemade chicken tenders, etc etc..
For new years day..
My fiance has a tradition of eating sauerkraut and kielbasa for dinner on New Years day so since we have been together we have kept this tradition alive and well!!! All day it cooks in a crock pot (bought a new one today) and fills the house with its yummy smells!

I'm really excited and though this weekend is sure to be a busy one I'm sure it will be awesome!!!

Happy New Years friends, we wish you all the best!!

Strawberry Season

2011-12-29T23:04:00.000-05:00

Its the start of strawberry season and I am loving it!!!

My strawberry plants are producing like crazy though the birds keep getting to the ripe ones before me (yes I'm going to get bird netting ASAP) but its good to see such happy plants :)

We took a drive to plant city to enjoy strawberry and citrus season..
We picked up a flat of strawberries for $14, then filled up on fresh strawberry shortcake and strawberry milkshakes that will just blow your mind!!!

We came home and I'm still using up that flat of strawberries! So far I have 8 half pint jars of strawberry jam, 7 half pint jars of strawberry lemon marmalade, and am going to make strawberry lemonade concentrate and maybe strawberry wine jelly, all this and still every time I turn around my daughter has red stained hands and mouth :)

Strawberries are one of my fav fruits so this time of year is perfect for me!!! :)

YAY for eating and canning in season!!!

Above: Strawberry Lemon Marmalade

Below: Strawberry Jam

Wealth

2011-12-27T12:37:00.000-05:00

in the future when dollar bills and coins lose their worth what will we be left with?

Only the real wealth.. the knowledge to grow your own food, raise your own animals for milk, eggs, meat, cheese, etc

Only this wealth is real and unchanging it has been around since the start and will be around until the end

The Loss of a Pet

2011-12-26T14:59:00.000-05:00

Today we lost Shadow our wonderfully loving hen. She was the friendliest hen of the bunch and we all loved her dearly. She had been having a hard time breathing and when we awoke today she had past.. in what looked like her sleep which is how I hope.

It is very sad and I am crying as I write this but we thanked her for making our life brighter, and we know that this is part of raising animals.

Her sisters seem to be confused and are looking for her..

She is in the back of our yard buried and surrounded by stones.. complete with a marker and a flower.

Thank you shadow for your eggs, and blessing our life!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:38:00.000-05:00

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!!!! Hope all is well.
Enjoy your day of santa stories, family, faith, cookies, good food, and gifts.

2011-12-24T11:19:00.001-05:00

The Chicken Area Decision

2011-12-23T19:02:00.001-05:00

Well Winter has started but its still in the mid to upper 70's here in central FL with the nights in the upper fifties, and low sixties..

Outdoor work is still being done in full force.. this Christmas weekends project is moving the chicken area.

I had it right in front of the screened in porch but as I learn more about permaculture I understand animals should be in a outer zone with the garden beds closer to the door.. already the back half of my yard is garden beds so we are moving the chicken area to a new grassy patch in the corner along the house, fruit trees should also be in the outer zone so along the fence (including one in the new chicken area) is where any future fruit trees will be planted (hoping for plum and maybe another peach). We stuck new long posts in spaced about 4 ft apart with the old shorter posts between.. the old green fencing will be attached to all the poles, and then bird netting will be attached above that to the taller posts giving a much taller fence so the chickens can't escape into the yard without being supervised.

In the old chicken area they have completely scratched up all the grass and roots, littered their molting feathers and poop all around and have made the area a prime start for new beds.. there is currently a Meyer lemon tree and a mulberry tree in that area so those will be left and a couple small herb beds and 1 long garden bed will be placed there.. that also gives more of a area around my rocket stove giving a little more working room.

I'm very excited to get everything set up and fixed around here :)

Winter is approaching

2011-12-18T16:51:00.002-05:00

In most places people are preparing for winter, stacking wood, storing produce, putting beds to rest if they are not already, adding blankets to the bed, storing hay and food for the animals.. we do that all here as well..

The comforter is added to the sheet on the bed, the animal food is bought and stored in a sealed container from food seeking bugs, we stack wood for our chilly 30 degree nights ;), and we are harvesting and putting up food all winter long..

hahaha..

Well our nights are in the 50's and the days in the upper seventies.. STILL.. but even though the winter veggies are sulking, the tomatoes are loving it and the extended heat season is finally giving us what appears to be a wonderful growing season.. the plants are loaded with everything from small tomatoes to large tomatoes.. I am very very thrilled!!!

Now that it is closing in fast, I am getting very excited for Christmas, cookies have been baking, ginger bread house has been made, presents are under the tree (except for gifts Santa brings of course), my car is being fixed and should be ready by the middle of the week and even though we might be struggling with money I think our life is very good!! :)

Clear Ice Cubes.. The Trick..

2011-12-17T22:17:00.000-05:00

Many people have seen the lovely clear ice cubes with herbs, fruit, or flowers frozen inside..

I've been wanting to do this but always ran into a big problem.. My ice freezes white and clear.. I figured it was my water and gave up.. then I learned the trick...

Boil your water first, cool and then use.. Thank you Food Network.. cant wait to put this trick to use :)

Pictures Around Sunny Spot Gardens (December 17th, 2011)

2011-12-17T11:23:00.000-05:00

A Look at our garden harvest today!

Turnips Growing!

Strawberries growing and flowering :)

Thai Chili Peppers Growing!!

Baby Peas growing up!

Swiss Chard

The kale the chicken feasted on :(

Lettuce Bar!

Garden!

A little Eggplant Baby

A flower almost ready to bloom

Garden Beds with newly sprouted plants!

Tomato in my hand.. its huge, and still growing!

Ripe Lemon!

More tomatoes!!!

Serrano Peppers!

My Yard!

The Heirloom Life Gardener- Review

2011-12-17T09:15:00.001-05:00

So being a girl who has read more then her share of garden books I wasn't overly tempted to buy this book right away, sure I love Baker Creek but it seemed like just another gardening book, that is until they were nice enough to ask me to review it.

Title: The Heirloom Life Gardener
Authors: Jere and Emilee Gettle with Meghan Sutherland
Publisher: Hyperion
First Edition ~ Copyright 2011

My book was sent in the mail and arrived maybe 4 days later (is true Baker Creek fashion), I ripped into the packaging exposing a beautiful hardcover book. I immediately got cozy on the couch with a blanket wrapped around me and dove in.
The first thing I noticed in the front couple pages of the book is that it is printed on sustainably harvested paper, I would hope for no less but glad they had the stamp and followed true to their ideals.
Next I did a initial flip through and was thrilled to see numerous colored photos, some taking up a whole page!
I then started reading..

This book is like sitting down with a old friend, you read it easily as the words flow off the page and you can almost hear them being spoken to you. It starts off with a basic intro.. why they wrote the book, what went into it, etc.. they also give a brief introduction into what a heirloom is.. summing up to a heirloom is a un-hybrid, open pollinated seed and in most cases have been around for over 50 years (many much longer), it also goes into Monsanto's chemicals and how our quality of our precious food is declining.

The first real chapter is Growing Up with Heirlooms and that's where the story begins.. starting out with Jere's childhood on their little homestead in the Boise Valley. Following this boys life from child to teenager is amazing and what many were hoping to read. Learning the joys a child find in nature, and the simple fun one can have in a patch of dirt is truly uplifting and wonderful to read. One part I really enjoyed was when he was speaking of being a young boy at his parents homestead and being sent out in the middle of winter to get food from the root cellar.. "I'd pull on my boots, clomp through snowdrifts, and shovel out a clearing so I could unlatch the enormous wooden door and climb down inside. Once I was down there, the earth warmed me- and then I'd remember the black widows that lurked in the dark corners, just as I was about to start hunting around for a jar of pink applesauce or a box of parsnips. Despite the snow and spiders, the taste of those veggies was always worth the search." I'm not sure why this stood out to me so much, it just seemed real, and lovely. Some might not understand how a jar of homemade applesauce or homegrown vegetables could counteract deep cold and spiders but I think those people must never have had the joy of eating those foods!

The book then follows Jere's journey to Baker Creek farm and the joy he and his family found there, starting a simple small seed business then as he made some money traveling to far off places to find and collect rare heirloom seeds. He writes about how he could not speak their language and that the farmers seemed confused that all he wanted was the seed and how he would take out a knife right there on the side of the street, cut into that vegetable, and scoop the seeds into a bag, label it, and move on. How wonderful these trips must have been, discovering foods you had not even thought would or could exist... eggplants in yellows and greens, tomatoes in whites and strips, squash in every size, shape, color, wow just wow.

After following Jere's journey to where he is now, we enter the typical gardening book. There's a small section of selecting you garden spot. Then preparing the soil, sowing cover crops (which helped me understand more how to do it vs. Other books that just say do it), then finally planting those wonderful seeds. After you plant the seeds there are brief descriptions about watering, mulching, and pest control. They of course warn you away from that awful chemical stuff and even give some examples of organic pest control methods which I found nice and helpful to some.

The 6th chapter is about seed saving. Its not long and drawn out but a simple start to saving. Basics are learned, and there are even lists of easy crops to save seed from and harder. They go more into detail about saving particular seed later in the book. Remember friends, seed saving is very important so we can save the future of these plants!!!

Chapter 7 is about the city farmer, I almost wish they had cut this out and extended something else in the book but it is pretty much a basic overview of container gardening, what grows well, their favorite container plants, and type of pots to use. It briefly goes into small gardens, and community gardens but just giving the basics.
I know that they wanted this book to be all inclusive but I just dont think it was "enough" to be included.
Though I love that they included a site to find community gardens near you.
Click Here for that Link

The last half of the book is their A-Z growing guide.. most gardening books have a version of this nowadays but I immediately loved this one because they included amaranth.. You almost NEVER hear about this veggie/grain and since I'm planning on growing it I loved that they included it! Now this Heirloom Life A-Z is different some letters have multiple plants and some letters are left out completely, I might have found a different name for it but their idea was pure. They include pictures, background, use, seed saving, and growing tips for each fruit or vegetable listed, and personally I think it's fun learning the history behind that little seed. :) Besides amaranth the include artichoke, cowpeas, ground cherry, kohlrabi, mustard, parsnips, rhubarb, sorghum, rutabaga, and then of course all the basics like cauliflower, cabbage, corn, melons, etc.

At this point you are coming the the end of your heirloom journey and they leave you by explaining simple ways to get your dose of heirloom fruits and veggies, you can go to a roadside stand, u-pick farm, farmers market, join a CSA, or attend a produce auction.

Even after my initial doubts this book wowed me so much many times I would read some aloud the my fiance or daughter just because I thought something was funny or interesting. The only thing I wish is that they would have expanded Jere's story more but all in all I consider this a must read by Baker Creek and heirloom enthusiasts alike.

Rating:

3 out of 4 peppers.. This book is HOT!!!

Thank you Baker Creek for giving me such a wonderful chance to review this book. :)

The tomatoes

2011-12-14T20:29:00.001-05:00

The Cherry tomatoes are starting to blush,
I even had a full ripe one a couple days ago..
and let me tell you that splitting a cherry tomato is hard to do 3 ways (Brooke, Ronnie, and myself) but we did, and man was it SUPER yummy!!
I cant wait to have a handful, or a large bite of a super large tomato that are still growing on the plants :)

Yay for what looks to be a AWESOME tomato season ahead!!!

My Car..

2011-12-14T20:26:00.001-05:00

Well my car broke down.. its in the shop.. its going to cost $1000 to fix.. I dont have that type of money.. Sucks :(

A Book To Review

2011-12-13T16:30:00.001-05:00

Well as my blog increases in readers, views, and fans I become happier that my message is spreading, but I'm not the only one who takes notice..

After my post about Baker Creek I was offered a wonderful, very exciting chance to review their new book.

The Heirloom Life Gardener

Today the book was in my mailbox.

First reaction.. lovely hardcover book, great front picture and style.

The inside: quickly flipping through I see lovely pictures (some I recognize from the seed book) and decent sized writing (unlike some books where you have to squint to read)

I'm very excited to jump in and see what this book is all about :)
Stay tuned dear friends!

Tis the Season..

2011-12-11T21:03:00.002-05:00

to be jolly... falalalalalala

:)

This season has been filled with ups and downs, drama and joy..
But this weekend I had a wonderful joyous night.

It started with a lovely dinner at my dad's.. the family was there.. Brooke, Ronnie, Dad, Traceen, Casey, and Cameron and it was very lovely, afterwards we piled into my SUV and drove to see a lovely christmas light display. Staying together in the Florida Cold (which to you northerners would be cool) was very nice, walking through the lights experiencing that Christmas joy as a family was just so nice, and I feel brought us just a little closer together.

See even though we live just 30 minutes apart we almost never see each other, and that dinner and time together made me so happy, just being together.. it was such a wonderful visit..

Heres some of the light display we saw!

It was mesmerizing and so wonderful, they had a fire going, and music, lights flashing and just the joy and smile on everyone's face.. that is what Christmas is about.. Family, laughter, joy... Not presents under a tree or in a stocking..
I loved every minute of it!

Afterwards I decided I wanted to treat everyone to a ice cream. So i asked around and got answers like 30 minutes away, or there's a Wendy's or McDonald's up the road.. but a little phone search pulled up a Custard shop 6 blocks away.. we drove over hoping they were still open and we were in luck.. it was called Rudolph's Custard Shop.. The owner has the place decked out in Rudolph Christmas stuff but not because of the holidays because his last name was Rudolph.. It was a small cozy place 3 seats lined a counter along the wall, and there was a table set up with kids toys but that was all besides the counter.. he had 3 simple flavors, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.. his trademark.. what really made him stand out was that his custard was made with honey..

and friends let me tell you.. Oh My Goodness..
We all ordered our cones, and took our first lick.. we were all stunned and mmmm'ed in unison.. that little custard shop in the middle of a not so great neighborhood that not even the locals who have been there for 50 years knew about had the most delicious fantastic honey custard.. no scratch that.. the best ice cream.. any of us had ever had.. WOW.

This is what made me so happy, we all by pass the little local places for big names we all know, but why.. when even the smallest of places can have such a big yummy impact. We will now make that a normal spot.. anytime my family ventures into St. Pete we will be stopping in a Rudolph's and having a fantastic cone!!

So that wonderful night the Christmas spirit came out in us all and we had a very memorable time that I wont soon forget!

A Local Christmas

2011-12-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

This year marked a huge leap for me.. at least in the Christmas shopping sense.

First of all, I am normally done Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving.. not this year, no sir.. this year its only 15 days and I AM STILL NOT DONE!!!! Ahhhhhh

But the awesome part is I have chosen to make this Christmas (and the first of many I'm sure) a local holiday. Almost all of my gifts, both stocking and full sized were bought from local artists, and other crafty people.

I learned a couple things that make this daunting task a little more fun and easy.

- Keep yourself away from TV commercials, they are always trying to convince you to buy the latest electronic, toy, style, etc

- Never have a set gift in your mind

- Write down a list for each person of favorite scents, foods, colors, books, their sizes, etc.. this will trigger your mind while shopping of what might be the perfect gift(s) for that person.

Around the Holiday's I'm seeing more local shopping events being set up every year as the shop local mindset takes off, this is huge and very awesome giving people who choose this way of shopping more choices.

I love shopping at farmers markets because not only can you grab yourself some produce and goodies but also find local handcrafted goods.
Ask your local farmers market vendor if they know of any local shopping events they are very knowledgeable and I'm sure more then willing to help you find one.

So now that my Christmas shopping is coming to a close I can say I'm very happy with all my purchases and can't wait until Christmas so people can open their wonderful gifts.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

2011-12-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

Every year gardeners and farmers alike wait not so patiently checking their mailboxes for this long awaited seed book to arrive where we spend hours pouring over the lovely descriptions of what those little seeds will turn into, reading the sweet stories they include and even some fun facts scattered throughout.
Now the long awaited Baker Creek seed book arrived in my mailbox 2 days ago, and is arriving in peoples mailboxes across the country as I write this.
This is probably one of the best catalogs available to the organic heirloom seed grower, whether you grow in you backyard or on a farm.

Filled with over 1,400 seeds most plants you can dream about are in this beautiful book.
Pictures of their lovely harvests, leaves, flowers, and other goodies fill their glossy pages making this not only a seed catalog but what could also double as coffee table book.

I just love Baker Creek, not only have I had wonderful germination rates from 95% of their seeds, but their reasonable prices and low flat rate shipping cost have made me a very happy gardener in the past and I'm sure long into the future.

98% of the seeds we use here are from Baker Creek, and here is a BIG thank you to them :)

Harvesting Marigold Seeds

2011-12-04T21:26:00.000-05:00

Super easy harvesting of marigold seeds!!!

Step 1: Pluck dried dead flower heads off plant, should easily come off with light pulling or bending

Step 2: Pull off top "flower" part (this would be the dried petals) leaving the bottom part

Step 3: Take the remaining part of the flower in between your fingers and give a couple rolls..

Step 4: Empty into a small dish that can be covered and stored in fridge for next seasons planting!!!

INFO:

~ The marigold is probably the most well known plant for repelling insects. French marigolds repel whiteflies and kill bad nematodes. Mexican marigolds are said to offend a host of destructive insects and wild rabbits as well.

~ Marigold or calendula lotion has been used to help heal outer signs of eczema.

~ Marigold infusion or marigold petal ointment can be used to soothe chapped hands and may be used in infusion form in the baths to reduce body scars, and soothe varicose veins.

~ The Garden's Labyrinthe (1577) describes marigold as a toothache aid: "The juice of Marigold petals mixed with vinegar to be rubbed on gums and teeth becomes a soveraigne remedy for the assuaging of the grevious pain of the teeth."

~ To Dry the Petals:
Dry the marigold petals on paper, rather than on screens, as they have a tendency to hold tight to the screen while drying, making it difficult to remove them.

What To Do If Dried Beans Are Still Hard After Cooking

2011-12-04T19:12:00.001-05:00

You add a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the water/stew/soup and within 15 minutes..
BAM..
Soft beans!!!!

*Note: I cooked mine another 30 minutes after adding baking soda but caution once you add baking soda watch closely because they can get soft fast then mushy fast..

Introducing New Chickens to Your Flock

2011-12-02T21:54:00.001-05:00

Thank you to my reader that asked me a question about this tonight, you are the inspiration behind this post! :)

There comes a time when almost EVERY chicken owner will add a couple new birds to their flock, this can be a trying time for both you and your birds so be prepared!!!

~ KEEP OUT!!!

When you get new birds keep them AWAY from your current hens for 30 days.. this gives them time to adjust to there surroundings, and you can watch them to make sure they are free of sickness, even the most healthy looking bird could come to your flock, get sick from a germ they weren't immune to, develop it, and spread it to your whole flock.. bad news!!

After the initial 30 day quarantine.. its time to introduce your new birds.. Let me first say this is not a joyous time.. your flock has already established a pecking order and now you are messing it up so be ready..

~ Let me explain pecking order..

At about 6 weeks of age your chickens will start deciding who is boss, and on down the line.. they do this by.. yes PECKING each other, also throwing some chicken punches, kicks, chest bumps, smack talk, cursing, and otherwise very impolite mannerisms .. normally the head cock is at the lead followed by other males then hens, pullets, etc.. I have only hens so they dueled it out and every once in a while I see them enforcing this not so nice chicken rule..
They block food and water, peck, squawk, chase around, flap their wings at and otherwise torment the other bird until it backs down back into it "place"..

But once established, a pecking order actually reduces conflict within a flock. Since everyone knows exactly where they belong disputes are settled more quickly by the lesser yielding to the higher ups!

Note:
When adding new chickens watch closely keep a eye out for wounds or other signs that this hazing ceremony has gone wrong..

~ Now to add the new birds..

Bring in the new birds and give them the tour while in your arms, call your current flock over (maybe with a treat) and hold the new bird(s) firmly in your arms, you are the leader so dont act crazy just be calm and on alert, then show your new bird where the water/ food is, nest box, etc, then put her down and pull up a chair, DO NOT interfere no matter how much you want to unless open bleeding wounds appear (yes this is chicken war).. but then again DO NOT let it go on for more then 5 minutes if it does step in break it up and return to your seat.. you may have to do this multiple times

If you notice a single bird being super aggressive and not letting up it may be necessary for you to remove him/her and keep him/her away for a couple days that way when he/she is re introduced he/she gets knocked off his/her high horse a little bit and is usually a little nicer..

You should only have to be out there for around a half hour to a hour, then go inside but keep a watchful eye out the window and a ear out for fighting, and step outside every half hour or so to monitor the situation..

Congrats you have introduced a new bird to your flock!!!

Notes:
~ I have readers swear by adding new birds at night while the others are roosting that way they all wake up together.. they are more confused then angry.. like who are these folks, when did they get here, why dont I know them and etc

~ Also others say that placing a large metal cage (think doggy cage) in the corner of the chicken area with the new hens in there for a couple weeks, while letting the others get used to them without having access to peck, etc

Please just remember every flock is different every chicken is different and for some it might be easy while others it takes much longer, I have heard of some chickens not accepting others until a year later!
Lets hope you have better luck :)

Hope I helped!!!

How Does Your Garden Grow

2011-12-01T13:05:00.000-05:00

Mine grows with leaps and bounds!

I currently have growing:
- Diff types of tomatoes:
- violet jasper
- black cherry
- gold medal
- pineapple
- flame
- and maybe a couple others
One of my tomato plants in the same height I am (and I'm 5'10) with another close behind

- Florida beauty eggplant
- Thai chili peppers
- Serrano peppers
- Jupiter peppers
- Carribean habenero
- Chocolate habenero
- Zucchinni squash
- Burgendy beans
- Garden wonder peas
- Rainbow chard
- Nero di tuscano cabbage kale
- Cosmic purple carrots
- Nante carrots
- Parisene carrots
- Jap long carrots
- Red creole onion
- Another type of onion I forget
- Garlic tops
- Golden globe turnips
- Of course my strawberry gardens which are blooming

Newly planted seeds yet to sprout:
Early Henderson Cabbage
Kohlrabi
Purple top Rutabaga
Southern Giant Mustard Greens
Spinach- Bloomsdale
Snowball Cauliflower
All of which were planted today 12-1-11 at 12:30pm

Our Winter Wishlist

2011-12-01T09:56:00.001-05:00

We take donations anytime and everything is put to good use and MUCH appreciated!

~ Paint (gallons in all colors)

~ Spare wood (building wood)

~ Compost, Good Dirt

~ Wheelbarrow

~ 5+ Gallon Buckets

~ Re-bar

~ Anything we can plant in

~ Plants
- Fruit trees
- Flowers
- Herbs
- Exotic Veggies and other edibles
- Roses

~ Fencing

~ Nails, Screws, Etc

~ Cast Iron Pans

~ Bricks, Pavers, Etc

~ Mulch

~ Stones, Rocks

~ Pond Plants:
- duckweed
- watercress
- lily pads
- other edible pond plants

~ A old bathtub

~ Jars, bottles, and storage containers (Glass please)

~ Overabundance of fresh produce, that we will freeze, can, eat, etc

You can also donate money via paypal using the sidebar..

Our address: 9509 N Dartmouth Ave Tampa FL

~ Thank you in advance, My family