Meandering through the garden...

Green Onions

Taking a stroll through our garden, now that it is finally almost dry enough to visit.  It is amazing how different things are this year from all the rain we have been receiving.

Cabbage, Cauliflower(Violet) :), Kale and Carrots are in this bed.

Yes, I believe we enjoy Raised Bed gardening... tremendously!

Next year, I imagine we will be building a couple more of these.

09:10 - Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - comments {8} - post comment

A trip to a local plant nursery...

If you have lived around my hometown for any amount of time, you have probably heard of Lulla-Belles. A wonderful little nursery with tons of plants every which way you turn.
I took my first trip of the year last week along with the two youngest and we had a dandy time...
They thought they had entered a jungle!
Hen's and Chick's. Or Hen's and Doodle's whichever you prefer.
Two little gardeners in training.
Cosmos, one of my new favorites... aren't these beautiful?
A big pond with some fish swimming near the  edge, which the children adored.
Little strawberries in a pot...
Some of the most precious things can be the simplest...

02:48 - Monday, April 27, 2009 - comments {6} - post comment

Raised Bed for the Garden

Shannon and I have been gardening for several years now. We will be the first to tell you... we are not the best gardeners by any stretch of the imagination. But we are learning and are much better than the first year we tried. :)
Each year we seem to add a new vegetable or a new concept to our gardening.
This year, we added our first raised bed. I have been reading about them over at Rhonda-Jean's for a long time now. Katie Bettendorf has even been talking about them lately. So I called up a local concrete plant to check on prices of block. The blocks we used were 6's. I had full intentions of buying seconds of 8's... but they were out. So, to keep within the same price range, I bought 6's and they worked out nicely.
Our beds are 8 long and 4 wide. We have weed barrier on the bottom. We filled it up with topsoil and mixed some compost in.
Here are two of my favorite guys mixing in some compost with the topsoil.
I didn't snap a picture of the complete bed. I might try and do that in the morning.
But in this bed I have...
Carrots
Kale
Cabbage
Cauliflower (violet... cool, huh? :) )
We also planted our Sugar Snap Peas and Onions. In a different spot.
We are so pleased with this bed, we will probably try and add one more for next year.
Have a wonderful week!

12:52 - Monday, March 9, 2009 - comments {6} - post comment

A Surprise!

Is there anything much cuter than a little farm girl in her thrift store dress and muck boots? Be still my heart.  This is Carlie Jean helping Moma gather luffas.
Yesterday, we were hanging some clothes out on the line (yes, it has been that nice!) and I noticed one of my, what I thought, ruined luffas.  They got so big and lovely but then it got cold before they hardened on the vine.  I was utterly disappointed because I got them from a dear lady in Australia. So I went to pick it up and throw it into the compost pile... when what do my wandering eyes spy?
The outer layer is partly peeled to show that, YES! I believe I can save these!!!!
I start pulling off that outer layer, I find all kinds of seeds and a beautiful, although somewhat dirty sponge.
I immediately went traipsing through the garden picking up all that I could find and ended up with 2 buckets full of sponges soaking and plenty of seeds!!
Here is one of the freshly peeled luffas... Nice eh?
WOOHOO!
Score!
Today if the rain holds off I will lay the soaked sponges in the sun to dry out and then they will be ready for use!
I guess now it is time for me to try my hand at soap-making. :) You can't grow a nice sponge like this and not make some handmade soap to go with it.
Have a great day my friends and I hope you have some wonderful surprises as well!
My Cup Runneth Over...

07:08 - Wednesday, February 11, 2009 - comments {7} - post comment

Fun around the homestead

...But not hardly that pretty. :)
Ours is quite interesting though...
The colors are not coming through, it was almost a lime green and yellow.  Just beautiful.
And then the top was pretty shape.
(Cameo was afraid to touch it and I was taking the picture.)
After Shannon was finished helping his brother, he and the kids went down to the root cellar to waterproof the inside. 
Here is what the outside looks like now.  This picture is taken looking from the deck.
Here is how looks when you walk down and go to the entrance.
Once we finish sealing the inside and building shelves I will post some more pictures. 
Out in the garden my luffa vines have taken over, completely.  I am blown away by how these things have grown!  Next year, they will get a VERY large area of their own with a nice trellis.  Look at this one that I spied.
When we all came in of the evening, we had a lovely pot of Whole Wheat Alphabet Soup for supper with a simple salad and some crusty bread, it was really nice on a dreary day like today.... and for a special treat, I made some Applesauce Puffs.
Mmmm...
We had such a nice day... hope yours was too! Blessings, xoxo.
My Cup Runneth Over...

12:00 - Wednesday, September 10, 2008 - comments {7} - post comment

Luffa's

Hello dear friends!
I tell you, the weather has been rough around here... our garden has suffered. It hasn't helped that Shannon and I have not been ourselves either.  We are thankful for what we have been able to get out of the garden, what we have been able to preserve for the winter. One thing that is doing quite beautifully though is my Luffa's.  Dear Rhonda Jean sent me a package of seeds when we had a swap and I am so excited to harvest these once they have dried.
Silly as it may sound, I always thought luffas were a type of sponge from the sea. I had NO idea it was something to grow in the garden.
Her site has some great info on how to prepare these for use.
You let these dry on the vine and then once dried you can harvest the seed and peel the skin.  Then you soak them in a bit of bleach water and let them dry... after dried they are ready for use or for gift giving.
I would love to get my own soap made so I could give a gift of soap and luffa. 
But I am having a terrible time trying to find lye.  Any ideas where I can buy this.  I have tried Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart... I can't find it. 
Thanks for your visit.  May God bless you and your Homestead.
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

08:37 - Wednesday, August 20, 2008 - comments {11} - post comment

A Great Tip for Tuesday

Good Morning!
I have a clever little tip for you today.
Isn't it frustrating when you come in from the garden with your clogs or other garden shoes and track in clumps of grass or dirt? Well, I have a solution for that...
I took two wooden dowels and cut them in half.  I hammered them in the ground beside my back door steps, when I go out to the garden or the laundry line, I just slip on my shoes, when I am done, I leave them on the dowels.  Saves a lot of tracking in mud, grass and dirt on my part.
I did the same for the children.
And it looks cute too... think of it as yard art!
I hope you  have a great day and may God richly bless you and your homestead.
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

06:47 - Tuesday, June 17, 2008 - comments {10} - post comment

June

"It's beautiful the Summer month of June
When all of God's own wildflowers are in bloom
And sun shines brightly most part of the day
And butterflies o'er lush green meadows play.Light hearted skylark songster of the wing
High o'er the quiet and lonely moorland sing
Above her nest cloaked by the tangled heath
Her charming song so exquisitely sweet.So mellow the gentle breath of June day breeze
The birds rejoicing on the leafy trees
And dappled trout in pool bed of the stream
Bask in the sun their spotted skins agleam."
-   Francis Duggan, June

My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

03:02 - Tuesday, June 3, 2008 - comments {4} - post comment

You learn something new every day...

I am sure you have all heard that right?  You learn something new every day... I find it quite true.  Some of the things I learn, I learn the hard way.  You know last week I was building the base of my earth oven... It was going beautifully, I loved the feel of mixing the mortar, getting it to the right consistency, smearing it between the rocks for a good fit... and then a little later it began to get painful.  I didn't know I should be wearing gloves, call me a goofball or a meathead, I have already been called that by some... but I honestly did not think!!!!!  I liked the feel of it, it was very cool and artsy and then it was very, very painful... and still is in some areas. 
So anyways, if you are going to attempt this project, WEAR GLOVES!!!!!  I beseech you! Wear them.... without them is AGONY!!!!
Ok, enough of that.  Also I want to give you the ratio of mix, now this is NOT exact, but it works.
You want 1 scoop, whether it be shovel, or pail or whatever
1 scoop of cement
3 scoops of mortar
5-7 scoops of sand
water
That is your mixture for your mortar... You mix the dry up first and then you add your water, you want it to a good soft mixture, but not mortar soup, you want to be able to hold it in your hand. Play around with it a bit, you will get the idea. 
So here is my area before...
I dug out a ring for my first layer... if I were doing this again, I would have dug out the center as well... learn from me! But if you have this form you will keep your base the size you want, mine is a 5' diameter each way, so it is a beautiful circle!
Now here is mine after... Note, I wanted mine taller and may still make it taller but I ran out of mortar and only had a few rocks left... so for now this is how it looks.
I am VERY happy with it, thus far.  Abram has broken a few of the top rocks off, that is because I laid them with minimal mortar, I had a little bit left as I was scraping the wheelbarrow clean,  I thought they might adhere, but you need a goodly amount of mortar between the rocks... a little dab will NOT do you... NOT in this case... slather it on, you can always brush away the excess!  And again, WEAR GLOVES... here I am 5 days later with hands that are still very tender.
Cameo is turning 11 this week and we are having a party.  I am going to use my base as a fire pit.  We have laid a layer of sand and gravel on the bottom so we will can build us a fire in it... I have even thought I might just use it to cook on until I am able to finish.  You know get an iron hanger and hang a cast iron dutch oven in there with some stew or beans? YUM! Or even get a grill to lay on the top and cook up some grilled veggies or chicken... Mmmm... Sounds like good times to me!!!
 Have a GREAT day!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

06:57 - Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - comments {12} - post comment

One of my many hats...

Hello my friends... here we are already at the end of another work week... and what a great one this has been.  As you know around here I wear many hats.  Wife, Mom, Teacher, Baker, Chef, Bus Driver, Accountant, Lawyer, Doctor, Seamstress, Gardener, Ornithologist, and many, many more... Today I am adding to my list of duties, I am going to attempt to learn to lay rock today and that will be the base for my Earth Oven.

I am COMPLETELY excited, and nervous.  I believe I told you we went and picked up rocks at my Dad's earlier this week.  And now they lay out there in wait of their destiny... that being a beautiful brick oven... hopefully!
Do I know how to do this? Nope... never laid rock or brick or anything else.  Do I believe I can do it? Yep!
I have always been one who if there is something out there that I want to try, I go for it, and try it... I don't let inexperience stop me!
So here I go... I am off to the hardware to get my mortar, cement, and sand and then I will get these rocks laid for the base.  I will let you know how it goes of course!!!
Here is a great book that I am using as my guide, Kiko Denzer's book Build your own Earth Oven.
Have a great day friends!!!!
My Cup Runneth Over...Chas

07:34 - Friday, May 23, 2008 - comments {8} - post comment