Learning

There's been lots of learning going on around here. From raw food to instrument maintenance, our recent explorations have run the gamut.

"A," an avid jazz pianist, is learning to tune pianos. This is not the beautiful music we are used to hearing on a daily basis. This is a lot of bent notes and piercing, almost screeching sounds, played over and over until the notes are brought back to their soothing songs. And once the entire piano is properly tuned, he takes it back out of tune, and starts all over. Practice makes perfect, right? I'll keep telling myself that.

The girls have been learning to draw with charcoal. The smudging, blending, and erasing has opened up lots of new creative exploration in their art.

We're participating the the Green Smoothie Challenge, experimenting with different combinations of kale, apples, mangoes, chard, and bananas, so far. Surprisingly yummy, though not all of them have been a success. On to spinach!

This year, I'm learning to start my seedlings under lights. The south-facing windows have left much to be desired from my seedlings in previous springs. Hopefully, the heat and constant light will yield beefier plants—if I don't fry them first with the scorching fake sunlight, like last year.

I'd love to hear what new things you've been learning and experimenting with. Let me know!

Soil: The Tutorial

Last month, when I posted the raised garden bed tutorial, I promised a follow-up tutorial on making soil. It's a bit delayed, I know, but it is definitely not too late (especially for those of us in northern parts).

If you are going through the trouble of building your own raised bed, you're going to want to fill it will the best stuff you can. Hauling a few bags of garden soil from the hardware store can get expensive and is not necessary. I promise you there are many ways to source materials that will form the best growing matter for your plants. Read on!

I have to apologize in advance, as photos of soil, in various stages of decomposition, are not exactly what one might consider eye candy...

Step One: Turn the top soil over. You want to flip under whatever is currently growing in the designated spot, so that it is completely buried. A pitchfork works well for this.

Step 2: Add any and all organic matter you have into the bed. Composted manure, straw or hay, sphagnum moss, regular ol' dirt, and partially composted clippings and leaves are all great to throw in the mix. Use a metal landscaping rake or hoe to evenly distribute and combine it all.

The best thing I had was the top layer of dirt from the chicken run. This was completely composted pine shavings, food scraps, straw, and chicken manure, and it equaled black gold.

If you happen to have some chickens hanging around, make them earn their keep. They will scratch and dig (and poop!) in that heavenly pile, working it into a rich mixture.

Step 3: Wait. And flip, mix, and stir the soon-to-be-soil once a week. By planting time, it will be a bed full of organic, nutrient-rich, free (!) earth.

Here are a few suggestions for obtaining free organic material to help fill your bed:
•Find a horse stable. Many of them offer manure for free, so long as you do the shoveling
•Ask a neighbor if you can dig out some of their compost. (I have neighbors who compost their yard waste but aren't gardeners, so they have little use for all that good stuff.)
•Check Craigslist or Freecycle to see if anyone is offering compost or manure
•Check to see if your town/municipality has a central dumping site for yard waste, and see if they offer compost to the public
•Dig out the chicken coop/sheep pen
•Use this as an opportunity to knock down any raised or uneven portions of your yard, add that to the bed

Corner Views: Spring

Spring? If you're thinking of the season that vacillates between snow flurries and floods, then yeah, I've got some spring for you. The tide in my back yard has ebbed, once again, leaving mud in its wake. (Aheh. So much for those earlier-than-ever seeds we planted last week.)

If you live in New England, I imagine the scene in your "corner" is much the same. If you don't, I hope you have gorgeous views of tulips, forsythias, daffodils and crocuses.

More shots of spring at Spain Daily.

Raised Garden Bed Tutorial

Now that our yard has absorbed all that water, we can get on with the business of spring (!) gardening.

Remember back when I said we always order too many seeds? Well, this year is no exception, so a new raised bed was in order. Here's how to make our version:

Start with a couple lengths of 3/4" x 7 1/2" wood (2"x 6" boards are standard, but this wood was less expensive, so we went with it), and cut them to the dimensions you want the bed to be (we made ours 5' x 8'). Cut small blocks of wood (from a 2"x 3" board) to match the height of the raised bed, and screw or nail one into each inside corner, making the frame. This will secure the boards together and make for strong corner connections. (Be sure to use only galvanized nails or screws, as anything else will rust.)

Next, screw or nail the boards together where they overlap on the outside.

Before you move on to the next step, you should make sure the spot where you plan to put the bed is level. Use a shovel and/or rake to even the surface out. If the site is not level, water will pool in low spots, and the frame may warp.

You'll need four stakes to anchor the frame into place and strengthen it . "A" took a 2"x 3" board and cut off four pieces at an angle, approx. 16" long each. These are simple and cheap stakes that could be used for many outdoor purposes (we use them to secure our swing set to the ground, too).

Placing the straight side of the stake up against the outside of the bed, use a mallet to pound the stakes in.
You want the height of the stake to be even with the top of the bed, so be careful not to pound it in too far. Place one stake at each corner of the frame. Next, nail or screw the stakes to the boards. This will secure the bed to the ground. The frame for your raised garden bed is now done!

Before you can start planting, you'll need to fill that bed with lots of good stuff. I'll be posting a tutorial on making good soil for your raised beds soon.

Mid-Winter Bits

Each February, just as the winter doldrums start to settle in, the kind folks at the seed companies throw us a bone and send out the seed catalogs. Those coveted booklets land in our mailbox reassuring us that spring is on its way.

We pour over them, making unrealistic lists of what we'll grow—giant watermelons, tiny yellow tomatoes, purple string beans, and white eggplants. We get all starry-eyed and forget the size of our garden. No matter, though. We can dream of bigger-than-life gardens while we're snuggled up warm inside. And anyway, we add a new raised bed almost every year, as a direct result of our overzealous seed ordering. The promise of spring that comes with these catalogs is infectious. And once those seeds are sprouting in their cups, there is no looking back.

Speaking of the winter blahs, I had a good dose of action this past weekend at the aptly named artisan show, Cabin Fever. It brought lots of shoppers looking for Valentine's Day fodder and a chance to get out and about. A few new pieces I had been working on made their debut there, like these Cuff Rings.

Oh, Valentines, Day. I am not crazy about this "holiday" but I have to admit, I do love the colors and art that comes with it. The girls and I were looking at some cute illustrations the other day and we came across a painting of a bowl full of hearts. I commented that I would love to have a bowl of hearts like that, and the girls giggled, "we have a bowl of hearts, Mama!" They were right. We did, in fact, have a bowl of hearts right on the table. A big bunch of multicolored salt-dough hearts, made for classmates.

School vacation is next week and soon, it'll be March. Then it's all crocuses and daffodils, Easter eggs and jellybeans. And seedlings, of course—maybe my favorite thing about winter.

Mint!

Ignoring the advice of every gardening book ever written, I let the mint in my garden get out of control. And so, even in December—even after frost and snow, we are still enjoying this delicious (and plentiful) leaf straight from the garden.

A bunch of mint hanging to dry in our kitchen is a familiar sight. We have jars and jars of the dried herb stashed for the winter.

It's a good thing that the girls' favorite tea is "minty" tea.

I recalled a simple recipe for mint candy, and figured this was the perfect use for the last leaves left out back. Start with a good bunch of mint leaves, washed and dried.

Next, dip them in egg white then in granulated sugar. Let the leaves dry for about a day on parchment.

Candied mint leaves are thin, sweet, and surprisingly crispy. This delicate treat couldn't be easier to make—the hardest part is waiting for them to dry.

We found this recipe in a kids book of nature crafts but I can't, for the life of me, remember what book. If anybody out there knows, let me know and I'll give credit where it is due!

More of Autumn's Second Phase

A few more signs of the second phase of autumn...

Planting garlic. Seems like we just pulled it out of the ground and we're already running low. We planted lots this year, as most of our meals start with garlic sauteing on the stove. Oh, that scent!

And one funky chicken. Rocky has started to molt, and the others will soon follow suit. She's quite a sight with almost no feathers on her neck right now. That poor hen looks like she's seen better days.

What signs of this second half of autumn are you seeing?

Pumpkins!

Last week we were (happily) up to our ears in apples. This week? Pumpkins!

Our visit to Nihtila Farm was a filled with all things fall: pumpkins (of course!), corn stalks, apples, gourds, hay bales, and plenty of great photo opportunities.

More fodder for the freezer—this time pumpkin puree

The crew hauling their loads

Roasted pumpkin seeds

And a couple of big ones ready to be carved

Happy Pumpkin Season!

Surroundings

There were plenty of folks at the party this past weekend who had never been to our home. This brought on lots of kind comments about our surroundings—most of which had to do with the great architectural details of our older house (built in 1920) or the landscaping. It got me thinking about where we live, and how we forget to appreciate our little nest sometimes.

There's the furnace that has been known to shut off only on the coldest day, the paint that's peeling from the foundation, and a front lawn that is mostly crabgrass. It's easy to get hung up on what the neighbors might see as not up to par, but it is what I look past almost daily that makes this house special. A pretty window that looks out to the backyard, the kitchen back splash we put in a few years ago, and the sturdy front door that we opened with a skeleton key the first time we entered the house

Today, with renewed enthusiasm about my home, I have decided to run a series featuring the special things that surround me and my family. These things might inspire, spark an idea for you and your own home, or could be a clever solution you may want to try for yourself.

So here goes! The first "Surroundings" feature:

This trellis was built by "A" only three years ago. The vines have completely covered it, creating a green "room" that houses our hammock. And it just so happens to be this very week that the vine explodes with tiny white flowers that drip off the top of it. We call this place our "secret garden," our little hideaway right in our own backyard.

What about you? What is your favorite thing about where you live? Is it artwork, an architectural feature, an outdoor element, a prized piece of furniture? Do tell.

Not a Dull Moment

The Peruvian wool I splurged on a few weeks back is starting to take shape. As you can see, I am running out of room on the pattern to make note of my sets and rows. What am I knitting? I'll bet most anyone who is a fan of knitty.com could guess. I do believe it is, by far, their most downloaded pattern...

Our pick-your-own blueberry excursion today yielded 5 pounds (five POUNDS!) of berries, for exactly $10. I call that a bargain, if there ever was one. But wait, speaking of bargains...

I scored all this booty at a local church yard sale this evening. Fabric, ribbon, rick rack, bias tape, string, a bread pan, and a pair of knitting needles of every size from 1 to 7 (!!!), and more (read: various random animal statues the girls chose, beads, a mug, leather gloves, felt squares...) for, once again, exactly $10.

So here I am—with an interesting knitting pattern to concentrate on, more blueberries than I know what to do with, and crafting supplies to last me far into the future. I don't imagine a dull moment any time soon.

Robots and Kings

The finished product (see previous post). I crocheted this adorable set for my nephew's birthday, and he has been blasting off ever since. The pattern, from Amy Gaines, is simple and quick. I have written before about Amigurumi crocheted toys here. They are fun to make and even better to give. My girls have lots of handmade friends now, and count them among their most special toys.

...and this little arrangement was on our table the other day. A snack, that the girls gathered from the garden when I was remiss in getting them something to eat. They were referring to their assortment of tiny carrots, nasturtium, and mint as "the king's snack," a name we will most definitely be using from now on. I am thinking I will delay in getting them snacks more often—just to see what they come up with on their own. This snack, fit for a king, is much better than what I would have served up to my little queens.

Coming Along Nicely

The garden and my latest project are coming along nicely.

Here is a sneak peek of what I've been working on (more on this soon):

and...the garlic has been harvested! We usually do this in the beginning of July, but things in the garden are going a little slower this year.

Water, Water

This can't be good for the squash plants.

The chicken coop entrance is now a small pond,

...and something tells me we won't be having a fire in this pit any time soon.

The already suffering-from-too-much-rain garden takes another hit. I will be holding my breath over the next few days as I watch to see which of those battered veggies will bounce back.

The good news? Broccoli, just picked, is on the menu tonight!

Late July

After so many days of rain in June and early July, we have finally enjoyed a couple of weeks of sunny summer weather. But it was during those dark rainy days that our garden truly suffered. Delicate transplants were drowned out (if not destroyed by the chickens), and all the veggies seemed just a bit stunted without the sun to reach towards.

This brings us to now, late July, a time when were are usually enjoying our garden's bounty. It would be salads every night, sliced cucumbers for snacks, and zucchini up to our ears. But not this year. We have harvested most of our surviving lettuce, snacked on some string beans and seasoned all our meals with fresh herbs, but that's about it.

So, in a effort to grow more of our own food this year, we have stepped up our sprout production, including them in more recipes than I probably should. We have The Sprout Garden, a sprout grower that makes it super easy to wash and drain the seeds as they grow. I order our seeds from Wood Prairie Farm in Maine, where we get our seed potatoes, too.

We have our sprouts , herbs, and lettuce for the time being, as we patiently wait for the broccoli (any day now), potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, carrots, and onions. Coming, hopefully, soon.

Freedom and Time

Clematis blooming in clusters on the trellis...

The girls passing time finger knitting (learn how here)...

Blankets for Craft Hope project #3 getting boxed up and ready to go...

And toy birds in a tree...

I came upon these birds in our dogwood tree yesterday quite by surprise. Funny, what the kids will come up with when given freedom and time a-plenty. They learned how to finger knit—and have made scarves for many, many stuffed friends. We have had time to craft for the sake of those who do not have. We have been living in our yard, in its summer-blooming glory.

*Sigh*, Summer!

The Solution

As I mentioned before, our hungry hens have been destroying our garden—scratching, trampling, pecking and eating the already challenged veggies (read more about that here). It was clear, we needed fences around all the gardens but I did not want to spend any more money on this cause.

The solution? Sticks. We had a pile of sticks in the back corner of our yard so we poked them into the ground around the perimeter of the garden. Even though the chickens could fly over the fence if they really wanted, the sharp, twisted branches seemed to be enough of a visual barrier to keep them at bay—until they figured out they could squeeze between them. Imagine our surprise when we found all the chickens on the wrong side of the fence eating the lettuce. Foiled. So we added more sticks, filling in the spaces, and the chickens have not had lettuce for lunch since. Or perhaps I should say, yet.

Attack of the Chickens

Scratched up dirt and rolled rocks...

Trampled tomatoes...

Gravel strewn around the yard...

And one hen who has decided to eat her own eggs (eeewwww!)...

The chickens (more about them here) have been ruling the roost lately—scratching, trampling, helping themselves to the lettuce, and wreaking garden havoc in general. Looks like the time has come to take back the yard. We have our work cut out for us—fencing the rest of the not-yet-fenced gardens, mending trampled veggies, raking dirt and gravel back to where it came from, and replacing the painted rocks back to the borders they make.

As for the hungry hen? We are not so sure. Suggestions welcome.