Watering the Garden

We haven't had much rain here in my area and my garden is hesitant to grow and produce without the rain.  I've had to really get creative in ways to water without waste.  By that I mean that I have to water my plants without wasting water.  When watering the garden, it is important to water deep because it sets the roots in deeper soil allowing them to go without irrigation for longer periods of time.  Now the best water for any plant is rain water, but we can't control when or how often or how much of that we get.  I love the Rainbird products for my sprinkler heads and I like dealing with a company that I can trust.

Take care of your garden and it will take care of you.  Water the garden but don't waste the water.  Use products, supplies and a company that you can trust.  Ask questions from other gardeners, join a forum and relax with irrigation supplies that you can count on from a company that you can trust.

Enjoy the water that we have and the garden that you will grow!

Spring has Sprung

By now you probably know that Spring has sprung.  Well actually, not officially for 3 more days.  I am counting down the days until I can say Spring is here!  I love Spring and that reminds me of what I love to do this time of year...Gardening!  My youngest son and I have been digging in the dirt and watering our young tender plants.  Nursing them along and giving them the nutrients that they need to not only survive but to develop into wonderful producing plants.
With plants that produce comes work.  Yes, I know...that's a 4 letter word.  But it doesn't have to be!  One thing that I am researching right now is a drip irrigation system. I don't have to worry about forgetting to water the plants.  I'm not tied to the garden (so to say).  I don't have to hurry home or worry about getting back home because something in the garden needs to be done.  Irrigation Supply Outlet has been in business for 23 years and I certainly like to put my money into a sure thing.  I have discovered that they carry "professional grade" irrigation supplies.  That is a good thing!  Did I mention that I can save water too?!  Now how cool is that!
So you say that you don't have a garden.  That's ok, because you can find lawn sprinklers that will have you saving water while you get that grass green and lush!
Now get out there and get some dirt under those nails. 

Planting

You better get outside and get those gardens ready.  It's time to get planting and growing.  We started ours yesterday.  Ok - if you count the day we actually bought seeds and some starter plants, then we started it on Tuesday.  But...wait a minute!  It was actually February 27th because that's when Matthew and I started some seeds in a seedbed inside.
We should have planted potatoes on Valentine day.  But you guessed it!  We were way too stinkin busy and I forgot.  Can you believe that I forgot?!  I started saying last year that this year I would plant my potatoes on Valentine day.  Next year!  I will plant my potatoes on Valentine day!

Everyday

Some days I want to sit and tell you everything. Other days...well, mind your own business.
Do you ever have days like that? Com'on now, tell it like it is. You know you do too.
Ok...Here we go.

Today I sat in a "canning class". I actually learned a few things.
One very important thing that I learned is that the way my parents and grandparents used to can would kill us these day. Ok, maybe not would, but certainly could.
I learned that the USDA doesn't have a way to can yellow squash. Homemade canning I mean. Not store bought canning.
I learned that you need soft water to pickle the best pickles. Now get this. Hard water has lime in it and you gotta get it out of the water to pickle pickles cucumbers. And...you have to buy lime to use it in the pickle recipe. Hmmm....I think I'll be thinking on this one for a little while.
Speaking of canning.
I'm growing a garden again this year. I grow a small garden just about every year. Now that the boys are older and I seem to have a few more minutes during the day, I think I want a little bit bigger garden. My horses supply me with all the compost I can use with plenty left over for anyone interested in hauling some away. I will pick the first yellow squash tomorrow. There are tomatoes about the size of marbles. This year I planted running beans. It is so neat to watch the runners grow.
And speaking of runners, I'm gonna run right outta here for now. See you soon!

Should I Quit

All of you know that I haven't been posting here like I should. I am just doing other things and don't want to spend so much time talking about what I want to do or what I've been doing or even what I'm gonna do...
I just want to go and do it. That's what has me thinking that maybe I should just quit. I mean quit blogging. No - not forever - just for a little while. Haha...that's pretty much what I've done. Well to some extent anyway.

Here lately I've been...
outside more
enjoying home school
raising a baby squirrel
doing more with freecycle
planning and planting a winter garden
enjoying our 3 boys

I Know...

I know just what you are thinking. I should update my blog and stop talking about updating it and keeping it up to date and so on and so on. Blah - Blah - Blah! We've all heard it before.

Ok, I'll do better.

Now, where have I been...

I've been to a couple of funerals. Dealt with those and moved on. I've rented an RV. YES, AN RV! Did we look like Robin Williams in the movie RV? I doubt it but I do have to say that we all rented the movie a few days before we rented the RV and went on vacation.

Our garden has done so well and provided us with so many veggies. I love home grown food. Home school is going well. Yes, we are still in school. There won't be very much of a summer break. Right now we are only looking at the month of August. We'll see what happens between now and then.

The Hits Just Keep on Comin

Right when I think that I am finally going to get caught up - The hits just keep on comin.

Honestly they do! I still have a mound of paperwork on my desk. This morning I started going through some of it and I actually threw some things away. I'm sure later on I'll be wondering where they are, but that's ok. I'll just deal with it then.

Over the last 2 weeks I have been really slack in the boys schoolwork. We have strayed from the books and did some fun projects. I sure wish that I would have taken the holidays to do that. Live and learn! LOL

This week I am really trying to get back into the book work. It's going pretty well - so far. Since we had 2 weeks of slacking, the boys ask if they can do this or that. I think I may have made an impression on them with some fun activities. That's not a bad thing! Our homeschool group is really picking up with activities. Now throw up the activities with the Boy Scouts and once again - the hits just keep on comin.
Ok - throw in a Valentine supper. I really wanted to have the kids do some Valentine decorations but there just isn't enough hours in the day. One thing I have really figured out is this...Kids have to get out and run to burn off that energy. Really, they do. I have noticed that our bad days are mostly because they didn't burn off enough of their energy.
Oh yeah - I almost forgot. It's garden planning time. Mention a garden and they boys just go bezerk. Really they do. Is is because they like to watch things grow or because it gets them outside. I don't know - I just like the fact that they are interested in it.
I sure do remember being in the garden with my dad. I also remember all the good meals that momma used to cook from the things that dad grew. Mmmmm - I can smell it cooking now.

Ok - that reminds me that I need to finish cleaning off my desk. Help the boys with their school work and I want us to take a little walk after lunch today. Have a wonderful day!

Garden Gnome

Before we headed to the springs today, I decided to take the camera outside with me. I had to hang out a few clothes and put some hay out for the horses before we left. Here are a few pictures that I took.


This is my little garden gnome. He is hanging on an old screen door spring and he is riding a dragon fly. I actually found him abandoned one day and thought what a wonderful and cute little fellow (pronounced feller).








This is the little garden that we planted our beans in. They did really well and were so delicious.



Right now I have okra growing and it is just starting to bloom. I love fried okra. Hmm...I wonder what the boys are gonna think about okra. LOL



I also have some elephant ears, ferns, pinecone lillies, some other kind of lily and some type of running plant. I have no clue what the running plant is but I have always liked it. I guess I need to learn the name of it. It really goes well in the shade but runs toward the sun and fills in an area nicely.



By the way - I picked up the little limb tonight when I went to feed the horses.