This spring, while acquiring seeds for the container garden, I was quickly reminded just how expensive this undertaking was going to be. Along with nearly everything else, it seems like seeds are either more expensive or the size of the packets are shrinking. I settled for ‘mix’ packets for things like lettuces, hot and sweet peppers, and a few other packets of middle of the road…
The Chippewa blueberry is setting buds nicely. The two transplants are still showing no signs of life. This concerns me, as I will need at least one of these plants to pollinate the Chippewa. If the Chippewa was a two-year-old start I wouldn’t be too concerned, because I would not let it set fruit this year, but since…
Working towards the 2010 goal of 5000 puzzle pieces, puzzle two has been completed. As you can see in the photo, our kitty, Gunner, is exhausted after an afternoon of puzzling. Actually, Lisa did the majority of this puzzle. This puzzle is MasterPieces Puzzle Company’s “Besides Still Waters”, #70911. A painting by Kim Norlien. I purchased…
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly seventeen months since I wrote the first entry in SPISBLOG’s Journal. That first post was about a surplus of firewood we got as a result of some mature trees being removed and what I did to get that wood ready to season. This afternoon’s work was the closing chapter on that firewood post. The remainder…
This past week has been full of minor garden related activities and some lessons learned. First, all of the berries have been planted into their containers. We currently have three different blueberry varieties, two raspberries, and one strawberry container. Blueberries- For nearly all blueberries, it is critical to have multiple varieties for efficient pollination. I thought I…
Ask anyone what they consider the first signs of spring and you will get as many answers as people you ask. For the baseball fan it may be when pitchers and catchers report, a gardener when they see a certain bulb break soil, a birdwatchers when they see their first of a particular bird, etc. For me, one of the key signs of…
The compost bin is finally up and running! I’ve had the addition of a compost bin on my list for some time, but I hadn’t decided where to place it and what to make it from. I wanted to have a compost bin that was self-contained, wouldn’t dry out to quickly or stay too wet during rainy…
We have recently expanded our container garden to include some strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Last year I planted a couple of two-year-old blueberry plants, only to have them flounder through the summer and get nearly destroyed by winter-starved bunnies. These both appear to have made it through the winter alive. I’ve transplanted them into containers and…
During the last few days the weather here in NE Indiana has begun to turn more “springlike”. Sunny days with highs in the low forties and cold frosty nights. The buds on the trees appear to be plumping right before my eyes and the boxwoods out front are showing signs of their spring growth. As I sit here writing at…
It’s amazing how wonderful a sunny evening and 42-degrees F feels after a long, cold, snowy winter. As simple a task as cutting down some ornamental grasses was, it felt so incredibly relaxing and refreshing. With my ever-expanding awareness of Permaculture and landscape design, I now view our landscape in a totally new light. I’ve become more aware of the beautiful, living, breathing, evolving ecological canvas…