Garden 2009

  

Planning for this year's garden is in full swing.  This will be the third year that we grow veggies in our back yard and we've got big ideas for that 15ftx 45ft plot of dirt.

 (The New Victory Garden- awesome book!)

 As much as I think that I would love taking on something like this..."Be realistic, be realistic, be realistic" is my mantra this year.  Last season I planted 4 cherry tomato plants!!??? After eating gobs of them ourselves and forcefully offering them to all of our friends and neighbors, we just couldn't consume all of them.  So, this year I am focusing on things that we like eating,in quantities that we enjoy, and that can be easily preserved.

The girls have been especially inspired.  I have been trying to find age appropriate ways of incorporating them into the planning.

After going through our favorite seed catalog (Bountiful Gardens- heirloom/non genetically modified seeds), we picked out our favorite veggies.  Each girl was allowed to pick one or two packets of seed for her very own tending.  For Hannah sunflowers are always a must.  She also wants to try some strawberries.

 

 Emma and I measured our garden space and then worked out how much room we would need to plant what we ordered.  She investigated which plants grow well together and created a little "vegetable friends and enemies" chart.  Then, I gave her some graph paper and asked her to create a map of our intended plans to scale.

 

It proved to be a great little math/science/nature study assignment.  She worked hard on it and enjoyed the detailed and spacial thinking that it required.

In the previous years we have just grown our vegetables in the ground.  However, our soil is very clay based and it has been hard to amend it for better draining.  So this year I have requested above ground beds.  My husband has also promised to a install drip irrigation system.  Last year I relied up on timed sprinklers or manual watering.  I'm finding lots of inspiration out there.

Here is what we hope to grow this year:

corn (I haven't had success in years past with non-gmo corn seeds, I'm going hybrid this year)

potatoes

zucchini

broccoli

cauliflower

cucumbers

snap peas

carrots

leeks

radishes

onions

tomatoes (roma, cherry, and large heirloom)

sweet bell peppers

strawberries

green beans

greens (butterhead lettuce, gourmet mix, chard)

squash (acorn, butternut, yellow crookneck)

The seeds are on their way and we are making room around the sunniest spaces indoors. The last frost date around here is about middle of May.  Planting day is coming soon!

cleaning house

If you are like me, right about now you are tearing down the decorations and scrubbing everything.  I always get that spring cleaning itch right after Christmas. I scrapped my tree yesterday.  A nice clean slate! Clean countertops and clutter free rooms- bliss.

This year, as gifts for my friends, I went a little crunchy. I put together little cleaning kits for my friends.

 

The Dollar Tree was so helpful.  I found the empty spray bottles, scrub brushes, microfiber sponges and cute green baskets there.  I also tucked in an organic cotton dish towel.  The cleaners I made for them: All-Purpose Cleaner, Window Cleaner, and Lavender Scouring Scrub. 

 

Here's how I made them.

All Purpose Cleaner:

In an large glass measuring cup I mixed together 1 tsp Baking Soda, 2 tsp Borax, a few drops of Lliquid Dish Soap. (I used this because it was dye and fragrance free), and 2 cups of very Hot Water.  Stir, stir, stir.  Then I added a splash of Lemon Juice and several drops of Lemon Essential Oil.  Then, use a funnel to pour cleaner into an empty spray bottle. 

Window Cleaner:

Again, in a large glass measuring cup mix together 2 Tbl Vinegar, a few drops of Liquid Dish Soap, and 2 cups Hot Water.  Using a funnel, pour into empty squirt bottle.  This one is so easy! If you are just staring to use natural glass cleaner you may find this to be somewhat smeary as it cleans off all the residue of commercial cleaners.

Lavender Scouring Scrub:

In a large bowl measure 2 cups of Baking Soda.  Add 10-15 drops of Lavender Essential oil into the bowl along with the baking soda.  Then, pour this mixture into a sifter and work all the little clumps out.  I put finished mixture into a wide mouth pint jar.  This smells so good and can also be used in the laundry along with to your soap.

Easy huh?  Happy Scrubbing.

**With all the tidying up around here, I haven't neglected myself. There's been some "cleaning house" going on inside of me too.  I've been doing this program for sometime now and am beginning to see real and lasting changes in my heart and in my weight too.  Just thought I would throw that out there as many of you may be contemplating your New Year's Resolutions.

Tip of the Day

Here is a little tip that I picked up since I have been cloth diapering. (Many of you may already know this.) I never use fabric softener.  It just creates build up on our clothes (especially towels) and some of us have really sensitive skin.  Instead I use vinegar in the rinse cycle.  Because I don't hover over my machine and have the ability to catch the rinse cycle, I have relied upon this little downy ball to do the job for me. (Find it in the laundry soap isle next to the Downy that you are supposed to put in it.)  I just fill it up to the line and drop it in.  Through the magic of symmetrical force, the vinegar is released during the rinse cycle.  It works great, you don't have to mess with those dryer sheets hiding in your clothes, and no- your clean laundry will NOT smell like vinegar.  It it passed the smell test with Carl, I can assure you it doesn't.  Happy washing!