Garden Friday

Here we are again, it's Garden Friday!
The biggest chores are complete for the season
and we are coasting into fall planting time.

These were our straw bales last spring.
You'll notice they are set up side-by-side 
instead of end-to-end, like most folks have them.
Now I know why most gardeners do that.
Much.
 More.
 Efficient.
Next time I will follow suit.
We had pretty good success with growing in our bales.
I plan to do it again in the spring.

After a full year of being in the garden 

(I actually bought the bales last fall),

they were toast.

It was time to repurpose them for our raised rows.

This is the method used by Jim and Mary over at

Old World Garden Farms.

What a wealth of knowledge you can find on their blog and in their books!

Most of the time, I am fairly relaxed about how the garden takes shape,

but this time, I wanted to follow their instructions.

This is the first time I'm trying this technique,

so I was grateful to have the book handy.

There are three zones to the raised row method:

the walking zone

the growing zone

and

the planting zone.

The growing zone measures 18 inches across and 6 inches high.

The growing zone in my garden started with a foundation of mulch,

then the straw bales (shredded) on top.

The walking zones were made between the growing rows

and measured 24 inches wide.

Their foundation is cardboard and shredded mulch.

Our beautiful compost was added to the tops of the rows.

The berms were leveled so that the tops are flat

and the sides taper down.

Is it just me, or do they kinda look like graves?

The last step for the raised rows

was to add mulch to the top.

Cover crops will be sown through the winter
to keep weeds down, help with soil erosion
and improve the soil integrity.
Once spring rolls around,
the soil in these hills will be warm enough to plant in,
maybe even up to a month earlier than elsewhere,
and will have extra nutrients from the cover crops.
It's the first time I'm trying cover crops,
and I look forward to the learning.

 Elsewhere in the garden, a few odds and ends got buttoned up.

An extra hose was added to the ones I'm using out there,

until we get a drip irrigation system installed.

I'm saving for that now and hope to complete the project

so that spring watering will be a breeze.

I'm experimenting with planting by the moon phases.

Here, I've sown beets and carrots in our newest hugelkultur bed.

Adding the hardware cloth will hopefully keep critters out.

As the plants germinate and grow, the cage will be removed.

squirrel feed

My farmer friend Lynn was right (as usual).

When I asked him why my maters weren't ripening,

he calmly said, "Just be patient."

They are slowly coming around,

even though there are some issues like splitting.

(I think my inconsistent watering is to blame.)

But, there are some beauties out there!

A few have been found on the ground chomped on.

It irks me that they don't eat the whole dang thing!

This is the one I'm waiting for.

SHHHH...

Hopefully, I will get it before the squirrels do.

The garden has gone through some major changes in its first year,

but more are sure to follow. 

Next year I'd like to add fruit trees, berries 

and possibly chickens.

I love gleaning new ideas from other gardeners.

The cardboard and mulch pathways have really worked out well.

There is plenty of room to maneuver, even with a wheelbarrow.

Now that we have a trailer,

we can pick up free mulch from the dump anytime we need it.

To the right of these tomato plants

is where I am considering putting a tunnel,

made from hog panels.

I'd love to grow flowers and beans on them.

It would add a bit of height and drama to the garden,

don't you think?

 I was beyond thrilled to find this with my own eyes!
The hornworm is being invaded by parasitic wasp larvae.
I've only seen pictures of this before,
so it was great to see it in person.
Of course, they were left to their own devices.
Mother Nature keeps everything in balance.

The pumpkins aren't doing too well.
I have yet to find another female flower on them,
and I noticed this weird black spot where the stems are growing.
Any ideas?

These coneflowers were seeded months ago,

but are just beginning to find their wings.

They were moved to the veggie garden

and placed under the okra plants.

Echinacea is one flower I can't get enough of,

and I know the bees and butterflies feel the same way!

These alyssum germinated immediately.

They should give us color throughout the fall.

These gems are part of our downtown beautification project

with the Master Gardens West End group

and will be donated to the boxes on Main Street.

Are ya kiddin' me here?

How can y'all look so good in this heat

when the rest of us are melting?

These plants in the butterfly bed have not been watered

for over a month.

With little rain during that time, their resilliance amazes me.

We had two peach trees on the property

that were never well-cared for.

The former owners just didn't enjoy yard chores,

so the trees ended up fairly diseased.

Rather than try to bring them back to life,

we decided to take them down.

Our neighbor Joe, who is in his 70's and spry as a cricket,

brought over his mighty chainsaw and did the deed.

He does odd jobs for neighbors and obliged us.

Joe told me he started learning to cut down trees

when he was 5 years old.

Five years old?

Holy cow, that's quite a chore for a preschooler!

 By the time I got my camera out, at the ready to document,

he was already finished with the job.

I guess he's had a little practice.

Some of the branches will be used in our repurposed sandbox bed,

which will be used as a pollinator attractor near the veggie garden.

We will fill the bottom with logs, twigs and leaves

before adding the soil.

I like to keep some brush piles in the wooded area

for the animals to take shelter.

Now that the bush in this corner has been permanently removed,

I can move my work bench against this wall.

The rain barrels will be to the left

and the hose that I use to water the veggie beds connects here.

At some point, a timer will be added to this spigot

and hooked up to the drip system.

We replaced the tarp on our soil pile.

I like to keep it covered to keep the leaves out.

It also keeps the soil in place when we have rain.

This part of the yard is sloped,

and this designated spot has a metal frame around it.

Look at our poor, lone decrepid sunflower.

It looks like something from "Little Shop of Horrors".

Better luck next year.

sweet summer sipper

There is always another project looming.
As cooler temperatures approach,
(our dogwood tree has berries,
so I know it's true),
productivity increases, and
more tasks will be crossed off the list.

I'm expecting my Sow True Seed order anytime now.
It's like Christmas a few months early.
Savor your weekend!

"I am not in competition with anybody,
I just want to be productive."
~Ajith Kumar

Foaming Soap for Skin Relief

 We recently purchased some foaming dispensers

so that I can get some relief for my dermatitis.

My doctor recommended that I do away with any toiletries

that contain SLS, including soap, shampoo, and toothpaste.

Dr. Bronner's is a "safe" soap for my skin

and is now being used exclusively for all of our washing needs.

Shown here is the peppermint fragrance,

but there are other scents, as well as an unscented option.

Aside from being a safe product, 

it is cruelty-free and fair trade.

It feels great to support a company with a conscience.

For each dispenser,

1/2 C of distilled water was added,

followed by 1/4 C of castille soap.

It's important to add the water first,

so that the suds don't fill up the space.

At this point, essential oils can be added,

thereby creating custom soap bouquets!

Since I used the peppermint scented soap,

no additional essential oil was added.

This recipe comes together in minutes.

Being able to add whatever scent floats your boat

adds to its appeal.

Dr. Bronner's is a concentrated solution,

so by diluting it in this way,

we end up saving money on a really fine product.

The third dispenser was used for my homemade shampoo,

which you can read about here.

Do you enjoy making your own personal care products?

Going Local-Faith Family Farm

A couple of weeks ago,
the Master Gardeners were invited to a local farm tour.

heavenly harvest

Faith Family Farm is the labor of love
of a local family in Dallas, NC.
Andrea and Joel are two hard-working young folks
who aspire to create a self-sufficient lifestyle for themselves,
while encouraging others interested in sustainability.

Joel grew up in the farming arena,
helping his family run an apple orchard.
Although he took many different paths in his young adulthood,
he knew that farming was his destiny.
As he told us on the day of our visit,
"I'm a dentist by hobby, and a farmer by passion."

Every nook of his 30+ acre property exemplifies
his determination to work with the land
and provide for his family.
On the acreage, berries, nut trees, and a substantial orchard
hosting apple, cherry, peach, plum and a number of other fruit trees
are grown "beyond organically", in Joel's words.

Using methods from the film, "Back to Eden",
these farmers believe in using the wisdom of the land
to guide their growing.
Utilizing sheet mulching with cardboard,
no-till bed tending and permaculture practices 
are all a part of this farm's foundation.

A profusion of produce is grown here,
 including beans, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
and numerous other crops, all grown without the use of pesticides.

Joel is not shy with experimentation.
He considers everything he does in the garden
a learning process.
He is constantly tweaking his techniques
and researching better methods to be even more successful.

Some crops are grown in rows,
some in raised beds,
and just about everything in between.
There is no shortage of creativity here for growing food.

Joel considers the fundamental focus of the farm
to be educational.
He relishes the opportunity to share what he's learned
to ensure that others can find success.

One of the secrets to his fruitful orchard is a matter of outsmarting pests.
He has planted no two similar trees next to each other,
so as to make things as difficult as possible for insects.
If they prefer apples, they will have to travel to find them,
because in the next spot might be a plum or pear tree.

using twigs to space branches

Faith Family Farm hosts meat chickens as well as layers.
The birds are free roaming, 
and able to forage for insects throughout their designated area.
His birds are fed twice daily, using a ginormous game feeder
that is  programmed with a timer.
So many labor and time-saving approaches help them
to use their work hours efficiently.

Joel explained that the wood pile is placed inside the chicken coop,
so that the birds can take care of any pests that might be lurking.
Sheer genius, right?

This gorgeous raised bed kitchen garden
is near the house,
which makes it ideal for fresh-picked goodies 
for mealtimes.
The rock border looks stunning
and provides protection from erosion.
As with most projects here,
materials are gathered from the property.

  The generous use of compost, manure, and mulch
enable Andrea and Joel to grow all the veg they love.
They are working on plans for a CSA,
so that they can share their bounty with others.

Joel shared this almost-black tomato with a few of us.
It surprised me with its sweet flavor, and not a hint of acid!

Along with the many methods they are using,
Andrea and Joel shared with us 
that they have started a hugelkultur bed.
They loaded logs, compost and mulch in a pile
to decompose on its own and will plant in it at a later time.
I recently used this practice in one of my raised beds.

What a fascinating place to visit
and hear about the different ways farming takes shape,
all in one location!
So grateful to Faith Family Farm
for their willingness to keep the good stuff moving! 


 More in the Going Local Series:
Single Brothers' Garden
Cobblestone Farmers' Market
Red Wolf Farm
Mount Holly Farmers' Market 
Black Mountain Chocolates