What to Plant on an Eroding Embankment?

This morning on our weekly trek to Lowe's, we saw one of the master gardeners who sees our faces every time we step in that door, which is literally every weekend and sometimes a weekday.  She greets us with the lovely "hi, planting again?", and I reply with a "yes, I've got to check your weekly clearance rack you know".  She probably thinks us a bit off, but I don't care.  There is a certain limitless feeling of excitement in what I can do when I walk through that garden center.  And aside from any sale items, Al and I are planning... again.  We are always planning!

The house didn't come fully or even partially landscaped, and with all the rain that we've had over the past two weeks, the embankment at the back of the house is eroding.  Grass is having a tough time taking hold, as the rain washes it out and our clay soil turns to a thick liquid when left unattended.  I would love to put up a retaining wall at one end but that would require more money and expertise than we have at the moment.  The most logical plan would be to plant some low-lying shrubs, grasses and flowering perennials to help secure the ground so that it doesn't wash out after a heavy rain storm.  Here are some ideas:

 Bee Balm

Emerald Gaiety Euonymus (we have this in the front already)

Heather

Blue Star Juniper - it has a soft, fluffy feel to it

Little Bluestem - I think I have this in the front too

Perennial Geranium

Daisy

Purple Fountain Grass

Day Lillies

I think a mixture of textures, heights (none above 3 feet), and colors will look lovely!

Chickens!

Today, I became a chicken owner!  I am excited, happy, nervous, protective, and ready.  I've probably read every book on chickens, borrowed some magazines from a colleague and fellow chicken owner (hee hee, feels so fun to say that), and I have gone over it in my head for a long time now.  So, when a parent at the school I work at said they had some chickens and a coop they needed a home for, I was very interested.

A lot of what we wanted to do by this time in our home-ownership has been put on hold due to our unfortunate position of one of us being unemployed.  Hopefully that will change soon.  But in the face of our minor hardship (compared to what others endure), we have done well with our set-up for the garden and now the chickens.  We have been able to do a lot with a little and we have benefitted from the help of our friends and neighbors whose unconditional help and support has been key to our success.

Had it not been for my neighbor who also is a chicken owner, the process of moving the chickens and coop would have been quite a lot.  The coop was transported in one piece in the truck as were the chickens, three hens and a rooster, in a special chicken crate.  We lost the roof on the highway when we got up to speed but we stopped to retrieve it and all is well.

On the way home we picked up some chicken feed, oyster shells, and bedding at the Tractor Supply Co. .  Chickens are settled in and Bernard is already crowing!

Building a Garden Fence

Building or "creating" a fence for your garden can be relatively simple provided that you have some time, patience and a bit of strength.  The cost will depend on how simple or fancy a fence you make and how strong you need it to be.  It is also important to keep in mind the purpose of your garden fence.  The 10 or so deer in our yard about a week ago reminded us at how important it was to create a barrier for those who might make a meal out of our hard work.  So after the last few months of deliberating and because I was on spring break, we decided it was time to get going.

The garden before we began this project.  

Fortunately, we have a wooded area on our property where we can find fallen trees and limbs to use for our various projects.  This time, the fallen trees became our posts.  We decided to go with a 6 ft. high chicken wire as it was cheaper than the "horse fence" that I had originally set my mind on.  The posts reach a high 7 foot out of the ground, and we will be stringing some wire or string at the top to provide just a bit more protection (apparently deer don't see very well so they are psyched into thinking the wire stretches up that high).  Who knows if our efforts will actually work.  We have had many different reports with suggestions from peeing on your garden fence to claiming that the deer won't bother our garden at all.

Al used a hatchet to strip the wood of branches
and some of the bark.

We foraged our property for 17 relatively straight posts, most of which were cedar, the others pine and oak.  Each were stripped of bark and limbs and were set in foot-deep holes with Quickcrete.  We then cut a large panel of wire for each "side" of the fence to make handling it easier.  Attaching the wire to the post with U-shaped nails was "relatively" easy aside from dropping them or hammering them in crooked.  I can't see how this part would've been possible with one person so I was happy we were able to work on this project together - one holding the wire in place, one hammering the nails.

We took turns digging.  Post hole diggers
aren't the most effective in heavy clay soil.

A chunk of our beloved clay.  Should be a great growing
medium when we finally get some organic matter in there!

We measured out and cut the chicken wire
to make it easier to handle.

The original plan to use 2x4's for the gate was switched to using 1x4's.  The 2x4's were really heavy and I was worried they would pull on the gate posts too much.  For our purposes, I don't think it was necessary to have a heavy-duty gate.  We bought four 1x4x8's which were cut to make a gate that was around 7x4.  Braces were made by cutting the wood 8 inches long and sawing a 45 degree angle on each end to fit in each corner of the gate.  A cross bar was cut for the middle.  We also purchased 3 hinges and a hook for the gate's latch.  I have yet to actually attach the gate to the post.  This is a task that needs two people, both for physical support and probably emotional support, as I predict this step of our process will be easy.

The heavier posts for the entrance gate.
Not sure how I'm going to get the hinges
on there!

We've worked really hard for this fence and hopefully it will be worth it as far as the deer go.  For me though, there are few things that are more fulfilling than working hard on our house and land.  Throw in the sunshine and a pleasant temperature and I can't get enough.

In Lieu of a Proper Sidewalk

The stepping stones out front have been shifting since day 1 regardless of how many times I have gone out there to straighten them.  Not only that, but they have been sticking out of the ground which made walking up and down that steep hill a struggle for even the most balanced person.

Today I decided to dig out underneath just one stone to see if the overall appearance and stability of the stone was improved.  Strangely enough, several hours later, I had the whole path finished.  Paving stone after paving stone, all 18 of them finally nestled in their permanent resting place, NEVER to move again. Well, maybe not never, and not a perfect solution, but definitely better overall.  Who said you need a three-layer paving system?  I decided to use the pesky heavy clay to my advantage this time.

I dug a shallow indentation 1.5x1.5, not perfectly level (how could I), placed the square in the "hole" and stepped on it to make sure that it didn't rock or move.  Then I got to work with packing the clay around the stone, making sure to patch any open places tightly.  I brought the ground level even with the stone and stepped all around it, packing the clay even tighter.  When I reached the "hill" I made each stone level by creating stairs with the packed clay.

I got the approval from my better half when he got home, that not only do the stones look great but were easier to walk on.  Yay for an afternoon's activity gone obsessive!

Our house right before we moved.  Notice the beautiful
grass and absence of landscaping.

After I fixed the stones.  A cleaner look I think.

Spring Has Arrived! ... Well, sort of.

Although this winter was "mild" compared to what Al and I used to enjoy in central Europe, it has lingered on and it seems like it will be forever until we have consistent sunny warm days.  All winter we have been thinking about and preparing ourselves for this time of year and what is to come.

We have been reading our gardening books, building our compost pile, and preparing the beds for this year's "harvest" since we moved in.  Today however, I had the opportunity to learn some things from our Gardening Guru from Ted's Last Stand Farm and Gardens who just happens to be our neighbor.  I learned how to use a soil blocker for the purpose of planting seedlings.  This is an alternative to using those plastic containers that you see around.  Instead of a cell in which the seedling must be taken out of later on, the soil blocks to me seem easier to transplant to the garden as there is no pulling or breaking the roots.  You simply pick up the block and transplant it when it's time.

The blockers are about $30+ on Amazon, but it was recommended that I try it out before I went and spent money on one for myself.  From what I have learned about gardening so far, it is really up to the individual to see what works and what doesn't, and to find what you like.  So far, I like the soil blocks.  I used the "Magic-Sparkle" option on my camera ;)

This soil was recommended for it's consistency.

    

Mix the soil with enough water so that you can clump it in your hand
without water draining out.

Loosen the soil in the bucket.  Press the soil blocker firmly into the
soil so that all the cells are filled with dirt.  You might need to press
the soil further into the cells with your hand.  Level it off.

Move the blocker to your "destination".  Squeeze the handle,
releasing the individual soil blocks into your tray.

Put 1 seed into each block and cover it just a little with the soil.
Be sure to label what's what!  These seed packets are just for the picture.
You can label the side of your tray, or  the advice of Ted's Last Stand,
simply draw a diagram in your gardening notes!

Today in the freezing 40 degree weather (with a wind chill), I seeded:

• Orange Bell Peppers
• Czechoslovakian Black Peppers
• Old Virginia Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Red Cabbage
• Egglplant, Long Purple and Rosita varieties
• Broccoli

Later on when the soil is warmer we will sow directly into the garden:

• Cucumbers
• Beans, Fordhook Limas
• Peas, Northern Southern and Queen Mary Blackeye
• Sweet Corn
• Spinach
• Lettuce 

We will also be seeding and directly sowing later on:

• Green Cabbage, Flat Dutch
• Brussel Sprouts
• Winter Butternut Squash
• Broccoli

I may have forgotten some things, but I think for two people it is plenty!  We will be learning to can or freeze any veg that we can't eat or give away.  I can't remember when I was so excited about gardening.  Here's to a successful 1st season!

Post Holiday Season

Our first winter in our house has proved successful both in hosting guests and gardening!  There hasn't been much to do outside other than keeping up with the mache in the cold frame and our nine broccoli plants.  The abundance of food scraps has built up our compost pile just a little bit and warm week just before Christmas caused the garlic and onion bulbs to sprout.  Al and I hosted the holidays at our house this year, a first for us both.  All in all it was a good time and very low key.

I learned some things this winter and holiday season:  2 pints jars of mincemeat will make 48 pies (plenty), my Linzer cookies were delish, whatever I did to the Christmas pudding didn't work, we need an unlimited supply of fire wood, winter mache and broccoli is easy to grow, "Project Cold Frame" has been a success, tillage radish don't grow as tall as I imagined.

The broccoli has started producing small heads which I hope will continue to get bigger so we can eat them soon.  The mache, which I seeded back in September is looking really fresh and is growing slowly but surely.  The cold spells we have had the past couple of weeks haven't affected them either!  Although the onion and garlic bulbs began to sprout, I covered them with a load of straw at the advice of our gardening gurus and all seems to be well.

January has arrived and Al and I have begun planning our garden.  We currently have three beds that have been home to tillage radish, a cover crop that helps to nourish the soil and break it up with it's deep roots.  Soon we will be tilling the radish into soil, incorporating some manure from our neighbor's lovely llamas and donkeys, and compost from our meager supply.  Al also requested the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalogue so we can order our seeds and get them into the ground or in flats.  I'm really excited about the spring and seeing what successes and failures we will have.  For now it's all about planning, preparing, and trying not to be too ambitious.

Housewarming and House-warming

Last night Al and I hosted a Housewarming Party to celebrate having our home with our friends and neighbors.  Last weekend we hosted a party for our Czech and Slovak friends.  Why we chose to do a party two weekends in a row, I'm not sure, but we had a great turn-out for both occasions and had a blast with those who came.  Having a house not only allows us to share our space with others but it allows us to do something we love:  having parties and showing people a good time.  We have such great friends and neighbors!

Gulas made in our backyard over a fire pit last weekend!  Yum yum!

In front of our "Prague Wall" - a tribute to happy memories!

This past week the temperatures have remained primarily in the 50's during the day, dropping to the mid-30's in the evening.  Naturally, the house has been cold as we don't run the heat so much.  After a few nights of freezing our tails off, we rolled out the electric radiator heater for the downstairs we decided to give our fireplace a go.  There was a fireplace in the house we lived in until I was four.  I have memories of wrapping up in a towel after a bath and sitting in front of the fire, the heat radiating on my back until it got too hot.  I'm not so fussed about sitting in front of the fire anymore, but it is so fun to finally have a fireplace again!  

We began our fire-lighting adventures with whatever we had available.  Some wood logs, a few sticks from out in the yard, and a magazine.  Let me just say magazines are horrible for lighting a fire.  Beautiful, but just silly.  They burn in different colors but don't hold a flame.  Also, we learned that we can't put too much wood on the rack to begin with - not enough air-flow.  After a failed attempt, we decided to wait until we were better prepared.  

Fire-lighting adventure #1 = failure.  Fire-lighting adventure #2 started with one of those wax, sawdust, and resin log thingys.  We put the log on the rack, lit the bag and voila! - we had a fire.  Not hot and lasted for 2 hours.  Fire #3 combined wood and  a small chunk of the fake log thingy, which we used to get the wood going.  It worked really well and the fire was not only hot, but beautiful.  I think we've got it now.  All we need to do now is get a truck-load of firewood in so we can stop getting it from Lowe's.

Fire-lighting adventure #2

The beauty of a fire, the warmth it provides and the smells that come from the smoldering wood all contribute to a cozy home.  Having a house full of people we enjoy makes it even cozier!