It SNOWED!!!!

Seems like, around February now, we get snow.
Can you see it falling?
It almost 'sizzles' when it hits the ground.

Here in East Texas, this is BIG stuff!!
Stores are raided for supplies, schools close, people cancel plans,
and snuggle up inside, safe and dry.
(This means pooches also.)

At 3 inches, by 5 pm, we felt like we had a blizzard.
Really, not even thick enough to totally coat the ground, but,
SOOOO pretty, but pictures can't capture it.

But, it kept falling, and as the temps dropped, it kept sticking.
At bedtime we were up to 8 inches.
EIGHT inches.
I really can't remember that much snow EVER.

Again, photos do not do it justice.
SOOOOOOOO PRETTY!!
The next day, it was still here, and the pooches had a blast romping, rolling, and eating the snow.
I had a blast watching them!!

These are my favorite shots.
It started Thursday, and by Saturday it was all gone.
No ice, no wind (I hate cold wind).
Perfect!!

Hound dog Thursday

Two Different Easy Self Watering Containers

WooHoo!!!
Hubby (finally) put together our self watering pots.
Youtube is full of wonderful cheap ideas.
The first box he made with TWO storage containers. Each container is about 10 bucks, strainer about 2, making the total under $25.

Yea hubby!! (my grands were on hand to help also:)

One style is to cut off the bottom of one, and this is the reservoir for water.
Drain holes, and a hole for a strainer (to wick up water from reservoir to soil) are added next.

Here hubby is being supervised by the grands.
(I must comment my hubby loves little helpers)


Put the cut off bottom (with holes and strainer) in the not cut up container, add a pipe for filling, a hole down low for overflow, (we used a lid to hold the pipe in place) and TA DA!!!

Grand David and LauraJune were almost as impressed as I was:)
(actually they just wanted to hold the puppy:)



While looking on Youtube for directions we came across a plan where you just take these water containers, empty them, cut their bottoms off, put them in one container, make a fill hole, put in a fill pipe (she used water bottles), over flow hole, and


Ta Da!!!
I must say the second way was SO EASY!!! In this style the water wicks up from the spaces between the water containers that has been filled with soil. The storage container was just under 10 (I'm using big containers), the water containers were 2.5 each, I needed 4, so just over $20.
(I had an old container I went ahead turned into a SWC, and if you use these type of water containers normally this would be really recycling)
We decided to 'experiment' with both styles. Check out these videos-easy as pie:)

Thanks Hubby!!! (and of course my models, LauraJune, David and Frankiebaby:)

New "Favorite" Tool

The Garden Guy, on HGTV recommended this, so when I saw one at Lowes, I bought one for myself for Mother's Day.

Here's the 'scoop' (so to speak):
Ames True Temper Planter's Buddy 7-in-1 Hand Tool
Item #: 248710
Model: 2500800 $13.78
Multi-purpose stainless steel garden tool features 7 tools in 1!
Trowel, weeder, sod cutter, twine/bag cutter, measurer, digger, and tamper handle
Use tamper feature to tamp in fertilizer spikes, stakes, and small nails.
Serrated edge on tool blade easily cuts through bags of mulch an soil.

Since I'm currently weeding I love the little weeder tip, the serrated edge does cut through plastic bags, and it is solid steel. I like the twine cutter, and the measuring marks (because I'm trying to plant things the right spacing:)
The handle is comfort coated, and this blue is easy to spot.

Bloomin' Tuesday: 06/02/09 Job's Tears & Shalom

Boy o boy, its getting hot down here in East Texas. Summer comes early and stays a long time down here.

I bought Job's tears this year. The seed catalog said the seed pods could be used as natural beads (the holes occur naturally as the seed pod dries), also it is edible. The seeds were tear shaped and quickly grew into short corn looking plants.

I was surprised to see these grainy seed looking parts, THEN this bulby part appeared!!!

TOO cool!! As they get longer they drape and wave in the wind. Lovely:)

From Website Wayne's Word (an online textbook of Natural History):
This is a super cool website, especially for anyone homeschooling. This plant grows super fast, you can dissect it, examine it, and use it for crafts. Too cool!!!

An assortment of Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) necklaces. The natural pearly-white beads can be dyed or painted various shades of colors.





Job's Tears As Food
Native to tropical Asia, Job's tears (also called Adlay) are used for food, particularly by peasants of the Far East. The distinguished 17th century naturalist Georg Eberhard Rumphius stated that in his day Job's tears were planted in Java and Celebes on the margins of rice fields. According to Agnes Arber (The Gramineae, 1965), Job's tears were introduced into China in the first century A.D. by a Chinese general who conquered Tongking, where the grains were widely used as a cereal. The general became so fond of Job's tears that he carried back several cartloads of the seeds to his own country.

Like other cereals, there are many cultivators of Job's tears, including soft-shelled, easily-threshed types with a sweet kernel. In some, the hulled grain is adapted for parching or boiling like rice, while in others it can be milled, ground into flour and baked into bread. Reportedly, the grain has a higher protein content than most cereals. The grains are also utilized in soups, porridge, drinks and pastries. In India, the Nagas use the grain for brewing a beer called zhu or dzu. A Japanese variety called "Ma-Yuen" is brewed into a tea and an alcoholic beverage, and roasted seeds are made into a coffee-like drink. According to Agnes Arber, the leaves are used as fodder in parts of India, and are especially relished by elephants.

~Shalom~

{a Hebrew word meaning peace, completeness, and welfare and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye}

~Perfectly Said~

Happy Bloomin' Tuesday!

I'm joining MsGreen "thumb" Jean for Bloomin'" Tuesday! Come join in or see others!

Bloomin' Tuesday: Rat tail Radish Spotlight

Happy Bloomin' Tuesday!
I'm joining MsGreen "thumb" Jean for Bloomin' Tuesday! Come join in or see others!

Because my computer is dead (lightening), I'm using hubby's laptop in the evening, so my pics are repeats, but this is more info on a super cool plant.

Also known as 'aerial' radishes, these plants produce seed pods that are very radishy, and good for fresh or stir-fry (haven't tried stir fry yet:). They have pretty white, pink or purplish blooms. My little 2' plants are covered with pods. It loves heat and humidity (both are exactly what we have here in ETexas), gets anywhere from 2' to 6' tall all parts are edible (blooms and seed pods being the best tasting parts). Seed starting was easy, and next time I will stake them in a tomato cage. I plan on keeping them going this summer to see how they really preform in our heat. More info at the bottom.

Rat-tail Radish in bloom and forming seed pods (click for close up)

Vern Nelson

Zesty rat-tail radishes (Raphanus caudatus) are easy to grow and make a novel and delicious salad ingredient. While I'm not crazy about the name, I love the crisp, spicy seedpods.

SITING: Plant seed in full sun on well-drained soil. Rat-tail radish grows 2-5 feet tall and about 1 foot wide, so place them appropriately. Plants with green pods usually produce yellow flowers; those with purple or purple-streaked pods, pink flowers.

PLANTING: Sow from mid-June to early August for the best crops; unlike other radishes, rat-tail thrives in summer heat.

Before planting, thoroughly weed the bed and dig in 3 inches of compost, plus a half cup of balanced organic fertilizer per 10 square feet of soil. Direct-sow the seeds 6-9 inches apart to prevent crowding and half an inch deep. Thin seedlings to about 12-18 inches apart, and eat the young thinnings.

CARE: Once the plants are several inches tall, add a 1- to 2-inch mulch to help preserve soil moisture and to suppress weeds. Rat-tail radishes must be grown fast to maintain their quality for eating. Skimping on water or fertilizer will produce smaller, hotter, fibrous pods. Radish beds should not be allowed to dry out, so check them often; the soil should be cool and dark. One inch of water a week should suffice. I always follow up with a dilute application of fish and kelp when plants are about 30-40 days old.

PESTS: Control insects such as flea beetles by using a Reemay row cover or multiple rotenone-pyrethrin sprayings. Root maggots can be kicked out of the kitchen, too, with a row cover, fast-growing plants and by harvesting as soon as possible.

HARVEST: Pick the seedpods when they are mild, crisp and 6-12 inches long, usually 50-60 days from sowing. Harvest of smaller pods can begin earlier. Test for crispness by snapping the pod in two. The pods begin to become dry, fibrous and harsh-tasting quickly after reaching harvest age. Harvest them regularly to keep them coming. Use them immediately, or dampen the inside of a Ziploc bag, put the pods inside, leaving the bag partly open, and store in the refrigerator for a day or so. After trimming off the stem, the entire pod can be eaten in stir-fries or salad, pickled or with a dip. Young leaves can be harvested from well-grown, vigorous plants.

TIPS:

• Succession-plant more seed every couple of weeks.

• Harvest some of the radish flowers as well to add to salads.

• Conventional root-producing radishes also produce edible pods but are more prone to premature bolting. Large-rooted varieties usually produce large pods.

SOURCES

Nichols Garden Nursery, Albany, 800-422-3985

Also check seed racks at garden centers.

--Vern Nelson; thehungrygardener@yahoo.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/09/AR2006080900474.htm

Bloomin' Tuesday: 04/28/09

Rainy week in our forecast, really great for my plants who were starting to wonder if they would ever get water again:)

Rat-tail Radish (more on this later), in bloom and forming seed pods

White Lil Henry Garnet Sweetspire(Itea virginica X 'Sweetspire') starting to bloom,
pink Chinese False Indigo starting to bloom in back;
also in this grouping, obedient plant (right), loosestrife (left), and see the little peek of purple on the left?

It is Red Dragon Fleece Flower (Persicaria microcephala), and I'm so thankful it came back this year.

Isn't it wonderful?? (my fleece flower and loosestrife are not the invasive type)

Amaryllis in bloom:)


Bright White Geranium (from the clearance rack at Lowe's last week)

All new combo, filling in, these are supposed to bloom til frost:)

Little daylily and creeping sedum window box, the sedum blooms yellow and drapes beautifully

Little Daylily buds:)

Beautiful onions from my recent thinning (the other Texas Super Sweets are getting really big)
Growing, harvesting, and using these onions is part of my goal to 'actually' eat what I grow:).

WooHoo!!

Happy Bloomin' Tuesday!
I'm joining MsGreen "thumb" Jean for Bloomin' Tuesday! Come join in or see others!

Lunar Fringe...

I am an official Lunar (not to be confused with a Luna-tic) Gardener.

On Mondays I will post what I learned, or did (or both-lol ).

Soooooo, this week, just what is Lunar or Moon gardening?

"According to a National Geographic news article more gardeners today are turning to the moon for sage advice on the best time to plant, prune, weed, and harvest. The practice, known as moon or lunar gardening, centers on the moon's gravitational effect on the flow of moisture in soil and plants.

Gardening by the moon is as old as time. Long before man (and women!) ever had a watch on his wrist or a calendar on the refrigerator, everything was governed by the phases of the moon." Says Marion Owen of Planting by the Phases of the Moon.

Simply, the 'phase' of the moon, determines the best time for certain activities.

Normally, if something requires serious mind-stretching (intense learning), I avoid it.

I have always wanted to learn how to do this, so that I could do it on my own with out relying on someone else.

SO, this year, I'm learning (this and the book of Isaiah).

This is big stuff for me.

I am also following Grammy (the EmptyNester) at It's Green Day as she chronicles her 'adventures' planting by the moon, as well as other planting adventures.

As I learn I will follow the below chart taken from Farmer's Almanac website:

{I noticed Blogger cut off the 'by the moon phase' of the chart-follow the link to see your own, for your own area}

Outdoor Planting Table for 2009

My location is in Region 4 on the map.

This outdoor planting table shows 1) Planting Dates that reflect safe periods for planting in areas that receive frost and 2) Moon-Favorable periods. For above-ground crops, plant during the light of the Moon (new to full Moon); for below-ground crops, plant during the dark of the Moon (from the day after it's full to the day before it's new again). See our Moon Phase Calendar for these times in your area.

Take note: This is a broad-based system that divides the United States and southern Canada into four gardening regions. Your location in a region, topographic features, and frost dates (for the United States and Canada) should be considered to determine the most reliable plantings dates.

In this chart, crops designated as "plants" refer to vegetables that are usually transplanted and not started from seed. The other crops are better off started as seeds.

NOTE: Above-Ground Crops Marked * -- (E) Means Early -- (L) Means Late

	Plant	Time	Planting Dates	Moon Favorable
*	Barley		Feb 15-Mar 7	Feb 24-Mar 7
*	Beans	(E)	Mar 15-Apr 7	Mar 26-Apr 7
		(L)	Aug 7-31	Aug 20-31
	Beets	(E)	Feb 7-28	Feb 10-23
		(L)	Sep 1-30	Sep 5-17
*	Broccoli plants	(E)	Feb 15-Mar 15	Feb 24-Mar 10
		(L)	Sep 7-30	Sep 18-30
*	Brussel sprouts		Feb 11-Mar 20	Feb 24-Mar 10
*	Cabbage plants		Feb 11-Mar 20	Feb 24-Mar 10
	Carrots	(E)	Feb 15-Mar 7	Feb 15-23
		(L)	Aug 1-Sep 7	Aug 6-19, Sep 5-7
*	Cauliflower plants	(E)	Feb 15-Mar 7	Feb 24-Mar 7
		(L)	Aug 7-31	Aug 20-31
*	Celery plants	(E)	Feb 15-28	Feb 24-28
		(L)	Sep 15-30	Sep 18-30
*	Collards	(E)	Feb 11-Mar 20	Feb 24-Mar 10
		(L)	Sep 7-30	Sep 18-30
*	Corn, sweet	(E)	Mar 15-31	Mar 26-31
		(L)	Aug 7-31	Aug 20-31
*	Cucumbers		Mar 7-Apr 15	Mar 7-10, Mar 26-Apr 9
*	Eggplant plants		Mar 7-Apr 15	Mar 7-10, Mar 26-Apr 9
*	Endive	(E)	Feb 15-Mar 20	Feb 24-Mar 10
		(L)	Aug 15-Sep 7	Aug 20-Sep 4
*	Kale	(E)	Feb 11-Mar 20	Feb 24-Mar 10
		(L)	Sep 7-30	Sep 18-30
	Leeks		Feb 15-Apr 15	Feb 15-23, Mar 11-25, Apr 10-15
*	Lettuce		Feb 15-Mar 7	Feb 24-Mar 7
*	Muskmelons		Mar 15-Apr 7	Mar 26-Apr 7
*	Okra		Apr 15-Jun 1	Apr 24-May 8, May 24-Jun 1
	Onion sets		Feb 1-28	Feb 10-23
*	Parsley		Feb 20-Mar 15	Feb 24-Mar 10
	Parnsips		Jan 15-Feb 4	Jan 15-25
*	Peas	(E)	Jan 15-Feb 7	Jan 26-Feb 7
		(L)	Sep 15-30	Sep 18-30
*	Pepper plants		Mar 1-20	Mar 1-10
	Potatoes		Feb 10-28	Feb 10-23
*	Pumpkins		Mar 7-20	Mar 7-10
	Radishes	(E)	Jan 21-Mar 1	Jan 21-25, Feb 10-23
		(L)	Oct 1-21	Oct 5-17
*	Spinach	(E)	Feb 7-Mar 15	Feb 7-9, Feb 24-Mar 10
		(L)	Oct 1-21	Oct 1-4, Oct 18-21
*	Squashes		Mar 15-Apr 15	Mar 26-Apr 9
	Sweet potatoes		Mar 23-Apr 6	Mar 23-25
*	Swiss chard		Feb 7-Mar 15	Feb 7-9, Feb 24-Mar 10
*	Tomato plants		Mar 7-20	Mar 7-10
	Turnips	(E)	Jan 20-Feb 15	Jan 20-25, Feb 10-15
		(L)	Sep 1-Oct 15	Sep 5-17, Oct 5-15
*	Watermelons		Mar 15-Apr 7	Mar 26-Apr 7
*	Wheat, spring		Feb 15-28	Feb 24-28
*	Wheat, winter		Oct 15-Dec 7	Oct 18-Nov 2, Nov 16-Dec 2

11th Heavens Homemaking Haven for Home Maker Monday
As for Me and My House for Making A Happy Home Monday

Thankful Thursday: 02/05/09

Here comes the sun, na.na.na.
Here comes the sun, na.na.na.na..
And I say, its all right.........

...sun and bubbles...

...and new seeds sown in the warm dirt...
...and curious kitties that can't get in the new garden...

...sun napping...


...and early morning reading...

...and a whole month of love...

...and info sharing...

...and special delivery from Mikey D' (Michael Delivery)...

...and Myspace surfing...

...where I'll wash your back...

...you wash mine-means what it should...

...where a short visit from Misty, D, and kids gives me just the fix I need...
...where Myspace helps Eric let me know his plans...
...where a phone call from Tiff reveals Audrey has had her first BIG cold without it turning into an ear infection since she had her tubes put in...

Oh the joy and power the sun brings. Even on the days I don't see it, I know its there...

My goal this year is to soak it up, to bloom where I am planted, and enjoy the ride...
Counting my many blessings naming them one by one...