The Eggshells Worked!

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say they worked and are still working.

The most difficult part was writing on eggshells.

What I really love is that there are no plastic containers to deal with.

The entire set up aside from my trays is compostable.

Though that was also a plus as there were no markers getting in the way 

or getting smudged.

I have started my seeds in "rounds."

The more cold tolerant things I started first,

then as they began growing and I could move them out, 

and I found morsels of time,

I began the more delicate things (like tomatoes.)

Someday when I have a greenhouse, 

maybe I will be able to do more all at once.

For now, in my kitchen, this is what I do.

In order to plant the plants, 

I just use the corner of the spade and crack the shell

making sure to break the inner skin of the shell too.

Yes, it's early, and I certainly don't want to jinx myself,

but so far what I've planted has lived.

 (Sweetpea vine)

Funny little note~

Mr. LB suggested that next time, I plant the faster growing, larger things all together so that the one tray could be dealt with as they grew.

I then explained to him that it's meee he married, and that

they were planted in alphabetical order.

It always looks so pretty all dug up and planted - before the weeds arrive.

We were given some tomatoes that are pretty big so they are in the ground.

Mine are still pretty small so will wait a while before introducing them to the outdoors.

Again, I'm a rebel.  I use tomato cages upside down. 

They always seem to hit a rock and be crooked then tip when the plant grows.

This way they are wider at the bottom so don't tip as easily.

I should put some sort of decorations on the tips so folks can think

I'm whimsical rather than just goofy.

One other thing I've done this year that's new (to me) is to use burlap in the baskets rather than purchasing the nest things.

I don't like paying for those things so I usually just don't use the baskets.

I had quite a bit of burlap on hand as I had bought some to make a hooked rug

then found out how awful it is to work with and on for rug making.

I will see if I can make it last a couple years.

I actually like it better so far because I was able to fit more dirt in the baskets.

With the nests, it seems like they don't come up over the edge of the basket

and their thickness makes the growing space rather shallow.

As things grow, I'll share.

It feels so good to play in the dirt.

And I can hardly wait for that first green salad 

if we can keep the deer out this year.

A Simple View

It might sound silly to someone who wants a sweeping view

of vast expances or city lights.

But I'm completely thrilled at the moment with our front view.

This is looking right out our front door.

We aren't far off the little mountain road.

It had become overgrown which Mr LB actually liked from a privacy aspect.

Buuuuttt.....

There's only so much we can take.

We actually fell and cleaned up 2 large trees and numerous smaller trees 

from this not so large area.

We did keep a bit of firewood from the larger two.
(A thorn apple and an old plum - not all shown.)

We got the spring fire going and worked out here all day.
I'm hoping to put a waddle fence up to hide the propane tank.

This is the closest thing to a "before" view.

Maybe that makes me a bad blogger

since I don't think of everything in life as a bloggable moment 
and take pictures of the progression.
Sometimes it just feels good to work - without technology.

All I know is it's kinda difficult for me to make the decision to cut down a tree

so when I ask hubby if he wants to play with the chainsaw,

he seldom hesitates.

We would have half as many trees if it were up to him.

We have two more yet to go (over in the big yard) but the ground is too wet at the moment so we have to wait.

One is a huge cottonwood that is reeeeally leaning.
That won't make good firewood, 
but we might use it for early fall or late spring fires.
The other is a good sized locust that is dead but one little branch.
That one should be great for firewood.
For now, I will look out my front door and appreciate a day spent working 
with my wonderful husband and how much cleaner it is.
This is my simple view.

Another Project from the Scrap Pile

These are homemade seed starting trays. 

As I shared back here and here, I have a scrap wood pile that I’ve been working on in order to make it disappear or at least shrink considerably. 

Over the course of the past few years,

we’ve been working on removing plastic from our lives. 

This is no small feat as our society promotes quite the opposite (disposable) 
as the norm.
We might never completely get there, but we do try.

This year I will be using eggshells for seed starting.
(They aren’t yet washed in the pix, but they will be.)
I’ve never tried this before but have always thought it clever
so will have to let you know how they work out.
For the trays, I began with a 1x2, made a frame with two sticks measuring 12” long and two sticks measuring 13 1/2” long in order to make it square.
I had a bit of hardware cloth so used that for the bottom of two of the frames.
I ran out of 1x2s so made my own from a short piece of 2x4 as well as some slats.
For one of the frames I used the slats, and
I am hoping to make a few more.
The ones with wire are lighter weight wise,
but the slats I am able to make virtually for free.
These are so easy and can be made to fit 
whatever size seed starting pots you use.
If I wanted to “trap the water” I could place a plastic bag in the tray, but I’m hoping by watering carefully and watching, I won’t have to mop up mini-floods.
So far they are easy to stack and move~
Again, will let you know once full of plants.
If I can't be in the garden,
I suppose I can at least make something for it.

The State of the Garden

Right out the gate, I have to tell you 

I am so anxious to get out and play in the dirt.

I was home for a day this past weekend and the weather was above freezing

 so I put a jacket and gloves on and headed out there.

(garden)

We get so many leaves and pine needles that blow in and/or fall

that even though we "clean up" in autumn, it's difficult to tell.

Looking out back toward the sitting area was just atrocious.

(sitting area)

I grabbed the wheelbarrow and a spring rake and started in.

After 2 or 3 wheelbarrow loads, it was starting to look a little better

so I came in and warmed my fingers by the fire.

When I looked back out,

Mr LB had picked up the rake and had another wheelbarrow load started.

It's amazing how much debris finds its way into every nook and cranny.

(guess we'll just have dirty birds)

There was an unfortunate discovery since our last snow melted.

My bird bath in the center of the garden shattered.

It wasn't a cheap plastic/resin one, but

 when the lambs destroyed the garden two years ago, they knocked it over 

and probably cracked it or stressed it so when it froze this year, it broke.

(ideas in progress)

In light of that I decided to change things up a bit😉

I can't show you all I have in mind, because it's not finished.

I got cold.  It was a high of 35 degrees that day, and I am a wimp.

(believe it or not the "after" shot)

I have little seed packets starring at me, calling me, taunting me -

but I know it's too soon.

There is a quote on many garden sites about if you only garden 
from May to September,

you're missing the best part - the dreaming and hoping.

I can't remember the exact words of course but it makes sense.

(a friend brought this back to me from the garden show in Seattle)

Regardless of the temperature,

it felt good to get outside a move a little.

We got to enjoy the cleaned up view for all of a day before Mother Nature 

reminded us that it's still winter.

(view out the back door)

And our view of white returned once more.

So I guess it's like cleaning behind the refrigerator.

Nobody can tell it's done, but I know it,

and that feels good.
That was last weekend.
I believe it has snowed all but one day since then.

(view of what we call the big yard)

There was someone else who was glad to get outside 

and spend some energy too.

(Rip vs. Rope ~ looks like Rope is winning.)

PS~ See Bonnie, that green was just a temporary glitch in the weather system.

Friday Quick Tip ~ Tomatoes

Growing up, I was taught that to ripen tomatoes,

 they should be in a cool dark place on paper bags and not be touching.

Get all that?

That's what I was taught, and that's what I've always done.

So when I had romas that needed to finish ripening,

I went to see what I could find in the way of paper.

Back in the day, groceries were bagged in paper bags, but alas.

I had these egg crates from buying a couple flats of eggs a while back.

They work superbly and are easier to maneuver.
Obviously, romas or paste tomatoes with their elongated shape fit best,
but it would work with any of the smaller varieties.

We are in the middle of canning tomatoes, drying apples, and hunting season.

More soon~

Keep Chickens From Eating Your Garden

Well, you could keep them in the house of course.
We can't leave the door open in summer, or the girls will try to come visit me.

But if you don't want to keep them in the house,

there is another way.

We will soon be getting our spring chicks as I know many others will also.

Each year I read about how people can't keep their chickens out of the garden.

I actually let the chickens in the garden.

They are great at finding those awful little slugs and bugs. 

My mom had told me this before, and I wondered if it was one of those

"silly Mom" things or if it worked.

I listened to my mother, and she was right! 
(It's okay.  I already told her she was right:)

I don't feed the chickens any kitchen scraps.

I haven't fed them any sort of scraps from day one.
So in essence haven't trained them to eat/like those items.

They start out under the heat lamp eating an organic chick starter.

(I prefer non-medicated; why medicate healthy chicks?)

Once they out grow their brooder box, they get to go to the coop.

They have feathers by now and just get the heat lamp at night.

We are in the mountains and can get snow and/or freezing temps until June.

After a few days, maybe a week in the coop, once they have "settled in" and know where home is, they get to be free during the days.

They still have the option of their feed which after the first bag of starter crumble gets switched to layer pellets (still organic, non-med.)

They don't waste pellets like they do crumble.

However, as spring emerges, they eat less and less feed.

They begin finding those juicy yummy bugs and slugs.

Chickens actually prefer meat to veggies if given the choice.

Chickens are not vegetarians.

The only time I really have to watch them is when I am still planting.

They like to scratch in the freshly turned soil.

By the time they are to this stage, most of the garden is in anyways

so it's a very short-lived problem.

The only sort of kitchen waste we share with them is when we butcher.

The dog usually has his fill, and the chickens tend to take over

the cleaning of the bones.

They will do an amazing job of getting any remaining meat off of the bones.

In times past, many folks kept a butcher pig.

In addition to whey, this is where the kitchen scraps went.

We aren't set up for pigs, but have certainly considered it.

It might be something we do in a year or so, just not this year.

This year, we will again add our kitchen scraps to the compost bin.

They are still valuable, but being used in a different way. 
The only caveat to this is if you have adult hens that like to feast in your garden, they will teach the chicks/pullets where your garden is and
which are the tastiest treats.
So this really only works if you are starting from scratch with new birds.

Now if we can figure out how to keep the chickens out of the house?

          

Just as a little side note: 
This year I may wait until the beginning of March to get chicks.  
As you can see by the past two posts, we've had an exceptional winter and still have a good deal of snow on the ground.
I know in other areas, it's been mild so am sharing this before most folks are getting their chicks (hopefully.)

January, Seed Ordering Time

Aaaahh, it's January.

How refreshing.

In so many ways, it is just a continuum of yesterday.

The same snow sits in piles outside.

The calendar page turns once more just as it did last month.

We face the same short days each morning.

But there seems to be something more about January.

For many it's a new year,

a fresh start,

another chance to begin.

We know we don't really need a calendar to be able to do that.

But January offers just a bit of support that so many need.

Maybe it's the rigid cold.

It is upholding and refreshing putting last year behind us.

We can now look forward.

Looking forward of course is a good thing.

We can see spring just around the corner

though it be buried three feet deep with snow.

There is faith and hope.

We know it will be here before long.

In anticipation, we order seeds.

 It would be interesting to hear how others go about their seed order.

Do you have a process or just go down the list and click as you go?

Around here, Mom and I order together.

She gave me her order - just for a few flowers.

I had my list of what I want to plant, then went through the catalog

and found appropriate varieties.

We have a relatively short growing season so I watch the days to harvest.

After I have my list, I pull out my seed box.

You can see more about it here.

I then cross the seeds I have off the list.

I have been trying to improve my seed-saving skills.

The more I do this, the fewer seeds I will need to purchase.

After all that, I place my order.

Now I just have to wait ~ first for the seeds to arrive,

then for spring.

January indeed brings hope 

and great anticipation for the upcoming growing season.

In the mean time, we will just keep shoveling snow.
This picture is from last week - looking out our kitchen window.
We've had more snow since then.
Now we can't even see the car.
This weekend, we will probably hitch up to it and pull it out
since that can't be good for it.

It's January~ Keep Safe and Warm.