Grande For the Garden

While I try to find a time to make a video on 'breaking new garden ground, the easy way' - I need a time when I'm functional, the wind isn't blowing too hard, and the spawn is available for FlipCam work - I've been changing the garden from summer to winter state.

Tomatoes have been retired, and a kicking green tomato salsa made. I still need to disinfect all tomato related acoutrements (stakes, string) to reduce risk of late blight next year.

Basil has been retired, pesto frozen in cubes, and 2 final quarts of leaves are in the dehydrator even as I type.

Garlic has been planted, early for once.

And I'm working on adding mulch and such to my beds. Much of the mulch is the 'regular' compost from the compost heap. But I'm kicking up the mulch (and the compost heap) this year with caffeine. That is, I'm adding used coffee grounds as fast as I can.

Now, we don't drink huge amounts of coffee here. Only about 6 cups a day. So I have to turn to an outside source for used coffee grounds. Obviously, that means Starbucks. They are happy to give away their used grounds, by the bag full. Well, the one nearest me wants me to bring in my own bucket, but they aren't the busiest Starbucks. The one in town center just hands us bags of them. I'm having the Spawn go there nearly every day as he drives home from college. He also passes a few others on his way home from school, but I figure one bag a day is enough for me to handle. I don't want them piling up during rainy periods or anything.

So far I've added a bit to the compost heap (in the newest cut grass, destined for use next spring), worked it into the bed the garlic is in, top dressed the turnips, and spread it over the bed I'm putting cabbage in (I'm late in planting that) and put some in the bed I'll be using for the cold frame. I'll need to dig them into the last two beds really soon so I can get planting under way. Then I'll add them to the flower beds/blueberries/roses in front, the old potato bed, the pepper beds, and Gods willing and if the creek don't rise, lots more in the compost heap. All that before winter sets in.

That's actually more than I'll probably end up doing, but I like to plan grande .... uh .... grand projects.


Frondly, Fern

Frenzied Fern

Blessings, Fronds!

I'm way behind in my blogging, because there's so much to do in the 'real' world off-line. I've been planting more veggies, I discovered a bee hive in my compost heap while trying to get compost for said garden, husband's and my home business has has issues including but not limited to the main development computer's hard drive going bad, I'm working on a line of Mastermind groups I want to give, and I need to get a real web site up (which means husband and I spend quality time debating the relative merits of WordPress vs Joomla.)

Meanwhile, I still have the Mastermind training classes I'm in, the regular business training classes, meals have to be put on the table, clothes have to be washed, spawn has to be nagged to do lawn and clean bathrooms and I've lost his shopping slavery because he's working with husband to re-install all the software on the new hard drive while husband works on content for the main home business web site.

AND
On top of all that, and the expected drop in income, and the extra expenses for computer and car repairs - at our current main client, another very small company, the head engineer is out with a life threatening heart problem. Which is messing up HIS life, his family's life, their business's income, and thus OUR income even more than it was before.

SO
While I should be using this blog to plug the Mastermind groups starting now, instead mostly there's going to be silence and short posts. Because I'm busy hanging laundry, baking break, learning Wordpress, creating web sites and web site content, and finding new and different weeds - er - wild plants to eat.

Tomorrow night is Dolmades for Dinner - greek stuffed grapes leaves. I ain't paying for the grape leaves, and the filling is mostly rice (storage food) and mint (herb garden supplied). Tonight's dinner is lamb stew (3rd meal from leg of lamb, lots of potatoes that were on GREAT sale last week) in home-made bread bowls. All leftover lamb is going to go into soup for lunches this week.

Frondly, Fern