Dear friends,
Next time you're deciding what to plant in your garden, you might want to think about adding a small section for the native bees. Here's a great article by my friend Susan Tweit in Audubon magazine. Many people are unaware of the numerous native pollinators.
The article makes it clear why it's important not to use pesticides in your garden.
While you're at it, check out Susan's website and blog.
It's still raining here, and many areas in the Texas Hill Country are flooding. It makes me happy that I'm up on a hill, but a bit leery about moving to town to "lower ground"....I need to get over there when the storm lets up to check out the drainage situation.
dig it!
bobbi c.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Alternatives to lawns....
Mornin' friends!
As part of my research into front yard gardens, I've been doing a lot of surfing. Just found this excellent article by Olivia Johns, Horticulturalist at the Calgary Zoo Botanical Gardens.
Alternatives to Lawns
I'm getting anxious to start my new garden in the new house. Yes, it will be different. For one thing, I won't be able to garden in my cotton night-dress anymore like I can out here. At least not in the front yard. LOL. And I'll have to take my neighbor's opinions into account...sort of. And then there are those outdated, pesky rules that some cities have that dictate what you can or can't plant in your front yards. (I won't go there today!)
Instead, I'm dreaming of espaliered apple trees against the side of the garage. And a shady grape arbor in the back corner of the backyard garden.
And a rosemary hedge by the street....in the FRONT.
And just for inspiration, here's a photo of what my front "yard' garden looks like now:
and my new front yard....Looks like I have my work cut out for me!
dig it!
bobbi c.
As part of my research into front yard gardens, I've been doing a lot of surfing. Just found this excellent article by Olivia Johns, Horticulturalist at the Calgary Zoo Botanical Gardens.
Alternatives to Lawns
I'm getting anxious to start my new garden in the new house. Yes, it will be different. For one thing, I won't be able to garden in my cotton night-dress anymore like I can out here. At least not in the front yard. LOL. And I'll have to take my neighbor's opinions into account...sort of. And then there are those outdated, pesky rules that some cities have that dictate what you can or can't plant in your front yards. (I won't go there today!)
Instead, I'm dreaming of espaliered apple trees against the side of the garage. And a shady grape arbor in the back corner of the backyard garden.
And a rosemary hedge by the street....in the FRONT.
And just for inspiration, here's a photo of what my front "yard' garden looks like now:
and my new front yard....Looks like I have my work cut out for me!
dig it!
bobbi c.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Food not lawns!
Dear friends,
I was excited to run across a website called "Food Not Lawns"
Started by author/activist Heather C. Flores, the group advocates and supports front yard gardens and other ecological projects. Hey, as the almost owner of a new front lawn, I'm all for that!
I for one can't wait to turn my water-wasting, gasoline-guzzling front lawn into a verdant garden full of herbs and flowers, and yes, maybe even veggies! Time will tell whether I run into any kind of ruckus by doing that or not...you never know here in Texas.
And as always, I'm inspired by the work of the Dervaes family in California, and their 1/5 acre homestead. If you haven't seen their gorgeous, amazing website, surf on by and prepare to be gobsmacked!
Path to Freedom
Until next time,
dig it!
bobbi c.
I was excited to run across a website called "Food Not Lawns"
Started by author/activist Heather C. Flores, the group advocates and supports front yard gardens and other ecological projects. Hey, as the almost owner of a new front lawn, I'm all for that!
I for one can't wait to turn my water-wasting, gasoline-guzzling front lawn into a verdant garden full of herbs and flowers, and yes, maybe even veggies! Time will tell whether I run into any kind of ruckus by doing that or not...you never know here in Texas.
And as always, I'm inspired by the work of the Dervaes family in California, and their 1/5 acre homestead. If you haven't seen their gorgeous, amazing website, surf on by and prepare to be gobsmacked!
Path to Freedom
Until next time,
dig it!
bobbi c.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Small space composting
Good mornin' earthly gardeners!
Just ran across this most excellent site about composting. Actually, don't tell anyone, but it's about composting in NEW YORK CITY! Still, we'll ignore that bit of information and focus on the other stuff there. It's good information from the New York City Compost Project.
http://www.nyccompost.org/how/smallspace.html
It's all about how to set up a compost bin in a small space. Yes, it can be done!
Why am I looking at this, you might ask? Because I'm downsizing....my home, my gardens (sniff),my STUFF....and yes, dear reader, my compost bins!
Actually, I'm looking forward to the challenge of gardening in a small space.
If it weren't for that danged bermuda grass! arrrgggghhhh!
Dig it!
bobbi c.
Just ran across this most excellent site about composting. Actually, don't tell anyone, but it's about composting in NEW YORK CITY! Still, we'll ignore that bit of information and focus on the other stuff there. It's good information from the New York City Compost Project.
http://www.nyccompost.org/how/smallspace.html
It's all about how to set up a compost bin in a small space. Yes, it can be done!
Why am I looking at this, you might ask? Because I'm downsizing....my home, my gardens (sniff),my STUFF....and yes, dear reader, my compost bins!
Actually, I'm looking forward to the challenge of gardening in a small space.
If it weren't for that danged bermuda grass! arrrgggghhhh!
Dig it!
bobbi c.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Downsizing, garden and all
Dear friends,
Husband and I have decided to downsize our....well, everything. Our current house is large-ish for two adults, and we have seven acres of rock with a little section of green that's taken me almost twelve years to develop and nurture. We'll probably be moving to a much smaller (1/4 acre) property in town, in a smaller house. A blank canvas, so to speak.
Of course, it's heart wrenching to leave this property, but it's time, I think. Many people long to live in the country, but they have no clue about how much extra work doing that entails. Some weekends we spend the whole time doing "chores" around here..whacking the native grasses that never die back from the road front and around the house and garden, maintaining the rainwater collection system, whacking back trees or cutting firewood from our own property, and more.
Of course, the trade-offs are being able to live around wildlife, marveling at the numbers of new birds that stop by here every year, having room to plant new things to see what will "take" and what won't in our very hot, humid, frequently drought-ridden climate.
When I told my mother that we were moving, she said with dismay "You'll never be able to have a garden like that anywhere else." I said "Well, who do you think planted this garden in the first place? Who made an earthly garden of Eden out of a slab of rock with no topsoil? I did! and I can do it again!" Maybe I said it a little braver than I felt, actually.
Of course, in some ways she's right. I'll never have this same garden anywhere else. In town, we won't need the seven foot deer fence that's rusted to a wonderful shade of red. And of course, in town, there are rules against such "improvements" anyway. We won't have the raccoons popping over that fence to sample our peaches, taking one bite and dropping the fruit on the ground if it doesn't meet their standards of approval for taste.
The new house, however, probably has some real dirt in the yard, instead of a slab of rock. Since it's smaller, the maintenance will be less, and Husband will have time to spend on launching his second career. And I'll have a brand new piece of land to turn into another little earthly Eden.
And that's what I have to hold onto when thoughts of leaving this garden and land flit across my mind.
Peace and harmony,
bobbi c.
In the Texas Hill Country
Husband and I have decided to downsize our....well, everything. Our current house is large-ish for two adults, and we have seven acres of rock with a little section of green that's taken me almost twelve years to develop and nurture. We'll probably be moving to a much smaller (1/4 acre) property in town, in a smaller house. A blank canvas, so to speak.
Of course, it's heart wrenching to leave this property, but it's time, I think. Many people long to live in the country, but they have no clue about how much extra work doing that entails. Some weekends we spend the whole time doing "chores" around here..whacking the native grasses that never die back from the road front and around the house and garden, maintaining the rainwater collection system, whacking back trees or cutting firewood from our own property, and more.
Of course, the trade-offs are being able to live around wildlife, marveling at the numbers of new birds that stop by here every year, having room to plant new things to see what will "take" and what won't in our very hot, humid, frequently drought-ridden climate.
When I told my mother that we were moving, she said with dismay "You'll never be able to have a garden like that anywhere else." I said "Well, who do you think planted this garden in the first place? Who made an earthly garden of Eden out of a slab of rock with no topsoil? I did! and I can do it again!" Maybe I said it a little braver than I felt, actually.
Of course, in some ways she's right. I'll never have this same garden anywhere else. In town, we won't need the seven foot deer fence that's rusted to a wonderful shade of red. And of course, in town, there are rules against such "improvements" anyway. We won't have the raccoons popping over that fence to sample our peaches, taking one bite and dropping the fruit on the ground if it doesn't meet their standards of approval for taste.
The new house, however, probably has some real dirt in the yard, instead of a slab of rock. Since it's smaller, the maintenance will be less, and Husband will have time to spend on launching his second career. And I'll have a brand new piece of land to turn into another little earthly Eden.
And that's what I have to hold onto when thoughts of leaving this garden and land flit across my mind.
Peace and harmony,
bobbi c.
In the Texas Hill Country
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