Problem-Solving – This is War Part I

On By TimelessladyIn Problem-Solving13 Comments

I hope the photograph shows the deep hole in my Square Foot Garden. My peas were just beginning to sprout when some type of marauding critter decided to make them a meal.

Something large and furry had to be the culprit, or could it have been something large and feathery? My first impulse was to blame the squirrels, but they have been in the yard with my Square Foot Garden for several weeks and have not ventured past the chicken wire enclosing it. The same day I saw the devastation in the garden, I spotted a large chipmunk running around the yard. I know they are cute, but chipmunks are tops on my problem wildlife list. They are voracious and destructive and actually can be dangerous. My neighbor broke her wrist a summer or two ago by catching her foot in a chipmunk burrow and falling. One summer our yard became so overrun the chipmunks scavenged relentlessly even when we were only a few feet away. Wild turkeys have visited my yard too, but thankfully, only once. Yesterday I saw the mallard ducks. They are back. Every spring they return to my yard. Why? To eat beneath the birdfeeder, and then for dessert feast on every fish they can scoop up in my pond. The ducks have become a pest too and are able to easily fly over the chicken wire and gobble up my sprouting peas and greens.

So the big question is what to do to fight them. I have had mixed results in past years. The bug spray I made a few days ago might repel the animals, but the ducks don’t have a sense of smell and will not be stopped by a repellent scent. I also must reapply every time it rains, and if I don’t get out there and re-spray within five minutes of rain stopping, the hungry pests might get there first.

My first weapon was applied immediately, chile powder straight out of the bottle. I have some dried chiles still on hand, and I will blend those and keep at the ready to spread around. So far this has repelled whatever it was that dug up the peas.

I am also a firm believer in scare tactics. Anyone who has lived beside me might know that when I see something near sprouting plants I might run outside roaring like a lion in attempts to scare them away. It works. It also sends my heart rate pounding. I don’t know how wise it is to sprint and roar like this, but hey, it works. I also came up with a few temporary and permanent solutions. Tomorrow I’ll post the permanent solution, but for today, the temporary solution is the focus.

Water balloons. They are at the ready in a basket, filled with water and bit of garlic powder for a little added punch. If I see one of the culprits in or near my garden, they are in for a surprise. Tee-hee! I just hope tomorrow’s newspaper headlines don’t read: “Grandmother falls out second story window lobbing water balloons at wildlife.”

IMPORTANT CAUTION: Balloons can be lethal to small children because they are a choking hazard. Make sure to remove all shreds of balloons out of your yard.

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Pleasure and Promise – Mockingbirds

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(Photo courtesy of Wet Canvas Reference Library )

Mockingbirds are one of my favorite songbirds. I love their beautiful melodies. I feel blessed when I am the recipient of their gift of song.

Song of the Northern Mockingbird

I love to hang clothes outdoors on the line, but one day this week this joy became just one more job on a seemingly endless list of “must-do” chores. Instead of enjoying the beginning of Spring I began to feel frazzled in my busy frame of mind. Suddenly a blessing descended and I was reminded of a favorite verse of mine.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

I stopped my pinning, stopped dwelling on everything I had to do, and just stood still beneath the budding trees, the blue sky, and listened. Ah…there was the song I failed to hear, a mockingbird on a nearby roof chimney going through his melodious repetoire.

Some folks don’t like Mockingbirds. They can be a bit feisty. I like to think of them as bold and confident instead.

I enjoy spotting Mockingbirds as I walk around my neighborhood. I have noticed these birds perch on the highest elevations when they sing their best songs.

Quirkiness – Tree Brooches

On By TimelessladyIn Quirkiness1 Comment

Sometimes it’s impossible to keep my quirkiness in check. In those moments my backyard often becomes the recipient of my unique ideas. I’ve been “pinning” my trees as if they are fraternity pledges…adding little ornaments to the ivy that climbs their rugged trunks. Brass mirrors attached to the trees at my grandson’s eye level add a sweet touch of whimsy and magic to the yard.

Plants and Poetry – Daffodils

On By TimelessladyIn Plants, Poetry5 Comments

My Daffodils are blooming, enlivening the barren earth of my garden beds with exuberant yellows, creams and oranges. I love this time of year and the beginning of Spring’s blossoms. The daffodils are among the earliest of the season’s bloomers. Along with hyacinths and crocus, they provide a cheerful burst of color and promise warmer weather is on the way.

Daffodil Culture is fairly easy: Purchase the bulbs in the Autumn, plant about six inches deep, and reap the reward of blossoms in the Spring. The aftercare is a bit trickier. Long after the flowers have come and gone, the foliage remains, often becoming a bit ragged in appearance. My first instinct is to cut it off, but there lies the problem, the plant receives nourishment for next year’s blooms through the foliage. I usually let the long strap-like leaves grow until they begin to yellow and flop over. At this point I bundle them, double them down, and rubber band them into a neat clump. Some horticulturists and master gardeners say this is not a good idea, but I contain the foliage this way every year, and my daffodils seem to thrive.

William Wordsworth, an English Romantic Poet, wrote a poem about daffodils that became one of his best known works. I think he captured exactly how I feel when I look at a flowerbed or field full of daffodils. When the sun warms the earth, and she responds with new life, I want to dance with the daffodils too.

DAFFODILS

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced;
but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed–and gazed–but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Projects – Square Foot Gardening Update

On By TimelessladyIn Projects4 Comments

Yesterday, after visiting Roork’s in Elmer, New Jersey, we began mixing the growing medium for our first square foot garden. Setting these gardens up is a bit pricey. For one 4 x 6 raised bed we spent about 75.00. The good news is that this expense is a one-time occurrence. In coming years we will only need to add a bit of our own compost to the bed. These raised beds need no fertilizer or additional amendments.

Mixing was easy in an old children’s swimming pool. We mixed half the product at a time. Joe did the mixing, I did the clump-busting with a metal garden rake.

We used four different types of humus, the book recommends five, but we decided four was enough, two types of manure, one mushroom soil, and bucketfuls of our own compost from the bin.

We used a whole bale of peat moss as the book, Square Foot Gardening, recommends.

A bale of vermiculite was next. This was the most expensive item. It does look much more natural than perlite though, so in the long run we know it will be more aesthetically appealing.

All we need now is a bit of fencing to keep the rascally rabbits, the curious cats, and the mischevious chipmunks and squirrels out of the bed. Today I might work on making some scary looking owl replicas out of old CD’s. Fun.

People – There’s not a Friend…

On By TimelessladyIn People1 Comment

A friend of the family gave my husband this small picture of Jesus. It is smaller than a baseball card, and easily sets upon my kitchen windowsill where I am able to see it daily. I have always loved the image of Jesus holding a lamb. It is representative of his care, compassion and love for all of us. Today the old hymn, “There’s Not A Friend Like The Lowly Jesus,” sprang into my head. It was written in 1890, but has endured for over a century, as so many gospel hymns have done. I love the message in the song, a good song to sing to remind me of the Lord, my greatest friend and Savior, and I think I need to say to that, “Amen.”

There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus No, not one! No, not one! None else could heal all our souls diseases No, not one! No, not one!
Chorus: Jesus knows all about our struggles He will guide till the day is done There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus No, not one! No, not one!
No friend like Him is so high and holy No, not one! No, not one! And yet no friend is so meek and lowly No, not one! No, not one!
Repeat Chorus
There’s not an hour that He is not near us No, not one! No, not one! No night so dark but His love can cheer us No, not one! No, not one!
Repeat Chorus

Prose – House of Cash – Johnny Cash Biography

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I’m enjoying this biography of Johnny Cash written by his son, John Carter Cash. Inside are memories and insights into the life of one of my all-time favorite singers and a true Man of God. I am entranced by the reproductions of Johnny’s actual notes on life and valentines to his wife June Carter Cash.

A perfect video for a Sunday, Johnny Cash singing, “Sunday Morning Coming Down.”

Problem-solving – Mealy Bug Infestation

On By TimelessladyIn Problem-Solving4 Comments

While watering my succulents I noticed the dreaded white fluff of a Mealy Bug. Oh no. I have had experience with these pests in the past and know they can become a full-blown infestation. I wasted no time in treating the infested plant.

I like to use organic products and things I already have around the house. For Organic Mealy Bug Treatment Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol is a good choice. Using a Q-tip I touched the saturated tip to the back of the mealy bug. As I checked the plant I saw a few more of his family residing along the stems and treated them too. Further down there were more, oh no, it was beginning to look like an infestation, time for more drastic measures. I filled an atomizer with some of the alcohol and sprayed the entire plant. I left it on for a few moments and then washed all the foliage in tepid water. Most organic pest control sites recommend watering the alcohol down first, but for a hardy succulent, straight out the bottle did no harm. If I was treating one of my african violets I would definitely water the solution down before using.

I knew I had to check all the plants that were in the same room with the infested succulent, and sure enough, on one coleus I found the beginnings of more mealy bugs. Hopefully the intervention with rubbing alcohol has eradicated the problem.

Pressed Flowers – Pressing With Heated Books

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In the northeast we have had a very mild winter. Many of the area wildflowers are beginning to bloom. In my pile of foliage and flowers are blossoms of Birds-eye Speedwell, Vinca, and Celandine. It’s time to begin restocking my pressed flower supply. I love using wildflowers, they are often small and airy, perfect for pressed flower compositions. One caution though when using wildflowers, be sure that you are not using a plant that is protected as threatened and endangered in your state. To see a listing of your State’s Protected Wildflowers check out this site: US Government list of Threatened and Endangered Plants.

I have found that the best way to retain the colors of most flowers and foliage is to flash press them in a microwave. I don’t use the expensive microwave presses; I have found the best way is to use an old book. The book must have very porous paper, it must not have gold or silver leafing on the spine or page edges, and a smaller book works better. Most of the books I use are from the 1930’s and 1940’s. You can find books of this age at yard sales and thrift stores. They are usually very inexpensive.

1. Separate your flowers into thinner petaled flowers and foliage, and thicker varieties.

3. Lay the blossoms and foliage on the page. These vincas have a thick stem that will not press well behind the open faced blooms. After I lay them out on the page I cut off that stem. For the side pressed blossoms, I leave the stem intact. I also include several buds of the flower.

4. Shut the book and rubber band the edges. For thin varieties of flowers and foliage I microwave between 15 and 30 seconds. This provides the heat that speeds up the drying process. The book should not be hot, only gently warm to the touch. For thicker varieties of flowers and foliage I heat for 30 – 60 seconds. As with anything microwave temperatures vary, you will have to experiment to see what works best for you. After pressing, clean out any residue left behind in your microwave by heating a cup of water with lemon or citrus peel, and then wiping away the moisture from the sides.

5. Don’t open the book, leave the rubber bands in place and put your book under a heavy weight.

6. Your flowers should be dried and ready to use within 3 – 7 days. To remove them from the pages of the book, gently slide a soft paint brush beneath the edges.

I use large books to store my pressed flowers. I place them on acid free paper and label the sides, leaving the edges hanging over the book pages about 1/2 inch. This helps me find exactly the type of flower I want when I am composing a picture.

The flowers and foliage are ready to use. In coming days and weeks I’ll give more tips on how I compose, glue and use my pressed flower projects.

Projects & Plants – Rooting Cuttings with Honey

On By TimelessladyIn Plants, Projects22 Comments

My Lemon Verbena plant is thriving, but it is in definite need of a trim. I want to grow several lemon verbena plants in my herb garden this year so today was the perfect day to take cuttings. In the past I have used rooting hormone on the stem ends of the cuttings, but this year I am aiming to go as natural and organic as possible. I have heard in the past that Honey is a natural rooting compound. I always have honey in my pantry so I pulled it out and gave it a try.

I followed the same protocol I use with rooting hormone. I punched out a drainage hole in 3 oz plastic cups and filled these with sterile soil. I watered the potting medium and created a hole with a plastic highlighter.

I dipped the lower inch and a half of the verbena cuttings into the honey and inserted them into the soil. I avoided brushing the sides of the planting hole to keep the honey intact on the stem end.

I gently firmed up the soil around the stem and then inserted the cup in a plastic bag and sealed it. The honey is anti-fungal and will create a seal on the cut end of the cutting and help retain moisture.

When I was finished I had six small pots. I used a recycled cookie tray to hold the six cuttings steady, and placed them under lights in my basement.

The lovely smelling leaves I stripped away were also put to good  use. I simmered them in a pot of water and freshened up the house with a little extra moisture and lemon scent in the air.

Plantings – Update Winter Sowing Progress

On By TimelessladyIn Planting1 Comment

I’ve been steadily adding to my cache of winter sown containers. The warm springlike weather of the past weeks has helped many to sprout. As they are HHA (Half Hardy Annuals) and cold tolerant vegetables, I have no worries about the possible onset of colder temperatures through the next weeks. The plastic containers work as mini-greenhouses and protect the seedlings from frost. The cold will only strengthen them and keep them from becoming leggy and outgrowing their containers. I’ve had a lot of fun with this project. I also have set aside a portion of each type of seed so that in the event that some of the containers fail I will have a backup.

A view of some of the sprouts inside their containers. The above photos show my recycled orange juice bottles. These mini-greenhouses are light in weight. To windproof them I wedge them in amongst the heavier milk jugs.

A bird’s eye view through the top of a milk jug. The seedlings inside are asters.

I noticed two of my mini-greenhouses had indications of the dirt drying out. I placed these inside a plastic shoebox filled with water, a perfect fit, and let them soak up a little moisture through the drainage holes in the bottom. This worked perfectly and within a half hour they were thoroughly watered.

Pots and Pans – Quaker Oats Oatmeal Cookies

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I’ve loved Quaker Oats oatmeal all my life. I often stir up a batch of it in the morning, dollop it with butter, brown sugar and a teaspoon of Polaner All Fruit Jelly, and enjoy.

I also love Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. The recipe for these delicious treats can be found on the bottom of the box lid. They are very easy to make.

If you want to make the cookies and don’t have the box lid you can find the recipe here. Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Proverbs – Painted Pebbles

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“In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12

My sister Amy and my nephew Abel painted these pebbles for me. They remind me of Faberge Eggs. I love what Amy does with her painted pebbles. When she hikes in the mountains of North Carolina she leaves the pebbles along the trail to be found by other hikers. I enjoy picturing her placing her painted gems amid the tangled roots of trees or within a clump of grass or fern.  I also enjoy imagining the happiness of those who find these sweet gems.

Pots and Pans – Make Your Own Brown Sugar

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Nothing is worse than running out of an essential ingredient when you are in the middle of baking or cooking. Last week I was whipping up a batch of oatmeal cookies and realized I was out of brown sugar. No problem. I mixed up my own.

Add 1 tablespoon molasses to 1 cup of white sugar. Stir together…you have light brown sugar. Do you need dark brown sugar instead? Add 2 tablespoons of molasses to the sugar and mix.

After I tried this I realized I found the taste is heartier and much better than the store bought brown sugar. I’m hooked on making my own now.

Tip: Use your food processor for even faster results.

Projects – Crayon Chips & Wax Paper = Stained Glass Valentine Hearts

On By TimelessladyIn Projects3 Comments

My grandsons and I created beautiful Waxed Paper Stained Glass Hearts to put on our windows. First we used pencil sharpeners and created shavings of pink, red, and violet crayola crayons. Yes, our crayon box is now depleted of these colors…must buy more.

I used the back of a cereal box and cut out a heart shaped pattern. We traced this onto waxed paper with a Sharpie, and then dribbled bits of the shaved crayons into the outline.  We covered the shavings and paper with another sheet of waxed paper, and I ran a hot iron over them very briefly. This melted the crayons into a beautiful pool of swirled and translucent colors. I carefully picked it up and laid it on the garage floor to dry. When they had hardened we cut them out and hung them on our window with double sided tape. (I have since realized a glue stick is a much better choice!) I would give this project an A++.

The Valentine hearts glow when sunshine steams through them. I wish we had more waxed paper and crayons, I would have made dozens.

Planting and Pleasures – Microgreens Part III

On By TimelessladyIn Planting, Pleasures6 Comments

Oh My! The Microgreens are a bit ragged in appearance…what happened to my lush crop? I’m afraid to say I have already eaten most of the young greens. I pop the tops off the pea sprouts and eat them like candy. This is reminiscent of the peas I grow outdoors in the Spring. They never seem to arrive on my kitchen table as a side dish. Warm afternoons usually find me standing in the midst of the pea patch, eating the fresh peas out of the pods. Yum! In truth, the microgreens are a complete success. I enjoy growing them, and most of all eating them. The best use so far was garnishing my turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich with a row of them. Oh Happy Day!

The kitchen sink variety is also thriving, and perhaps today I will start grazing on them also. Moo!

Pleasures and Promise – Cobalt Blue

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I enjoy this cobalt blue dish hanging from my ceiling. It holds five cobalt blue vases of various sizes in which I root cuttings from my houseplants. Vintage ceramic bluebirds peer out at me from the rim of the dish…reminding me of my Grandmother Broadwell who loved little glass birds…especially bluebirds.

The cobalt blue color also reminds me of my Heavenly Home. The place where I will dwell with the Lord forever. I love color, deep rich color of all kinds, especially the blue and green tones. I feel such a sense of joy when I read the description of heaven promised in Revelation. There are some scary and hard to understand sequences in Revelation, but there are also many promises. God will bring his believers through the storms of life, whatever they may be, and into his promise.

“Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was

the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the

glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown,

 and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

 Ezekiel 1:28

“The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of

precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire,

the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,

the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth

turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.”

Revelation 21:19-20

“And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A

rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.”

Revelation 4:3

Planting – Microgreens Part I

On By TimelessladyIn Planting1 Comment

Sowing seeds and indoor gardening seem to be dominating my January blog posts. I am starved right now for green, tired of the bare branches of trees silhouetted against the sky. I have been sowing seeds in hopes of harvesting Microgreens. Microgreens are harvested from seeds sprouted through the early leafing-out stage. I am using seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds. This is my first attempt at this type of gardening.

I am growing the Microgreens on my windowsill in plastic throwaway containers from cookies and other snacks. To see how I went about the process, check out the photos below.

I gathered my supplies: antique pots to look pretty, throwaway plastic from cookie containers, corn holder for poking holes in the plastic.

I made sure the containers would fit inside my chosen pots before I added the dirt.

I poked holes for drainage in the plastic with the corn holder.

I filled the containers with organic soil.

I watered containers of soil and let them drain.

I spaced the pea seeds out in rows.

I sowed the Kitchen Sink Mix en masse.

I covered with one of my favorite kitchen tools, Glad’s Press ‘n Seal.

The seeds are already up…they sprouted in less than two days. I will post a Microgreens Part II later this week.

Planting – Winter Sowing Seeds

On By TimelessladyIn Planting6 Comments

Winter Sowing is the process of planting hardy and half-hardy seeds in clear or transluscent containers (milk cartons, 2 liter soda bottles, juice containers.) The containers are then sealed with duct tape and placed outdoors in the winter weather. This method of sowing seeds has been attributed to Trudi Davidoff.

The above photograph is a record of my first attempts at this process. Over the next week or two I hope to Winter Sow more of my perennial seeds, and later in the season some of my vegetables, annuals and herbs.

A good source of information and discussion about Winter Sowing can be found on the Gardenweb Winter Sowing Forum.

I’ll update my success with this method as the season progresses.