Category Archives: GARDEN

building a ‘dog pond’ – day #1

Posted on by
7

All of my garden and home projects start off with a little idea, mostly on a whim, and when I have time on my hands. Time can be an extra five or ten minutes, but give me hours and things really get changed up.

I never put a time limit on a project, I just want to see my ‘vision’ take shape, and happen. Our gardens change yearly, I have my garden bed that has my ‘mother plants’, I split and seed collect from those plants and have for eleven years. All of the other beds come and go depending on what looks interesting to me. Take this weekend for example.

“Do you want more coffee Nance?

Yes thanks, so I am digging a hole in the front yard, the dogs need a pond.

So how much coffee did you already drink?

Not enough thanks, and I looked on line for a bio falls so we can have a small water fall too. Nothing big this year.

So are you doing this by yourself?

Well the plants are moved, and Ocean has already started to dig, lets just go with that shape, do you know anything about pond pumps because I sure as hell don’t, and that is kind of a big part of it.

Um, we have other house projects that need to be finished first?

No, get your gloves and the wheel barrel, let’s dig. Actually the kids, Ocean and I will dig, you take the dirt to the compost pile. I think the dogs and kids really need a pond, don’t you?”

We have no master plan, nothing drawn on paper, and are new to the pond element thing. But we had SO MUCH FUN yesterday digging and learning. We decided to start small this year, get a feel for it, and leave room to expand next year if we like it.

This will be a more ‘naturalized’ splash pool, with a water fall. Actually, the term we learned yesterday is, “pondless waterfall’, no depth really and just gently moving water. Cool beans, this is what I want! Not too deep, no fish, no water plants, just dog/kid cooling off fun, and hopefully beautiful!

We watched about 15 videos, and investigated just as many pond materials sites. We are getting a better feel for the rocks we want to use, water flow, and depth.

Pond supplies ordered this morning. Rocks will be ordered tomorrow.

So our start! Day #1

dirt for the soul kind of day

Posted on by
7

If you can garden this time of year in the mountains, it’s a treat. Harvesting the last of the chard, delicada squash, and herbs. Collecting seeds for next years garden dreams, transplanting, moving, and degrassing flower beds. It’s more or less playing in the dirt, a soul kind of day.

The only thing that makes it better for me is our plum tree, a Royal Mountain Blue Plum tree to be exact. We only need one cold night in September to turn our plums from garden goodness, to gifts from the garden gods! So sweet, so delicious, perfectly firm but with a slightly soft texture. Absolutely perfect! Working in the dirt and being able to reach up every now an again to grab one of these gems, well it kind of makes me smile!

it is a very plum plum – Count László de Almásy – The English Patient

Today we dove into the garden bed around our plum tree. We dug up 31 perennial plants, some tulip bulbs, and some volunteer daisies. I’ve been wanting to open up this space and move more of our lavender in this area. I had some great help with Pip, $eeker, Story and Ocean.

Ocean is my digger and it is actually a job for her. When I need a hole in the garden we work together on it. She is invaluable with this talent. We needed seven holes the size of the lavender bundle in the photo, and she kept at it until we were done!

Pip just has to say, “where’s the mouse?” and Ocean goes at it. I’m pretty sure Pip wouldn’t find gardening nearly as fun if she didn’t’ have Ocean to work with.

freshly transplanted lavender, and Ocean mighty proud of her work! My lavender girl…

Our traveling pots of rosemary, lavender, and lemon balm found their winter home today… I’ll be curious to see if the Spanish, or Otto Quast lavender makes it in our growing zone. I have a feeling our winter, if we actually have one this year, will kill it. It’s my new variety experiment.

Nine wheel barrels full of perennials that we dug out of this space. Many went into our seed plant pile. One day that pile is going to be the most gorgeous garden we have!

My Franny hanging and overseeing everything. She loves a full warm day outside. It has to feel good on her bones these days.

Garden partners. Four hours of digging in the dirt, moving plants, and being outside on a gorgeous day.

He loves his job escorting the wheel barrel, it’s just that simple. Not a digger, but rather a driver!

Dirt is just good for the soul. I don’t know of anything more enjoyable than spending an afternoon in the dirt with my kids and dogs. Grounding.

Whoever stopped by today, went home with a bag of the worlds most delicious plums. Woop!

My mouth is watering just looking at this photo. Gorgeous color combo, bite size, so sweet and perfect.

Picking more tonight!

Have a great weekend, play in some dirt, eat some fresh food, love your family, nourish your soul … Nancy

borage, the garden conundrum

Posted on by
2

When our garden gets to this point in the summer it isn’t hard to work and play, and totally get lost in it! My kids, dogs, and I were pretty much absorbed in dirt and plants for the better part of two days.

Over the past month our polite little plants decided to take off. The rain and the heat caused some crazy growth and now we have a garden that’s easily 5-6′ tall. It’s awesome.

And then there is my borage, the garden conundrum. If you’re familiar with this plant you know what I’m talking about, if you’re new to this plant hang in there.

It’s a self seeder, it reseeds like crazy, and it does better if you simply leave it alone and try not to mess with it. It attracts beneficial insects, great for a bio dynamic garden. Bee’s love it, so Ocean loves it, she’s our bee wrangler! It has the most gorgeous periwinkle/pink/dusty blue flowers, super gorgeous on cakes, in salads, and in cocktails! The young leaves are great in salads and stir fry’s. And parts of the plant can be infused into oil for skin slaves. It has great anti inflammatory and itch relief qualities. We have always made herbal infusion salves for our kids skin and dogs paws, borage is always one of the herbs I use.

BUT, its prickly and scratchy, and can almost be considered invasive if left unchecked. Like alien invasion invasive. Rubbing up against it makes me wince every time. But it’s so gorgeous and interesting to look at, and it has so many wonderful qualities it’s hard to justify not having it!

I try to find that happy balance and use about 3/4 of the borage I grow for green manure, meaning it grows to feed our compost pile.

Here is to gardens, with or without borage, dogs, and children that love to play in the dirt.

time for some garden eye candy!

Posted on by
12

Working in the garden is so good for the soul. When I’m super busy with life, my dogs and I disappear into the garden, even if only briefly, so we can just take a nice deep breath!

So from my garden to your eyes, enjoy! Nancy