MLCHgarden

Home Garden Harvest

2010-03-19T07:50:00.001-04:00

FRESH VEGGIES

The combination of rain and a bit of sunshine

has started the spring veggie machine! I feel

daily blog posting coming up.

After picking up the newspaper, I spotted

some broccoli and collards ready for picking.

So off with the plastic sleeve and in with the

veggies!

Lettuce, beets, English peas and radish are all sprouting, too!

Weeds are everywhere, though. Will need to

get busy with weeding and mulching...

Blessings from the Garden!

Hey Honey...

2010-03-15T08:23:00.006-04:00

Hagler Honey...

Yes, that's my hubby, but he is holding

the Hagler Honey!

What a process for a couple of novice

beekeepers! We have enough honey for

the next 10 years! Will share, though.

Dr Middlebrooks, our pediatrician and

local Master Beekeeper, says that the

sting of bees helps with arthritis pain.

He sells his honey in his pediatric office.

There are reports that bee venom is being

used for other ailments such as asthma, multiple

sclerosis, high blood pressure and PMS...

You'll need to discuss that with your doctor, though!

Local honey is best to consume when

trying to boost your immune system/decrease

allergy symptoms. If you are

a "highly allergic" person, start by consuming

a tiny amount of local honey just to be sure

you will not have a reaction.

Toasted pound cake drizzled with Hagler Honey

was dessert last nite...

Blessings from the Garden

GROW!

2010-03-12T08:11:00.005-05:00

Seeds are one of the most precious gifts...

One tiny package full of life just waiting to

develop given the proper nourishment and

environment...Sound familiar? Life.

Two weeks ago, I planted radish, lettuce,

carrots and beets in the home garden. With

the combo of rain and a touch of warmth, they

are beginning to sprout!

Blessings from the Garden.

Dining Room Drama!

2010-03-10T08:18:00.008-05:00

SPROUTS!

look closely...

I've known for some time that persistence pays off, but

I was becoming impatient with my tomato seed project.

Last week I planted these tomato seeds in egg cartons

& placed on dining room table:

* Mortgage Lifter

* Marianna's Peace

* Sugar Lump

* Marisol Pink

all purchased from "Marianna's Tomatoes"

Realized by day 5 that I needed more "bottom heat"

for germination. Transferred cartons to kitchen counter

while the dishwasher ran...

hot granite countertop + covered(plastic) cartons = SPROUTS!

"Mortgage Lifter" sprouted first!

Meanwhile, I've placed all cartons in the kitchen warming drawer!

Blessings from the Garden...

March To Do's

2010-03-02T16:25:00.006-05:00

It seems unbelievable, but spring is right

around the corner. Even though there's a chance

of snow, it's still time to prepare the garden...

Here is a list for you.

Clean out hummingbird feeders, they'll be here soon.
Pre-emergent herbicide for lawn
Fertilize fruit trees
DON'T MURDER YOUR CREPE MYRTLES!
Take the Grow Your Own Challenge...
Plant radish, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, english peas outside now.
Start tomato seeds inside now.
Add compost to your old beds, start new ones!
Check out www.Wintersown.org. See how to get a jump "start" on the veggie/annual/perennial planting for spring/summer!

Blessings from the Garden

Garden Clubs of GA response

2010-03-01T08:50:00.004-05:00

FLIP THE BIRDS

Please see response below from GCGA

State Legislative/Governmental Affairs

Chairman, Mary Lovings

I've now received four emails from those receiving legislative messages about Flip the Birds and will respond. An Augusta owner of a chain of restaurants specializing in serving chicken, Chris Cunningham, has a website to encourage changing Georgia's official state bird from the brown thrasher to the Cornish chicken, the widely reared domestic poultry for food species in Georgia or to, as he includes, "Ruffle some feathers." GCG initiated the official brown thrasher designation in 1970.

At http://sos.georgia.gov/archives/state_symbols/state_symbols.html the entire list is available. Note that Georgia's officially designated flora and fauna tend to be native species. Not on the list yet is the brookie, the Southern Appalachian brook trout, for which GCG advocated enthusiastically knowing that it was declining in great part because of degraded streams and continued legislative moves to reduce beneficial stream buffers that would continue to reduce water quality. An associate in another organization sent Flip the Birds a month or so ago, thinking I'd find the website and the situation describing us as radical funny, which of course I did for several reasons, especially because of the site's other inaccuracies and errors.In economic times like these, I mostly consider Flip the Birds comic relief, akin to that dramatic device in Shakespeare's tragedies. People can stand only certain amounts of intense and tragic drama.

As far as I have experienced, GCG is not a radical organization, far from it.The website suggests contacting one's Congressman - those fine folks represent us in Washington in the U.S. Congress. Our Georgia General Assembly House Representatives and State Senators are the ones who make designations of official birds and fish and rocks and songs and on and on.Audubon did not describe the brown thrasher as migratory. In some states it can be, but it's considered a native in Georgia which is of course why GCG worked had it designated the State's official bird.The Cornish chicken is considered a domestic fowl and isn't a native species.The BROWN THRASHER section of the Flip website is the one that speaks of the radical Garden Club of Georgia.You can go to http://www.flipthebirds.com/ and enjoy the fun.

Garden City February To-Do's

2010-02-23T09:00:00.002-05:00

Spring fever is imminent, so get ready.

We will probably freeze again, so be careful!

Tomato plants are in the stores, but they

don't like cold weather...

Here are some things to do this month:

* plan your veggie garden...count on planting

foods you buy at the store...create a mini farm

in your back yard

* buy seeds from some of the catalogs I listed on

January 1st blog post.

http://www.mlchgarden.com/2010_01_01_archive.html

* add compost/mulch to your garden,

get your bed(s) ready for veggies in march!

if no bed, make one!

* cut liriope or "monkey grass" back before

new growth

* check out the "cool season" veggies available

now at your local garden stores--broccoli, lettuce,

chard, brussel sprouts, spinach.

* begin planting fruit trees, bushes. blueberries,

peaches, pears

* plant sweet peas from seed, be ready with supports

for these delightfully fragrant plants.

* wack your butterfly bushes back by 1/2...

Wedding Weekend

2010-02-22T08:15:00.014-05:00

White Wedding

(ml with candle wreath)

What an honor to prepare floral designs

for one of the most memorable days in the lives

of two people...

My indulgent assistant, Mary Louise, and

I (yes, there are 2 of us!) took the most beautiful

flowers and formed delightful creations....

sweet peas, creme vendela roses, camellia buds,

and double lisianthus in aged garden pots on cocktail tables

36" glass pedestals loaded with orchids, flowering quince, creme vendela roses, sweet peas, double lisianthus, snapdragons, and hydrangeas

this centerpiece was designed around an iron

"votive tree" which is about 4 feet tall. it contains

long stemmed french tulips, flowering quince,

orchids, sweet peas, hydrangea and moss.

simplicity at the church...

it is the season of lent at the Catholic church, no flowers

within the church. simple arrangement in the narthex with

long branches of flowering quince, long stemmed french tulips

and creme hydrangea. very simple...

Blessings from the Garden

Prissy FarmGirls

2010-02-09T19:58:00.004-05:00

Just a thought. I am determined to plant the 180 hills

of pumpkins again this year, but thought I'd ask for

some help!

Any Prissy FarmGirls out there who'd enjoy a day

in the sun with a shovel, planting seeds? Room for

about 8 ladies, or should I say tough girls, to work

and I'll provide the lunch and beverage....

We usually plant around mid June, the more the merrier

& quicker get those babies in the ground!

Dreaming of summer.

Blessings from the Garden...

Crowned Queen "B"...

2010-01-27T19:29:00.008-05:00

I found myself wandering around the garden

this evening in my pj's & slippies taking photos of...

broccoli!

Please excuse the weeds underneath...all thanks

to organic poop(chicken) fertilizer...

Broccoli is one of the things everyone in my family will

consume, and fortunately, a very

nutritious veggie we can grow

in our backyards. Broccoli belongs to the cabbage family

and has many healthful properties including anti-cancer,

vitamins A, B, C and K in addition to several minerals.

This is the beginning of the crop.

I cut the middle"crown" and have smaller crowns which

I left to grow. Had enough tonite to steam for the family!

Blessings from Queen B.

Baking Lasagna

2010-01-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

Sounds like I'm cooking, doesn't it?

It's true, I am cooking, but it's the garden that

is baking just in time for Spring. I read Pat Lanza's

Lasagna Garden and had to experiment with the concept.

It's perfect for people who like a "recipe" and carry

out the directions for "baking".

First, I measured a sunny spot in the garden. 4'x8'.

Next, I flattened cardboard boxes (thanks friends!) &

laid them out in my new garden spot. Completely

soaked the cardboard with water...

Notice, NO digging or tilling by this gardener,

just lay the cardboard on TOP of the ground!

The next steps are repetitive until your "lasagna"

is about 18-24" tall.

I spread a layer of peat moss over the cardboard,

then a 4" thick layer of chopped leaves(thanks

yard guys!), followed by more layers of peat moss,

composted manure(cheapat Lowe's), peat moss,

compost from personal pile,

peat moss, another layer of composted manure, peat

moss, some bonemeal & bloodmeal.

Get the picture? Like lasagna, the layers of noodles,

sauce, cheese, noodles, sauce, cheese!!!!!!!

Today, I am going to the fishing store to buy some

worms. I'll throw them in, cover the "lasagna" with

black plastic and let it bake til I am ready to plant

veggies in March!

Will report on developments.

Blessings from the Lasagna Garden.

Trashy!

2010-01-16T08:16:00.002-05:00

Gotcha with the title?

This year I resolve to pay more attention to trash.

I plan to continue recycling kitchen scraps in order to boost

the nutrition of my garden soil, as well as recycling general

"house trash"(newspaper, cardboard, aluminum, etc.)

I am researching compost containers specifically for

the kitchen counter. Currently, I keep my veggie waste

& coffee grounds(and filters) in a plastic(not green!) bag at

the sink. There are "decorative" containers to put all those

veggies in which makes it a bit more decorative!

Do you have a reusable shopping bag to take to the grocery store?

That's another thing I resolve to improve.

According to www.reuseit.com, Americans

consume about one million plastic bags per minute.

Instead of placing those empty shopping bags in the back of my car where I

usually forget about them, I will keep them in the front passenger side in sight.

Most grocery stores give a few cents off for each re-usable bag that

you bring to the store.

That's the trash for now!

Blessings from the Garden.

Lasagna Garden Prep

2010-01-15T18:24:00.001-05:00

In nursing school the first thing we were drilled

on was to "gather supplies" before entering our

patient's room.

Well, that is what this week

is about for our first lasagna garden.

I've asked the neighborhood yard men to

save chopped leaves and mowed winter grass.

Just bought a large bag of peat moss and a

bag of composted manure.

My friends have supplied me with cardboard and

newspapers which start the process as the bottom

"layer" to the lasagna!

I think this concept will be a great attraction for

new gardeners in April during the Sacred Heart

Garden Festival's home garden tour.

Did you say, "huh"? Details on this method to follow.

Will report.

Blessings from the Garden.

Dream!

2010-01-01T12:02:00.005-05:00

Winter is not my favorite. I try to make the

best of cracked skin, dry lips, and just plain

being cold by plowing through seed catalogs

and the Feb/March garden mags from last year

(& possibly from years past!).

Now is the time to dream about your garden and

begin the process of planning for 2010. More and

more people are finding spots in the yard to

plant some veggies with hopes of harvesting

throughout the summer. Start dreaming now

to make juicy ripe tomatoes a reality in the spring.

Here are some online assignments for inspiration:

www.rareseeds.com

request a catalog, the photos are stunning!

www.johnnyseeds.com

www.carletongarden.blogspot.com

go through this website's past years, she

takes super pics, skippy is her waterdog!

www.seedsavers.org

request a catalog, great photos!

Blessings to you from the Winter Garden.

Happy New Year.

Garden Goals 2010

2009-12-31T09:57:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow begins a new decade, 2010.
I admit that for the past 4 years I have set goals
and worked toward them feeling a sense of accomplishment. It seems as each year passes I build on those goals
set 4 years ago.

Writing them down really works!

Today is no different. I will set personal goals related
to fitness, business, and personal life, but will add more
gardening goals, too!

Here's a glimpse of my 2010 Gardening Goals:
1. Share my passion for gardening with children.
2. Grow more food for my family to experience.
3. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
4. Start two "lasagna" garden beds.
5. Prepare my little garden for the 2010 garden tour.

Do you have gardening goals for 2010?
Blessings from the Garden.
ML

SCAT!

2009-12-27T20:02:00.012-05:00

Today was beautiful, so I took a stroll through the garden this evening

to check on the veggies and possible freeze damage.

The broccoli, kale,cauliflower, lettuce, pak choi, garlic,

english peas all look great.

Don't you agree?

Everything was fine til I stepped over by the fence(neighbor barrier)

and found this.....

scat!!! What the heck? Has Peter Rabbit

been traipsing around in my garden late at nite?

will report

blessings

The Beauty of Flowers at Christmas

2009-12-17T16:16:00.006-05:00

Christmas is such a special time. Even though some

of us might not be "ready" , decorating tends to

boost our mood!

Today was spent with flowers for tables in which

many will enjoy the food, and the design created for

this occasion...

This design surrounds a glass candlestick.

A mix of fresh greens, seeded eucalyptus,

roses and kumquats. Two candlesticks

were placed at the bar.

More blessings from the Garden soon...

Simple Elegance...

2009-12-15T11:22:00.003-05:00

Just finished working with beautiful white lillies,

fresh greenery and amaranthus. The combination

is so elegant and fresh. Reminds me of the sweetness

that is all about the birth of baby Jesus.

Blessings from the Garden.

WreathWorkshop II Wrap Up

2009-12-11T15:21:00.004-05:00

The WreathWorkshops were a big hit.

Personalities of wreaths and their makers

were quite distinct!

The wreaths were made with a mixture of

cedar, fir, cypress, white pine, rosemary, bay

and some greens not yet identified...

Looking for holes that need filling.

Rose brought bright red nandina

berries to embellish her gorgeous creation...

All were proud...

Blessings from the Garden,

MLCH

ps. come back for the 12 plants of Christmas!

More Wreaths...

2009-12-08T16:47:00.003-05:00

Oh, what fun it is to make wreaths!

You know, there is meaning to all this-

wreaths are a symbol of eternal life.

The evergreens signify the fact that even

through harsh winter these trees stay green-

the strength of life.

More pics of beautiful traditions...

Blessings from the Wreath Garden.

Mary Louise

WreathWorkshop I

2009-12-07T19:53:00.007-05:00

Perfect day of Wreath making by 7 industrious ladies.

Wreath makers had a short lesson on the basics

of wreath making and got right to work...

They chose from a "mountain" of greenery outside the Shed

and used pins to attach the greens to a straw form. Most wreaths

were about 34 inches in diameter! WOW. That is the perfect

size for most standard doors!

All were so proud of their creations!

Blessings from the Wreath Garden!

WreathWorkshop Preview!

2009-12-06T21:34:00.007-05:00

I was wrapping up some wreaths today when

Sam comes in for a visit. We chatted for awhile,

then he asked if he could make a tiny wreath for his room.

Well, well, well, he completed his wreath and I have a new helper!

Sam added some greens with tiny pinecones,

and some white pine.

DONE!

Blessings from the Workshop~!

Wreaths!

2009-12-03T08:48:00.004-05:00

It is wreath making time again!

I've been busy in the Shed making 34-36" diameter Christmas

Wreaths! The wreaths are on a 20" straw form and pinned with

LOADS of fresh greenery! The finished product puts flat wire

wreaths to shame!

The form is in the picture above with the "back side" finished,

awaiting "front side" pinning. The pic below is the almost finished

product.

Will take pics today of my "wreath garden"!

Pouring rain yesterday,

so no outside pics...

Baby G-Mo waited patiently....

Blessings from the Wreath Garden!

Christmas WreathWorkshop Info

2009-11-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

If you are registered for one of the WreathWorkshops

here at TheShed, here are the details:

bring gloves, my gloves are fleece with the fingers cut out
dress in layers and wear old clothes, we are going to be in a shed
comfy shoes
you are welcome to gather some greens and berries from your yard, place in bucket of water and bring with you
everything you need to make your wreath will be here
healthy snack, coffee and water provided
10am to 12 noon wreathmaking marathon!
email me for directions

I am excited for you!

Blessings from the Garden!

Give Thanks...

2009-11-24T07:55:00.004-05:00

I leave for the farm tomorrow where I won't be tempted by electronics...
there are none! No wi-fi, no phone, no nothing!
We will enjoy Thanksgiving with our family and friends.

What am I thankful for? There are too many blessings to post!
We are blessed to be here enjoying each day! The people, places and
circumstances are part of the Garden created by God. I am thankful
to be a part of all of it.

The New Year will bring New Blessings.

Life is a Garden, Dig It!

see you.
ML