Potting Bences from old Pallets...

Remember if someone wants to give you a pallet... take it,  pull the thing apart and build yourself a garden potting bench. We made two, one for the garden area and one for outside of the greenhouse.  We put hooks on the top to hang hand tools.   Repurpose those pallets people.  

Musings of a Seedling mamma

Its been beautiful here in Idaho during the day... but nights have been extremely COLD.  Degrees dropping below 15 degrees.  My Greenhouse is  full of lovely little starter plants for the Vegetable Garden and Flower Garden, and for the School Garden that I volunteer at.   Im always doting over my little sweet plants... making sure they have plenty of water, just enough warmth... I check on their growth and progress daily. When my Weather Man Husband... told me how cold it was expected to get... Mama tiger had to run outside to cover up and move all the seedlings to protect them from the cold. Our Greenhouse has no electricity other than the growing lites... no heater when temperatures drop. I was so scared for my green babies.  So, every night, I have to move them all away from the cold windows, and cover them with plant fabric, every morning... i rush out to put them up by the windows  to warm up.  Im just hoping I don't loose them as temps drop.  Come on winter... will you just go away already. We are ready for SPRING.

Lavender oil and honey body moisturizing bars

Winter reaks havoc on my skin. I decided to whip up some lavender oil and honey and cocoa butter moisturizing body bars. I use doTERRA lavender oil for the benefits of the lavender. They are so very easy to make. Scrumptious goodness for the skin.

For the sake of a climbing rosebush

We have this massive climbing rosebush, that was neglected and tall when we bought our house three years ago. It was scratching the side if the house and growing wild...a big tangled mess. I started pruning it and it grew taller, producing beautifil red flowers. The rosebush kept climbing taller and taller, scratching up the house as the winds blew. We were contemplating digging up the giant rosebush that spaned over 14 feet tall. The house couldnt take much more abuse afterall and we need to paint the house next year, it will be in the way once it comes time to paint.  I really loved that rosebush, as tall and lanky as it was, it was begging me to not kill it. Ahhh haaa, lets build a arbor that we can use to pull it away from the house. Let's save it.... so, we looked online for plans,found one we liked and started cutting, staining, measuring and my yard became a construction zone. All for the sake of a rosebush. All I can say is that I hope it Thrives and produces beautiful flowers next year.  

The peacefullness in the early morning. .. working the land.

I'mI find myself doing garden work late afternoons. With the huge new moon we have been having... this morning  the moonlite  was so brite a 4:45 that it woke me from a deep sleep. Im normally a gal that is slow to wake...but when I woke up this morning. ...I looked outside and the stillness was magical. My chickens were still asleep! I couldn't resist but to step outside. ...then magic happened. My Garden called to me and we became one. Not a noise....no cars..no trucks...no noise at all. I started working on my 1/4 acre garden... pulling weeds and tying up  my  growing but young grape vines.... harvesting beets and lettuce. Before I knew it 3 hours passed and I realised how much I loved hearing the earth wake up.  It started with the chickens and rosters.... then I could hear engines start up in the distance of people getting on their way..... cows mooing and horses neighing... oh yes the neighbors goats reminding me that they love to eat the weeds I pull. Then my  husbad bringing me a cup of coffee with a smile.  He joined in on the task at hand of helping with our huge vegetable garden.... and before I knew it the morning vanished...and it was noon. As I stood at the outdoor sink washing my harvested beets..... I felt happy content...sweaty and ready for a shower. Thankful for my little hobby farm and the ability to work our land and the moon that woke me in the wee hours of the morning.

When one owns a newly built greenhouse

As Ken my dear husband was building my huge beautiful greenhouse. He looked at me with his sweaty brow... and said.. Honey, after all this work and expense to build you this greenhouse... YOU Better Use it!!!. . Well, this being our very first growing season with it. I can say ... our greenhouse runnethover. We have a 1/4 acre garden. I grow food and flowers organically. I put up jars and jars and jars of jams and jellies and salsas and marinara sauce and pickled this and pickled that. Veggies of every kind. All produce from the garden.  Fruit was bought at local farmstand.  I also run my commercial dehydrator and make soup mixes for the cold and snowy Idaho winters. So, today as we were planting for the 4th day in a row .... he says that he was glad  he built the greenhouse. All the money we saved on nursery plants paid for the greenhouse.  The full shelves aren't so full now.. and the floor can be seen a little better today after planting the trays of plants into their new beds.  I also grew many many sunflower plants and Hollyhock plants to plant on the perimeter of our property as  To block a view of our neighbors collection of less than desired ... well .... um... garbage. Old cars dead freezers and fridge and other piles of heaped up old wood and  dead farm machinery. No fence to block the view.. so I figured I would make a flower fence .. tall Hollyhock and sunflower fence.  So, he is working on something else... and I yell him.... the flowers fence is next.. I will set them out. You dig the hole..... I will plant the plants.   I leve him with what he was working on.. then tell him they are ready for holes to be dug....He looked over at  the property perimeter... and he looked like a deer in headlights...."so many?" . ( 2 ACRE perimeter). I said....... well, I had to use that Greenhouse somehow! !!. Then he asked... Hollyhock s are a perennial ......right? Yes dear ... you wont need to replant these next year. I also grew veggies and flowers in the greenhouse for a elementary school garden... and all my cousins gardens. I WOULD SAY.... I USED THE GREENHOUSE.

Lockerhook runner rug is done!

I started this project back in November. The red white and blue colors will go nicely in the newly refinished camper. No more cold floors, which was my big motivation behind my rugmaking. This was my first rug making attempt. I found it relaxing and therapeutic to work on.... but must admit im HAPPY its done and will be placed into it's rightful home soon. Next project please......