Garden Planning and My Seeds

The bulk of my seed order arrived in the mail.
Here's what I have from Bakers Creek:
Garden Pea (Lincoln)
Tomato (Ananas Noire)
Lettuce (May Queen)
Leek (Bulgarian Giant)
Carrot (Danvers 126 Half Long)
European Mesclun Salad Mix
Arugula
Snow Pea (Golden Sweet)
Tomato (Amish Paste)
Tomato (Black Cherry)
Cucumber (Delikatesse)
Pepper (Emerald Giant)
Black Bean (Cherokee Trail of Tears)
Watermelon (Royal Golden)
Watermelon (Cream of Saskatchewan)
Seeds I ordered on ebay:
Basil (Italian Large Leaf)
Winter Squash (Buttercup)
Endive (Green Curled Ruffled)
I also have seeds saved from last year:
Michihli Cabbage (A type of Napa Cabbage)
Extra Dwarf Pak Choy (Bok Choy)
Kale (Blue Curled Scotch)
Daikon Radish (Chines White Winter)

I also have some squash seeds saved from a wonderful winter squash a neighbor grew and gave us...yummy to the extreme. I have no idea what the name of the squash is, I just know it is round, kinda squat, and is blue and grayish in coloring.

Because I am gardening in a desert region, my garden planning has to be pretty specific in terms of water, shade, etc.
I found out last year that the soil here is not very good for seed germination/growth/gardening.
So, I spent a good part of the last week calling around to find out how much places here charge for decent topsoil. Some were not too bad, others made my hair stand on end! And you don't even want to know what the delivery charges were like! Fortunately, a neighbor lets us borrow his pick-up for our *farm jobs* (and I am glad, because while transporting the goats in my Darlin' Mans classic Mercedes would have been funny, it wouldn't have done much for the upholstery!).
The wind here is dry. VERY dry. It sucks all the moisture out of the soil so fast it is surprising to me! So, wind breaks will be in order, as well as mulch to hold in moisture.
We will be doing raised bed gardening, it is the only thing that will work here.
But I will HAVE to have some type of *bottom* in my raised beds, as the under-soil will suck down every drop of water as fast as it can. I am thinking of using tarps under the beds, up behind the beds (they are beside a chain link fence), and then, I can also use the same tarps on frames to provide shade...bottom, wind-break and shade in one!
Also, I need to line the bottom with some sort of material that will *hold* moisture for the plants when their roots grow. I am thinking peat moss, combined with the compost/straw mix from the goat pens.
I will be growing some of the plants in containers...I have oodles of containers! Whoever lived here before us had loads of them, our neighbors that have moved gave us many, so I have 30 to 40 large (5 gallon size and up) containers! Many of them perfect for herbs, salad greens and such.
So, tonight I sketched out a basic garden plan that I will hone and tweak as my seeds sprout (I will be starting my seeds tomorrow).
******************************************
Patches the goat has not given birth yet. I am beginning to think that perhaps (despite what the vet says) that she is merely a rotund, overweight goat, and not pregnant at all!
Gabrielle the goat is weaning Geordi, but is giving us about a quart and a half of sweet, creamy milk a day!
The hens are laying eggs like they do it for a living! Five to nine eggs a day now!(That's collectively, not individually!)
Red the rooster is his normal psychotic self. :-D He seems to be a bit happier since I ordered the waterer from Livestock Concepts on ebay a couple weeks ago.
Here's the one I got:
Chicken Water Fountain
They had a free shipping deal, plus the price was cheaper than I could buy it locally, so I figured I'd go for it.
It is working out real well, and now I don't have to tote water to the coop 3 times a day...less encounters with Red equals less stress on me (and the broom!). No, I don't get anything from the folks at Livestock Concepts (well, except for the catalog they sent with my order), just wanted anyone out there with chickens to know about a Good Thing.
The tabletop project is...progressing. Tiles and grout done...HOWEVER, the OMB the fella and I got is apparently not quite up to the task as it seems to be warping a bit. I need to reinforce the base somehow and am going to work on it tomorrow to see if I can come up with a solution.

Hoping everyone out there will go to sleep dreaming of carrots and lettuce, peppers and tomatoes, beans and squash...just like I will! May all our gardens be bountiful this year!

One Thing Leads To Another...

So, having finally semi-completed my new kitchen table top last night, I wandered over to ebay to look at fabric to cover the kitchen chairs with.
Big mistake when I actually have some money in my paypal account!
I realized while looking at upholstery fabric that I needed some plain muslin for another project...so, I found some...on sale...free shipping. Okay, ordered that. While I am at it, I really could use a new pair of scissors..  Found a pair I had eyed at the local fabric store, half the price the store was charging! And free shipping...
Hmmm...I wonder if anyone has a pattern for a wrap around apron like my grandmother had?
H-e-e-e-e-y-y-y-y-y...that one is sooooo cute! And free shipping! *click*
Hmmm...the lady with the pattern also sells heirloom seeds...*browse, browse, browse*
Oh, baby, you had me at "free shipping"!
*click, click, clickety-click*
Check paypal to see how much money I have left....
OooooooOOoohhhh...I still have some money left!
Fabric again, still haven't found the *perfect* fabric for the kitchen chairs.
*browse, browse, browse*
Well, look at that fabric, it would be perfect for a quilt I am planning...put on watch list. Hah! Resisted the urge to buy it! Besides..they didn't have free shipping...
Oh yea...maybe I should look at some more seeds...still trying to find those *black* Russian tomatoes that Bakers Seeds sold out of...
*browse, browse, browse*
THERE they are...is anyone selling them with free shipping? No? Okay...what's the cheapest packet cost....not bad, 25 seeds, 1 dollar, 69 cents shipping...I'll go for that. *click*

I finished the night with 6.29 left in my paypal account.
I checked my ebay and saw all I bought.
Many  ahem...Several packets of seeds, 3 patterns, a pair of scissors, plain muslin and....yeah, quilt fabric (*blush*).
I feel like I have an ebay hangover.
And I still didn't find the fabric for the chairs...

Armchair Preppers and Random Thoughts

Because of the rise of the internet, we all run into the *wanna-be's* out there.

People that *talk* a good game, but when push comes to shove, they have no idea how to prep, survive, etc.
I have been fooled by a few, I am sure most of us have...
The guy that talks about all his *tacticool* equipment...but actually only has airsoft guns and a back-pack left over from high school.
The woman that talks about prepping and sounds good, but actually lives in a condo and has less than a weeks worth of food on hand--all her money goes for cruises, vacations and *shiny things* that her husband buys her.
The guy that discusses in depth his expertise at survival, yet would actually get lost in his suburban back yard.
My personal favorite was the "prepper" I visited a few years back that had a few forums enthralled with her talk of gardening, canning, training her dogs and her constant sewing projects. Turned out she had NO garden, all the food she had on hand was pre-packaged and canned and boxed straight from the grocery store, her dogs pooped and peed all over the house (including her bed!) and her *sewing room* was a collection of dry rotted fabrics that the dogs had befouled.
The guy that has a first aid kit that would equip a small medical clinic, but no idea how to use anything in it.

Why do they do this? What motivates them?
My best guess is a need for *crowd approval* and wanting to "hear their own head roar" as an old musician friend of mine used to say about people like this.
I figure they must be very lonely in their day-to-day lives. Maybe they are detached from their families, maybe they have burned way too many bridges with family and friends.
Some of them have more money than sense, some of them have little or no money and want to conceal that.
Whatever the reason, they are sad examples of *preppers*, *survivalists*, etc.
I have met around 10 people in real life through forums and chat rooms.I have probably talked on the phone with about 30 people I met in forums and chat rooms.
Of the 10 people I met in person, only 3 were of the *arm chair* type. So, I figure 70% of the folks out there are being up-front about their skills and prepping.
That's encouraging!
As for the 30% out there that are just talking to "hear their head roar"...I just dismiss them as sad and lonely people with nothing better to do with their lives.

The blogs I link to are, as best as I can determine "The Real Deal". Because of their tone, attitude, pictures, etc, there is a *ring of authenticity* to them. I learn a lot from them!
My own skills are, as best as I can tell, minimal in a lot of areas...I know a wee bit about a whole lot of stuff, but not a lot about any one subject! Almost everything I learned, was learned the hard way...out of necessity or desperation!
I write this blog in the hope that it may motivate at least one or two people out there to prepare. Each person that *preps*, is one less person *preppers* will have to worry about if times get as rough as some of us think they will. I enjoy writing it, because it gives me a chance to sit and think, really think about my own preparations and the direction I should be heading in.
I read other blogs to learn, to be entertained (c'mon, you funny folk know who you are!) and to get motivated to do more.
My thanks to all the *for real* folks out there!
*****************************************************************************

Someone tried to poison my dog a couple of days ago.
My dog is fine, due to my Darlin' Man having the immediate reaction of grinding up some charcoal so we could shove it down her throat to absorb her stomach contents (I freaked a bit and panicked and forgot that little first aid tip). The vet called a prescription in for her to *move things along* and to negate the effects of what she ingested.
We found out who the culprit was and steps were taken to insure it would not happen again. The neighbor is moving in the next 9 days.

                                                                Siona

People that would poison a dog should be horse-whipped!
Siona is feeling fine today and running around being her old self, but it was quite a scare!
**********************************************************************

The snow is mostly melted and (I think) my landlord has repaired all of the neighbors pipes. Poor guy was run ragged for several days. I had an ice rink in the back yard and another in the front yard from my neighbors pipes bursting!
You should have seen me skating across the back yard to feed the goats...in bedroom slippers! Not one fall, but some major Olympic quality twists and turns so I didn't fall. Try that Michelle Kwan!!!
***********************************************************************

I ended up a little short in the budget dept. and was unable to order my seeds for this years garden last month. However, I will be ordering them next week.
I have picked out the majority of them from Bakers Creek, all heirloom, open pollinated, non-hybrid, non-gmo seeds.
I have some extra wiggle room in my budget to buy about ten dollars more worth of seeds.
Got any suggestions?
They have to be non-hybrid and non-gmo.
I live in a desert climate and am as frugal with water as possible. I do have some shady spots.
I have very long fence lines, so if it is somethng that needs to grow up a trellis, the fence will have to do.
I mainly use raised beds, but I have a couple of places that have good soil and no raised bed.
Let me know what would be some good choices!

Garden Catalog Alert!

Yesterday I recieved in the mail my brand new:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Catalog for 2011
Oh dear lord, this is absolutely the most luscious, beautiful seed catalog EVER!
Order your own at www.rareseeds.com
 Yes, seed catalogs are going out and helping us gardening folk to dream about lush armfuls of vegetable bounty.
I plan my garden every year going through the catalogs I receive in December and January.
Baker Creek has become my *go to* seed catalog.
NO GMO seeds!

Seeds from around the world...some from plants that are, indeed, rare.
Heirloom seeds from the Amish and Mennonite farmers and from insular communities and old family farms in the South, in the Ozarks, etc.
Baker Seeds has also recently purchased a 200 year old seed company in the NorthEast US.
Comstock, Ferre & Company in Wethersfield, Conn.
You can order their seed catalog by writing them at:
Comstock, Ferre & Co., LLC
263 Main Street
Wethersfield, CT 06109
They will be keeping the old seed stocks going...no gmo's, no hybrids...just the heirloom seed that comes back true, year after year.A lot of the seed is specific to the New England-North East US region, so that's good news for any of you in that area!

I strongly encourage everyone to buy from Baker Seeds.
No, I don't work for the company or get a kick-back from them....
I support them because they are trying to sustain and maintain heirloom seeds and they are supporters of home gardeners, seed savers, organic agriculture and community based agriculture.
They are very definitely ANTI GMO and ANTI Monsanto.

So order your seed catalog and join me in dreaming of gardens not yet sprouted!
Plan your gardens and get a jump start on next season!

Random Stuff to Consider

Well, here we are in a New Year and while I have enjoyed a few days of wallowing in the decadent pleasure of browsing seed catalogs (fruit and veggie porn!), there are a few pressing issues on my mind.

One is how many people say "I don't have the money to buy ...insert random prepper thingabob here... .
A neighbor told me "I would have a garden, but I don't have the money to buy the plants and no way to start seedlings." I asked what they were talking about. They seemed to think you had to have perfect little peat pots and such to start seedlings.And potting soil from the garden center. Etc., etc.
Bull hockey!
I have recently started seeds (we have an early growing season here in south east Texas)
Soil, I dug myself.
Pots? The bottom section of 2 liter bottles.Plenty of room for a seed to get started. To lessen shock when transplanting, I just cut the very bottom off when I put it in the ground, leaving a band of plastic around the plant. (Stops various cutworms) I save the top of the 2 liter bottles to use as little mini-greenhouses for my seedlings after I put them in the ground. Protects them from chilly winds that may crop up or the surprise little frost that may occur. In cool weather it will also heat up the seedlings...but not to worry about it getting too hot, just take the caps off! Some tops of 2 liter bottles get recycled into funnels. Handy things to have around.

Quit looking at what you don't have and look around at what you DO have!

I need a curtain for one window. I have a sheet. I make a curtain. It is simple, functional and looks nice. If I want to dress it up a bit, I can make tie-backs of a pretty material or add trim.
I didn't freak out about not having the money to buy a new curtain or new fabric, I used what I had on hand.

Perhaps that is the lesson here...most of us (in the US, at least) have LOADS of stuff. A lot of it just *sits*. We do nothing with it. It takes up space and adds no function.
Today I am going through my room and pantry and seeing what I have that is just taking up space without providing function. If something has absolutely no function in my life, it will go on to someone that can use and appreciate it. (Freecycle!!!) I honestly do not think I will find a lot of *non-functioning* items. I try to have everything serve several purposes.
The exception would be the art work on my walls...but then again, that serves a function for me. I paint to relax and the majority of the artworks on the walls are ones I did myself. I'll never be a famous artist, but it makes me happy to paint.
I don't have a lot of *knick-knacks* as I hate to dust. There is the odd vase or two, but I use those to hold things like my hair scrunchies, paperclips and office items, etc. Pretty containers.

I watch t.v. on occasion and I have been driven into fits of giggles watching the HGTV when people go to buy a new house. 2500 square feet? Please, people...that is unnecessary unless you have 6+ kids...and even then, it is kinda large. I had 7 kids and I don't think we ever lived in a house that was over 1500 square feet.
But many of these are young couples buying themselves into poverty by mortgaging their futures for 2500 square feet of suburbia on a less than a 1/4 acre of land. Worse yet are the ones that get loans for 200 or 300 thousand to buy an APARTMENT! Okay, I am being judgmental here and I know it. But why not take that 30 thousand they saved for a down payment and buy a couple of good acres on the outskirts of town, slap a decent trailer/mobile home on it and build their own home as they can afford it? Little to no debt, room to garden or raise small livestock and a healthier lifestyle.

I am not jealous of those people. I actually feel sorry for many of them. They buy those huge houses and have the next 30 or so years looking down a long, black tunnel of debt. What if they lose their jobs? What if someone in the family gets sick or has an accident and there are huge medical bills?
So many things to consider...but many people just don't think things through.
Hence we have people living in homes that are worth thousands less than they paid for them, we have people defaulting on mortgages and walking away from homes, we have many unemployed that had not prepared themselves for the possibility that the good times were  going to end.

Sit back today, even just for 30 minutes, and take stock of how truly you are prepared. Make a few lists. Make a *what if* list. It really does help to write it down.
*What if* you lost your job?
*What if* your spouse had a serious accident or died?
*What if*  you had to raise 50% of your food?
*What if* , *what if*, *what if*...if you have personal fears/concerns for your particular situation, write that down and figure out a Plan A, Plan B, heck, go all the way to Plan Z if need be.

90% of being prepared is MENTAL preparation. Panic will kill you and yours. If you have a plan, you won't panic. Sure, we all get those stomach-in-knots moments, but with calm reasoning and planning, we can survive.

Back to functionality...go through your house this week and find 5 things that are sitting there doing nothing. Either re-purpose them or get rid of them.

The map you see posted here is from Environmental Commons (www.environmentalcommons.org).
It shows which states are friendly to such things as family farms, farmers markets, etc and which states have onerous fees and regulations encouraged by Monsanto and other huge agri-business concerns.
If you are in a white, green or yellow state, watch the legislation in your state government to make sure that Monsanto and their evil minions are not attacking your rights to grow your own food.
If you live in a red state...fight back! Notify your representatives that the laws that benefit huge agri-business at the expense of smaller family run farms need to be repealed!
Do everyone a favor: DO NOT USE MONSANTO PRODUCTS. Don't buy their seeds, pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. Do not buy soybeans, grow them yourselves. Do not buy corn at grocery stores, grow it yourselves. Or buy *shares* in a local small farm or buy from a trusted farmers market or *pick your own* farm. ASK what pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers they use.
Buy your seeds from heirloom seed savers, not large companies. Local is best! Join seed trading clubs, locally or online.
Same for your livestock. Stay away from huge companies and the bigger farms and ranches when you buy livestock. Most of the larger concerns use growth hormones and other artificial means to fatten up livestock. Try and buy *heirloom* livestock as well.
Buy local as often as you can!
For more on this....read here: http://survivingthemiddleclasscrash.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/the-multiple-ways-monsanto-is-putting-normal-seeds-out-of-reach/

and here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/26/eveningnews/main4048288.shtml

and here:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/MONSANTO-investigator-in-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-090110-871.html

Good video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah-ZeN_ghro

Campaign against NAIS, campaign against Monsanto. If you have not seen the documentary "The World According to Monsanto" WATCH IT!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6262083407501596844&ei=havWSeCIAZLwrALet-S0CQ&q=The+World+According+to+Monsanto+full&hl=en

Seeds, Seeds, Seeds and Grocery Stores...

Okay, I put in my seed order at www.rareseeds.com (I highly recommend them!) and here's what I am getting:
Long White Cucumbers: From the site "A rare heirloom cuke. Very large, smooth white fruit are very crisp and mild. Can grow to 6 lbs, one of the best for fresh eating, delicately flavored and unique looking."


Corn Salad - Dutch
"This old-time favorite has a mild nutty flavor. Tender leaves are excellent in salads, and also excellent as a cooked green."

Wild Rocket - Arugula
"Has a more pungent taste than regular arugula, leaves are deeply lobed. An Italian favorite."

Lau's Pointed Leaf Lettuce
"This variety was collected from Lau, a Chinese farmer in the highlands of Malaysia. It produces star shaped plants with long, thin, bright green pointed leaves. The flavor is sweet and very tasty. This variety was the fastest growing and most vigorous of the many lettuces grown by the managing editor of our magazine. Rare!"

Lollo Rossa Lettuce
"Very curled leaves are light green with stunning bright red edges. Mild and tasty. A most beautiful lettuce - it is superb for market."

Carentan Leek
"Long, thick (2" across) vigorous and fast growing, delicate, deliciously mild flavor, great fresh or cooked. The Carentan leek was mentioned by Vilmorin in 1885. An old European favorite that is becoming rare. Very adaptable and yields are good."

Lemongrass
"(Cymbopogon citratus) The famous, tropical lemon-flavored herb of Thai cuisine. It has long, slender, pale green stems that are thick and fleshy. I just love the wonderful flavor this herb adds to soups, curries and stir-fries. We enjoy cooking with it often. This perennial must be grown in warm weather or inside to keep from freezing. We are pleased to offer this rare and much requested seed."

Golden Cal Wonder Bell Pepper
"78 days. Colorful golden bells that are very sweet and tasty. Gold peppers are superb for fresh eating, great for kitchen or market gardens."

Mini Red Bell Pepper
"60 days. Oh, so cute! Tiny, red, bell peppers are only about 1-1/2" tall and wide. They have thick, red flesh that is very sweet and great for stuffing. 2' tall plants produce loads of these little winners and early, too."

Purple Beauty Bell Pepper
"75 days. Purple peppers are always a favorite, as they are so colorful. This variety produces loads of beautiful bells on compact, bushy plants. Crisp texture and mild, sweet flavor makes this one popular with everyone. I even believe Peter Piper picked a peck of these purple peppers and I don't blame him."

Paul Robeson Tomato
"90 days. This famous tomato has almost a cult following among seed collectors and tomato connoisseurs. They simply cannot get enough of this variety’s amazing flavor that is so distinctive, sweet and smokey. 7-10 oz. fruit are a black-brick color. Named in honor of the famous opera singer star of ‘King Solomon's Mines’, 1937. Paul Robeson was also a Russian and Equal Rights Advocate for Blacks. This Russian heirloom was lovingly named in his honor. We are proud to offer such a wonderful variety."

White Tomesol Tomato
"80 days. An amazing heirloom that is bursting with fragrance and natural goodness that's hard to beat. The cream-colored fruit are beautiful, smooth and weigh about 8 oz. each. For taste, it's one of the best I have tried, being both sweet and rich. The vines set heavy yields of this rare treasure that is sure to become a favorite of gourmet growers. Popular at our 2004 "Heirloom Garden Show"."

Pink Grapefruit Tomato
"75 days. A really unique tomato of medium size. Beautiful yellow fruit are blushing pink inside (hence their name). They have sweet-tart taste that does have citrus overtones. A productive, round tomato that is a winner."

Gold Baby Watermelon
"75-80 days Sweet flesh is a beautiful creamy-lemon color. Fruit weigh around 5 lbs, and are perfect for small gardens. They have thin, green-striped rinds, vines produce well, and the fruit are quite colorful; very rare."

Orangeglo Watermelon
"85 days Beautiful, deep orange flesh; very sweet, excellent, almost tropical flavor! The best-tasting of ALL orange varieties we tried -- the favorite of many who tried it at our place. High yields. Very resistant to wilt and insects; strong healthy vines. These will sell at roadside stands & markets!"

Canton Bok Choy
"The typical Nai-Pe-Tsai type pak choy. Semi-upright plant produces thick white stems and deep green leaves. Good for warm areas as it is heat-tolerant."

Giant Noble Spinach
"This is the giant of the spinach clan, plants spread to 25"! Tender leaves are great for canning, steaming or salads, for those who want quantity and quality, introduced in 1926."


Now, I plan on other things in my garden, but I will be buying the seeds or plants locally.
My potato sets are almost ready to plant. I got them at....THE GROCERY STORE!
Yes, right there in the produce department, no problem at all!
I could have ordered potato sets online and had the hassle of paying shipping and handling, be worried about them drying out before they got here, etc. But I long ago figured out the easiest way to get *almost free* potato sets.

We have all had potatoes sprout, no matter whether they were in a cabinet, pantry, under the sink, where-ever.So you know they will sprout and grow under the right conditions.
This happens less frequently if you buy potatoes at some place like Wal-Mart (may that place burn )because the potatoes there are sprayed with a type of *sprout retardant* chemical, so they will last longer on the shelf and in the dark environs of the average consumers cabinets. (Please, people, if you get potatoes from a major grocer, wash them to within an inch of their potato-y little lives before you consume them. You cannot sprout them, but PLEASE wash them or peel them before cooking!)

I buy my potatoes at two stores. One is a local Hispanic/Mexican grocer and the other is a "Whole Foods" type organic grocer. We don't have a "Whole Foods" market here, but if you have one near you, get your potatoes there!

At the organic grocer, I was able to find my blue potatoes, my red-all-the-way-through potatoes, my fingerling potatoes. I got my *regular taters* at the Hispanic grocers.
I purposely picked potatoes that had good *eyes*. In fact, at the organic grocer, I asked if they had any sprouted potatoes in the back that they were discarding. They did and they GAVE them to me! (I was also able to score some sprouted Spanish Red onions! YAY!)I had already bought some regular taters at my Hispanic grocers, so I just picked out a couple of likely looking *sprouter* candidates and helped Nature take her course.

Here's how you nudge Nature along...
First and foremost, DO NOT WASH your sprouting potatoes.
Pick out 2 to 5 potatoes with plenty of eyes or tiny sprouts already on them.
Place them in a dark plastic bag (thank you Hefty trash bags!), tie up bag and put in warmish corner of your pantry or in a cabinet that gets a little warmer than the others.
Wait one week and untie the bag. Should be some sprouting going on!
Hopefully, your sprouts will be an inch long or longer. They are READY!
Cut potato in four quarters with a good sprout on each quarter.
Plant!
I generally plant at least 3 chunks o' sprouting potato in each one of my Potato Towers.

Onions and garlic can be handled much the same way.
Happy Planting!
(Will let y'all know when my seeds get here and I HOPE to be able to borrow a camera to take some pics of my garden-in-waiting to post)