Home made bird food

Try this bird food recipe to attract your feathered friends!

• 3 parts melted fat (suet preferred)
• 1 part cornmeal or finely cracked corn
• 1 part peanut butter or other nut butter
• 1 part sunflower kernels or chopped nuts
• 1 part brown sugar
• 1 part chopped dried fruit (currants, raisins, prunes, etc.)

Combine all of the ingredients with enough water to get the consistency of cooked oatmeal. Cook in double boiler until well blended. Put into small containers like tuna fish cans that can be securely attached to feeders or  a tree

Those weeds in the midst of beauty

Click any image to enlarge it

 Have you ever notice that when there is beauty weeds of life come to distract your eyes from it?
Best bet is to yank those weeds early for the longer they linger the more likely they will disturb the roots that hold fast the beauty around and within us.

 It may not look like much yet. 

The poppy's are coming up and soon the color will burst~

The large center bed is coming along. One end of it gets too much shade and is not growing very well. One the spring solstice comes the sun will come more upon it.

 The sweet peas and the bachelor buttons are one the trellis. It will be so pretty as the blue bed comes into color.

 they are so pretty

just into the entry walk the close up is sweet

this what company will see as they come to the door

 Now the back yard flowers are sorta sad. Asylum is bursting, two of the self sewn tomato plants are still alive after the frost. We are having a winter with many more frosts than normal. As is the whole continent

 The broccoli it gone to bolt into flower.
You should see the BEES!
Must of been 100 of them easy.

This gets pulled up daily for the hens.

The hens love it.
Just hens having fun, kids too. They watched them as they debugged the compost.
Some happy birds, and kids. The hens got hold of a VERY large larva of a hummingbird moth.
Oh they fought over it

Weeded the bed a little. So not what I had hoped for and worked too hard on. Remember this is the garden I alone dug down 6 inches of stones. Removed them and trucked in all the soil that fellow gave me. I think it was his tomato plants that came with the soil. It will be fun to see what they are. They look as a bush variety so far.

Remember to pull those weeds in your life and in the gardens early. Don't let them mess up all the beauty within and around you.

Getting ready for the spring garden

Today will be a rainy day
checking my lists for what goes in next
the compost is doing well and so I will need to dig in the treasure
broccoli is needing to be harvested today

Saving Seeds

 This is Kale seed. Last year the healthiest plants were let to bolt in the hot weather at seasons end. When they had grown a healthy seed the seed heads were plucked to dry. They have dried well over the long hot summer. Now at falls planting they are all well ready. Now in the other climates this is done in springs end into their summer. We have the seeds here in late spring. Getting ready begins with keeping eye on the healthiest of each of your crop.

 Tossed last week these are already germinated into a promise of good harvest a few weeks out. Love Kale, so good for using in those dishes that call for greens that won't just wilt out.

 The process of shelling seed is one that the day was spent on. Many others had already been accomplished. Alas I was behind on this duty.

 This is seed of a orchid tree. One that was a volunteer on my side yard. It is so pretty now. Perhaps I could do a seed swap with some of you if your interested.

 This is the snapdragon the husk is really hard and the seeds tiny. Even if you go for a walk all you need to do is collect a few seed heads, just ask them first.

 Now some seed is so tiny. Oh the variety of shapes and sizes amaze and amuse me.

Remember to save seed and trade seed. Keeping those old heirloom varieties going.

Planting today all day

After all the work the last week or two on the soil preparations today was the big day. Over 21 things went into the soil. The list on side bar is the total so far. Mostly.

Morning in the garden

 The gnomes turned their back to me when the realized that the rest of the seeds can't go in until after the 5th. I told them it is time to tend the things in and get the earth ready for those to come. Looks like that free plant at the foreground right hand might be a tomato. Nice it will make fine salad with the cucumber next to it. Again that south bed is a bit of a miff to all of us too ( the gnomes and I) It is just not friendly. The PH needs to be tested and trouble shot. Me thinks too much nitro. The radish is just not performing. Had to cover the carrot. Seems a cat likes me till. Some cayenne will be a cure once I can get to the herb shop. It is cheaper there than the grocery.

 This end of center bed had yet to be amended  and turned. This week another task to tend too.

 The french marigold is happy. As is the broccoli in the back right.

 Well after sitting a spell they came to terms with the work ahead and decided to give me a break. As long as I keep at it. Least they could do is offer a little help digging that earth up. After reasting a while in the cool of the shade a humming bird came to visit a while.

 Well after a second go at it this bed will be ready at weeks end.

It was planted prematurely. The compost had not been added and it was taken for granted that it would not need it. However each year we must add compost to keep this clay soil even.

So by weeks end chard and kale will go in again.

All the clods broken down now, tomorrow it will get a good watering from the raid tank.

Another day in the garden and the soil on my hands is a reminder that we are all conected.

The coop was cleaned today as well and the compost will yet continue to grow.

It was 3 feet tall and now is only a little left.

And the circle of life turns, turns, turns.

Time to plant Root crop, bulbs and perennials Oct 23-30 Here in Az

He thought they were for him, at least a dog can hope

 The large center raised bed will be for carrots season.

We eat carrots every day.

The bed is fine tilde no rocks at all.

The depth of it is all so, it has been a big job.

 Tip here 

When planting carrot and parsley soak the seeds overnight

 cucumber and chive

 This an unexpected gift from compost.

I think it is a tomatoe plant. I never remove a self sewed plant.

I figure it liked it enough to grow there it must be a happy plant

 There are a few early buds on the cucumber.

Tip here NEVER touch a cucumber until your ready to pick it.

Funny plant that way, oh yes I learned the hard way :)

 The Radish is a little leggy. I think there is too much nitro in the soil.

This bed is against the South wall. Too much shade.

 If you look at the left corned. Another gift a little basil plant. 

I have been longing for fresh basil.

 The peas are being eaten by somebody.

This is the third replant.

 That 3 foot compost pile did real well in the summer heat.

It is almost all gone. I have yet to dig it in the far bed. Had a failed crop of Swiss chard.

Going to replant it and the kale next week.

The broccoli is doing well on the far right in image

 Strawberry pot still hold a little promise. I need to get a nice stepping stone for the bench corner. The cushions that I got will the money my dad left me are now on the bench. Water tank hold a fair amount.

 Once carrots were in the earth I just had to step back and admire that beautiful earth. Center row is the longest to harvest. Near the edge is the smaller ones. That way the kids can easily reach them when they are ready in 55 days or so.

Well get your root stocks in this week or you'll need to wait for another lunar cycle