Catherine The Grateful - not permaculture farm, lessons from the field (BEL)

Why Your Plants Will Thank You!

If you’re growing climbing plants like grapes, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes or even flowers like morning glories — a trellis is a must-have. These plants naturally want to climb, and giving them a structure to grow makes them healthier, more productive, and keeps your garden looking beautiful.

Of course you can go to your local garden store to buy a trellis, but why not DYI - it's simple.

Here’s how to build a simple trellis using just sticks and string.

You’ll Need:
* Sturdy sticks
* Twine or garden string
* Clippers

1. Decide on the shape you'd like to build (V or square) you can also get creative.
2. Lay the sticks out on the floor or large work table.
3. Arrange the sticks into the shape you decided on
4. Use the string to tie the sticks securely at each point where two sticks meet

And that’s it! You’ve got yourself, a functional trellis in no time.

The benefits:
- Better air circulation = fewer diseases
- More sun exposure = better growth & yields
- Saves space = perfect for small gardens
- Easier to harvest = no more digging through leaves

Whether you’re working with a big backyard or a few pots on a balcony, a stick-and-string trellis is a game-changer for vining plants. Plus, it’s eco-friendly, practically free, and looks beautiful.

Happy growing!

Timothy Norton wrote:Glad to see there is another boot at Wheaton Labs!

I hope to learn a bunch, I can't wait to see more of your journey.

Thank for the support and encouragement. I am looking forward to gaining knowledge and a few BB's. Blessings

Old Swamp Castle

In a patch where the soil’s fresh and sweet,

Potatoes, chickpeas, and onions meet!

A golden tuber, stout and proud,
From soil deep, its flavor loud.

The onion, with secrets held so sharp within,
It weeps with grace, a pungent sigh,
A tearful truth no tongue denies.

Chickpeas hum a gentle tune,
Born beneath the crescent moon,
Firm and round with hearty soul.

These newly-planted pals are where they belong on Olde Swamp Castle.

For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:9

1/2 way to a BB

Yogurt !

I made yogurt with sheep's milk. It was simple, easy and quick.

Yogurt offers numerous health benefits, primarily due to its probiotic content and rich nutrient profile. It supports digestive health, bone strength, and immune function, and may even contribute to heart health and weight management.

Buen Provecho

Coydon Wallham wrote:

Catherine Barnes wrote:What was the most recent thing you ate while walking about your garden or town?

A few days ago had dandelion blossoms (with some sort of light batter) fried in coconut oil- amazing!
[edit: the batter had Almond, hazelnut, sorghum, coconut flour, coconut milk, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.]

That sounds like dandelion fitters. Stephen made dandelion fitters and and sunchoke chips for us. They were delicious. I am sure yours were too. Thanks for sharing. Blessing

Check out the Lean!

Earlier this week Matt walked the fence line looking for rotting posts, loose connections, or any places where animals might get into Allerton Abby. He reported back and today was the day to fix the fence. As you can see from the photo below the fence was leaning. We brought a truck full of tools to make the appropriate repairs.

We initially thought we'd be able to repair the fence by using support beams; however, one pole was rotten and another broke. We removed the broken and rotted pole.

Reinforcement beams were placed on both support poles. The upper and lower crossbeams were replaced. Lastly, we inserted the junk poles behind the crossbeams.

The beauty of a junk pole fence is in its simplicity. It doesn’t need to be pretty. It just needs to work. You can use trees that you have on hand, which makes this type of fence cost efficient.


Haven’t you surrounded him with a fence on all sides, around his house, and around all that he owns? You have blessed everything he puts his hands on and you have increased his livestock in the land. Job 1:10 ISV

Revisiting the Stairs to the Three Sisters: Growing Tradition on a Hügel

Exciting news from the garden—our hügel bed is alive with promise. The corn has begun to rise! Those little green blades pushing through the soil are a humble but thrilling sign of life. These early shoots are our first glimpse of what’s to come. Even better, they’re harmonizing beautifully with the walking onions and the sunchokes.

Did you know the “Three Sisters” planting method, a companion planting technique was used for centuries by the first nation peoples across the Americas, especially the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)? This method is more than agricultural—it’s a story of reciprocity and community.

The “sisters” are corn, beans, and squash (we'll be planting pumpkin Stephen's favorite) . Corn stands tall and provides a natural pole. Beans climb the corn and fix nitrogen in the soil, nourishing all three. Squash (sprawls across the ground, keeping weeds at bay and locking in moisture with its broad leaves. Each plant contributes to the health of the whole—symbiosis in action.

To support the growing garden—and make tending it easier—we’re building a small walkway that winds gently around the hügel. This path will let us check on the plants more easily, water effectively, harvest without compacting the soil, and simply enjoy being closer to the action.

Stay tuned as the sisters (and their friends) continue to grow.


Psalms 96:12 (NCV) Let the fields and everything in them rejoice. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

Lessons from the Garden - The Importance of Rest

We live in a culture that glorifies hustle, constant productivity, and always being on. But if we look to nature, especially a garden it tells a very different story.

Think about a garden. It has seasons. Times of blooming, times of growth, but also times of stillness. No matter how fertile the soil or how much sun and water a plant gets, it needs rest.

In winter, a garden might look barren. But under the surface, essential work is happening. The soil regenerates, nutrient replenishes, while seeds lie dormant. That rest is what makes spring possible.

We are no different. Our bodies and minds need periods of intentional stillness. Without rest, we burn out. We stop growing. When overworked a person can lose creativity, clarity, and joy.

Rest isn’t laziness, it’s wisdom. Farmers know not to plant the same crop in the same field every season. Gardeners know not to water every day. Too much can be just as harmful as too little.

Rest makes room for renewal. When we step away, breathe, reflect, or simply pause, we’re creating space for deeper growth. We come back with fresh perspective—just like a plant that stretches taller and stronger after the rain.

So, take your cue from the garden. Honor your seasons. Give yourself permission to rest, to go quiet, to be still.

Because just like in the soil, the most important growth often happens beneath the surface, when we allow ourselves the grace of rest.

Shabbat Shalom

Sunday is not your typical day at Wheaton Lab!

We blitz

We Nest

We do our own thing

We cook

Caroline I think I'm going to have mac and cheese for lunch.
Catherine: that sounds good. I want Mac and cheese. How about you make mac and cheese to go along with the oxtail I'm cooking?
Caroline : How funny Catherine hired us both to cook.
Seth: Did you take pictures?
Catherine: Yes, I sent them to my mom.
Seth: Cooking for 8 is a BB.
Catherine: I'll take more pictures.
Paul: And you have to wash all the dishes.

Buen Provecho

Today was one of those days. Quietly magical. The air was crisp, the sky an unbothered blue, and the sun hung just right, like an old friend who knows when to speak and when to sit beside you in silence.

It was the kind of day that invites you to lie down in the grass, to look up at the sky and remember what it feels like to do nothing but exist. You notice the way the clouds move slowly, lazily, as if they too have nowhere urgent to be. You listen to the whisper of leaves overhead and feel the earth steady beneath your back.

There’s something healing in these moments—in letting go of time, in being still enough to hear your own thoughts drift and settle like dandelion seeds. No deadlines, no noise, no need to explain your stillness. Just you, the grass, the sky, and the soft hum of the world doing its quiet thing.

We don’t always get days like this. But when we do, I think it’s our soul’s way of reminding us to pause, to breathe, and to simply be.

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest