Sunshine McCarthy

Todd Parr wrote:

wayne fajkus wrote:If you have the discipline to hold onto the pen. I get cheap pens cause I know I'll lose it

Same with sunglasses

If my husband spends $95 on sunglasses he is very careful with them and they last 3 to 5 years. If he buys $20 ones they last about a month until he looses them. if something is valuable you take care of it, whether the value is monetary or sentimental doesn't mater. As much as I dislike placing great value on items, if you don't value and care for what you have it goes to waist.

I think I'd like to enter.

I live in northern Illinois, with the late winter It is just about time to start planting.

I recently moved, my vegetable garden is in its second year. Last year I dropped damaged fruit into the beds hoping to get some "Volunteers" this year to harvest. It looks like I have a few tomato sprouts coming up. Would that qualify for the seeded part of the test? I was planning to buy plants of the same varieties I had last year, specifically green zebra, and sungold. All will be in a 10 by 20 foot suburban garden. Since I had a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes last year the seeds may be cross breads.

Would that qualify for your experiment? If so count me in. I can document growth in photographs and record yield. I can also get my family to do a blind taste test.

This is sprouting up all over in my northern Illinois garden. I brought in some plants from a friends garden last year...I don't think I planted this, the seeds might have hitched a ride since it is in a lot of the same places I planted things last year. When it first came up the leaves had a purplish cast now they have small purple flowers.

I love this book, its vegetarian but most of the recipes don't include eggs or cheese.

http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Vegetarian-Slow-Cooker-Recipes/dp/1558322566/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397828954&sr=8-1&keywords=vegetarian+slow+cooker

It looks like they have a vegan version, that I haven't seen yet

http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Vegan-Slow-Cooker-Ultra-Convenient/dp/1558327908/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397828954&sr=8-2&keywords=vegetarian+slow+cooker

The nice thing about these recipes is that they work just as well in a solar oven.

I love all the picture such great inspiration.

This is my suburban garden. The first picture is a view from the street, this is from last spring, I'll try to get more up over the summer. also some crocus I planted in the front yard to make a fairy circle. My friends keep arguing that a fairy circle has to be mushroom...

I haven't read this entire thread, so forgive me if I repeat someone. I have raised beds, using 12x2 fir boards as the side pieces. We cut into the grass but left it in place, we covered it with about 10 inches of imported topsoil/organic compost/decomposed manure. I have had no issues with grass making it through the 10 inches of soil. This year I'm expanding my front border of edible landscaping and pealed away the grass to make the bed larger. Its tedious. If the lawn is pretty, you might put a "free sod, come cut your own" posting on your local freecycle.

http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/How-to-Organize-Seed-Packets-photo-album_opt.jpg

loved this idea, but mine are in plastic shoe boxes sorted by where and when to plant.

Not to far from you is a new farm that started a few years ago, if you get a chance you might try to visit them, they had similar issues with swampy areas. She might be a good resource for you.

http://www.thetalkingfarm.org/

If you need spot treatment there is the propane torch method. Heat the plant till it wilts (don't burn it down though its tempting) A few days later when it recovers, wilt it again, this uses up all the stored energy from the roots, so it doesn't have the energy to come back again. For large areas the cardboard method is better.

I had planed to make a potato bed. I haven't gotten to it yet, I can share my plans but, not how successful they would be.

Plant 4 vertical posts in the ground making a square, about 3-4 feet apart and 4 feet high, I was thinking 4x4 but 2x4 might work as well. Make mini beds frames out 2x6, 2x8 and 2x10 boards, that stack around the posts. each mini bed frame would be painted in a different color ('cause I'm and artist and I need color)

I'm still waiting to have sufficient wood, not a lot of construction going on in my neighborhood so reecycle hasn't yet provided enough lumber. If you decide on this method I want feedback.