Stephanie Meyer

My first attempt at sharpening and a BB, hopefully got it right!

Casie Becker wrote:Once in a blue moon I will hear about something that catches my interest and watch it.  80% of those can't hold me for a whole program.

I will usually watch that british baking competition. It consistently has people treating each other well even as they compete.    These are people who strive to be the best instead of just not be as bad as someone else.

They are so nice! That show has gotten me through a lot of dark days of the soul about the general state of humanity. My kids are disturbed that I’ve watched it so much I know exactly what they are going to say. I sit and quilt and watch GBB on blah winter days and it’s the best therapy ever.

Depends on where you are going and whether you are going to stock up. Fairbanks and Anchorage both have a pretty wide and varied food scene, thats your best bets for actual restaurants.. You will probably want to carry food if headed to outlying places or check ahead.  Otherwise, there are grocery stores in the bigger towns, just like in the lower 48 with fresh foods and an ever widening variety of other foods.

Mari Henry wrote:I have always admired those also. How does one build them? Are they just rows of plantings or stuff planed on top of a mound of dirt and stone??

Row of plantings with side branches twisted down/ interwoven. YouTube has videos of course but I’m a Monty Don addict which is where I’ve seen it.

They are pretty awesome, Im hoping to lay one in the next few years with hazel. They are gorgeous

r ranson wrote:Thanks.

Yeh, I try to stay out of there as much as I can.  But I'm an apple whore - I love my apples!

Even Paul has lost apples posting in the cider press.  When the owner (and dictator) of this site can lose apples... well...

That’s pretty funny, in a brutal way.

I'm going to give it a whirl this year , haven't tried them before though.

All my biggest mistakes come down to impatience and jumping into things feet first, wanting everything right now, and not editing my expectations or having realistic understandings of my own limitations. I've literally probably killed thousands of plants, seeds , and seedlings by not paying proper attention to them and what they need (if you have to kill 10000 plants to be a master gardener, I think I'm at least halfway there ). I've wasted a ton of money by not understanding that certain things don't mesh with my personality ( goats are awesome, definitely not for me). I still go head over heels for seeds but now, before starting with something new (animals, plants, projects, tools) , I've learned to take a deep breath and "count the cost". This includes not just financial, but time, labor, and appropriateness for my particular land and personality. It can be very hard to edit, I think people into permaculture are more generalist than specialist by nature, but I've learned my results are much better if I can be more focused and methodical.

TLDR: Haste makes waste.

I found mine on Etsy , they came from Maryland but are doing awesome. 7/7 rooted and looking good so far.  I don't see any more under that seller but there are a lot of other sellers there at varying prices/locations, you may be able to find one close.

Those are very cool, I am actually planning one for under our deck soon. We have a walk out basement and the last retaining wall was wood which has rotted and disintegrated. I'm intrigued by the lower need for building skills, the longevity, permeability and the ability to add soil to the top and plant. The area gets a lot of southern exposure and I'm thinking of using the top of the gabion for winter/early growing with the benefit of the thermal mass from the stones. It seems so much more dynamic than a regular wood or brick retaining wall.

Those are so amazing, the kind of tools that brings joy just to handle or look at.

Even though I need to take up a new craft like I need another hole in my head, about how much are you charging for things like the drop spindles and what does shipping run to North America ?