Betty Miley

Hori Hori, now That's a knife!
Every gardener needs one, to grub into hard dirt, divide root balls, and impress little kids.
It also makes a great gift for someone who appreciates a practical too of high quality. And Chistmas is coming, if things don't get too crazy in the outside world.
Welcome, Patrick.

Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat, the more you . . . uh, get rid of uncomfy gas buildup . . . and there's more room on the inside than the outside, etc.
Ah, old time wisdom.
Bugs also like beans. If I don't put lightweight tulle fabric over young Scarlet Runner beans and other tasty things, something gets to them.
The Google says that beans provide us with protein, fiber, iron, and antioxidents. My Southern husband was raised on red beans and cathead biscuits. My family ate white beans and Yankee biscuits.
Food may be getting scarce this year. We all need to buy buy buy bean seeds.

Squirrels prune my Kieffer pear tree. A one pound squirrel can run on our electric lines with a half pound pear in its mouth. And I still get enough to fill 5 gallon buckets to make pear cobbler.
It's actually a dump cake. Mix 1 cuppa flour, 1 cuppa sugar, 1 cuppa milk and pour into a pan into 1 stick melted butter. Drop 3 or so cups of fruit on top. Bake at 350 ~ 45 minutes until top is brown.
The Kieffer, by the way is resistant to fire blight, which is a real problem in my area.

I could dig up black locust from roadways around here. But I'm reluctant to do so as it can be a very invasive pest. I know someone down the road who regrets introducing it to his property. And he's a butterfly gardener (actually an entomologist).

I want that! I appreciate well made tools. I'm also looking for another blade sharpener. I have one sturdy device that I use on soil knives, pruners, hoes. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I try to sharpen a shovel blade every time I go digging around.

Sorry if this is not the best way to post this notice. A mod might want to move it or- -  toss it in the recycle bucket.
No gimmicks, no funny monkey business.

Putting Nature First is a real book, with introductions to eco-gardening and lots and lots of information and lists of nature plants. The pfd is free, just click and read.
Not giving away paperback copies, just an announcement to people who like to read about the ethical land use.
My website also offers an easy reader newsletter.
I do have a native plant nursery, but I don't want new customers, will be closing it down this year because I am older than the live oaks in front of the courthouse.
http://www.maypophill.com/

Maybe this link to the pdf will work?
http://www.maypophill.com/resources/Putting%20Nature%20First%2C%204th%20ed..pdf

For women and people who have trouble kneeling:
- a low stool to sit-and-work, preferably in a shady spot
- a cordless reciprocating sawzall, which lets you cut below the soil to get those pesky privet roots
- my battery-powered push mower goes where a big riding machine can't; we cut by zones of necessity--walking/driving paths much more often than the back 40, bee pastures, etc.; permies, btw, do not manicure lawns
- lots of pruners and loppers
-  a sledge/sled to haul heavy and bulky stuff; I don't have one but want some heavy duty flat metal sheet thingie that I can slide stuff onto and pull by hand or with the utility cart.

I have two barrels and use them often during the  growing season. They are placed where they are handy, so no need to install pipes and faucets.

Mints, including our native mountain mint, maypop (makes a terrific jelly as well as a soporific), nettles in general, blueberries (antioxidant and anti-inflammatory)