James Bradford

Direct sun was flickering thru the leaves to give this Turk's Cap an iridescent effect.

Looking a little rough on planting in full sun   no more posh shade life for the purple cone flower

The gladiolas barely bloomed before morning glory vine engulfment

There more wild varieties of sunflower in Texas than grasses

Double bloom Moss Rose, not native, but pretty!

Seems like the seasons are all about a month late.  Well finally we are getting the vigorous growth and flowers.  I got some new stuff to show off today:

Rain, warm, spring, flowers!

what about using thatch for the upper most part of the roof ...so its lighter

The time is coming soon for me to move back to Houston and its time to say goodbye to Jarrell.   So, I'm having a party and you are invited!   If anyone here  haunts the central Texas area, plan to come out and say,  "Howdy y'all"!

Party is Saturday, March 21, 2026 ... Spring equinox.   Please PM me for the address and my direct contact info if you are interested.

Here is the schedule:

4:00 PM - arrival, parking, get comfortable and setup a tent if you want to camp that night
4:30 PM - I'll do a quick guided tour of the 1/4 acre that I have been doing my best to employ permaculture practices on for the last 3 years.
5:00 PM - Friend swap -- bring something nice that you no longer want, take something nice you can use
6:00 PM - Eat and be merry ... its a potluck style meal, so bring something you know you will like
7:30 PM - Burning of that which no longer serves me Bonfire / Demonstration of bio-char production using the trench method.
8:30 PM - Drum circle.   I've already tested the greenhouse, and beating on it makes a pretty loud drum.   Feel free to bring your own instrument/noise maker.   No body is around out there and this will be a unique opportunity to make some noise!

Sunday, March 22nd, 2026

I plan to be home all day for anyone who camps to sleep in and chill.  If anyone can only stop by on Sunday, I'll be available for tours, plant swapping, and making cob pots.

What to bring:

1.  Chairs
2.  Flash-light
3.  Bug repellent, (but please be mindful where your over-spray is going, cream is better)
4.  Drinks / Ice / food for potluck
5.  Glasses, plates, utensils
6.  Something that you want to let go of (to burn).   It can be a thought you write on a paper, or something physical.   If its embarrassing, wrap it up in cardboard/paper and we'll bury it deep in the pile.   Please remove dangerous stuff like lithium batteries!
7.  Empty plant pots ( I will give you live plants in exchange ) ... i go thru truckloads of those, so you can't bring too many.

I'll have a chiminea, propane grill, and small oven for heating / cooking food.

Hope to see you guys there!

-james

Here's a thread where you can read up on what's been going on in the Jarrell Food Forest project:

https://permies.com/t/40/273224/Jarrell-TX-Food-Forest-project#3725043

two handfuls of greens, chopped up with 2 eggs ... that's how I start my day, and that is usually enough to alleviate my IBS symptoms.   staying away from nightshades, beef, and dairy also helps.   Beans n greens fer da win!    Kudos on your efforts to systematically figure out what your body needs!   I don't think the architects of civilization want a bunch of Samson like folks running around with jawbones ...at least that's why I think western diet is so bad, its by design.   The foods that support the human body properly have been known for thousands of years, yet BS diets abound.