Sunday Bits #27 (compost, new garden beds made easy, & bio-intesive gardening)
- themarigoldgc
- Apr 30, 2023
- 5 min read
Happy Sunday, my friends!
We have a beautiful sunny day here but super windy! The garlic has started poking it's way through the soil (yay! So stoked), crocuses are popping up, daylilies and other bulbs are starting to flourish.
I have a day of planting, sanding and painting dining room chairs, and planting my strawberry starts that I just got in from the local 4H Club. Love to support local groups and shops, but most especially kids learning about leadership, animal husbandry, and growing.
I've been making hanging baskets and potting up plants so finally decided to set up a little potting area close to the greenhouse... closer to the plants and soil. Today is potting up into bigger pots, making more hanging baskets, and sowing seeds for starter plants.
In the bin, I have my 'secret' potting mix that I use for all things in pots and planters. Not really a secret, hah! as I readily share the magic ratio that works so well for everything from citrus fruits to flowering pots and planters - 5 parts good quality potting soil (Sunshine or ProMix) to 2 parts manure or compost.
I am so looking forward to getting my food crops going. Have hardly any of the cool season veggies growing yet as the beds are not ready. Hubby will be home in a couple of day so we will get in a big load of compost to fill the raised beds and top up the gardens in the yard that are really heavy clay.... and then, let the gardening begin!
I will pop the cool season crops in right away and hope that they have time to do their thing before the temps get too hot. Next year will be easier as I will have the beds ready to go in spring. All in good time : )
If you have your beds ready, pop in those brassica seedlings, radishes, lettuces, spinach starts, and peas! Container peas are perfect for growing on the edges of your beds so they trail over the sides.
I was looking for tips on how to make fast compost in my new dualie bin and came upon this really fantastic site. Like this post Brown To Green Compost Ratio (The Easiest Guide Ever!) (helpmecompost.com) to get the ratios right. It makes all the difference in how fast your compost cooks down!
That led me into reading some of the other info, too. You would not believe all the great info on this site. Here are just some of the ones that caught my eye..
Are you making new garden beds this year for either flowers or edibles? Here is a good article about how to make new beds. I will be using method #1 to make two new low raised beds. Not even sure you can really call them raised beds as the boards/sides will be just 6 inches high and the soil level will be just a couple of inches higher than the ground level.
You may be wondering why I am even adding the boards, eh?
1. The side boards will define where the bed is for both people but mostly for the dogs. I am hoping they will be less apt to prance in the beds (or poop in them) if they are defined.
2. The organic matter we put in the beds, will stay put, rather than working it's way into the lawn.
3. It will also contain the plants, whether flowers or potatoes, make it easier to sow and maintain the bed.
These new beds will be long narrow ones in the side yards... the sunny side for potatoes and zinnias, the shady side for lettuces and greens. Hoping for fresh lettuces in summer!
Here is kinda tongue in cheek read... Are you tired of spending money on a garden that never lives up to your expectations? Have you thought of quiet quitting your garden? Read this article about someone who wants to do just that... and what she is going to do instead.
Holy doodle, you guys. Check out these superb container ideas! The Ultimate Guide To Easy Container Gardening - StoneGable (stonegableblog.com)
This potting table idea is so pretty!
How to grow potatoes in containers! Growing Potatoes in Containers | Almanac.com
These hardy old fashioned flowers that will make your garden look amazing and have you reminiscing about your grandma's garden.
Other Bits of interest this week... that have nothing to do with gardening...
This cleaning schedule looks practical and best of all, do-able. Trying to figure out how to print it all out for myself ; )
Have you always wanted a coffee bar (like me) but have no place to put one? This post shows you how to make a lovely one on your counter. We are tight on space in our oddly shaped kitchen-sitting area, so until we make some changes to the bookshelf wall, there is absolutely no place for any kind of bar. I have already adopted some of these ideas in the new kitchen.
This book is so me... farmhouse, maybe even a bit rustic, but realistic. There is stuff in the pictures. Stuff on kitchen counters, stuff in the rooms. No sterile counters and tables in this one. This makes me so happy, as I have stuff! I like stuff. I may even love having stuff around me.
I used to listen to my friend Robyn's podcast at The Minimalist Home and think, omg, I am a maximalist! I actually had no idea till then. I love Robyn's tips and tricks, plus that podcast nevertheless. Brings me joy and even got me motivated to clean my linen closet.
Ideas for how to save money on groceries now that prices have sky-rocketed.
This scone recipe. I have a thing for scones. My hubby's best friend makes the most amazing scones in the whole world so whenever I see a scone recipe, I think of him... and wish I was on the island going for coffee in Errington ; )
Healthy meal prep for lazy cooks. Okay, that is not what she calls it, that is what I call myself. I am a veggie but hate all that chopping and prepping. This is a great recipe that I will actually do and looks so yummy.
One last gardening bit... it's a good one!
Oh, I almost forgot this bestest idea! For those of you who want to grow more food in a small space, French Bio-Intensive Gardening is for you. If you do not want to watch the whole video, just go to the 12:00 minute mark for the planting information! If you are not doing this already, it will blow your mind how much more food you can fit into your beds.
While trapped at home during the pandemic, not even wanting to go to the shops, I learned how to think outside the box... at least when it comes to gift giving. I know people have been doing it forever but it took a pandemic for me to get there. I have done this so many times now, it is becoming tradition.
If you do not have a big enough bag for your gift, just cut out the side panels of the bag, wrap the gift itself in newsprint and pop into the middle of the 'bag', pile the other things on top and tie the handles together with pretty ribbon. Fancy up the brown paper bag with old seed catalogue pics, pretty papers, free prints on line... anything you like. I like to print the freebies onto old catalogue pages.
Ps, save all those brown paper grocery bags, or shop bags. Don't have any bags at all? Cut a strip of craft paper, glue on some handles, and boom, you are all set. Or, have a strip of burlap? Tie on some string handles, fray the edges to give it that little extra something-something, good to go.
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