Vegetable Garden Setup
This series of posts is almost a year late. Last year my sister and I decided to get serious about vegetable gardening, so we moved the few beds that were on the north side of the property into a 40'x30' plot on the south side. We had avoided the south side before...
How to Kill a Bee’s Nest
You may remember my post about a party we had this summer where a bunch of kids were running around the yard and ran into a yellow jacket nest in the ground (and in the dark). Our first concern was to figure out what to do for the bee stings. Since it was dark out,...
Cold Zone Gardening: Frost Protection
Thanks to the recession, my sister and I no longer have the option of not growing our own food. Unfortunately, we live in the high desert region of Central Oregon where the hardiness zone is technically 5, but where you have to be prepared year-round for the...
Make an Outdoor Pendant Luminary
After experimenting with pond algae as an alternative heating fuel, I experimented further and made this outdoor pendant lamp using chicken wire and algae. It's a very inexpensive and easy way to make a lighted garden sculpture. The chicken wire allows you you to...
Design a Harvest Bouquet
It's fall, all the garden produce has gone to seed and it's time to till everything back into the ground. But before doing that, why not turn your garden produce into a lovely harvest bouquet? The Thanksgiving table could always use a centerpiece with a harvest...
Measuring a Cord of Firewood
For all my "I can do it myself, thank you" attitude, I have to admit there are quite a few things that are best not done yourself. Sometimes you have to lean on friends. Sometimes being a part of a community is the more sensible way to go. Getting a couple cords of...
Homemade Alternative Energy from Pond Algae?
This year I've had the biggest battle ever with pond scum. Thanks to a willow tree growing on the banks of the irrigation pond, the algae have an abundance of food from the decomposing leaves, and they are multiplying ferociously. Whatever their nutrient or energy...
What to do for Bee Stings
A couple nights ago we had a pizza contest party in our back yard. Seventeen adults and as many children swarmed around the table as teams brought out their entries one pizza at a time. The contest began in daylight, but the sun had set before the last of the pizzas...
