Speaking of Square Foot Gardens

I just wanted to share a resource a friend shared a few weeks back, that I really must pass on.
You might have noticed the lovely Square Foot Garden logo on the sidebar...

THAT will link you to THIS site... which is a pot pourri of information and resources for you to use with your square foot garden!

Definitely take a trawl through the site, you will find so much to offer!!

Nature Journalling...

You know, sometimes I forget to update this blog, even though I am still recording nature in so many ways :) So I thought that I'd use this opportunity to show off some nature pictures, and some new resources I ran across :)

These little frogs are all over our garden- I think this one was a tree frog- we found it on an old stump and it's feet looked like tree frog feet :) I know next to nothing about North American Amphibians though...

it's windfall time of year here- raspberries are out for the second shot and pawpaws are falling from the tree- WITHOUT being pushed by squirrels!! They are actually delicious! I recommend growing them (two or more) in your garden :)

These caterpillars are mildly poisonous- the side spines sting like mad! I have a photo of him too ;)
There you go- he is only about an inch long, and he is eating a persimmon leaf. Apparently they like orchard fruits :)

I should really learn to make jam with these- there are so many!


and I actually got a number of these this year too :)

Now for some new resources:
An excellent nature notebook resource, the Nature Sketchers blog is a great addition to the Flickr group. I highly recommend checking out the individual artists on there too- most have their own blogs.
In fact, Elizabeth Smith just started her own nature art blog, and it looks to be a fantastic place to find a nature journal :)

Spring has Sprung!

Spring is here, and there are so many different places that are now giving advice on vegetable gardening.
Ok people- *I* would have loved this YEARS ago (I believe I have been trying this for 5 years or so at least- my blog being 3 years old this January past - you can SEE that it's been going a while :)
Anyway, I wanted to share some things I run across, and thought I would.
PLUS I want to share what I am doing and WHEN for those new to gardening ;)

Here we are in Zone 7a. That means relatively mild winters. I say relatively because there are LOTS of places in the USA with colder, and a few with milder winters.
Virginia is one of those 'middle' states, with the worst of both worlds. Our winters are just cold enough, and our summers hot and humid. That means we have a tough time growing a lot of things because our climate is just not cut out for it.
Peas (English) have a tough time. It gets hot fairly early on, which means peas tend to die off early. IF you are smart, you will have already planted your peas (about 2-3 weeks ago). They will take a while to germinate in the cold soil BUT as soon as the weather is right, up they come. Last year my peas were excellent :) If only I had planted more...
In the ground now, should be peas, lettuce and spinach, brassicas and some of the cole (Kale etc) crops.
I am a bit late on most of these because the weather decided to rain buckets right at the time I needed to plant. And my soil has a tendency to compact when worked in the rain. I need to work on the compost this year...

Now on to the sharing :)

Two new books:

The Backyard Homestead:


Lots of lovely information about vegetables for gardening AND preserving. Also includes some livestock information :) Love the garden plans- but then I am a garden plan junkie...

The Complete Compost Gardening Guide


A lovely book to supplement the Rodale compost book you should have on your shelf :) Nice pictures- they really illustrate concepts you have previously heard of but probably not seen, a few great (and economical) ideas- some are original, others not so :) I really like the trash can composter idea- great way to test the barrel composters without the cost. THAT one I am going to try :)

Keep an eye open- this year promises to be big on vegetable gardening- about 2 years behind England on the resurgance of this passtime :) That means there should be new books and all sorts out. In the meantime, enjoy the following links :) (I'll add to these as I find them).

The Green Thumb Family

Charles Dowding

(Not So) Urban Hennery

Granny Miller

Awesome Idea

Well you can tell I like my kids to get outside... and THIS idea is so great!
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article5308533.ece

You have to read this ;)

Want More Nature Crafts?

I discovered these wonderful nature diaries on the Crafty Crow this morning! Enjoy!

Nature Tables and Wasps

Last weekend, Jacobite and I decided to clean the house. Not the inside, it's pretty clean already, but the outside. This necessitated a day of power washing, and a few run-ins with wasps and such, including a swarm of these fellows: the European Hornet.

This is not my photo... mine would just show a dead hornet, because we killed a bunch of them... but these things like to swarm our porch-light at night and bump into the doors and windows. I never really paid much attention to the sounds, until Jacobite discovered the culprit! Now we need to find their nest, because we really don't want these things around the kids!

But onto something a little bit more interesting.

The Nature Table.
I always wanted to have one. Indeed I have, several times attempted to start one up, but they always fell by the wayside. Then I decided to read some of the seasonal activity and craft books out there and it popped up again... so I have decided to dedicate a shelf for a nature table.
It still has not happened... the shelf is ready. I just don't have anything to put on it. We did have a wasp nest I considered, but the idea of the bugs in it were too creepy for Jacobite who stomped on it!

So here is Faerie Rebecca to the rescue with a picture of hers!!

Thanks to Alice, I just discovered MacBeth has a BLOG!! Yahy!! She is definitely worth the visit!

The Mysterious Garden

What a wonderful post I discovered online... a REAL homeschooling moment for a Mother, as they let the mystery plant grow!