Harvesting the bounty.

The harvesting has begun!  I love having the ability to go out into the garden and pick fresh produce for family meals.  Since my garden is relatively small it just suplements our meals.  My hope is to continue to expand the garden until we are replacing the purchase of food items from the store. 

Anyway, we have enjoyed some broccoli, cauliflower, cilantro and dill.  My girls love to pick the cilantro and dill to eat while we are out in the yard.  They have even started in on the tiny carrots.  It is wonderful to see them enjoy healthy foods this way.  I fondly remember doing the same thing when I was a kid.

Building my raised beds.

by Cindee Mills on 03/11/12

Today was the day....my husband and I were able to finish one of the raised beds and the other one is about halfway done.  I took pictures as we went along so that you could see the progress.  Just click on the raised bed photo to the right and the link will take you to all of the photos.  I am looking forward to your comments and suggestions on ways to build a better or different raised beds.

Let me walk you through what we did.

Go here for photos and explanations.....

• First we purchased the lumber.  Now you say, "well of course you did" however there are a lot of options out there.  We decided to get cedar.  Now cedar is expensive but the beds will last a lot longer so worth the investment in my book.  
• I had originally wanted to get 12"x2"X12' boards however Valley Lumber only had 1" boards in stock.  We decided to go with 2"x6"x12' boards and stack them 2 high.  This was the better option in the long run because the beds will be stronger in the middle that way. We came home with 10 boards and one 2"x2"x12" board to build the joints.
• We took 2 of the 6" boards and cut them into 3 foot sections for the ends and the other boards we left in 12 foot sections.  We decided to overlap the joints at the ends of the boards so that the weight of the dirt was more evenly distributed.
• For the final touches we beveled the edges with a router and oiled the wood to make it look pretty.


• We extended the joints in the middle by 4" so that we could stake them in the ground and prevent the board from bowing out when filled with dirt.

So there you have it, the blue print that we used to make raised beds for our backyard garden!

Begonias

by Cindee Mills on 03/21/12

I was out in the garage the other day and noticed that my begonias have already started sprouting.  I gave them a bit of water and brought them indoors to start growing.  When I can I will put them outside.  There are many varieties of begonia and most like it to be warm.  This will be the 3rd year that I have had these and they do very well outside producing beautiful red blooms. 
Here are a few tips for you begonia lovers (taken from eHow.com)......

• Give all begonias the bright sunlight of an eastern or southern window. For begonias grown for their foliage, such as rex begonias, the light should not be direct, but rather filtered with a transparent curtain or shaded by a tree outside the window. Flowering begonias, however, need several hours of direct sunlight.
• Provide a stable temperature for begonias. Begonias are sensitive to rapid fluctuations in temperature and therefore must be kept away from drafts. As long as the temperature is constant and aboveWater begonias between once a week and once every two weeks. You must take care not to over water a begonia because too much water can cause the plants to rot. Monitor the dampness of the potting mix and when you can stick your finger into the potting mix and not feel any moisture, it's time to water.
• Keep begonias in small pots. Begonias have small root systems and do not need repotting frequently. However, every spring pull the root ball out of the pot and check to see if the roots have completely wrapped around the bottom of the pot. If they have, upgrade the begonia plant to the next size pot.
• Move flowering begonias outside during the spring, summer and fall months if you can create the right conditions for them. Flowering begonias enjoy a shady porch as long as the temperature does not fall below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Begonias growing outside do need more frequent watering, so take care to check the soil often.
  
  Read more: How to Care for a Begonia | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2098795_care-begonia.html#ixzz1pnzschTT