Ferns, Flowers, Fury on the Farm

Spring on the farm:

Christmas Fern Fiddle Head Frond

Perennial Herbs, Compound Butters

Chives and parsley are my early harvests from the herb garden. The thyme and rosemary are still woody and pungent and I'll be glad when their new growth begins.

Onions in the Bed

We built a garden this spring of eight raised beds, and I filled six of them with asparagus, strawberries, garlic, onions, and salsify. I'm deciding what to plant in the last two. Carrots, certainly, and perhaps leeks. We'll see.

By Natural Design

Mother Nature helped adorn the wall of our old cabin yesterday afternoon. The shadow is so powerful that I wanted to tear down my meager attempts at decoration. In a few weeks the pecan tree will be leafed out and the wall will be completely shaded, and I'm happy to share this glimpse of the season before it falls away.

Giving Deer the Boot

An old farmer out in the dessert of New Mexico gave me his secret for keeping the critters out of his garden and hen house and, for the past three years, it's worked for me: old boots nailed to the fence posts. This one has weathered to an artistic silver dustiness and probably has no aroma left, but I think I'll leave it where it is and just add a new one to the post. One of my friends just brought me a bag full of her husband's old work and hunting boots, so I've a good supply. I think I'll plant some tiny, trailing succulents in some of the old boots this year.

A Little Knitting

A few months ago the TSA confiscated my waiter's corkscrew, forgotten in a pocket of my purse. This past flight to/from Puerto Rico found me breezing through security with two sets of knitting needles. Someone would have to stand still for a long time for me to screw my corkscrew into some part of them, but I could put an eye out rather quickly with the knitting needles....or, for that matter, a simple ball point pen. Go figure the reasoning. Perhaps the TSA takes seriously the motto "I knit so I won't kill someone." 

How to Make Fabric Softener

Fabric softener is expensive and the scent can be strong and offensive, so when one of my friends gave me a recipe for homemade fabric softener I had to try it, and I'm thrilled with the results. It makes a very large batch so mix it in a gallon jug.