Joyce's Garden Blog

My blogs are moving

2011-03-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

Pictured is one my hens who setting on ten eggs. I spied two eggs in the process of hatching. One of them somehow ended up out in the open feeding area but was vainly trying to hatch out as our resident rooster was trying to kill the alien! And he may have succeeded. I rescued the partially hatched chick still in the egg and carefully placed back under the hen . Tomorrow will tell if either or both of the hatching chicks make it.

I am pleased to announce that my blogs now have a new home and I hope you stop by as this is my last post on Blogger. Course I only have two followers but that's OK. Maybe more folks will find my blogs, enjoy them and maybe leave me some feedback!

The new home is www.mooreacre.com and I really like the new look too! My page is now hosted on Squarespace.com and I've spent the last couple of days moving in.

March is coming in like a lion all right! Last night we had very high winds, more so than usual. My corgi hates all the noise so he hides under the headboard of our bed. Typically March does not go out like a lamb either here in PNW. We can expect more storms to barrel through clear into late May. I can't wait for summer!

Joyce Moore
signing off....... :-)

January is pruning month

2011-01-23T18:06:00.001-08:00

We've been blessed or possible cursed with a few days of warm springlike weather. So today we got out into the orchard to get some vines and fruit trees pruned. I finally got the eating grapevines sheared back to a semblance of control. Lots of excess watersprouts and vines trimmed out. The plants will bounce back once they start growing this spring and should see great growth this year. These are young plants so just starting fruit production on a few of them. I imagine it will take a couple more years before I start seeing good production.
Matt worked on the fruit trees. Our early blooming plum tree is already starting to show growth. I fear we may have little to no fruit this year as we may loose buds due to expected frosty weather in the next couple of months. So will just have to see what Mother Nature has in store for us.

Location:Moore's Acre

Happy new year!

2011-01-02T11:50:00.001-08:00

Another year is here and yesterday I watched the annual Rose Parade. As usual, many gorgeous floats covered with zillions of common and exotic flowers and plant materials.
I spotted this photo on the LATimes web site and just had to share it with my fellow gardener friends. This roses adorned carriage was the first place winner of the Rose Parade in 1895.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Moore's acre

The holidays are Upon Us!

2010-12-15T10:29:00.001-08:00

Well, here we are, another year just about done! It's been a windy and rainy December but we managed to make a couple of trips to see the grandkids and families. Next week we conclude our marathon travels by heading south to visit Matt's parents on Christmas Day. I imagine we will take the new pickup truck with the studded tires as we may encounter some snow going over the passes.

So, to conclude my blog for the year, I thought I would share this little film of clips taken from Portland, Or to Seattle, Wa. This film was created using iMovie 11 in the new trailer format. Very fun! The film should be up for viewing later on today in about an hour (noon).

See ya next year!

Joyce Moore

A Golden Harvest

2010-10-03T12:54:00.001-07:00

A rainy day outside so a great opportunity to spin out some honey frames. Our honeybees have been working overtime gathering nectar and making us some of the best tasting honey! We love to give jars of this golden goodness to friends and family at Christmas time. A most welcomed gift that is appreciated by all.

Location:Moore's Acre

End of summer

2010-09-13T15:46:00.001-07:00

It's finally here, those last few days of warm sunshine that beckons one to sit on the porch with the sun on your back and be lazy. Not that I need an excuse! But, with our rainy season just around the corner, I am totally enjoying the weather.
We've been out collecting hazel nuts like crazy and I anxiously check my grape plants for size and any change of color. Alas, they look to be way behind where they ought to be for this time of year. I think it was just too cool and wet for them this summer. But the plants have put on a lot of vigorous growth so will be in great shape for next year!
Have one box of honey to spin out and I think we can do now that the robber bees have moved on. Hopefully they didn't steal all the honey. Will have Matt check the box this coming weekend.

Location:Knappa Acre

A Cup of Tea for Me, Please

2010-09-06T20:16:00.001-07:00

We had a beautiful Labor Day weekend and got lots done down here on the acre! Busy harvesting hazelnuts, munching on juicy ripe blackberries, and even a few ripe cherry tomatoes from our container pots on the front porch. Unfortunately, Matt had to spend most of his "spare" time wrestling with the power steering pump in his truck, but eventually he won!
Then we had a swarm of feral honeybees show up and were scouting out the box of honey that Matt had just brought home from our bees! Egads! What a mess.
We had a threat of rain all weekend but it held off until this evening. So now I am kicking back with a nice cup of Vanilla Chai tea (thanks for leaving it behind, Christy) and relaxing. Glad I got the whole yard mowed already as this weather pattern may be a sign of what's ahead.

A rose is a rose, but oh such a rose!

2010-08-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

A Perfect Rose

Click on the picture to open it full size

Every now and then you take a photo, then when you upload, you get the WOW factor! Well, this is one of those pictures. The lighting was perfect and the camera focused in on the flower perfectly. I can tell you that this picture is not retouched one iota! Beautiful, isn't it?

We have had an usually cool and wet summer so normally my roses would have been done last month so this is a real treat.

How to Clean your Pond or Hydroponics Pump

2010-08-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

I thought I would offer a video blog today since my pond pump quit working and I needed to check it out. Sorry for the "blogger" picture quality. You can view a better download here on my vimeo.com page.

So, in the video, I show you how to take apart your pump for cleaning. Be sure to take this opportunity to throughly inspect your pump casing for any cracks or other damage.

The reason we use salt only for cleaning is that salt in not harmful to fish and plants like detergent or dish soap. Matter of fact, it's benefial for the fish in maintaining their protective "slime" , sort of like how our skin protects us.

Finally, once your are done handling the pump, be sure to wash up good with a good quality antibacteria soap. You don't know what kind of "ickies" are in the water.

When you replace the screws, tighten them down to just hand tight and tighten them in alternate corners ie: top left, bottom right, top right, bottom left. That way they are all tightened equally. Regular inspections will not only help you spot potential problems but get you familiar with your pump.

Remember, Fall is a good time to clean out leaf debris and a general mucking out before the cold weather sets in. Your fish will be healthier too. One final hint: Pick up a water thermometer from your local garden center or cooking section of your favorite store. Check your pond water temperature as weather cools. When the water temp falls below 50 degrees F, discontinue feeding your fish till spring and the water warms again above 50. Their digestive systems can't digest standard fish food pellets when their body temps fall. If you can't stand it, you can offer greens like a few green peas or lettuce, but chances are, they won't be much interested during the winter when they basically hibernate at the bottom of the pond.

Thanks for stopping by!

The girls are laying!

2010-07-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, the girls are starting to lay eggs! We bought five bantum partridge cochin hens and one rooster of the same vintage as 3 day old chicks this spring. Mr "attitude" I call him is starting to challenge me when I reach in the coop but I persevere! One of the girls is finally starting to produce these dainty little eggs weighing in at 0.8 ounces where a store bought large egg weighs in at 1.8 oz. It may take a few eggs for an omelet but they are the freshest eggs around! LOL

I am typing on my shiny new Apple keyboard I got today. It is a different feel and will take some getting used to. Probably the main "buying point" was that it has 2 usb ports tucked under the two top corners. Nice! Now I can plug in my iPad and my digital camera easily for picture transfers and updates through iTunes! I could have bought the bluetooth wireless keyboard for also typing on the iPad but I don't use it that much and I wanted the numeric keypad which the wireless model didn't have. Frankly the "soft" keyboard on the iPad is just fine for limited amount of typing I actually do on it.

Looks like the Magic trackpad won't be here until Tuesday even though I ordered on launch day, dang. I didn't realized how much I was starting to hate the standard scroll mouse I use for my desktop. It looks like Apple is looking to make the mouse extinct and I have to agree, the trackpad will be really nice. Make transitions from my iPad to notebook to desktop nearly seamless.

Bee kind to me

2010-07-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday was Bee moving day as a kind friend has offered sanctuary for them. A couple of weeks ago I got stung on top of the head by one of our honey bees as I was mowing. Turns out I had a pretty significant allergic reaction and our Dr. suggested eliminating the liklihood of being stung again by removing the bee hives.
So our friends Lorelie and Jim were amiable to having the hives moved onto their acreage so their fruit trees get pollinated and of course we will pay them with free honey when we harvest! How great is that! Thanks, guys!
So Matt moved two hives yesterday in the pre-dawn hours to their new location. He did have to bring back one other hive that we already had in a different location on their farm for a week and then they too will get moved to the new permanent location. He said he got stung through his bee suit three times but luckily he isn't allergic. Still I think I will send him with my Epi kit just in case he were to have a severe reaction. Better to be prepared for the worst than be found dead! Life threatening reactions are unpredictable and can strike anyone even though they never had a severe reaction before. Afterall, I've been stung before and only had a mild localized reaction.
We love giving jars of honey to our friends and family at Christmas and we really need to bottle up our honey mead so we can offer some to guests at our annual family picnic next month! Yum!

Moms birthday milestone

2010-07-04T19:04:00.001-07:00

It's the 4th of July, 2010' and we are here in sunny Klamath Falls, OR visiting my Mom and bonus, celebrating her 90th birthday a few days early! She looks great and is in high spirits despite some health issues this year. I was so thrilled to see her and wish her "Happy Birthday" in person rather than over the phone. We spent a wonderful afternoon outdoors under a huge maple tree watching the robins and doing lots of laughing and visiting! And isn't that what family is all about?
If you can, hug your Mom today!

Location:Klamath falls

What happened to summer?

2010-06-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

What happened to summer? Yesterday it was warm and sunny, and today we are back to cloudy and misty! Ah well, it keeps the slug population happy. The rendered picture above is from my mother-in-law's garden taken a week ago. Had fun with a couple of iPad's apps to focus on this flower's color.
We should be back to more normal summer weather as the week progresses so for now, we are both in denial and playing on our computers and drinking coffee. But hey, isn't that what Sunday is all about?
Enjoy your week ahead.

using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Coyote Dr,Astoria,United States

Grannys garden

2010-06-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a warm weekend at my in-laws in Gold Hill, Oregon, lots of good family times, Matt joined his sisters and walked up the road to Hanby school for their centennial celebration. They had a great time relieving the "good old days".

Heading back to Astoria shortly with our rainy weather. Dang!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:5th Ave,Gold Hill,United States

It's Rhody Time

2010-05-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

It's still cloudy and misty here today, but the yard rhododendrons are in full bloom! This beautiful purple beauty was a dollar special as it was the end of the sale and had no identifying tag on it so we had no idea what color or type it was. It's taken the plant three years to get to a size where it was mature enough to bloom, but well worth the wait!
Hope your long holiday weekend is a great one. We're staying at home and maybe if the sun comes out, I'll get the lawn mowed!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Coyote Dr,Astoria,United States

Things we take for granted

2010-05-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

We roll merrily along and sometimes we forget to be thankful for every little thing we have. Last week my dog, Toby went on a midnight raid and got into a bag of dog food he wasn't used to and ended up with a severe case of pancreatitis. He ended up in the doggie hospital for three days, but with a few prayers and excellent vet care, he pulled through just fine. I am so thankful to have him back home. It's amazing how much our entire family missed him!
I'm off to visit my Mom and sister tomorrow. Unforunately, Mom has reached the point of health where she needs to go into a care facility. Very tough on all of us but it's the reality. My sister and I are just glad that we still have her with us. She is going to be transferred to the same town where my sister and rest of our family lives, so she will have family nearby.
I am so looking forward to June and some sunnier weather. All my hanging baskets are growing and looking pretty good. The sugar snap peas have flowers on them now so will have fresh pods soon!
We have some banty chickens which we are really enjoying. So fun to wake up to the tiny rooster crowing!
Enjoy your week and will see you after Memorial day in June.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (loving it)

Location:Home

Farmville vs We Rule

2010-05-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I've been playing Farmville for quite some time and have a love/hate relationship with it. Most of the time the game plays pretty well but seems to have glitches of one sort or another on a daily basis! I love all the new friends I have made and the fun challenges we share. I hate the nag pop-ups that I have to deal with every time I go to my farm! I also dislike the new feed page format. I used to have control over my feed page by blocking the tons of apps that I wasn't interested in but now they're back with a vengeance! And there the is the recent security issues. Not good.

Recently I discovered We Rule, available on the iPhone and iPad. A cross between Farmville and Age of Empires. You start out with a small plot of land, a starter castle, and some gold coins. You buy farm plots and start planting corn which matures for harvest in less than a minute! Nice! Instant gratification and a quick build up of coin so you can build more farm plots and start building your businesses. A couple of mines for ore production, then it's time to find some "We Rule" friends! The quickest way to find other We Rule players is to go the the Itunes App store and check out the comments section on the We Rule app page. Lots of new and experienced players will post their game names that you enter in your friends section of your profile. Before you know it, your map page is populated with your new friends kingdoms that you can visit and buy goods from. They in turn, will visit your kingdom and buy goods from you! No pop ups, no begging for building materials, no co-ops. And takes just a few minutes to play. It's simple and it's quick.

It's a fairly new game so I expect it will evolve with time with more levels and stuff for your kingdom. I am looking forward to that!

BTW, my We Rule name is LadyAstoria so if you play, add me to your friends list!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Home

The best Mother's Day Yet!

2010-05-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

Probably the best Mother's Day weekend ever!
  Christy and Nate came over a couple of days early to spend some time with us. The rain storms finally gave way and we some some fantastic sunny weather! Nice!
  This picture was taken at Tapiola Park in Astoria and then we were off to the Beach! Spent time at the ocean in Seaside and had a most scumptous lunch in town. I swear I put on two pounds but man, it was so worth it, LOL
  Today we are going to plant up all my hanging baskets with a variety of blooming petunias and spend the day just lounging around till they head home. Such a nice visit and everyone is having a blast!
Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!

Joyce

Retiring?

2010-05-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

With all my tobacco seeds sold out today, I am seriously thinking of retiring! My Internet site is paid up through 2011, so will leave it in a more passive mode with my affiliated business partners and not restock for next year. I've been working up to this for a while. Bought a new home computer and my newest "toy", the Ipad which I just love! Frankly I am surprised how much this little device has upstaged my laptop! it's surprisingly easy to type on the touch keyboard so I don't really see a reason to purchase an external keyboard.
We are going to have a beautiful spring day (finally!) and my daughter and grandson are coming to visit for a couple of days. Heck, we may head over to the beach later on today and just play!
Signing off,
Joyce

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Posting from my Ipad

2010-05-02T15:57:00.001-07:00

Trying out a new app to see how to blog from my Ipad.
Hoping to figure out how to upload photos. Hmmmmm

alrighty now, it works! Cool!
- Posted using BlogPress from my Ipad

What does the Ipad have to do with gardening?

2010-05-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Well, basically nothing but at least I put a nice maple leaf design on the home page for you to see, LOL!
Anyway, I been waiting for weeks for my Ipad with 3G to arrive and it's finally here! And yes, I love it. It's everything the Kindle wasn't, beautiful LCD screen, peppy, and a real web browser. As you can see, I even have the Kindle app in the bottom right corner so I can continue to read my Kindle books without hardly a hiccup.
A couple of surprises that I didn't care for popped up. First of all, I was so pleased to download and use the Skype app the first day and call my daughter in Portland. The audio was nice and clear on both ends. Then I find out that Skype only works on Wi-fi thanks to AT&T restricting band width! What? That totally sucks. Also the ABC Player and You Tube apps don't work in 3G either, or in the case of You Tube, you may get a downsized version, choppy and slow. Well, bummer for those who are paying for the unlimited 3G! All of those play just fine in Wi-Fi mode. Kinda makes you wonder why we all paid for the 3G version. So, for home use with wi-fi, everything is "groovy" but on the road, some major restrictions. For me, I will be happy to have the 3G when away from home and I can live without Skype (I'll use my cell phone) but will be bummed not to get to watch my favorite ABC programs. You Tube is no big loss to me as I rarely access it anyway.
I sprung for the Logmein app so I can access my home computer when away. At least I can print on my home printer that way, so any documents I may want printed will be waiting for me when I get back or when I get back in my office. I will definitely be using Evernote a lot. I just discovered not only can I download receipts and printed notes to my Evernote account, but also can do audio files too! Sweet!
The learning curve for this new device is pretty easy. I think it's going to be a great compliment to my other computing devices. I love how it conforms to me, I can hold upright , rightside up, or upside down, and as Steve Jobs says: "It just works". It may have taken Apple a heck of long time to get this product out, but it's a solid product and I think they got it right!

I feel like I missed out on Xmas!

2010-04-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I wasn't going to buy an Ipad.........seriously! I remember when I purchased my Kindle 2, telling my "Apple loving" son that I wished that Apple had come out with their mythical tablet/reader but it was not to be, (sigh). at least not in 2008, LOL

Now that it is real, I think back to what I disliked about the Kindle:

1) Really never got over that the screen contrast was grayish and had to attach a clip on light to read it in the movie theatre before the movie actually starts. I miss color too!
2) Yes, it has free 3G internet but the browser is totally antiquated! I hated how incrediable slow it was to load even the simpliest of pages. True, I could check and respond to Gmail, but it took forever! Turn a page, wait five minutes! Or so it seemed. Maybe it was only four.
3) As a book reader, yes, the Kindle was awesome. And I loved all the free books I could download even though I've barely read through the 81 on my unit!
4) I liked the size and portability of the K2. Very nice!

But ya know, I use my laptop much more, for the speed and ease of internet usage, email, etc.

So the Ipad makes sense to me. It corrects the things I didn't like about the Kindle, yet still gives me the portability I want to sitting on the porch or in a plane.

Back to my original Title line about Xmas! I read with a touch of envy of all the folks getting their brand spanking new Ipads today, whether from the UPS driver or standing in line like my Son did, to revel in the comraderie with fellow techno junkies. And yet, I don't get to play........yet.

I did go online late last night and ordered the 3G version (yes, I want internet access when at my Mom's house), so mine will be arriving sometime in the near future, maybe late April, but I'm betting on May. But hey, Apple, surprise me! I want so much to open up that "magical" box and get to play. It will be like Xmas morning! Just not today.

March comes in like a lion, and keeps coming and coming......

2010-03-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

Well, March is a funny month here in the Pacific Northwest. It started out mild and sunny with promises of winter past. NOT!
Now, it cold, windy, and just downright miserable. We are going through the last pile of wood in our storage shed so am looking forward to getting back to some milder weather soon. Heck, my friend, Susan was commenting on her FB page about snow falling where she lives in southern Oregon a few days ago.
Not much to blog about this week, but we happen to wander over to our local feed store yesterday and found these adorable Bantum Partridge Cochin chicks who are now residing in a plastic bin in our dining room. Back in the day, we had chickens when we had kids in 4H. We love to just watch them for entertainment value. Of course a few fresh eggs ain't all bad either, but that's down the road.
In the meantime we get to enjoy their soft peeping and our dogs are going through massive jealousy!
Matt's birthday was yesterday, so I treated him to a filet mignon lunch at one of our finest resturants in Astoria. So nice to look out over the Columbia River while eating. It was such a quiet day for resturant, that the owner personally cooked and served our meal! It was absolutely scumptous and worth every penny. Course, it McDonalds from now on, LOL
Hope spring is happening where you live.

end of February

2010-02-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, the end of February and spring just around the corner for most of you. For us here in PNW, spring is already here! Thanks to "El Nino", we have had a very mild month as evident if you have been following the Olympic coverage in Vancouver, Canada. They have had unusually warm weather with slushy rain mix really playing havoc with all the skiing events! I find it interesting that the Olympic personnel having been spraying nitrogen fertilizer over the snow venues to "harden" the snow pack for the downhill skiiers! Even using dry ice in special tubes to hold up the moguls for competition.
Picture today is of a herd of elk in the field right behine our house. There were even four spikes in the herd, probably from last year's offspring. We always are thrilled to see these animals are they are quite impressive in size!
Plum trees are in full bloom and as I walked around the yard, I noticed tulips and irises starting to come up too. The honey bees are out and collecting pollen from the willow tree too.
Welcome March! Glad to see winter giving way to spring.

It's still February but you wouldn't know it!

2010-02-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

Remember the plum tree prunings I salvaged and stuck in a vase last week? Well, here they are are in full bloom. Gorgeous! We have been blessed with sunny mild days this past week, but unforunately for the blooming plum trees, could spell disaster for fruit this year since it's dropping down to freezing temps each night!
The honey bees aren't inspired yet to really get out and do "their thing" as it still pretty chilly even during the day. We are still getting East wind from Canada so it may look pretty from inside the house, it's darn cold out there with the wind blowing!
I still plan on bbq*ing this afternoon, even with a coat on! LOL Can't pass up the chance to fire up the Q! Nothing tastes as good as "grilled over fire" hamburgers!
Plan on getting out in the garden soil and finish planting the sugar snap peas and onion starts. I am also get to get my order in for garlics today for sure! If you are wanting specialty garlics, get your order in soon or they will be sold out for the year! Territorial Seed looks like they have a good selection this year, so that's my next stop on the computer, then it's to the outside and sunshine!

A bonus picture for you today, my pussy willow blossoms are blooming nicely! I love spring!!!
Have a great week and I will "chat" with you again next Sunday.
Joyce

Spring buds

2010-02-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help myself, I saw these trimmings of our plum tree laying on the ground from last week's prunning and even though they are cut off from the tree, the branches are still getting ready to bloom! So, they now reside in this vase so I can enjoy the blossoms when they break. That may not be very long now as it's been very warm lately, fifties.
Today we also planted two new saplings, both are Asian pears. Hosui and Shinseiki varieties. We already have one Asian pear which is a grafted tree that has multiple varieties on it, so is self pollinating. I am sure our honeybees will appreciate two new flowering trees!
Last week (Feb 6th) I sowed a packet of Golden Seal Burley tobacco seeds, mostly so I could do a video for my tobacco customers, but also because I love to grow things! Today (14th) I counted over fifty baby plants that have sprouted so far. I have a new facebook page that is exclusively devoted to tobacco growing. In the space of a week, I already have a few new members and questions! So, click on the excerpt below and the link will take you to facebook. If you are a facebook member, just sign in and you will be taken directly to that page. If you are not a member, consider signing up. It's free and with the new security enhancements, it is as private as you want it to be.

Become a Fan!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Joyce

Snow in the East, Spring in the West

2010-02-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

While my dear friends are being inundated with lots and lots of snow in the East, we are enjoying a rare warm spring day! I want to share with you this photo of my first blooming plants for 2010, a weeping willow. We even had blue sky today and it was warm enough for the first plowing of the garden and pruning back of my roses and jasmine vines.
I sure you can appreciate what a joy it was to be outside again and doing some rudimentary gardening!
The forsythia buds are swelling and will soon be in bloom too. I even noticed japanese iris starting to poke up their leaves above ground.
Yeah for spring!
Looks like we need a new battery for the rider mower, so I "got" out of the first mowing. Looks like we need to do some serious liming as the moss is rampant this year in the grass.
Must have a good supply of earthworms as the moles are very busy digging tunnels and hills while our dauchshund is staunchly trying to dig them up!
Enjoy the Super Bowl everyone, go Saints!

Joyce

Almost spring.....

2010-01-31T14:42:00.000-08:00

I know, you've seen a hundred pictures of pussy willows, but I don't care! For me seeing these flowers are truly the first signs of spring approaching and I am always happy to see them! Matter of fact, that's the only reason I have this plant in my yard, it is my constant reminder that winter is coming to a rapid close and spring is just around the corner! Not bad for January 31st!
I also am noticing our earliest plum tree's buds are starting to swell too. Should start seeing crocus leaves popping up soon too.

Playing around with my camera today and starting snapping some pics of this red maple branch with a row of rain drops on it. Funny how taking pics from different distances and angles can offer so many interpetations. Four drops close-up shows more distinction but what are we looking at?

Flip the close-up unside down and now can distinctly see my neighbors house and trees! Cool!

If you can, get outside and look around, you never know what you will see!

Joyce

What I Hate about the new IPad from Mac

2010-01-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Well, bummer........ I was really looking forward to buying the new IPad from Apple, but afraid there are too many obstacles in the way. For example, the basic Wi-Fi model without 3G coverage is $500. Twice as much as the basic Kindle2 but then it is more comparable with the Kindle DX as far as size goes. Now the Kindle DX is a little cheaper but...... it comes with Sprint 3G wireless that is free!! That's right, FREE. AT&T data plans for the IPad are either $15 for 250MB or $30 for unlimited data per month. To their credit, there are no long term contracts, so you can pay for it as you needed by month instead of long term contracts like for your cell phone. Already pay for AT&T unlimited data for your cell phone? Too bad, this is an additional cost. Oh yeah, if you want 3G model, they start at $629 and up depending on how much memory you want. Another issue for me is that AT&T coverage is very spotty at best here in Oregon. Mostly up and down the I-5 corridor and the larger cities. I live in a rual town and so do my relatives, so most of time I would have no coverage or very limited. My current Kindle has Sprint and it covers me here and at my Mom's house in eastern Oregon.
  Weight, yes, it's an issue if you are going to be holding it for any length time such as surfing or reading. The IPad weighs in at a hefty 1.5 pounds. The Kindle DX is less at 16 oz or 1 pound, 2 oz. Now I love my Kindle2 which is extremely light weight to hold for reading at a minuscle 10.2 ounces. Nice!
  OK, so what about the LCD color screen and backlighting? I know, I know, I want it too, but here's the deal breaker. Battery life......... maximum of 10 hours for the IPad which is nice, but then that's the max, what is the more likely "normal" battery time with average usage, I bet maybe 8. And then you have to hook it up for recharging, how long will that take? No one knows as Apple isn't telling us yet. Now the Kindle will last for days with the wireless on and up to two weeks with the wireless off. See, there's no glorious "technicolor" (does have 16 grayscale levels) and no backlight! Yes, you have to read it in a lit room or even outdoors. Now, I know as a lap top owner, that my lap top screen is totally useless in any type of sunlight where I can take the Kindle anywhere and read it. I have a clip on light that I drop in my purse for when we go to the movies and I want to read in the darkened theatre before the movie starts up.
Don't forget, you need to buy a cover for your beautiful glass IPad, $40 I have heard from Apple or even more from third party vendors. Want to transfer files from your computer to the IPad? Good luck, everything as to transfer through Itunes software, so guess that's out the window. No text to speech even though it has a microphone and speaker. What's up with that? Books will cost more through IBooks than through Amazon and no downloading freebies from other web sites either. I don't know about you, but probably over 90% of my e-books are freebies!
  And then one more thing, this is a new product so bound to have bugs and fixes that will be retified by the time they come out with IPad2. That will probably be the time that I may succomb, so will wait and see.

Happy birthday to me and update on the winter garden

2010-01-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, another birthday..... oh la la! I love the card my 89 yo mother sent me: "AGE is merely the number of years the world has been enjoying you!" Very nice, Mom, thank you!
I celebrated by having a champagn mimosa, (yum) and my hubby is taking me to see Avatar. Very cool, can't wait to see it! I love the technology we have in today's world. I remember back in the day, when I got my first transistor radio and could listen to my favorite radio station wirelessly! Course the batteries lasted only a few hours, but it was still magical.

Yesterday was a mild and sunny day so me and the dogs ventured outside for a while. I actually did some weeding and picked some fresh broccoli from my winter garden bed. Now bad for January, especially since most of the nation is being bombarded with the famous Artic Blast!

I wondered how many people read this blog, I know I have one dedicated reader who comments, anyone else out there? Ah well, will continue on anyway. Everyone have a great week!

Chili Colorado recipe for crock pot

2010-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

This is so delicious and very simple to make, that I just have to share it! The original recipe can be found in "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining" which was a free Kindle download!
I've tweaked it slightly to accomodate my hubby's love of cumin, but that is the only diversion.
The ingredients:

1 lb beef sirloin or stew meat of choice
2 tbsps oil
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 oz all purpose flour
2 oz chili powder
2 garlic cloves or to taste
2 cups water
1 tsp cumin
The directions:
2 tbls oil into skillet and brown your meat chunks until carmelized and crispy browned. This will really add flavor to your finished product. Remove meat and place in crock pot.
In a pot, add remaining oil and garlic which has be chopped or minced. Allow the garlic to soften and release it's wonderful fragrance! Then add in the flour and stir to combine. You want the flour throughly mixed into the oil so you will have a wonderful velvety sauce. Stir in the chili powder then slowly stir in the water, constantly stirring so you don't have flour lumps. Add cumin and salt to taste. Pour your red sauce into your crock pot, stir all together, replace the lid and walk away! When the meat is tender to your liking, it's done. For me it was about two hours, or if cooked on low setting, could let it cook all day.
The numbers:

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 293 Calories 464

% Daily Values*
Total Fat 32.58g		50%
	Saturated Fat 7.432g	37%
	Polyunsaturated Fat 8.06g
	Monounsaturated Fat 14.763g
Cholesterol 74mg		25%
Sodium 206mg		9%
Potassium 656mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.05g		6%
	Dietary Fiber 5.3g	21%
	Sugars 1.07g
Protein 26.7g

For low carb eating, net carbs is 14! Nice

Goodby Decade and Blue Moon

2009-12-31T11:33:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, New Years Eve, 2009! In just a few short hours we begin a new year and a new decade. Who knows what the next decade will reveal to us. For me, it's been quite an adventure. I remember watching TV at the beginning of the new melemnium. It started with a single man blowing a conch shell on an island in the Pacific, the first land mass to welcome the new century. Now, we are going out with a blue moon! How cool is that?
A blue moon refers to a second full moon in a calendar month. Many people assumed this must have referred to ancient observations concerning the rarity of tow full moons in a month, the earliest record of this usage dates back only to 1946, when it appeared in an issue of Sky & Telescope magazine.
The author of the piece, James Hugh Pruett, an astronomer from Oregon, cited a 1937 edition of the Maine Farmers' Almanac. However, an investigation by Roger Sinnott, the current editor of Sky & Telescope, and Donald Olsen, a Texas physicist and authority on almanacs, revealed that there was no mention of a second full moon of the month in the Maine Farmers' Almanac.
They scoured more than 40 editions of the almanac and while they found plenty of blue moons, not one of them was the second full moon of the month. In ancient folklore, a blue moon is said to have face and talk to you or if you let the blue moon shine on you, you will turn mad! LOL
Have a wonderful and safe New Year everyone!

2009-12-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

THIS IS SO WRONG! Health care rationing has ramped up a notch! It's no secret that California is is deep financial trouble, but is this the way to "save" money? I don't think so. They have changed their guidelines for mammograms for women in their "Every Woman Counts" breast cancer program. They have raised the screening age to fifty. The changes are said to be due to the unprecedented fiscal challenges resulting from increasing demand for breast cancer screening services and declining state tobacco tax revenues, the primary funding source for the program.
So smokers are being blamed for this change? Now I don't advocate smoking, but I think it is wrong to target one group as punishment for the failure of tax revenues. It will cost the state much more in health care costs not to catch breast cancer in a treatable stage in women in their forties, not to mention the pain, suffering, and increased deaths when the technologies are right there and available.
What do you think about this issue? Feel free to comment below.

Surviving the Deep Freeze

2009-12-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

I am so totally amazed! These plants somehow survive sub freezing condition this past week!
A little history here: We live in a fairly mild maritime zone 7 area but we do get some freezing and even snow, but usually not until late January/Febuary. I planted this one raised bed of salad winter greens in early September and hoped to have fresh salad stuff for Christmas dinner with my daughter and grandson. At least, that was my wish. Then this past week we got hit with a long blast of Artic air and our temperatures dropped into the teens for both day and night for about a week.

My little fish pond and half barrel froze over with ice probably about four inches deep I think. I lost all my plants in my unheated greenhouse. These plants however were outside in a raised bed and only covered with two flannel backed plastic table clothes. I fully expected to pull back the cover today after the warming rains came in last night, and find frozen black dead produce. OMG, I can't believe the survival rate. Yes, there is damage due to freezing but tender lettuces look like they will bounce back and the broccolis look basically unscathed! Plants do want to live!!!
So the Pacific rains are here again but coming from the south, so we will stay above freezing for the rest of week. Family arrives on Monday so I think I will be able to harvest these for my holiday dinner after all! The plants on the outside of the bed look pretty damaged, maybe beyond comeback, so that will be the loss of my swiss chard and bok choy. Ah well, I was only hoping to make to next week.
Merry Christmas everyone!

free skin care tip

2009-12-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

Got olive oil in your kitchen? Then you have an excellent skin mosturizer! I recommend Virgin or Extra Virgin oil. Virgin means the oil was produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment.
Extra-virgin olive oil comes from virgin oil production only, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste and is the lightest of the two. Extra Virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many producing countries.
With the harsh chilling days of winter upon us, mosturize your skin with just a few drops of oil after you emerge from your shower or bath. The oil is completely absorbed and your skin feels sliky smooth.
Here in Astoria, we have been having an Artic blast of weather, even had a small amount of snow on the ground this morning! The earliest I have seen snow since moving here six years ago. Cold, cold, nights, in the upper twenties!
I have my winter garden bed covered with two plastic table clothes and uncovering during the day. I don't know how much more of this sub freezing weather the lettuces can take but so far, so good! I am hoping to serve fresh from the garden salad greens for my daughter when she comes in a couple of weeks. Yes, I can buy greens at the store, but this is a mission! LOL
The tobacco plants have finally subcombed to the weather, but have to say, they stayed green and lasted longer than the pepper and tomato plants just a few feet away! I'm impressed!

Finally got a live tree yesterday and we decorated while holiday music played on the TV. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to see my 2 yo grandson's eyes when he sees it in a couple of weeks. It's kinda a Charlie Brown tree and we went up in the woods and harvested it yesterday. It's got a few bends in the trunk and not the fullest tree, but it's filled with lights and ornaments, and dang it, a 2 yo isn't going to care! It's all about the wonderment of the season and the joy of being together.
Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the season!
Joyce

It's a Dog's Life

2009-12-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

It's a tough life to be a dog!

Our sweet boy, Fido is enjoying some sunshine while reclining in his master's chair. Not a bad gig for December 1st!

Farmville tips for newbies re: cost effective plantings

2009-11-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

Farmville newbies, How to make the most profit out of your fields.

I've been doing some "figuring" and I am finding that crops that take longer than 48 hours are not worth planting unless you are going for the "Green Thumb" ribbon. I pulled out my calculator (I know, there's calcs out there on the web but I like to do my own) and here's how I did it. I took the harvest profit and subtracted the cost of the seed PLUS the plot plowed fee of 15 coin so that I actually have a true net profit in my FV bank account.

For the newbie starting out, I recommend strawberries (2.5 coins earned per hour), soybeans, squash (1.37 coins earned per hour) and pumpkins (a whopping 2.87 coins earned per hour!)

What about wheat and artichokes you say? Afterall, wheat nets you 115 coins without spending a lot of coin cash out of your pocket (35 coin + 15 coin). It looks good until you divid the profit by the number of hours that your wheat in in the "ground". Wheat nets you only 0.90 coins per hour and artichokes net you only 1.23 coins per hour. So plant your farm fields with the highest profit crop you can afford. You'll be glad you did!

For flowers, lower level players will do well with daffodils @ 2.50 coins per hour, tulips will net you 2.87 coin, roses a disappointing 2.47 coin and sunflowers (level 26- 6.87 coin per hour. Nice!

So should you plant pineapples (95 coin + 15 coin= 105 coin) with a profit of 242 in two days OR grapes (85 coin + 15 coin= 100) with a profit of 270 in 1 day? Easy! Your net profit for the pineapple per hour is 5.5 coins (not bad) but your net profit for grapes per hour is 7.08! But remember, that is a one day crop vs a two day crop. So your grapes can actually net you over 14 coins in the same plot in two days. Lovin it!

Frankly, for me at level 24, my best bet for 24 hour crop is still grapes (7.08 coin per hour) even though I now have sunflowers available (6.87 coin per hour). My highest profit plant during the day if I am at home, is tomatoes @ 7.25 coin per hour! It just depends on how much time I want to put into it.

Final point is Don't stress out over the XPs. I know, you want them and they come really slow as you gain levels and ribbons, but remember, if you absolutely must have them, you can purchase them! That is how the company makes money. Frankly the $5 I spent on Seeds for Haiti was Sooo worth it!
You can buy most everything you need with coin. So have fun!

Virtual Farming and plants to bed for winter

2009-11-29T08:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I have to admit to getting "sucked into" FarmVille, one of Facebook's apps. My hubby was home sick with the flu last week, so got him playing too! We have both had a lot of fun and it's just a fun game to play!
Basically it's a virtual farm where you earn coin and FV cash to buy seeds, decorations, buildings, and equipment without having to get your hands dirty! It's a free game but you have the option of buying stuff with "real" dollars and move up the levels faster. The purist will plod along and play for free, but I went ahead and spent a little money to give my game a boost. One of my purchases was for the Seeds of Change, Haiti($5) which I mentioned in my previous post. Half of the payment ($2.50) went towards feeding folks in Haiti and that's cool. So, for a week, I am planting the special corn seeds and gaining a ton of coin and XP (experience points) which also keeps me moving up in levels and being able to access more types of seeds and goodies.
In the real world I actually did go outside and pulled my blue tropical lily out of my pond for winter storage and also been trimming back my geranium plants and hanging them in the greenhouse for the winter. It's time to pull the tomato plants from my greenhouse growing beds that have been growing and producing for the past six months. Actually those plants are a year old as I started them hydroponically last winter, then transferred them to the earth beds for the summer growing season. They are dying back and turning all moldy so they got to go.
I do have a one plot winter garden going and checked it out yesterday. Nice lettuces, bok choy, and the broccoli plants are starting to show tiny broccoli heads! We are still having mild winter storm weather so they should be fine for now.
Hope everyone have an awesome Thanksgiving! I was so glad that I cooked a turkey this year (cooking for two). Nothing like the smell of roasting turkey! Just cause it's only hubby and I now, no excuse not to have a real holiday meal! So now the bird has been processed into freezer bags for future meals.

What Thanksgiving is all about

2009-11-26T16:37:00.000-08:00

I feel good about donating towards this worthy cause. FarmVille players not only can help these kids but for one week only, buy "FV corn seeds" for 10 coin and get back 125 coin in six hours! That's a sweet deal! In a week's time you can accumulate a ton of coin for game purchases and 3XP's per plot.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday with family and friends.

Hugs,

Joyce

If Women Ruled the World......

2009-11-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

No explanation needed!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

My hints for avoiding catching the flu bug

2009-11-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody!

Thought I would pass along a few "common sense" tips that may have kept me from getting the flu from my hubby this past week.
First and foremost, be very aware of not contaminating yourself! The flu is spread by germs entering your mouth or nose either in the form of droplets in the air (from sick person sneezing) or by handling germ laden items and then touching your mouth or nose and transferring the germs.
So, here are some simple ideas that worked for me. First of all, if you can, have the sick person use separate bathroom and bedroom if possible. When ever you go into and handle items in said rooms or other communal rooms such as the kitchen, ALWAYS wash your hand just before leaving the room and dry your hands with paper towels. This way you basically decontaminate yourself and also not spread the germs into the next room. Make sure the sick person has their own box of kleenex, uses their own dishes, etc. I even had my hubby remove his own dishes and load them directly into the dishwasher so that I didn't handle them. When you remove their laundry, bed sheets, etc. place them in a laundry basket and carry the basket away from your body. Never gather the items in your arms and carry them bundled up against you. Use the hottest water setting to wash in. When the sick person is well, through away their toothbrush or brush head (electric toothbrush) and replace with a new one. Reusing the old brush runs the risk of reinfecting them. Don't forget to wipe commonly share items like the TV remote! Sanitizing towels will work for this.
Another hint is to carry alcohol based waterless hand cleaner in your car or purse. When you are done shopping, sanitized your hands as soon as you get into the car. Leave those germs behind!

Tobacco varieties recommended for Cigars and the home gardener.

2009-11-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

A customer called and asked for tobacco seed recommendations for cigars, so thought I would share them with you.
Monte Calme Yellow: A european variety used in both cigarettes and as a wrapper for cigars.
Small Stalk Black Mammoth: Deep dark tobacco prized by tobacco growers for both cigarettes and cigars.
Madole: Recommended for first time growers as this is a quick grower and hardier than some other varieties.
Goose Creek Red: Use in blends for both cigarettes and cigars. Cures to a beautiful deep red color and adds some unique flavor.
Hungarian Dark: Oriental variety that produces very deep dark tobacco favored by those who look for a Turkish blend. Cigarettes, pipes, cigars.
Havanas: Of course, a "must" for cigars! We offer three strains for the home grower.

Click HERE to watch a You Tube video on how to roll cigars. I suggest that you mute the sound as it is in Spanish and lots of background factory noise, but the technique is definitely worth watching!

Free Dog Food!

2009-11-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

I have been researching dehydrated "raw" dog food and it's really expensive, but then the store bought dog food is getting spendy too and my vet says none of them are ideal for the best nutrition. Sooo, after ordering a box @ $60, I read through the ingredients and thought, well, I can do that, or at least a decent replica from foods I already have on hand! I made up this big bowl of homemade stew in about 45 minutes and it didn't cost me anything! I should probably add supplemental dog vitamin to it, but otherwise I think this is pretty good attempt. I will bag up one cup portions and freeze them since there is a lot of food here for my two small dogs.

Ingredients: For the meat, I used one pound package of elk meat from our freezer. Of course, most folks would have to use alternate. Pan cooked it till pink was gone and scrambled in two eggs.

In a separate pan, I added to four cups of boiling water, 1.5 cups old fashion oats, 1/2 cup rice, partial packages of frozen carrots/peas and chopped spinach, tablespoon of honey, and one mashed overripe banana. When the meat/egg mixture was done, so was the grains/veggie mix (about twenty minutes). Mixed it all together along with 4000 mg of flaxseed oil, and viola! you see the finished product! I didn't add any herbs, the dogs don't need them and besides, I don't think they are suppose to have garlic? anyway.

Both my dogs were sitting by their respective bowls when I turned around, LOL

They had to wait for it to cool down but I think it was worth the wait.

I will keep the commercial dehydrated mix for when we travel I think. I may try dehydrating mine just to see if it works but I freezing will be easier and of course, quicker!

The original commercial dog food ingredients are: Turkey, Oats, Potatoes, Flax, Carrots, Cabbage, Alfalfa, Organic Kelp, Apples, Honey, Garlic, Rosemary.

Beauty of the hills on a November morning

2009-11-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday everyone!

We awoke to a sunny clear day so decided to head back to the woodcutting area and get another pick-up load for our wood stove. We are fortunate to live just a few miles from where our local loggers are cutting. Not only are they providing timber for new homes but a side benefit for us is that we are allowed to "salvage" cut timber that was rejected for timber sales.

I was so glad I brought my camera today as this gorgeous view was so worth sharing with you!

Somehow all the worries of daily living are left behind for a few short hours as we enjoy this day together, get some much needed exercise, and stash this wood away to supplement our electric furnace plus save a chunk of money on our heating bill. We appreciate it even more during those winter storms when we we lose power. Just a reminder that we all need to be self sufficient cause you never know when the power grid will go down.

Harvest bounty

2009-10-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

You know it's fall when you get to harvest apples! This is the first year my Fuji tree has produced fruits so even though it was only a dozen apples, I am thrilled!

home grown tobacco vs commercial cigarettes

2009-09-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

We gave some tobacco plants and leaves to a smoking friend. The tobacco leaves were only sun dried. He said that he and his brother rolled some into cigarettes and did a taste test between the home grown product and commercial cigarettes. They said that yes, the home tobacco tasted different but it was quite smokable. His brother even commented after trying both, that the commercial cigarette tasted "like chemicals". So there you have it, an unsolicited testimony in favor of the home grown product.

And no, this is not an actual picture of either brother, but a photo I found through google search.

First day of Fall

2009-09-28T19:09:00.001-07:00

Well, today it actually felt like Fall. We had a warm sunny weekend and good thing to since we put on a yard sale! Today, however, we are expecting rain and cooler temps and by the look of the dark clouds and the wind, I think the weatherman got it right. So since I was out doing some last minute harvesting, I plucked these radish seed pods off the Black Japapnese radish plant. Notice that I have labeled the envelope before putting the seeds in. That way I don't forget what is inside! A very good thing to do.

Candy and Fruit Flavored Cigarettes Now Illegal in United States; Step is First Under New Tobacco Law

2009-09-26T05:51:00.001-07:00

Candy and Fruit Flavored Cigarettes Now Illegal in United States; Step is First Under New Tobacco Law

Heck, I didn't even know there were flavored cigarettes outside of menthol. The "study" shows that most smokers started smoking when they are teenagers......Duh! Just another step closer to "Big Brother" state. Now I don't advocate smoking but I do object to bans on personal habits of legal products used by adults.

Shared via AddThis

The joys of Fall

2009-09-18T10:22:00.001-07:00

I know, many of you think that driving hours into the mountains to see the fall colors is the way to celebrate Fall, but for me, strolling out to my orchard with my dogs on a sunny warm Fall morning and snapping this pic of ripening grapes is just as beautiful and satisfying. This is the first year that these grape vines have produced so I am totally stoked!

Have a wonderful weekend, folks!

Fall is in the Air

2009-09-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today is cool and cloudy so I planted my winter garden in my new raised bed. I popped in lettuces , mesclun mix, broccoli, bok choi, and swiss chard. With our fairly mild winters, I should be able to harvest clear up into November or until the dreaded slugs find them!

From Dirt to Hydro

2009-09-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

Well, my expired aerogarden pods did not do well so today I bought our "fall veggies" in starter packs and decided to utilize my Power Grower for some nice fresh salad greens. I carefully rinsed off as much of the soil as possible and then placed these plants into 3 inch net pots and stabilized them with hydrodon rocks. They are now getting some nutrient rich solution through the ring. I hope to see these plants really take off and fill up the whole unit! How cool is that?
Rest of the plants will be planted out into our garden space later on this weekend. Looking forward to some fresh lettuce, spinach, Bok Choy, Swiss chard, and mesclan mix. Considering the prices of "fresh" produce in the store, these should turn out to be a good investment for fall and early winter eating. Here in the Pacific Northwest, our winters are fairly mild up till late November, so should be enjoying these for quite a while.

Tobacco leaves from home grown plant

2009-09-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

I pluck these two bottom leaves from my monster Common Smoking Tobacco in my greenhouse. The leaves are 39 inches in length!

We harvested potatoes, tomatoes, and onions from our garden today in advance of the rain predicted later on this week.

Soon we will be harvesting honey from our bees, hmmmmmm, my family members love to take a jar home with them whenever they visit. Makes a great little gift at Christmas time too!

Our honey mead looks like it is done "bubbling" so it's time to bottle.

Getting ready for Fall

2009-08-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

This little digger squirrel discovered our bag of filberts and was busy all morning stuffing his cheeks full of nuts to haul off for storage! Too cute. He could carry six nuts at a time in his cheeks!

2009-08-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION VIRTUAL SEEDS CUSTOMERS!

Virtual Seeds owner, Joyce Moore was interviewed and mentioned in a Associated Press article that has generated a lot of interest in home grown tobacco growing. I have been contacted by a TV reporter in St. Louis, MO who is looking to visit and interview any customer who lives within 75 miles of St Louis and is growing tobacco plants from seeds sold by VS. Of course, I don't give out customer info, but if you read this and are interested in a possible interview, just drop me a line @ owner@virtualseeds.com and let me know. I will gladly act as the "go-between" and hook you up! Could be your ten minutes of fame!

Power Grower hydroponic project updated

2009-08-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

I love this Power Grower unit! It's compact (15 inches wide) and totally self contained. It holds 2.5 gallons of nutrient solution that I have on a timer. The timer turns on the air pump for 15 minutes which pumps the solution up into the ring and passively falls down through the hydroton completely saturating the entire unit, and turns off for 45 minutes so that these herb seed pods are feed hourly and kept moist. The timer and the seed pods are not part of the Power Grower package but everything else is included: air pump, tubing, hydoton, and two containers, one for the solution and the growing container. The pods you see here are actually expired aerogarden herb pods I had so I thought I would pop them in and see what happened. You can see the tiny basil plant that has sprouted below. How fun!

tobacco plants update July 31-09

2009-07-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

Here I am sitting in front of my Common Smoking Tobacco plant in my greenhouse. It's huge! I have another pic showing the latest measurement of a leaf that is 37 inches long. I think the plants have pretty much quite growing and are turning to reproduction, ie: flowering and seeding, so don't expect any more height. The bottom leaves are indeed turning yellowing and expected at this stage of the growing cycle.

My Indian tobacco plant is chock full of very fat seed capsules and the bumblebees continued to visit what flowers are left.

Playing with a new hydroponic set-up

2009-07-24T19:39:00.001-07:00

One of the great benefits of being a business owner, is that I get to try out new products, or at least, new to me. Hydroponics is just so "dog gone expensive" and frankly has interested me for years, but I just couldn't afford the luxury of going there! Then a couple of years ago, I hooked up with my friend Lorelie, and we decided to go in on an internet venture with hydroponic supplies. So, I've been learning, and learning, and learning. I started out with an Aerogarden unit. OK, this was easy and pretty much foolproof! Then last year I put up a Sun System lighting set-up and a free flood and drain tray with grow bags that Lorelie had received as a demo. It was OK, but there were some problems. I did learn about HD and HPS lighting.

So this year I decided to try out the Power Grower Eco unit. Nice! Totally self contained and everything is included from the air pump to the hydroton in a 15x15 inch unit. I have some expired Aerogarden seed kits, so dropped in some gourmet seed pods into the hydroton. With the nutrient solution constantly dripping down, the pods are staying constantly damp but not in standing water. Not much different in my mind than when they are in aerogarden unit and that water drips down over the pods too! Since it's summertime, I don't need artificial lighting, so the unit is out on my covered front deck and should do fine. If the seeds are still viable, I should start seeing baby plants in just a few days! If not, well, I'm not out of any "seed" money, LOL

2009-07-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Well, Red, what do you think? As you can see, the plant next to it is totally healthy and so are the ones on the other side of it.

I await your consel.

2009-07-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

This photo is of the Common Smoking Tobacco plant in my greenhouse. It is the largest plant we have going on! This leaf is 30 inches long and the plant is now about four feet tall. Very green and lush.

The plants in the garden plot are the smallest. Probably not the most fertile soil and not getting watered regularly. Still, the Indian Tobacco plant is flowering in the garden as well as the one on the porch in container.

The two Havana species are looking very healthy and green (container grown) while the common smoking plant leaves are showing some type of stress and the leaf tips are turning yellow and curling. This is the only plant showing this tendency.

The container plants get watered every day and also fertilized regularly.

Indian Rustica Tobacco Plant

2009-07-14T08:18:00.001-07:00

This Indian Tobacco plant is blooming like crazy!

The description states that the flower are yellow but as you can

see, they are more of a pale lime green. Very pretty, actually.

First Tobacco Flower!

2009-07-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

July 8th-09- Indian Tobacco Plant

Tobacco plants update

2009-07-08T07:53:00.001-07:00

Here it is July and we have had maybe two weeks of decent hot weather for these sub tropical plants! This plant here is in my greenhouse where it is obviously the warmest and it is now 35 inches tall and the leaves are huge! I measured the one in the front and it is 25 inches long from base to tip! Not to mention it hasn't been feasted on like the plants on the porch.

Secondly, the porch plants are doing OK with the Indian tobacco plant already starting to flower and the Common Smoking tobacco still the largest plant.

I will comment that the Indian tobacco has showned the most vigor from being eaten down to a nub by slugs to making a comeback and catching up in size to the other plants and now trying to flower! Of course if you are growing for tobacco leaf production, then you need to remove the flowers heads as they appear, but we are growing them more as an ornamental so the flower buds will get to stay. I figure they will probably open this weekend when we are promised warmer weather! So look for pics cause they will be coming!

Topiary update

2009-06-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Last year I planted my Corgi topiary and showed it off with my darling dog, Toby standing next to it. I affectionately call it a "Tobiary". Well, I overwintered it in my greenhouse and the white bacopa bloomed all winter!
Now the Tobiary has been moved to the open deck of my home for the summer and is looking magnificent! The bacopa is still blooming (a year later) and has grown so long, that it completely encircles the front of the statue! A real show stopper for visitors!
Remember, this is a soiless container so I feed it liquid fertilizer at least once a week. The topiary is actually "standing" on a plastic bin lid that is lipped and is kept full of water, so the statue doesn't dry out. Very important for this project.

Lite beer vs dark stout beer!!!

2009-06-21T10:16:00.001-07:00

What's beer got to do with these plants? Everything! As you can see our garden slugs having been eating on my nicotinana (Tobacco) plants so I've been fighting back with small cups of beer.

I have found that the dark stout beer works great (got four last night in one pot) and the lighter beer didn't get any!

Brands used were Colt 45 malt liquor and Hamms regular.

Plant shown here our Common Smoking Tobacco and it's growing nicely. We see new growth every day.

Fertilize your plants organically

2009-06-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

I try to garden as organically as possible so this year I am using guano products from Sunleaves. Pictured here is the seabird guano which is high in nitrogen and phosphate which is really giving my plants a growing boost! The guano is in pellet form and frankly smells totally nasty!

I use it in a couple of ways. I mixed in a small amount of the pellets when I first planted my container plants in the spring with the theory that they would break down over time with watering. All the plants look happy and healthy.

Then I also add a tablespoon or so of pellets to my big watering can and fill it with water. Leave overnight so the pellets fall apart. Even when the pellets fall apart, the guano is still heavier than water, so I just give a quick stir before watering. This is what I am feeding the tobacco plants with.

The Peruvian Seabird Guano comes in a box with three other guanos for a diverse selection of all natural fertilizers. Here is the breakdown:

1) Peruvian Seabird Guano: 10-10-2

2) Mexican Bat Guano: 10-2-1

3) Indonesian Bat Guano: 0.5-12-2

4) Jamacian Bat Guano: 1-10-0.2

If interested in this product, just let me know as I am a distributor as well as a user!

tobacco plants update and more

2009-06-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I posted on this blog so thought I would bring you up to speed! The demo tobacco plants in containers are finally taking off and getting some height! I've been battling slugs like crazy with containers of cheap beer and it works! I am sure the store clerk didn't quite believe me when I bought chips and beer and told him that the chips were for me and the beer for the slugs! LOL

We are still having typical Pacific Northwest weather with lots of clouds and mild temps, so the plants are well so far. I am sure my friends in the deep south have much more advanced plants, but we are having fun growing these guys! The tallest plants in the white container is Common Smoking tobacco and can reach heights of six feet! Well, maybe not tall for us considering our location and they are being contained in planters, but we do have a few plants out in our regular garden area but they are not a big as these. Course, these plants get watered and fertilized more.

Speaking of fertilizer, I am using bird guano pellets, but that's another posting!

June's Flowers

2009-06-03T11:34:00.001-07:00

Click on the picture to see this collage of blooming plants in full size and detail!

Here in the PNW we have rhoadies blooming, a Martha Washington geranium starting to bloom, wegelia with their bright pink trumpet shaped flowers against a dark purple leaves, a riot of yellow with day lilies, japanese iris, red geum which remind me of carnations, bleeding heart plant with snow of summer flowers below it, and a container planting with miniature multi-colored roses and fragrant alyssum.

Now to get some serious weeding done and kick back with a chilled glass of wine later and admire my work and the beauty of nature!

Happy gardening everyone!

Summer blooms in water

2009-05-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

Yea for summer! Tomorrow is June 1st and I am so glad to see the warmer days. Pictured here are my first water lilies blooming. Since today is Sunday, this is fertilizing day for my potted plants on my porch. A nice shot of bird guano dissolved in water should give them a boost. I try to stay organic and there are so many products out there that it is easy to do!

Update on the beer and slugs experiment......... it worked great! Got slugs in the first night and no more since. So guess they didn't mind slithering across the diatomaceous earth and sand afterall. Hmmmm.

Slugs and Beer - Urban Myth?

2009-05-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well, the slugs are busy munching on our baby plants, so it's War!

I have the trifecta going on here........ a small bowl with some beer in it and yes, it works. They are attracted to the yeasty smell and slurp till they fall in and drown.

Then I also sprinkle on beach sand and diatamachus earth. Slugs being unprotected by shells, hate sharp feel of sand and diatamachus earth, so are discouraged to slither across the surface.

Diatamachus earth is acutally fossillized sea shells and care should be exercised not to breathe in the fine particle dust. Not good for your lungs.

So looking forward to seeing if we get any late night customers!

When, How, and why, to fertilize your garden plants

2009-05-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Now that you have your baby plants up and growing, you are probably wondering how to feed them and how much!

Many gardeners are very familiar with the green measuring spoon seen here found in every box of M****** Gro. Do you even know what the amounts are in each side and which to use? Chances are, no. So, let's take a moment and review. The big side holds 1.5 Tbls of product and is meant for your outside garden area. The correct dilution is 1 tablespoon per gallon of water, so this measurement is meant for 1.5 gallons of solution. I know, you are tempted to add more, but please don't! You could easily burn the tender roots and kill your plants. Not a good thing!

Now, the other side (smaller measure is 0.5 tsp) is for potted plants such as indoor plants or any plant that is in a container. Why so much smaller? Because fertilizer salts will build up in a container since they can't be washed away and diluted like your garden plot soil. So, you want a much "weaker" solution for your potted plants. Recommendations is at most half strength solution, or in the case of this product, 0.5 teaspoon per gallon of water.

Treat organic fertilizers the same. Full strength solution per manufacturers directions for your outdoor garden, and half strength or less for your potted plants including your newly sprouted baby plants. Introduce feeding fertilizers gradually so has not to put the plant into shock or worse! As for how often to fertilize, I feed my plants weekly and use plain water the rest of week. Remember, garden plot plants will be getting nutrients from the soil but potted plants are pretty much dependent on you.

Happy gardening!

Joyce

Baby Tobacco plants growing

2009-05-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

Matt's baby tobacco plants are now three weeks old and growing visibly every day. Notice how "hairy" his stems are becoming. They will be moved to soil pots soon, but for now are doing very well in the hydroponic setting.

2009-04-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

Started some nicotiana (common smoking tobacco) in our Aerogarden nine days ago and already have teeny tiny baby plants sprouting! The seeds are the size of grains of sand, so are a challenge to sow. I find that my licking my index finger, I can "pick" up three or four seeds and then roll them off with my thumb. I can't imagine how the tobacco farmers sow their fields! Interesting note is that tobacco is not only related to tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, but are also related to the petunia! It's hard to fathom that these little tiny plants will grow to nice stocky plants up to six feet tall in one season!

Success! Growing peppers in Aerogarden

2009-04-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

This is too cool ! This plant is actually six months old and been my hubby's constant companion by his computer at work. He had to experiment to finally get the flowers to produce fruit. He tried "shaking" the plant like the instructions said, but the flowers did not germinate and would dry up and fall off. Then he tried Q-tips in the flowers and still no fruit. Finally, he bought a small fine bristle paint brush and swirled it around the open flowers and Presto! Now he has five developing fruits and the flowers seen here also have fruits starting to grow.

Damping off disease

2009-04-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

Are you starting your garden from seeds? Prevent damping off fungus with a sprinkle of cinnamon! Cinnamon is a natural fungicide. You can also water with a half strength chamomile tea and the easiest method is to set up a fan nearby on low setting to keep the tops of your seedling tray dry. Remember, it's best to water from below than from the top.

Using alternative products for feeding your Aerogarden

2009-04-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

A customer inquired about using liquid nutrients instead of the tabs included with their Aerogarden so I thought I would answer this question here on the garden forum.
********************
Yes, you can bypass the nutrient tabs and use any commercial hydroponic solutions. Just be sure that your ratio of product is correct to the amount of water in your aerogarden reservoir. I personally use the liquids and have had great success. I feed my aerogarden once a week and it's a good practice to change out all the solution in your reservoir once a month. The reason being is that nutrients levels can get concentrated over time, so once a month just empty out the reservior and replace the water with a new solution of nutrients. During the week, only add plain water to the reservoir as the plants take up solution.

That being said, Aerogarden's tabs are formulated for your specific volume in your Aerogarden and also contains buffers to protect the plant from harsh chemicals. They are easy to use and make feeding your plants super easy and accurate.
The home gardener who choosed to use other brands must be sure to mix the nutrients to water ratio correctly. Not a big deal, but is generally taken on by a more experienced gardener who understands how to calculate formulas. The up side is that by using liquid nutrients you come out with a much cheaper way to feed your plants and since they are liquid, not likely to gum up pumps inside the reservior.
Happy gardening!
Joyce
Pictured above is my three pot Aerogarden in my office planted with a mini marigold, Forget-me-not, and Johnny Jump-up violas.

Yaktrax

2009-01-06T13:44:00.001-08:00

I heard raves about "Yaktrax" from the on the street reporters in Portland, Or during the big snow event a couple of weeks past. They loved them! Yaktrax are heavy duty metal coils and stretchable rubber that fit over your shoes or boots. So mine arrived via UPS today and they look very sturdy. Of course, ALL the snow has melted so I can't try them out, but winter is not over. The next time we get snow and ice on the deck, I will be ready!
I am pleased to report that I have growing tomatoes in my hydroponic garden in the greenhouse. The leaves of the plants look pretty damaged from the below freezing weather we had for days, even though I had the grow lights on 24/7. At least they came through.
Now that the new year is here, I tidied up my webpage and am busy updating price changes from my suppliers. I think with the economy in a mess, more folks will turn to gardening not only to supplement their higher food costs but to get back to some basics. Anyone can grow a pot of flowers or herbs whether indoors in a window or on a deck or yard. Baby steps....... just try one plant and see how it goes. A little care, a little water, a little plant food, and you may discover that you love it! Seed sales are already picking up, so I think that is a good sign.

My Review of iRobot Roomba® 530 Vacuum Cleaning Robot

2008-12-19T18:40:00.001-08:00

Originally submitted at iRobot

The Roomba 530 features our newest innovations in vacuum performance, room navigation, edge and corner cleaning, advanced anti-tangle technology and transitioning from carpets to hard floors.

Covers 3 rooms on a single battery charge
Self-charging Home Base®

Nickname: Servo (after Mystery Science Theater's robot Tom Servo).

Pros: Pet Friendly, Cleans Under Furniture, Covers Entire Room, Cleans Effectively, Long Run Time

Best Uses: Carpeted Rooms, Small Rooms

Describe Yourself: Pet Owner, Homeowner

Nice! Left it running in my home office while we went to dinner and came back to nicely vacuumed room. As soon as I opened the door, it headed out into the living room. My dogs are curious but not scared of it like with the upright vacuum and it is not as loud either. I think this unit will be a nice compliment to my upright and cleans under chairs and tables where I can't reach easily with a larger unit. I plan on using it in the bedrooms and home office mostly as I can take it in, turn it, shut the door and walk away. Cool!

Con: It couldn't find the docking base even when placed in it's vicinity but that is a minor issue. Maybe next time! Perhaps there is a "learning curve"

(legalese)

Do you have Hydroponic Seeds? Final Thoughts for 08

2008-12-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

I am often asked about seeds specifically for hydroponics, so thought I would take a moment to address that.
Very few seeds are developed specifically for hydroponics. What is more common is to buy seeds that have limited growth and self-pollinate. For example, you want to grow a determinate AKA bush tomato rather than a indeterminate AKA vining tomato. A bush tomato will grow a specific height, generally 18 to 24 inches and produces all it's fruit at once. To pollinate a tomato plant just gently shake the plant once a day when the flowers have opened. Some folks go so far as to use a soft bristled paint brush to hand pollinate each flower and probably get closed to 100% pollination that way.
Look for self-pollinating vegetables such as bush beans, peas, loose leaf or small headed lettuces, mini bush eggplant, sweet or hot peppers, and bush variety tomatoes.
Finally I want to thank all my customers now that the year is coming to a close. 09 is going to be a challenge for all of us, but we will persevere!
My corgi, Toby and I wish you the happiest of holidays and we'll see you in 09!
Joyce

Wii Fitness on a Gardening Page?

2008-11-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

I know, what's going on and what does it have to do with gardening? Well, my friends, every now and then I come across a product that I absolutely love and the Wii Fit is one of them! As gardeners, we know that we need to be in some degree of fitness in order to accomplish our gardening goals. From standing a step stool which requires good balance to lifting and hanging a flowering basket or being able to dig up a flower bed, we all need to have good balance as well as stamina.
Since getting the Wii console and Wii Fit, both my hubby and I have noticed that our general balance is improving which leads to better posture, better strength, better eye and hand coordination, and a feeling of accomplishment! Did I mention that we are having fun and losing weight too!
I think Nintendo got this one right. Even your kids will get into it. Fun balance games to play that are sneaky in getting them up out of the chair and playing! What kid wouldn't love to snowboard down a mountain slope or carefully walk a tightrope from one building to another while avoiding the "chomping jaws" machine. Very cool graphics too.
For adults, there is both a great yoga section with good instructions to increase your flexibility and a strength section that works everything from the all important core abs to arms, legs, and back.
Lastly there is an Aerobic section where you can do a step aerobic program along with a chorus line of Wiis or if you prefer, run in a mini marathon on a beautiful tropical island.
There's definitely something for everyone on Wii Fit. Check it out ! Happy Holidays !

Finally! Affordable Supplemental Lighting

2008-10-19T13:42:00.001-07:00

Now that winter is just around the corner, gardeners are looking for ways to grow plants either indoors in their home or in a greenhouse setting. Unfortunately supplemental lighting can be quite expensive. Most often lighting requires not only a light unit, but expensive bulbs, a reflector, and a ballast! This can easily add up to hundreds of dollars.
I am thrilled that Sun System addresses this problem with the Sun System 150 Watt Grow Light Fixture. What you see in this picture is my unit which I have hanging at an angle as to give this tomato plant full spectrum lighting and I have it on a household timer to come on at 11 PM and turn off at 9 AM. Why those hours you ask? Because my greenhouse is unheated so I am using the light not only for supplemental lighting but also to generate enough warmth so my plant isn't susceptible to the early morning freezes we have been getting the last few nights.
I am pleased to report that the plant is nice and stocky, and has lots of flowers on it. I am looking forward to having tomatoes during the winter months this year!
Oh yeah, and the cost of the unit? Only $79.95. It comes with a 150 watt high pressure sodium bulb - that delivers an amazing 16,000 lumens! Nice!
Sun System 150 watt unit is available here for purchase.

Update on my Corgi Topiary

2008-10-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

We are having a nice Indian Summer Afternoon so I thought I would snap this photo of my corgi dog topiary that I planted in early summer. He has a wonderful blanket of mini white bacopa that is draping down onto the deck. It is just full of blooms and buds. I think I will definitely use that plant in my hanging baskets next year. Very nice!

I will be moving the topiary into the greenhouse in a couple of weeks so it won't get frozen at night. This has been a fun "container" planting!

Replanting your AeroGarden on the Cheap!

2008-09-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

For under a $1.00 I was able to replant my standard AeroGarden unit. I found that dividing one 2 inch rockwool cube into four segments would fill four AeroGarden baskets perfectly! I bought four loose 2 inch rockwool cubes from my local store for $1.00 and used less than two of them to fill my seven port Aerogarden. Just took a slight trimming at the base and they slipped right in. A poke in the middle for the seeds and they were ready to be planted.
Remember to document what you planted and when. I just jotted down the date planted and what the seeds were in each pod. Each pod has three seeds in it so I can be certain of germination. Extra seeds that come up will be clipped.
I am using my AeroGarden to start tomato and pepper seeds that will be transplanted to my larger hydroponic set-up in just a few weeks.
The other two rockwool cubes will be segmented and will be growing romain lettuce and basil in my kitchen's Aerogarden unit during the coming winter months. Yes, it's true, I have two AeroGarden units, and oh, a mini Aerogarden (3 port) in my office growing the colorful bouquet mix in it. It has the prettiest maroon/yellow monkey flowers and a gorgeous burnt orange/yellow marigold blooming! The mini geranium is playing catch-up but is finally growing well. No signs of blooms yet on it.

Time to Winterize your Roses

2008-09-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

Winterizing roses is an essential maintenance practice, undertaken to ensure healthy and constant growth of the plant so that it is strong and ready for spring.

How much winter protection you need to give your roses depends on your climate and the particular rose. Winterizing roses should be done in late fall after a hard frost, for most folks in the north, but for us here in the Pacific Northwest, we may not have true “hard” freezing weather until mid winter. So, for me, I usually will prune my bushes back around Halloween. By then we are starting to get some frosty nights and since we have lots of rain, the plants are done blooming anyway.

The standard advice from most rose experts is to prune your plant back by a third of it's size. Well, I am guilty of pruning mine back nearly to the ground and they have come back even stronger! As a general rule with pruning hybrid tea roses, any cane thinner than a pencil should be removed. DO remove the oldest stems that are no longer productive.

As a group, hybrid tea roses are more tender and are most vulnerable to winter cold and need the most preparation. The timing and extent of protective measures for more fragile hybrid tea roses depends on how cold your winters are.

It is very important here with our mild rainy weather, to remove all foliage from the ground as roses are very susceptible to fungus. Diseased leaves left on the ground will allow spores to bounce back up onto the plant when the rain hits them and keep infecting the plant.

If you live in an area with relatively mild winters, you may simply mound the mulch over the plant crown 6 to 12 inches. For sudden freezing nights some protection may be needed. I have heard of everything from bed sheets to bubble wrap! Now, the bubble wrap sounds like a great idea! You have the insulating air pockets of the wrap and it's light enough in weight than it won't break your plants branches, like bedding may do if it becomes weighted down by a heavy dew or gets rained on.

If you don't cut back the leaves and remove the foliage, when the freezing weather hits the frost will travel down to the roots and most likely, your plant will die. Growers understand the importance of summer watering their roses and having rose beds with good drainage, however, the plants can also be stressed if they enter the cold weather season too dry.

Many shrub roses and species roses may be hardy enough to endure your winters without protection. Check with your local Extension office for specific information. In areas where winters are unstable, with freeze/thaw cycles, roses can be weakened or even killed off. This is because the natural anti desiccant in the plant blocks in moisture, which protects the plant from the damage caused by freezing, thawing or refreezing in winters.

How your rose fares in winter depends on a number of factors--the weather, the plant's location in the garden and, of course, the type of rose it is. The thing to do is monitor the weather reports and have your mulch and cover materials (see notes in a previous paragraph) ready to go should a cold snap be predicted.

Ready your Pond and Fish for Winter Now

2008-09-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Fall Cleanup in Your Pond

The calendar says it's Fall now and I have to agree. The days are getting shorter and nights colder. So today I decided it was time to get the pond winterized. I put on my rubber wader suit and joined the fishes in my little pond. I pulled up the water lilies and trimmed off all the long stalks and spent flowers. I left the smaller leaves that were just emerging from the plant so not to put the plant into total shock and those leaves will still synthesize oxygen and carbon dioxide for the plant as it shuts down for winter. Then I dropped those plant containers in the deepest part of my pond for the winter. I also removed all the floating plants and they will be composted on my strawberry plant beds to add nutrients to the soil.

The floaties (ducks, frog and turtle) were removed and will be stored away till next year. Lastly, I added some “good” bacteria product back into the pond. The bacteria will help decompose the plant material in the bottom of the pond and also the fish waste. It also reduces ammonia and nitrates which of course, are harmful to your fish! This is a very important step both in spring and in the fall.

Remember, you want to leave your pumps running all winter. Your fish still need oxygen and circulation. I have a 350 gph submersible pond at the far end of my pond that flows through my UV light, through my bog garden which acts as my biological filter, and dumps back into the pond in the opposite corner. This way I know I have total water circulation throughout my pond. I also have a small external air pump that bubbles air into the deepest part of my pond through an air stone. This insures that the fish will be adequately oxygenated through the cold winter months when they are down in that section and not moving around. Their metabolism slows down as the water gets colder and they go into a semi-dormant state.

Speaking of fish, have you taken your pond's temperature lately? Seriously..... once the water temperature dips below 50F, stop feeding your fish commercial high protein fish food. I know, just like small children, they want to be feed constantly, but their digestive systems shut down in colder water and they can't digest properly. You can kill them if you continue to feed them! If you can't take it, you could toss in some green peas. Fish love them and since they are mainly carbs, no harm will come to your fish. It's the high protein in fish food that that they can't process properly in the colder winter months. Chances are they will naturally disappear to the bottom of the pond and you can rest easy. In the spring, again, feeding them high protein fish food is temperature dependent. Remember, 50F is the magic number.

Lastly, I cover my small pond with some netting as we live in an area where herons routinely fly over and the fish have lost their natural cover of the lily leaves. Protection is key when natural cover has died back or been eliminated.

Thanks for reading and I will author more pond info in the spring, only six months from now!

Fall Foliage: Why Leaves change color

2008-09-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Fall is without doubt my favorite time of the year. As a gardener you may be considering planting trees for beauty and sustainability. If you are thinking about planting deciduous trees, fall color is one factor you might want to consider.

Here it is late September and it won't be long before the fall leaves color the mountains with vibrant tones of red, yellow and green. You can even be given fall color alerts through the various national weather channels!

Colors usually peak around the last half of October with the higher elevations changing color first and then trickling down into the valleys.

If you have a child, you've probably been asked why trees leaves turn yellow, orange, or red in fall. Although you might not think of it as a color, brown is another color of fall. You have to understand a little about botany to get a better grasp on fall colors.

As the chlorophyll breaks down in the leaves, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor. Some mixtures give rise to the reddish and purplish fall colors of trees such as dogwoods and sumacs, while others give the sugar maple its brilliant orange. The autumn foliage of some trees show only yellow colors such as our local poplars here in the Pacific Northwest.

Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normally green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn months, one or many colors that range from red to yellow. Autumn colors (especially red) are not just due to the breakdown of chlorophyll; in fact anthocyanins (red-purple) are actively produced in autumn. Autumn weather conditions favoring the most brilliant colors are warm sunny days and cool, but not freezing, nights. The amount of rain in a year also affects autumn leaf color. A warm, wet period during fall will lower the intensity, or brightness, of autumn colors. As sunlight decreases in autumn, the veins that carry sap into and out of a leaf gradually close. The brightest colors are seen when late summer is dry, and autumn has bright sunny days and cool (low 40's Fahrenheit) nights.

Now this is interesting: University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists have a new theory about why autumn leaves turn scarlet and why the hues are more vibrant some years than others. They say that the red pigments -- called anthocyanins -- in plants such as maples, oaks, dogwoods and viburnums act like sunscreen. "The pigments shade sensitive photosynthetic tissue in fall while trees reabsorb nutrients from their leaves," says horticulturist Bill Hoch. "Trees need to store as many of those nutrients as they can before the leaves drop."

Here is my interpretation of Autumn: Autumn is warm lazy days with crisp nights whispering of the winter to come. The days are shorter and our gardens are shutting down for a long winter's nap. Even human beings respond to the changing season. Fall weather signals us to get our crock pots out and make wonderful steamy soups and stews. I love autumn!

The way leaves change color is, in its own way, no less miraculous, the result of a complex shift in chemistry as a tree prepares itself for its winter dormant period. Through fallen leaves, Nature has provided the decaying leaves to help replenish and add to the fertile forest floor. And the cycle of life goes on!

More info on tulips and planting instructions

2008-09-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

A few hours one brisk autumn afternoon can yield months of colorful excitement in your yard or garden next spring. You can plant bulbs just about anywhere in your garden - so long as the soil drains well. Got sandy soil? Bulbs should be planted deeper in sandy soils than in clay soils.
Prepare the planting bed by digging the soil so it's loose and workable. Bulbs should be planted as soon as the ground is cool. Bulbs will root best in cool soil and once rooted undergo natural changes that keep them from freezing. Plant big bulbs a minimum of 8-inches deep and small bulbs about 5-inches. A general rule of thumb is to plant your bulbs 3 times the length of the bulb.
Be sure to throw in a handful of bonemeal before dropping in your bulb. Bonemeal is high in phosphorus which bulbs need to grow up healthy and strong!

Even if you don't have enough bulbs for a big bed, small clusters can make a super spring show! I picked up this package of 12 pink bulbs for $4.00 and planted them in about 10 minutes. I just picked an empty spot in my garden and dug a hole about 1.5 ft x 1.5 foot x 9 in. deep. Next spring I will have a "hot spot" of gorgeous pink tulips! I can hardly wait.
Bulbs planted against the southern side of your house may bloom up to a week earlier than the same ones planted on the north side! Pictured above is a favorite of mine, Darwin American Beauty. This tulip and many others as well as daffodils are available through Virtual Seeds. Remember, planting time if from October through December depending on where you live in the U.S.
Thank you for reading this article and I hope you stop by our web store soon!

Time to plant bulbs

2008-09-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

September is here and the kids head back to school, football season is in full swing, and gardeners browse the store for multi colored spring blooming bulbs.
Now that you have brought your precious package of bulbs home, you know you should plant them right away, but what is the best method to ensure that you have maximum yield next year? And what about the bulbs in your garden that bloomed already? Good questions and I am here to help.
So NEW bulbs: Look them over for rot or soft soft spots. These bulbs are not worth planting and may spread disease in your flower beds. Now you have nice firm bulbs left and are ready to plant, but wait..... you need to do a little prep work in the soil first! The soil bed should be a sunny spot and the soil should be loosened up to 18 inches deep for tulips and daffodils. Mix in some compost to help the soil aeration and add some organic matter. You will plant your bulbs 2-3 times deeper than the bulbs size, ie: your bulb is three inches in length from top to bottom, so plant it six to nine inches below the soil level. Be sure to throw in a handful of bonemeal for phosphorus to add your plant's nutritional needs for growing on first! FoxFarm has a fertilizer mix that is specific for bulbs and you can purchase here at Virtual Seeds. It is a 3-8-8 ratio which feeds more potash and phosphorus for bulb strength and flower blooming and lesser amount nitrogen for leaf growth. After all, we want blooming flowers, not just leaves next spring! Foxfarms product also adds bat guano, kelp meal, and humic acid for added nutrients. So now you have your bulbs planted, covered with soil, patted down so that the soil makes good contact with the bulb. Now water the bed and walk away!
For existing beds over five years old, bulbs need to be dug up and inspected. Save the biggest and firmest bulbs for replanting (see above instructions) and toss the rest. Of course, I encourage you to share your bounty with friends and family! Again, since the soil is certainly depleted of some nutrients, prepare the bed and add back in compost. Don't forget to add bonemeal or other bulb food into your holes before planting.
When should you dig up existing dormant bulbs? Late summer, early fall before the fall rains begin. Your bulbs will begin growing roots again once the rains start. Even though you can't see them, they are busy growing underground. For our northernmost gardeners, this would be in early spring when the ground thaws.
If you dig up your bulbs and store them overwinter, they should be stored in a cool, dry, dark environment such as a dry basement or garage. Some people even store bulbs in a spare or second refrigerator! Do not place in a freezer, please!
Thanks for reading this blog and has always, thank you for visiting Virtual Seeds

White Spider ???

2008-09-01T13:27:00.001-07:00

How cool is this spider? Spotted "her" on my white Asiatic lily. I had never seen a white spider before! I did a "google" and diciphered that it must be a white crab spider, apparently fairly common in gardens. She blended perfectly against the white flower petal.

safer tomatoes

2008-06-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

I am very excited! My first cherry tomatoes from my Aerogarden unit. With the current tomato scare (and rightfully so!), I can safe eating my home grown tomatoes that are hydroponically grown right in my home office! How cool is that?

My first You Tube Video

2008-06-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

This was fun and I can see how nice it is not just to talk about gardening, but to show you how! Enjoy the video!

How to plant a topiary

Topiaries

2008-05-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Have you thought about adding a topiary to your garden but unsure how? We have a vendor who offers a nice selection of topiary frames, some already mossed like this one, or just the wire frame.

This corgi topiary came already stuffed with moss so I just added plants and viola! a really cute addition for my garden. Actually, he will reside on my deck along with my other container plants and I am sure to get lots of comments on him.

This little guy is proudly sporting a blooming white bacopa on his back and hairy thyme on his rump. I also have a different type of thyme on his head and around his collar area. That thyme should have tiny white flowers on it this summer.

Pictured here with my real live corgi, Toby!

I am always adding something new at Virtual Seeds. Look for topiaries, fire pits, musical windchimes, and more in our Garden Decor section.

Joyce

baby tomato growing

2008-05-12T14:26:00.001-07:00

Finally my little babies are big enough to take a picture of. The box fan is doing a great job of wind pollination too.

I cleaned out my other aerogarden unit and have planted lettuce mix seeds. Even though our outdoor garden is growing, I figured that having fresh lettuce for summer salads available right from my kitchen was worthwhile. And since lettuce is not very summer-heat tolerant, they will love being in a more controlled environment in the house. And no bugs dining on them too!

Our outdoor garden is now planted with the remaining four tomato plants that were germinated along with my current aero-tomato plants but of course they are no where near ready to flower or produce fruit yet. They are about half the size too.
We've got corn, beans, peas, and peppers planted too. Not to mention the Atlantic Giant pumpkin seeds for our local "friendly" competition.

I have just added shade sails to my inventory of store products. These are very popular this year not only for looks but they block out up to 90% of UV rays from the sun and temperatures underneath can be up to thirty degrees cooler too. Check em out!

54 days to blooms!

2008-05-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

Seeing is believing with the Aerogarden system. I now have fully opened tomato blossoms so fruit is not too far away. Since tomatoes are pollinated by insects or wind, I have set up a household fan to give a gentle breeze to my plants. Not only will this assist in pollination but stresses the branches with a little wind resistance which will only make them stronger.

I can't say enough nice things about the "after the sale" customer service from Aerogarden people. They have replaced my defective upgrade hood and all the lights. I got them yesterday and replaced the original hood. Everything is looking great and the plants will do even that much better with all three lights working instead of just the two they had been growing on with.

I reseeded my garden starter tray with new seeds four days ago. Already I have cosmos flowers germinating and I notice a morning glory seed and sunflower seed pushing their way up too!

Tomato flowers forming and plants ready for transplanting

2008-04-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

Wow! Tomato flowers are starting to form and in only six weeks from seed planting in my AeroGarden! This is just truly amazing.

We will be transplanting out baby plants from our garden starter kit tomorrow straight into the garden beds outside. Looks like a good day to do that as the weather will be mild and rain is again forecast for the weekdays. On with the battle with the slugs!

Pictured are the cucumber and pepper plants. We got sixteen pepper to germinate out of eighteen! Amazing! I have always failed to germinate peppers, always! Out of seventy plugs, we only had seven no-shows, so a 90% germination success rate.

I will be starting some new flower seeds in the starter kit, cosmos and morning glory vines.

Using my aerogarden to grow tomatoes and my starter kit saga

2008-04-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Here is my aerogarden with tomato plants in it. I actually have three plants in the unit and brought in four others in pots/soil because we have been hit by sub freezing nights with this lasted blast of Canadian air!. Geez, we woke up to snow on the ground this morning and here it is late April in the Pacific Northwest, elevation: 100 feet, that's right, we are only 20 miles from the Pacific ocean and usually experience a mild maritime climate!
Last weekend, we had temperatures in the seventies!

So below I am showing my garden starter kit with sprouted alyssum flowers, cucumbers, and tomatillo plants. The peppers are just started to break the surface so don't show up in the picture. Not bad for only a week since we started seeds in it!

Check out the root system underneath! They look great!

I have run into one major problem though that is being worked out. My AeroGarden upgrade light hood has a short in it so the lights are flickering and already one has burned out (less than two weeks old). Aerogarden folks are going to send me a replacement hood, but they are on back order so there is a delay. On Monday, I will be chatting with them again about the bulbs burning out. I am certain they will make it right. The customer service folks have been great so sounds like the warehouse is having to play catch-up on orders on this new feature.

Starting seeds in my slippers

2008-04-16T15:10:00.001-07:00

I am so "stoked"! New from Aerogarden this year is a garden starter kit to be used in your existing Aerogarden unit. Very cool. Now, you can germinate seeds for your outdoor garden without the mess of pots, dirt, trays and the like. The garden starter kit contains one styrofoam flat that has seventy holes in it and includes seventy plugs for planting your seeds. You can see in this picture taken today, cucumber seeds and pepper seeds already emerging and it's been less than four days!

With the timed full spectrum lights warming the seeds from above, I had allysum flowers seeds sprouting in less than 24 hours. How great is that? I can't wait to get these out of the unit so I can plant my other flower seeds. Additional plugs are available for using this starter flat over and over again.

I also have full size tomato plants growing in my upgraded Aerogarden. The plants are looking awesome and I am looking forward to harvesting delicious cherry tomatoes right in my home office this summer.

Got questions about the Aerogarden? I have been growing in mine now for a year and know this unit inside out! Come visit us at virtualseeds.com to get yours.

Joyce

Double duty growing idea for your AeroGarden

2008-03-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

This is my third crop of seed plants in my AeroGarden and I am very excited! I decided to use the Master Gardener Kit and plant my own tomato seeds for both indoors in the AeroGarden and transplants for my summer garden.

Since tomato plants need more room than leaf salad greens or herbs, tomato plants are limited to three spaces, back left, forward center, and back right spots. But I am going to think outside the box and use all seven spaces to germinate seven plants. Then I will transplant out the other four plants into pots for transplanting to my garden after frost days are done and the soil has warmed up to at least sixty to seventy degrees.

The baskets that the plant plugs are in, are breakaway, ie: they snap apart. Then the organic foam insert and root systems can be planted in pots or directly into the ground for less shock to the plant. The breakaway planting baskets are only found in the Master Gardener Kits. The standard Aerogarden planting baskets are in one piece so would be a little trickier to get the plant out without damaging the roots, but if done soon while the plant is quite young, I would think they would transplant fine.

I am probably going to get the extension arm for the unit so I can grow my plants taller and fuller. The extension arm allows plants to grow up to 24 inches high while the standard arm only allows for 12-18 growth before the plants get too close the lights and burn.

Just for info, AeroGarden also came out with a 70 port seed starter tray than can be used in any AeroGarden for starting garden seeds for outdoor transplanting. Imagine, have 70 baby plants started with optimum conditions: lighting, watering, and feeding in your AeroGarden.

For those of you who used their AeroGarden year round like I do, remember to replace light bulbs every six months as they do lose their potency over time.

Happy Gardening,
Joyce

Hello to March!

2008-03-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is March and it's raining like crazy! We had such nice spring-like weather last week. Nature is such a teaser! LOL

I did make a trip around the yard yesterday with my dog, Toby, and noticed all kinds of bulbs coming up! The honeybees are even out and starting to work the flowers too.

Let's see, blooming now are crocus and the forsythia is starting to bloom too. Dandelions are blooming and oh yeah, the weeds are doing well to! So, will be out with hoe when weather permits to try and stay ahead of the game.

Joyce

Speaking of Spring

2008-01-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

Wow! Finally a day of sunshine and mild temperatures. While my hubby was putting on a new roof on my greenhouse, I transplanted strawberry plants from my old strawberry bed into their new raised bed! I can't wait to help my grandson pick his first strawberry this June.

I tried out my new Performance gloves from Womanswork. I love them! As usual I was digging with my fingers into the bed soil to create the holes for the tender roots. I gave these gloves a good workout. They were very comfortable and my fingers felt quite protected. Handling the hoes presented no problem either. When I was done, I rinsed the mud off the gloves and then removed them to toss into the washing machine. My hands were absolutely clean and no dirt under my fingernails either. With cloth gloves it was not uncommon for the finer dirt particles to work their way in through the seams or even the mesh of the fabric. I am very pleased with the design and quality of this product and am very proud to offer them in my web store.

Looking forward to spring

2007-12-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the end of 07 and I have been busy getting the webstore ready for spring! Over a hundred new flower varieties this year from my seed supplier with 21 of them being pansies, my personal favorite!

Pansies are super easy to start and grow, especially for beginners! I usually start pansies in seed flats at the end of January and have full blooming plants by April ! Considering what the mega stores charge for pansy plants in 4 inch pots, I would rather grow my own. Plus I get to choose what varieties I want for my garden and hanging baskets. Pictured on the home page of www.virtualseeds.com is "Accord Series Violet Blotch" pansies. With three inch spread blooms on compact plants, these will definitely be a good seller for me this year! You can find them on page 2 of of our Flowers-Seeds section.

I hope you find time to add a few of these beauties to your baskets or flower garden area. Pansies are from the viola family so are considered an early spring flower, loving cool weather. Once the heat arrives in summer, they are gone till next year.

Pictured above is a sky blue variety I grew for garden show sales in 2002. Sorry, I don't remember the exact variety but it is pretty enough to share anyway.

Happy New Year and see you in 08!
Joyce