New Garden Bed

On Monday, I disclosed the looong laundry list of things we plan to plant this year.  Of course I have known for months just how lofty our 2013 goal would be, so about the same time the seeds catalogs arrived in the mail, I started planning new places to put those seeds as well.

Some things, like our potatoes, were easy to place because they get their own planters (if you can call a circle of covered wire a container), and some were fit into our raised garden bed from last year.  But even with those two huge areas I knew we'd need more space.  So I waited until Marco was out of town for work and I struck out to find us some more vegetable room.

I was/am mostly worried about our vegetables that grow "up."  Beans, peas, cucumbers, corn, these all need to grow up on a trellis (or each other in the case of corn/beans), and that could potentially cause a problem for our garden because it is on the southern most part of our property.  If tall plants such as corn or beans were planted at the "top" of the garden, they could shadow other plants and the other plants wouldn't get as much sun as they needed.  So I looked and looked for a wasted space with plenty of bright sunshine.

Bingo.

Actually, this is a during picture.  *Note to self, get better at taking true before pictures.*

Imagine this, the back of the house, full of junk and weeds and piles of clay.  Frankly, it didn't have too much going for it, except that it was a wasted space and it gets full sun all day- perfect for growing veggies that can be potted and trellised.

The area is actually about 4 feet deep at it's widest, and this section is roughly 18 feet long.  I had to create a "break" at that point to allow an opening for the crawl space door, but don't worry, I already have plenty of ideas for the other side too.

The process was fairly easy, I gathered up a few cardboard boxes that I cut into pieces and layed them along the area I wanted to make my new potted garden.  I quickly realized that the ground in this area was really unlevel and the cardboard was too thick.  So I removed parts of it, and laid out several (maybe 4 or 5) layers of newspaper instead. Then I started to arrange my pots to fill the space.

This was a great chance to figure out exactly what would go into each pot.  I tried to keep things that climb separated so that nothing would get too tangled.  Plus I wanted to make sure that nothing in the front would grow too high so I would be able to reach things in the back.  Add on top of that I wanted the planters to look nice and even, not too many "extra large" on one side and filling in the spaces with smaller planters too.  It took a little over three hours but eventually I got everything nice and settled in.

I have plants to go back and add mulch around all of the planters.  This will help break down the weeds under the newspaper and cardboard and be much more attractive than the newspaper as well...

Other perks of adding this new garden bed to the back yard?

It will cut down on the amount of lawn we have to mow- saving time and money.

It motivated me to clean up a part of the yard that was full of junk (wooden pallets, scrap wood, unused yard tools) and three foot weeds.

It will make sure that all of our potted plants get watered.  Potted plants need to be watered daily in our Mississippi heat and before, when they were scattered all over the yard, a few of them would get missed.  Now we know where all of the pots are and we can make sure they are watered each day while also saving time.

Gathering the potted plants in one place also clears up space in the yard/flower beds for a cleaner, more streamlined look and more flowers.

And finally, I get the satisfaction of knowing I helped find a place for all of my new seeds.

Don't forget, I set our family a goal of growing 750 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables this year, so finding room is a top priority.  I know this will help us get there, but if anyone else has any other ideas, I'd love to hear about them too.

Do you have a garden goal?  What's the heaviest produce you produce??

How Much is This Gonna Cost Us?

People want to know.  How much are we planting, what is it, and how much is that gonna set us back?  So I'm here to spill it.  You may want to put the kettle on and settle in though, because this is going to be one heck of a list of lists.

First a key to use and help peruse:
SS means that we ordered this item from SeedSavers.com
B means that we ordered this item from Burpee.com
ZG means that I ordered these seeds from ZZiggysGal on Etsy.
BB means that we plan to purchase this item from my Dad's friend Mrs. Barbara who I have known 98% of my life.  She is a wonderful woman who first showed me what wonder plants/creeks/outdoors can bring into one's life.
Other places where we purchased/found things are listed.

What We Plant to Plant:
In our 2 backyard and partial front yard veggie gardens:

1. Cucumbers
-Japanese Climbing.  Seeds purchased new this year.  A new variety for us, but apparently great for pickles. SS
-A&C Pickling.  Left over seeds from last year.  They were huge and made great bread and butter pickles.  SS
- True Lemon.  Left over seeds from last year too.  We planted these in pots last year and I don't think they got enough consistent water.  We're relocating them in the garden so hopefully they will do better this time.SS

2.  Soybeans
- Envy.  These are new seeds we ordered this year.  I have never grown soybeans but they freeze easily and are loaded with protein so we're going to give them a try.  This variety does well in pots and small spaces so they may be potted if we can't find room. SS

3.  Beans
- Provider.  Both beans are new seeds this year.  I am looking to use more vertical gardening plants along a new bed that I am building. These are a bush, snap variety.SS
- Valentine.  A black bush bean that has rave reviews for drying.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained. SS

4.  Tomatoes
- Yellow Tomatoes   An obscure heirloom variety that I have lost the paperwork to... these are seeds left over from last year that we started a few weeks ago in our tiny greenhouse. ZG
- Cherry Tomatoes.  Again, lost paperwork left overs from last year.  They are doing great so far. ZG
- Other Heirlooms.  We will be picking up several plants from my Dad's friend Mrs. Barbara.  Her plants did so well here last year that we are saving our greenhouse room for other things and just spending the money on plants. BB

5.  Peppers
-Aji.  A left over from last year.  Really hot and dried really well.  We used plenty in our salsa and sauces, they have been slow to germinate in our greenhouse, but are starting to come around. SS
-Red Bell.  Left overs again.  Also slow to germinate, but moving along now. ZG
-Variety from Mrs. Barbara.  She always has interesting plants that are full of surprises.  One of her best are her peppers.

6.  Eggplant
- Long Purple.  An heirloom that takes forever to germinate.  We tried these last year, but only had a few tiny eggplants to show for the effort.  We started them earlier this year in hopes that will speed up production.  ZG

7. Squash/Zuchinni
- Yellow Longnecks.  We have some seeds left over from last year but I do not have much hope for the plants this year.  Squash bugs ate everything in sight over night last year.  We may just skip the squash and buy them from the farmers market.  I can think of other ways to use the space.  ZG
-Black Beauty.  Again with the squash bugs.  We will see. ZG

8.  Okra
- Hill Country Red.  I bought these last year, forgot about them and when I found them again it was like Christmas.  I cannot wait to see these babies grow.  SS  **We will be planting these in our flower beds and faking like they're flowers until they grow veggies on them.**

9.  Lettace/Arugula/Spinach/Kale
-Mixed Beds.  I have a few small mixed lettuce beds from Seed Savers and ZZiggysGal.  They are cut and come again, heirloom varieties.
-Buttercrunch.  Last year's lettuce that we didn't finish but did well.  ZG
-Spinach- Did well, but the rabbits got it.  I'm moving them in the bed, and hopefully the new fence will help as well.  SS
-Blue Kale.  Left over, easy to grow, super easy to freeze and use later.  SS

10.  Watermelon.
- Blacktail Mountain.  A great variety that produces small but tasty fruit.  We picked this because the fruit actually fit into our fridge whole.  They all ripened in one week though and we gave most of them away.  Left overs from last year.  SS

11.  Broccoli
-Waltham 29.  Heirloom left over from last year.  We ran out of room and only tried to seed 3 seeds, then forgot about them.  Better planning this year.  ZG
-Calabrese.  Unopened from last year.  SS

12.  Blue Berries.  New this year, I planted them in the front like shrubs.  They are fairly old (3+ years) but need time to settle before they really produce.  I hope for a few this year, but expect more next year.  From The Barn Trading Company here in Oxford.

13.  Strawberries.  New.  I am retro fitting a rain barrel to hold them.  I cannot wait!  B

14.  Corn.
-On Deck Hybrid.  These are the reason for my new garden bed in the back.  This is supposed to be corn you can grow in a 2 foot planter.  We will see because I am ready.  B

15.  Birdhouse Gourds.  Not a vegetable, but this vine did really well in our shady front bed.  It looked nice growing up the porch and we got a few gourds from it.  SS

16.  Luffa.  New as well.  Just couldn't pass up the opportunity to grow a luffa.  B

17.  Potatoes.
-Red.  Red seed potatoes.  I have already shared how I built their cages, but I may have to move them... From The Barn Trading Company
-Yellow From The Barn Trading Company

And I think that is it for seeds and plants.  We did order a few herbs (basil, thyme, dill) but we still have plenty of those seeds left from last year too.  It's just that they tend to be more delicate and can rot so easily, I thought better safe than sorry.  Oh, and there are herbs that came back from last year too!  Chives, mint, spearmint, rosemary, and thyme.  Plus I planted a few garlic cloves that had started to sprout and a couple of onions that went green in the pantry.  But I don't count those because they are "grocery store" variety and I do not expect them to actually reproduce.

So how much did we spend??  Luckily, we were able to pull most of our wants from last years supplies, and that makes sense because last year we spent over $120 just on seeds. That doesn't count soil, compost, building materials or the watering systems.  This year our new seeds cost us just $25.00 (ish) with plants (strawberries, blueberries, potatoes) setting us back $55.00.  Plus I bought fencing to build our potato cages which was about $20.00 from Home Depot.  And our new seedling containers- which were 4 @ roughly $3.00.  So $12.00 on them.  Another $12.00 on coconut conifer seed starter (ordered from Amazon) and we are just about there.  We are building the new beds out of scrap lumber salvaged from friends and kudzu vines.  There are still plenty of  big planters left over from last year as well.  I am planning on building a few trellises from scrap trimmings and kudzu vines, but I would love to find a nice willow patch as well.

The rain barrels were given to us by a company that no longer needed them, but we are going to convert them into rain barrels for around $20.00 a piece ($40 total), but an extra one will hold our strawberries.  We have been wonderfully lucky to find a great place with free topsoil and mulch to help fill our garden beds and our 18 months of composting are finally paying off as well.  Add to that the worm compost (I guess you can add in that $25.00 to our garden fund) and we're looking at a nice grand total.

In fact, let's add it up shall we?

Last year we spent over $600 in materials, dirt and watering system stuff and another $120 in seeds.  That was a grand total of about $720 for roughly 300 lbs of vegetables.

This year, with all of those numbers up there added up, we're looking at about $169 total.  Whew that is much better but hopefully next year it will be even smaller.  We're adding another element to our compost/pest control and our soil should be top notch.  Plus the worms will have paid for themselves and the rain barrels will be complete.  The same goes with the blue berry bushes and the potatoes.  Plus we will finally start working out which veggies give us the most bang for our buck.  We have a lofty goal of producing 750 lbs of produce out of our garden this year, but we are also trying to make sure we are growing things we will actually eat and use.

There is a lot of growing with gardens, emotionally, physically  spiritually- all of which we find to be ultimately priceless.

Planning to go Veg

Now that I'm home more (like, a lot more) and I have more energy (again- a lot more) and more time to think about things that matter to me (broken record much?) Marco and I have finally been able to make a few changes that we've be wanting to, but haven't had the time or energy to make.

One of those changes is committing to eating more vegetarian meals.  We wanted to start doing this for a couple of reasons.

First, it is was cheaper to leave out the meat a few times during the week.  We still love the occasional steak or chicken breast, but by cutting out meat 3 times a week, we are really saving on our grocery budget.

And second it encourages new foods and recipes.  Turns out, I really like cooking, but I have been hesitant because I don't know what the heck I'm doing half the time.  So by taking a few minutes in the evenings or on the weekends, I google around for new or exciting recipes with ingredients we have in the fridge.  I can also search on Pinterest from my phone, so when I see that cauliflower is on sale, I can make a decision whether or not I think I can make something new.

This is how I organize our recipes.

It's just a binder with page protectors to protect the pages from whatever I'm making.  I have tabs in there for main dishes, sides, desserts, drinks, and etc.  The etc section is mostly pickle recipes, dog treats, relishes, and gift type foods.  Each section has lots of empty page protectors in the back so whenever I find a fun recipe in a magazine or online, I just rip/tear/copy it out and slide it in place to keep for later.  I printed all of my "Food Stuffs" board from pinterest also- so if I ever search for "cauliflower" and I have something already pinned, I know that I already have the recipe close as hand too.  I think Future Stacey will appreciate that.

PLUS, deciding to go veg 3 or 4 nights a week has helped us start planning our summer garden.  I know I want to grow beans to dry and freeze.  Marco wants more peppers and eggplants.  There will be corn this year because we found a special hybrid that can be grown in planters.Of course we'll have our regular things like tomatoes,  cucumbers, zucchini,  lettuces and herbs but we're adding soybeans, peas and a few fruit plants.

Now excuse me, I have some dried beans to go soak for tonight's cabbage and bean recipe that Marco's mom emailed me earlier.

Family bonding and cheap eats?  Sign me up!

Winter Projects vs Summer Projects

I know its been slow around the ol' blog lately.  I've been working on OxfordHandmade and doing a lot of deep thinking about my future, oh and a lot of watching the entire series of How I Met Your Mother, but I digress...

The truth is, this warm winter weather has really upset our winter project schedule.  When Marco and I first moved into this house we had a lot of projects that we knew we needed/wanted to accomplish.  But to not be so overwhelmed and to help budget them out we put them in order of preference (or logic) and then ordered them again for each season. Until our list looked like this:

Summer projects:
Raised bed garden
French Drains
Deck
Workshop
Fence
Paint front door
Stain and seal porch/new deck
Flowerbeds
Update big bathroom

Winter projects:
Painting the living room, dining room, bed room, guest room, hallway, bathroom, kitchen
Remodel kitchen and laundry room/guest bathroom
Install built in bookshelves
Update light fixtures in dining room and hallway
Add ceiling fan in living room and/or update light
Add insulation to attic and winterize other areas in need
Have an energy audit
Install organization to kitchen cabinets


Now why would we want to separate the list into two parts for winter and summer?  That's easy.  No one wants to dig post holes for a fence when the ground is frozen and why would you want to be working inside on bookshelves when it's so nice and pretty outside?  Plus, this helps us prioritize and buy supplies bits at a time so we're not always storing loads of wood and materials.

Ok, that last part was a lie.  I'd take a picture of my backyard to prove we're still hoarding materials, but I'm too embarrassed, so you'll just have to trust me.

Anyhoo- the warm weather during winter working time is really messing up our schedule.  We're trying to accomplish more "summer" projects like working on our flower beds or finishing projects floating in our back yard instead of focusing on our built in bookshelves which are next on the list.  But the time has come the walrus said!  So here is an official before picture:

I just snapped it and uploaded it- no lighting, no care to clean up or move the cat out of the mirror.  That's a legit picture.  My best?  Nope.  But isn't that how before/afters work?  You take a really bad before and then a really, really nice after.

Here's hoping we can finish before it turns warm again- I have a lot of books that need new homes and a tv that needs to move out of the bedroom.  Who's up for painting 300 feet of shelving??

Save the Date

I am proud to announce that the classes I am teaching with the Arts Council have been set!  You can check out my dates and details across the top of the page under the Oxford Handmade tab. 

I am so very, very excited to get this party started and cannot wait to share these experiences.  I hope to see everyone there. Remember that classes are cheaper for Arts Council members and membership fees start at just $25 a year.

After October 31st I will also be available for individual sewing lessons.  New to sewing?  Have a specific project you'd like to work on?  Need help figuring out your machine?  I'd love to help.  You can email me at Stacey@madedem.com for more information.

I'll admit I'm terrified.  I'm terrified and excited and when I start directly thinking about this life change I start to feel a little bit woozy and the room spins... but I know that at the very, very bottom of the fear is the feeling that I am doing something which makes my soul sing.  I am listening to that voice who has been so angry and upset.

Twenty years from now you will regret the things you did not do, much more than the things you did. You know what I think?  That thing you've always wanted to do?  You should go do it too.

Thank you for coming along with me.

Going Through People's Trash

Alternatively titled:  Why Marco Says I Cannot be a Waste Management Worker, even though I think I would be really, really good at it.

Some of you know that I have addictions to things.  Some of you know that I inherited those addictions from you particularly (here's looking at you MOM, with those cardboard boxes hidden under the water bed when I was like 5 and me thinking "What a GREAT use of that space!!") But I have them nonetheless.

One of those things, that I may have briefly mentioned here and here and here, is that I love to collect trash.  I especially love if that trash is unusable and has fallen out of someone's car or been left on the side of the road, or is hidden behind a dumpster in fancy-pants Rome where my husband tries to excuse my behavior in Italian and I explain in English that these people don't know me and will never see me again but that I have only one chance at that ripped, possibly stained, blue, silk whatever-it-is and I'm taking it home with me to America... but I digress.

I love collecting trash.  I love it so much that I honestly looked into waste management as a career after college because I also love recycling and consumption control and all of those parts of it too... but I thought it was time that I actually shared my collection and collection strategies.  Especially since I just asked one of the biggest groups in Oxford for their stained and ruined sweaters- I thought I'd go into more detail.  (Hey ladies!  Welcome!)

This week (alone) I collected the following items.  They are listed by order of appearance and with notes on how I acquired them as well as ideas for how I might use them once I quit my job and collect trash full time (ha! Take that Marco!).

1.  One half of an entertainment center left on the side of the road in my neighborhood.  I drove by this entertainment center for five full days before I finally caved in and made Marco help bring it home.  I'd take a picture but it's dark outside... I think I may turn it into a play kitchen or a dress up area.  Or I may take it apart and use it in my bathroom or for a desk...

2.  Several cardboard food boxes.  I may have taken these out of a recycling bin on one of my runs.  They are pasta boxes with the little windows so you can see inside.  I love those boxes.  I think I am going to use them in the recycled scrapbooks I am putting together (and by putting together I of course mean "storing on my dining room table until I actually have time to sit down and assemble them).

3.  Stained sweaters and sheets from locals.  People BRING me trash.  I ask for it, and they bring it to me.  Y'all.  It's enough to make me consider staying at the library.  Sure I offered to let them come to my next Moms and Tots craft class for free (November 9th- easy and free (or almost free) ideas for gifts for the holidays, plus a hand poured candle craft), but the point is, they just bring me these amazing wool sweaters that have holes and stains or have been shrunk in the washing machine.  There are sheets that are ripped and stained and so worn in places you can actually see through them.  I love my patrons and my moms and tots.

4.  A door, complete with frame, for our new shed.  Y'all.  I went to see my therapist on Tuesday and there were three doors by the dumpster.  I was like "Hey girl, hang on, I have got to call my husband." and in like 10 minutes, one of those doors (someone said we only needed one...) was ours.  Went to Home Depot tonight, so I could truly gloat, and it turns out that I just saved us $113.  So Marco bought me mums.  Score!

5.  Several (ahem) pallets.  After Marco picked up the free door from outside my therapist's office, I went to therapy and came out... and there were still pallets sitting there.  Free pallets that no one was going to take home.  Pallets that had not been rained on or broken or spray painted.  I loaded those babies up and brought'em home.  Unloaded them and hid them under the deck.

6.  And finally, a broken wrought iron style door that has been broken in half.  Saw it on the side of the road this morning and just could not help myself.  It was broken in half so I could easily fit it in my car.  It has pretty scroll details that don't match a thing in my house.  There was no door knob and the hinges may give me lockjaw... I would have punched someone in the face if they had tried to take that door away from me.  I have visions of using it for our gate for the fence, or a sculpture installation   Maybe a headboard of some kind... or a water feature somehow.

And it's only Wednesday. Who knows what I'll find this weekend... but I'll be sure to let you know, and take pictures when I finally have a chance to get started.

No I am not a tree

(Source: Here)

I find myself thinking this over and over and over all day.  I am not a tree.  I am not a tree.  I have a voice. I am not a tree.  I have options.  I am not a tree.  I have goals and abilities and friends and partners and choices.  I am not a tree.

So I am making those changes that my voice keeps whispering.  I am taking control of my body.  I am not waiting for my ship to come in- I am rowing out and meeting it.  I'd love for you to come along.  I'll be sharing the journey and posting the pictures.  If you want to join me for cheaper- and desire a little tease before the big reveal- you can become a member of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council here.

I am choosing my family, my community and my passions.  I am choosing to let go of things that I cannot control.  I am choosing to live intentionally, peacefully, completely.  I have more choices to make and mistakes to overcome- but I am grateful to have those options.  I am not a tree.

Trying Something New

In the last 18 months, Marco and I bought a house, got married and decided it's time for me to make a career change.  What's that?  The career change?  I hadn't mentioned it?

That's probably because I'm still not sure what it is, but I know what it feels like.  It feels different than right now.  Right now I'm not in a good place.  I'm actually in a dark place.  A dark place that used to feel very familiar and friendly has not become stagnant and painful.  So it's time to move on.  I cannot say exactly what I'm moving on to yet, but I can say that I'm starting to figure it out.  

The first thing I've figured out is that I need to start putting into practice more of the things I enjoy, like sewing and socializing.  So I'm heading up a few classes over the next few months and will be keeping up with them via this blog.  I've also decided that if enough people suggest something, maybe you should give it a try, so I am working on a little Closet Reconstruction project too.  Maybe something will stick, or maybe I'll just continue to learn about myself.  Either way, it's going to be great- I can already tell.

How We Planned a Mini-No-Pressure Wedding Night Dinner in Less Than a Week

In order to keep our wedding simple, no pressure and laid back has actually taken very, very little effort thanks to several people who love us very, very much and we could not be more grateful.  However, it is taking a little bit of leg work from yours truly so I thought I'd update on how that is going with some day by day mini wedding action and a budget breakdown.

Keep in mind that we are still planning our big reception to take place next year when all of Italy can attend as well as more friends and family.  This is intentionally going to be a very small affair that was originally supposed to be simply a "One Year in House" party.  It was also supposed to be kind of a secret, so naturally, everyone knows.

Anyhoo- here's how it went down after last week's legal prep- blood tests and applying for our license (total cost $69.00).

Saturday and Sunday:  As previously mentioned we napped, played our friend's house and enjoyed calling immediate family/friends to spread the good news (total cost: free).

Monday:  We called all the people who we already invited to our house party and told them we were getting married that day too.  So.  Be ready for that.  Picked up my borrowed cake stand from my boss and she threw in a silver ice bucket too.  Called my personal fashion assistant and told her to pack up her fancy Grove dresses and bring them with her when she comes Thursday night.  Then later that night I spent 30 minutes making some fabric and paper tassels for some easy and laid back decorations.  (total cost:  free).

Tuesday:  Let me stop right here and explain that I haven't been in Walmart in over a year and I was incredibly disappointed by their lack of eco options for entertaining.  We're expecting to feed 50 people so glass plates weren't really an option- plus glass plates for burgers seemed a little much.  So I spent 35 minutes carefully checking each disposable plate package and picked up some compostable paper plates and 7.5 yards of cotton muslin. The plates will be, well, composted and the muslin is going to be torn into 15" napkins here in a few hours when work slows down.  I have plans in my head to dye the napkins different colors later and maybe use them to make a quilt or something.  But we'll see how I feel about it later (cost: about $35).  I also stopped at Goodwill and lucked out by picking up two pairs of gold shoes (one heels and one flats), two white flat sheets we're going to call table clothes, a dress shirt option for Marco though he may not wear it and other not wedding related stuff because I can't help myself.  (cost for wedding stuffs:  roughly $25). 

So here we are.  Three days away and our total cost to date is: $129.00.  We still have to buy the food and drink but thanks to a local liquor store going out of business we actually already picked up some extra booze at a pretty good discount a couple of weekends ago. In list form:  here's another break down.

Dress:  Free (borrowed from a friend)
Shoes: $10 (two pairs to chose from included)
Makeup:  Free/already owned
Flowers:  Free from my boss's yard hopefully
Marco's Maybe Shirt: $5
Decorations:  Free/crafted from previously owned supplies or found around the house
Table Decorations:  $10 for 2 new bedsheets/free for previously owned fabric/table clothes
Plates/Napkins/Utensils: $35 (utensils borrowed from the library's stash)
Serving Platters: Free/already owned
Cake and Cake Stand: Gift and borrowed
My ring:  $50 resizing fee, but the ring was free- it was my Mommy's
Legal stuffs: $69 (2 blood tests and one licence application)

Total (including ring sizing): $179.00

Still to buy:  Food and drink and maybe a new tube of lipstick.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

Also, if you see something glaringly missing, keep it to yourself.  :)  Thanks.