What a delight to be woken up hours before sunrise by the unlikely sound of an evening rain! I will take credit for causing it....yesterday I left on the clothesline the laundry that had finally dried after being soaked by the rain I caused by hanging it up a few days ago! Looks like I got just under an inch....perfect timing as yesterday I created a whole new flower garden out front on the mulched area by outlining the area with log sections a tree trimmer brought me last week to save him a trip to a quite distant brush dump site (the local one was recently closed) then cutting out the carpet I'd laid there years ago to choke out the lawn. I planted Dwarf Jewel Mix nasturtiums all along the inside of the log edging, then scattered and raked in vast numbers of seeds of Chicory, Ipomopsis rubra, Drummond Phlox, Malva trimestris, Papaver somniferum, White Sweet Alyssum, and Larkspur. After that came a DEEP watering. So the rain that came this morning was perfect as over the past few days I'd planted Sugar Snap Peas, Daikon, Giant Red Mustard and more in container gardens out back.
Today I gathered several more Muscovy Duck eggs, dated them with a felt tip marker (they need 99.5 degrees F and 35 days to hatch) then put them in the incubator with the first batch. I may offer young ducklings for $10 each when they are big enough in about 2 months.
I continue to weed and prune in an effort to appease the Code guy after my new citation for overgrowth, though in a phone message to him I told him that the vast majority of the plants are purposeful ornamentals, which I thought would be obvious due to my front yard being a dramatic splash of color in a neighborhood of mown "lawns" that are mostly mowed weeds with grass mixed in. What's "funny" is that he has to look over and BEHIND my flowers to see the weeds that can't be seen from the street. I may well make a nice weather proof sign saying "Occupy Your Yard" and set it out front!
The restaurant I barter with for scraps for my poultry has a few folks, the chef included, who like the free range eggs plus herbs and veggies I bring in...today I gave the chef a bag of that very mild green that has evolved here over the last three years from Purple Kosaitai that was seemingly boinked by Mizuna. He liked it and may try it on their grilled flatbreads in place of spinach. He also enjoyed the duck eggs I gave him some time back and so I will take him more soon. If you raise poultry, bartering with local restaurants can be a great way to feed your flock VERY frugally by avoiding buying commercial chicken feed based on Monsanto's scary GMO corn and soybeans that studies have proven cause serious tissue and organ changes in livestock animals. Eating eggs from chickens fed FrankenFeed? No thanks!
As always each fall, my Mom and Dad cardinal are back, often wasting HOURS attacking their reflections in my van's rear view mirrors. I have cherished their chirping song ever since I moved in full time in November 2002.
Lastly, I can't speak well enough about http://www.evergreenseeds.com/ Their assortment of Asian veggies and herbs for Tampa's hot muggy summers and cool dry winters is excellent.....FAST delivery and fair prices too (and everyone knows how cheap I am!). As I recall a $10 minimum order. Small packets and bulk packs too. Check them out.
Happy Gardening!
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