Garden Prep (What I'm doing to prepare for spring gardening in DECEMBER)

On Friday, my partner and I had a surge of energy, so we cleaned up the yard, organized materials, burned recyclables for our garden so we could start prepping for Spring gardening. Technically, I will be gardening in February since I'll be starting Cabbage and Brussels indoors. In the first three pictures, you will see that I made seed starting trays out of water bottles and duck tape. 

I always suggest to people they should use free, recycled, re-purposed materials to create your own tools/supplies.

To make these trays, cut off the head/lid of the water bottle, line bottles in rows, then tape.

Remember to puncture holes in the bottoms of each water bottle for drainage.

The compost pile is full of leaves that I raked up around the yard.

Compost should be 1(nitrogen):3(carbon) ratio. Compost needs to contain 1 part food scraps to every 3 parts of wood-based materials (leaves, sticks, bark, ash, paper)

This past summer I grew tomatoes, peppers, and beans here. Next Spring, I will be growing Cabbage, Brussels, and Broccoli here.

In the making of our herb garden. We had logs around our house from a tree we had to cut down.

More free materials!

 As I said, I want to create a HEART-SHAPED FLOWER BED. I want it to look something like this, but with the bricks I have found around the yard:

Photo Source: Romantic Garden

Burning brush and wood from around our yard helps add nitrogen to our soil, and it also helps us to expand the garden.

The garden, on my Mother's property, is currently 35 ft long and 13 ft wide. We're expanding the garden by another 30 ft for maximum yields!

Below I have posted a video from growingyourgreens.com, where "John goes on a field trip to Orange County Farm supply to share with you their hanging vertical garden made from an old shipping pallet. In addition, John shares with you how to deal with pests in your garden organically without the use of man made chemical poisons. In addition you will learn the most important aspect of a vegetable garden the soil and the best nutrients to add to supercharge your plant growth to grow bigger and tastier fruits and vegetables":

Check out the link below to see specific gardening requirements for each fruit, vegetable, and herb:

Vegetable Gardening Guide from Explore Cornell University

Free ways to decorate your yard

I know it's December, and planting food and flowers seems too far away to worry about; but thinking about these things ahead of time is very important to me (since I'll be planting cabbage and Brussels Sprouts as earlier as February next year!) December and January are the best months for planning; and hopefully I can encourage you to do the same ;)

SIMPLE & FREE WAYS YOU CAN SPICE UP YOUR YARD

I remember before I became a gardener, I wanted to transform my yard into a Japanese-secret-garden-scene. I love the mystery in a Japanese Garden; and actually my dream was (and still is) to be able to get lost in the never-ending paths of lush greenery. Doesn't everyone want to have a yard that looks like paradise?
To me, gardening is much more than growing free food; there is an artistic expression in gardening, in that we're creating life and beauty for everyone to admire...

Your home as well as your yard should be a place that comforts and relaxes you. And you can create this atmosphere in your yard by using free, re-purposed, recycled, and reused materials around you. I have two similar posts "Raised Bed Garden Ideas & Using Free materials" and "What's the best, free material to use for raised beds?" if you're curious to see how I used free materials around my house.

To all of you that want your yard professional-looking, I have listed methods on decorating your yard for free, as well as post pictures for inspiration and creativity:

1. ROCKS (or stones)

Rocks can be found (for free) in creek beds, around your house, and in the woods to decorate your yard. You can literally find big rocks anywhere you go. Rocks are also versatile to use when landscaping because you can create a raised bed (for growing food), rock paths, steps, walls, etc. With free rocks alone, I made a small patio and a raised bed!



Photo and post here @ HomeWorkshop.com

WANT TO DO THIS? TUTORIAL HERE @ "THE SAGE BUTTERFLY"




Here is a walkway my Dad made out of free, CREEK ROCK

Half of a raised bed, made of stacked rocks!



This will soon become a flower bed...

Photo and post here @ Growing The Home Garden

Photo and post here @ Nature Photography Blog

Photo and post here @ Homesteading on the Internet

2. WOOD (Free pallets, logs, etc)



My partner and I built this!

Photo and post @ Curtis and Kaye Absher



Source: Instructables

  

Source: DIY Network

You could also use BAMBOO!

3. Homemade Ponds

Ponds are a great addition for an exotic appeal, to your yard; but they can also serve as a water source for your plants, veggies, and fruits. 



Photo and post here

4. MULCH

Mulch is best used for adding nutrients to plants; preventing weeds from growing around your plants; and trapping moisture. Mulch can also be a very attractive way of landscaping your yard. Also, if you don't want to build raised beds (with pallets) or form a raised bed with rocks, you could PILE mulch in long rows without any materials to hold in the dirt/mulch for planting. 

picture source here

 
5. Other props (think unique)

Photo and post here @ Under the Table and Dreaming. Check out Stephanie's post for more unique ways of displaying and growing food!

Photo and post here @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Find post and photo here @ Miss Thrifty

As I mentioned, I have two similar posts on re-purposing materials to grow food here: "Raised Bed Garden Ideas & Using Free materials" and "What's the best, free material to use for raised beds?"

Remember to use whatever materials are close to hand; and never buy anything new if you can reuse something old.

COB BUILDING (Straw, clay, & Sand for building DREAM EARTH HOME)

Are you interested in a home made of materials from under your feet? Do you want a house that costs less than a car or a computer? Would you rather have a home sculpted from clean, Earth materials than a home made of toxic, commercial products? Of course you do!

Below I have posted some of my favorite videos from Youtube that talk about how to make INEXPENSIVE DREAM HOMES made of the cleanest materials (straw, clay, and sand.) These videos are to urge you to want to build a home of natural materials (rather than toxic plastic walls, fiberglass insulation, and other flammable products.) Homes made of clay (blended with straw/sand) are fire-resistant, bug-proof, earthquake and tornado-safe; and can be mended and shaped easily if it needs restructured. Clay is also abundant and common in most regions.

picture source here from Lloy'd Blog

You can sculpt your dream home with the cheapest and most abundantly available materials (around you) while adhering to nature's design. The Earth wants us to use her resources in the most natural state in order to provide for ourselves.

The four videos presents Michael G Smith (co-author of "The Hand-sculpted House"). He explains exactly what I want to do with my home:

Source: kirstendirksen

Source: kirstendirksen

Source: kirstendirksen

Source: kirstendirksen

What like-minded books are on my shelf? (& what you should be reading for inspiration)

I have many, many books on my shelf, but I want to highlight the books that I can relate to, and the ones that I continually refer to throughout my life. The books I will be listing consist of topics on philosophy, gardening, simple living, and science. I'll give a brief summary of all books and what they mean to me:

1. Walden

Written nearly 160 years ago by the Transcendentalist author Henry D. Thoreau. In this novel, Thoreau reflects on his experiment living self-sufficient, minimal, and renouncing most possessions. In the book, Walden's character lives in  his friend's woods (Ralph Emerson), teaching us that everyone can thrive with very little and live by the natural law of Earth (without Capitalism, commercialism, and industrialism destroying the balance of nature.)

Walden sheds light on how easily we can obtain our three necessities (water, food, and shelter) through support of the community, little money, and a lot of determination. Walden inspires me to do the same, and at some point in my life, I will do the same: build my own home out of free materials around me (clay); and as all of you know, I grew a lot of my own food last summer (and will continue to garden till I am self-sufficient.)

Walden is my favorite book of all time, because without Thoreau's teachings, I wouldn't have seen my poverty as an embarrassment, rather than an opportunity to show others how simple it is to be independent by living off the land. Go to your local library to read Walden, or order the fully annotated edition of the book @ Amazon here. You could also check for a cheaper price @ Thriftbooks.com for Walden. Thriftbooks.com carries many of the classics, and may have ALL of the books I mention here at their website.

2. The Hand-Sculpted house (& Earthbag Building & the 50 Dollar and Up Underground House book)

Written by Ianto Evans, Michael G. Smith, Linda Smiley, and illustrated by Deanne Bednar. This book instructs the reader how to build your own home with little cost, out of straw, sand, and mud. These three simple ingredients can create a home that his sound-proof, bug-proof, fire resistant, and safe during hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes. This book gives you a STEP-BY-STEP guide to building your own home through pictures and illustrations, and explains the science behind the key ingredients to make a well-structured home. The authors gives lots of tips to creating your dream home with little money (below ANY conventional home on the market); as well as tips to getting others involved in your project. This book will be my tool to building my own home!

I LOVED this book, strictly because all of my questions were answered throughout the book. You can go to your local library to pick up the book, or order @ Amazon here.  Another book I want to lump into this section is "Earthbag Building" by Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer: which follows the same premise that you can build your own home out of ALL NATURAL MATERIALS WITH LITTLE MONEY! The authors in this book explain, however, you can create a home in a shorter amount of time than straw, mud, and sand by using earth bags filled with dirt. This book is also well-written, and has very thorough instructions, as well as illustrations to help you build. Check this book out @ Amazon here.

I want to mention one last book in this section called "the 50 Dollar and Up Underground House Book" by Mike Oehler and Chris Royer (illustrator). The book is over twenty years old, and has had over 75,000 copies sold. It's a true classic, that many people have turned to (because of the catchy title no less.) The book promises you, you can build your home off-the-grid with as little as $50. In today's money, that could mean $200 (which is STILL CHEAP!) This book is very detailed and simple with some illustrations. It's a very little book, as it gets down to the nitty-gritty instructions. Check out the book at your library or order @ Amazon here. As I mentioned with Walden, you may be able to find this book @ Thriftbooks.com at a cheaper price.

Ianto Evans (Author)

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3. Storey's Basic Country Living Skills

This is a VERY large book, packed full of information on how to live self-sufficient. John and Martha Storey teach the reader everything from canning food, growing EVERYTHING, building your own shelter (and root cellar), natural first aid, and solar panels to home water supply. This book literally has everything you need to know about self-reliance!!! I do disagree with some of the passages on raising chickens and other animals for food (because I'm vegan, duh!) Throughout the summer when I was growing food, there wasn't a day that went by when I needed to refer to this book. If you're interested in simple living and self-reliance, order the book @ Amazon here.

4. Siddhartha

Siddhartha was written in 1922 by Hermann Hesse, about self-discovery through experiences inter-connected leading to the understanding of consciousness (i.e. enlightenment). Siddhartha, similar to Walden's character, runs away to be free in the woods, where he is homeless, gives up all personal belongings, and meditates for long periods of time (although Walden grows his own food and builds his own house.) On the verge of madness myself, I read this book in high school to make sense of  my own existence. Siddhartha allowed me to cope with the struggles I faced, and use those struggles as mere experiences which enable me to empathize with the others.

I highly recommend this book for those seeking interpretation or answers...

You can find this book @ Amazon here, or you may find it @ Thriftbooks.com at a cheaper price.

5. The Greatest Show on Earth

Although a very controversial book, I do not mean it to be controversial in my post! The Greatest Show on Earth, written by Richard Dawkins, provides evidence for evolution through a series of facts that we already understand (fossil records, plate tectonics, and with molecular genetics). Obviously, I am over-simplifying Dawkins' brilliant work; but I will summarize to an extent: Dawkins insists that life is no accident, in fact, it was inevitable, which Creationist like to hear; but life wasn't designed by a Creator, instead, life is created through natural selection, trial-and-error (all life evolves by the differential survival of replicating entities.)

One example Dawkins explains artificial and natural selection is the evolution of dogs: "...natural selection had already sculpted wolves into self-domesticated 'village dogs' without any human intervention" (pg. 71.) He also mentions Russian geneticist, Dimitri Belyaev whom studied the domestication of foxes. Belyaev deliberately bred foxes for tame them similar to dogs. After many experiments (human contact, food handling, etc) during SIX generations, the foxes began ACTING AND LOOKING like domesticated dogs. Now imagine how WE got here through trial-and-error after a million years, or billion years....

Order the Greatest Show on Earth @ Amazon here; and check out Dawkins other great work. I'm reading the Selfish Gene now.

Other books...

I felt that the other books I like were not as worthy of mentioning because they did not have such an impact on me, and I do not refer to them like I do the other books I have listed. Actually, my favorite books are the Harry Potter series. Here are some other books I recommend reading that have powerful messages: "1984" or "Animal Farm" by George Orwell; "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair;and "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury...

TOP 5 YOGA TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a great November (World Vegan Month); it's time to move on to the pleasures December brings us....

As you may or may not know, I have been practicing yoga for the last five years; and within that time, I have learned many ways to improve my skills. I am not a professional, but I would like to think of myself as a guide for beginners. Consequently, I have compiled a list of my BEST YOGA TIPS that will enable you to master your practice.
Here are my top FIVE Yoga Tips:

1. Breathing is the MOST important aspect of yoga because you're providing your body with extra oxygen (which gives us that "high" feeling after yoga.) Remember to breathe in, deeply, as you return to "center", lift up, or are holding a pose; and slowly exhale as you're moving into a new pose. *Breathe in, deeply, till you cannot expand your stomach any further, hold the breath for about 5 seconds, and breathe out slowly, trying to exhale all of the air in the body so you can move into a stretch easier and tighten your stomach. So, expand the stomach as your breathe in, and suck in your stomach as your breathe out.

2. When practicing yoga, look up at the ceiling or sky for balance. If you're in a tough balancing pose, like tree pose, Eagle pose, or Lord of the Dance, focus on something in front of you (either on the wall or a tree outside. Focusing on an object while holding a pose will help you maintain your balance and form. FORM IS CRUCIAL. In time, you may be able to CLOSE YOUR EYES while doing a pose...which means you have EXCELLENT coordination. Being able to close the eyes in balancing poses represents "seeing outside of one's self".

3. As I just mentioned, form is very important. This means, it's better to maintain balance and master ONE pose rather than practicing several sloppy yoga poses, in one session. Practice one pose over-and-over until you're ready to move onto another pose.
Along with this idea of maintaining form, you must keep your back STRAIGHT. When you're sitting in Lotus pose, are you unsure if you're back is straight?? As you're sitting in Lotus, bring your right or left arm directly in front of your spine (placing your hand flat on the ground and FIRMLY up against your butt). Your arm will align the spine and will allow you to focus on the position your body needs to stay in as you sit up.

4. When you're practicing poses with your back on the floor, be sure you're not putting strain on your neck or head. So, when you want to come up, roll to your right or left side, pushing your hand against the floor to pull yourself up (let your arm muscles do the lifting, not your neck!) We often use our neck to pull us out of bed; but our neck already supports a 10 lb HEAD, so take the strain off your neck, even when you're getting out of bed. 

5. Women that are menstruating should avoid yoga poses that require their legs and pelvis over their head, like Plough pose, headstand poses, shoulderstand, locust postures, and ear-press posture.

These are just a few of my best tips; if you have some yoga tips you would like to share, please comment below!