willowdancer's Blog

Garden Log 2.26.2012
Feb 26, 2012 | 5:32 PM PST
Tags: weed barrier , landscape fabric

the long vegetable bed I had been working on is now completely dug, top dressed, edged with rocks and has a layer of landscaping fabric over it. 

 now, I love that the weed barrier landscape fabric is black; I figure it will help warm the soil up and keep weeds down etc etc. However, I watered the bed with the hose before heading inside today and the water just seemed to run right off of it. I foresee this becoming a problem. What are yalls experiences with weed barrier fabric? I suspect it might be that it is still fresh out of the package and needs to be exposed to the elements a bit before it becomes more water permeable, but I wanted to know what yall think.

 So many beautiful days! I am pinching pennies to save enough to make a few large seed orders :)

Garden Log 2.24.2012
Feb 24, 2012 | 7:37 AM PST

It is that time of year again. The clay we call dirt here has dried out enough to dig beds again, those small purple 4-lobed flowers with orange throats 9I have no idea what they are!) are popping up everywhere, daffodils are bouncing their heads in the wind, and I have spotted the first dandelions. Spring, my friends, is coming up quick and I could not be more pleased.

It has been almost 5 months since I last updated, so where to begin? I already have some peas growing that I had pre-germinated in the house then planted outside; most of them are about three inches tall now and I am germinating another batch (I learned last year the value of succession planting) We have rabbits now in a hutch in the bbq shed. The two rabbits we currently have are our roomate's pets, but they are elderly and the agreement is when they pass away we are going to start raising meat rabbits. If that doesn't work out we are going to try raising angora rabbits. If raising meat rabbits does work out, we are also going to try to raise angora rabbits.

 there are ambitions of grandeur this year; we are going to focus some of our efforts on selling at farmer's markets, either the one in Madison, AL or Chattanooga, TN. The one in Madison is closer, but if we don't do well there then we will try out Chattanooga because we will also be able to display our handmade jewelry there. I already have all the baskets and everything that we will need for displaying vegetables and fresh produce, now all there is to do is grow the stuff!

 All else is well in my part of the world; it was a very mild winter in the Tennessee Valley and I think this coming fall I am going to try to grow peas, carrots, lettuces, broccoli, and cauliflower under row covers or in hoop houses to see if I can manage gardening through the winter.

 I hope all of you have been doing well, and happy digging!!!