Project 1: Driveway Wildflower Bed

Okay, so my plan is that I'm going to trim down the overgrown bank at the end of the driveway and till it up into a usuable flower bed. One part of me wants to use some old tires because it's right next to the road and I feel like it would be a cool statement. There are so many amazing ideas, but the biggest problem for me is that I dont have anything to cut the firewalls out of the tires. 😢. But some websites say you don't have to...*sigh*.

This is a great article that I found. Very step by step, though not the design I'm looking for. http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Raised-Bed-Garden-From-Tires/

These were eye opening and highly creative. And they pretty much convinced me to use tires. The second one has me thinking of even more uses:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/a-new-use-for-old-tires-a-garden-using-tires/
http://balconygardenweb.com/8-tire-garden-ideas-you-must-look-on/ 

And this one told me that I could do what I was envisioning. Survey pictures 2-7 essentially. the ones where they kind of look like walls.
http://www.akitasmexico.com/flowerbed-of-tires-with-your-own-hands-photo-beds-of-the-wheel-tires-and-walkthroughs-for-its-creation/

But we shall see. There are a lot of varying opinions on whether or not it's okay to plant edibles in the tires, but I'm gonna try it out. But for the area next to the road I'm probably gonna grab some nice wildflowers. Gotta attract those pollinators! 

I think I'm going to buy both of these from Clyde Robin:
http://clyderobin.com/wildflower_mixes/wildflower_collections/hummingbird_butterfly_mix.htm 
http://clyderobin.com/wildflower_mixes/wildflower_collections/hardy_wildflowers.html 

And this is just the first project!

SPRING!!! (Ish)

Spring is coming, in fact it feels like it's already here! I have done so much outside recently, getting the lndscaping into shape before things start to emerge from their winter slumber.

Word to the wise, don't try to pull a two-hundred-plus-pound log off of a mountain for your garden decor. The tree will, eventually, win. I foolishly pulled it off of the mountain and dragged it quite a way, but I would not recommend it to anyone. And it still hasn't gotten all the way to the garden so...yeah. I'm going to make a few more posts about the projects that I'm planning...I'm being pretty ambitious.

APRIL showers bring May flowers...

So why in the world is it raining so much? It's February. Pretty flowers...

I really love the yellow in the last ones, it makes them look creamy.

Nice Doggies...

When there is a pack of hungry wild dogs (coyotes) outside your door, and you have a dachshund who will need to use the bathroom soon...

Oh, the pleasures of living in a secluded mountain valley.

Snow+Freezing Rain+Rain=Icicles

Oh, the loveliness of weather that really shouldn't happen. This morning I woke up to find snow on the ground and freezing rain falling from the sky. As the temperature rose it turn to freezing rain and now the roads are slushy, soon to turn icy and Super Bowl Sunday parties are dicy. The bushes and trees are being weighed down by icicles and it reminds me of the pretty pics you put on your desktop. You know, the ones like these:

So pretty, but I think it might be a bit to heavy. 😟 The bushes look ready to snap.

 

HSSI-Horticulture Summer Summer Institute

So, while I was searching around for horticulture scholarships, I stumbled upon a summer camp at North Carolina State University. Although I could go to Virginia Tech (eww) I am not entirely sold on the idea and NCSU is only three hours away from the family. Of course, I have been very hesitant because I am not sure if I will like the campus/Raleigh any more than I like Blacksburg. I feel like God is being like, "Tada. Here you go. You decide."

A little on HSSI, so you know why in the world I am so excited. Here's a link: http://www.growforit.org/programs/detail/HSSI

There are a few existing problems though:

1. Living Waters is July 15-21, and this camp is the 8-13. Luckily, both camps are in NC, though on opposite sides of the state. Which leaves me only a day to rest and laundry problems. The solution to this may be to visit a friend of ours, Clay McClean and his wife, Mary, who live in the middle of the state. Maybe we could ask to do laundry. 😉

2. I have to get accepted in order to go to the camp, something that might not happen because I have not been very active in my pursuit of horticulture. Mostly because of finances.

3. It costs $550 to attend, with the down payment being $150. The reason I listed this last is that I feel like God is really calling me to this program. And there are scholarship programs/payment plans. I would be paying for it myself this time. 

Please be praying for me, and that if God wants me to pursue this camp, he will open the doors (or windows, you never know) that would make it available to me.

Super/Red/Blue/Blood/Lunar Eclipse. Just look at the Moon.

So tonight several things are going to happen to our moon.

1. It is going to be full for the second time in a month. The first one being on Janurary 1. Ironic, right? This scientifically classifies it as a blue moon.

2. It is going to be a Blood moon. In slang terms that means that it is going to be HUGE and really really bright. 

3. There is giong to be a total lunar eclipse. Unfortunately for some of us, we won't be able to see the full thing, but the idea is still pretty amazing. 

4. This is the first time in 150 YEARS that all of these things happened in the U.S. at once. needless to say, I have definitely geeked out a bit on this particular topic. I will be watching.