Minerva and Friends - Page 2

Ricky Shaw · March 5, 2016

You go.

ginger2778 · March 5, 2016

I'm liking this thread.

BackyardFarm · March 5, 2016

This morning as I'm drinking my tea (and procrastinating getting out outside to shovel

) I'm re-reading some of The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook. It holds much of the same information as Elliot Coleman's other four season gardening book, plus lots of recipes for using the vegetables/fruit year round, AND I bought it at a thrift shop for $4. (I like to hunt for bargains if you couldn't tell already

) Whoever donated this must have had no idea the jewel they let go!

12778677_10153895923086772_8410911353005605354_o.jpg

I'm working on a plan to incorporate herbs, herbal tea ingredients, two cold frames, and a stepping stone pathway into a perennial flower bed I started last year. This idea in the book is a good start. Plus the bed is under my kitchen windows. I'm so looking forward to the smell of lavender on the breeze to remind me of my grandmother (who passed in January). "Munstead" english lavender I can get to overwinter some years here. I already have some winter sown just for this purpose.

BackyardFarm · March 5, 2016

More procrastinating.

I'll walk to work instead of clearing the car off.

But who could resist cuddling with these two cuties?

12829043_10153895987536772_3288982485460831741_o.jpg
Mr Jynx
He's my mister attitude. And the troublemaker of the house. He's also my snuggler.

12778727_10153895989146772_2052534646382646683_o.jpg
Ms. Roxie
(Rocksmith is her full name) She always looks so absurd with that mustache!

BackyardFarm · March 6, 2016

Thank you Ricky Shaw and ginger2778!

BackyardFarm · March 7, 2016

Could it be? Yes it is! I'm stuck in bed thanks to the wonderfully awesome spring cold (insert sarcasm sign) but went to check on my babies as I do every AM and PM. Three weeks after I planted them (this is why I planted so early) I have babies popping their heads out of the soil!

12819210_10153900781921772_8844366877786510685_o.jpg
And the winner is...Long Purple Eggplant!
(those are Ping Tong Longs breaking the soil next!)

I forgot to sprinkle a coat of vermiculite over these babies to keep the soil tops moist. I'll do that now. The reddish dust is ground cinnamon. After the disaster that was seed starting a few years ago I ALWAYS use cinnamon across the tops when I start the seeds, weak chamomile tea solution to water a couple times, and I don't use a dome on seeds that take a while to sprout.
I got the idea for cinnamon from this post at The Rusted Garden blog.
This article at Dave's Garden is where I learned I don't NEED to use a dome.
And the vermiculite is what my parents did to start their seedlings off and prevent fungus gnats so I just always put a 1/4 to 1/2 inch layer on top of the seeds pressed into the soil.

BackyardFarm · March 7, 2016

I just checked again. Both Long Purples are sprouting! One is already up the other is just breaking the soil!

Worth1 · March 7, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by BackyardFarm

More procrastinating.

I'll walk to work instead of clearing the car off.

But who could resist cuddling with these two cuties?

Attachment 56973
Mr Jynx
He's my mister attitude. And the troublemaker of the house. He's also my snuggler.

Attachment 56974
Ms. Roxie
(Rocksmith is her full name) She always looks so absurd with that mustache!

Sweet babies.

Worth

BackyardFarm · March 7, 2016

Thank you, Worth! I think so too.

12495942_10153901009476772_4502172709012466978_o.jpg
A snap of Jynx as he sleeps away the morning. He likes to lay weirdly for a cat. No curling up in a basket or box for him! (And the shaved belly is from when he was fixed, he has a tiny tattoo now thanks to the vet! )

There is a third kitty too. Her name is Minerva but she HATES pictures. Runs as soon as she hears the snap of the button.

10649857_10152702841981772_592523903285109651_n.jpg
A rare picture of Minerva. It's blurry because I used our webcam.

And OMG. I just discovered there are MORE Smilies.

BackyardFarm · March 7, 2016

We have a rather monochromatic collection of felines at the moment. I rescue cats no one else wants so somehow we ended up with all black cats. The mustached tuxedo kitty was about 3 weeks old when someone found her under pallets at Ace Hardware. So I bottle fed her every four hours for several weeks, and continued to bottle feed her three times a day till she was old enough to wean. By that time she treated me like her momma and wouldn't have anything to do with other people.

Besides I think black cats are GOOD luck!

Here is a snap of my favorite kitty ever:

12348277_935768829850717_1022489712_n.jpg
Oliver, he just passed away a couple months ago due to what the vet thinks was a birth defect. He was smart as a whip, full of non-stop energy, and so mellow a baby could hold him (was also my therapy cat for my anxiety). I miss him a lot.

BackyardFarm · March 11, 2016

Well, it's been so unseasonably warm and dry that the garden was actually workable the last three days. I've dug out/yanked out all the old stuff, raked away the mulch that was around my neighbor's tomatoes (which will be going into the trash or maybe reused across the yard in the raspberry patch), removed the old fence (needs repairing/replacing), put up the trellis/arch the neighbors said I could have, dug the new fire pit, and finally started plotting the new beds using bamboo skewers and string.

I'm exhausted.

My 'Munstead' lavender made it through winter just fine, as did my rose.

Yay!

I'll need to re-cover both though with some leaves because we're forecast SNOW next weekend.

So much for this being spring already.

I've seen robins and heard sandhill cranes though so we're close.

ginger2778 · March 11, 2016

After seeing your photo of your favorite, I thought you might like to see Julius, the one like yours, and his sister sibling, Carbon.( guess whatI named her adter, LOL)

BackyardFarm · March 11, 2016

Oh what a handsome kitties!

Lol. Carbon tomato?

AlittleSalt · March 11, 2016

BackyardFarm, I am a cat loving person too. Post number 25 is a lot like how I expect our 4-5 week old kitten to look like eventually. He's a male that has been gently handled and petted for weeks now. To get a good picture of him, I need to take him outside tomorrow. Right now, he is asleep on an old feather pillow. He has never seen outside - so it might take a few days to get a good picture.

And I was visiting this thread to talk about tomato seeds.

NarnianGarden · March 12, 2016

Such happy-looking felines!
Didn't know all those different lettuce varieties... Rouge d'Hiver I knew, that was it!

March 5, 2016	#18
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	This morning as I'm drinking my tea (and procrastinating getting out outside to shovel ) I'm re-reading some of The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook. It holds much of the same information as Elliot Coleman's other four season gardening book, plus lots of recipes for using the vegetables/fruit year round, AND I bought it at a thrift shop for $4. (I like to hunt for bargains if you couldn't tell already ) Whoever donated this must have had no idea the jewel they let go! 12778677_10153895923086772_8410911353005605354_o.jpg I'm working on a plan to incorporate herbs, herbal tea ingredients, two cold frames, and a stepping stone pathway into a perennial flower bed I started last year. This idea in the book is a good start. Plus the bed is under my kitchen windows. I'm so looking forward to the smell of lavender on the breeze to remind me of my grandmother (who passed in January). "Munstead" english lavender I can get to overwinter some years here. I already have some winter sown just for this purpose. Last edited by BackyardFarm; March 5, 2016 at 09:34 AM.

March 5, 2016	#19
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	More procrastinating. I'll walk to work instead of clearing the car off. But who could resist cuddling with these two cuties? 12829043_10153895987536772_3288982485460831741_o.jpg Mr Jynx He's my mister attitude. And the troublemaker of the house. He's also my snuggler. 12778727_10153895989146772_2052534646382646683_o.jpg Ms. Roxie (Rocksmith is her full name) She always looks so absurd with that mustache! Last edited by BackyardFarm; March 6, 2016 at 01:32 PM.

March 7, 2016	#21
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	Eggplants germinated! 3/7/16 planted 2/21/16 Could it be? Yes it is! I'm stuck in bed thanks to the wonderfully awesome spring cold (insert sarcasm sign) but went to check on my babies as I do every AM and PM. Three weeks after I planted them (this is why I planted so early) I have babies popping their heads out of the soil! 12819210_10153900781921772_8844366877786510685_o.jpg And the winner is...Long Purple Eggplant! (those are Ping Tong Longs breaking the soil next!) I forgot to sprinkle a coat of vermiculite over these babies to keep the soil tops moist. I'll do that now. The reddish dust is ground cinnamon. After the disaster that was seed starting a few years ago I ALWAYS use cinnamon across the tops when I start the seeds, weak chamomile tea solution to water a couple times, and I don't use a dome on seeds that take a while to sprout. I got the idea for cinnamon from this post at The Rusted Garden blog. This article at Dave's Garden is where I learned I don't NEED to use a dome. And the vermiculite is what my parents did to start their seedlings off and prevent fungus gnats so I just always put a 1/4 to 1/2 inch layer on top of the seeds pressed into the soil. Last edited by BackyardFarm; March 7, 2016 at 11:32 AM.

March 7, 2016	#25
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	We have a rather monochromatic collection of felines at the moment. I rescue cats no one else wants so somehow we ended up with all black cats. The mustached tuxedo kitty was about 3 weeks old when someone found her under pallets at Ace Hardware. So I bottle fed her every four hours for several weeks, and continued to bottle feed her three times a day till she was old enough to wean. By that time she treated me like her momma and wouldn't have anything to do with other people. Besides I think black cats are GOOD luck! Here is a snap of my favorite kitty ever: 12348277_935768829850717_1022489712_n.jpg Oliver, he just passed away a couple months ago due to what the vet thinks was a birth defect. He was smart as a whip, full of non-stop energy, and so mellow a baby could hold him (was also my therapy cat for my anxiety). I miss him a lot. Last edited by BackyardFarm; March 7, 2016 at 12:16 PM.

March 5, 2016	#16
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	You go.

March 5, 2016	#17
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	I'm liking this thread.

March 6, 2016	#20
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	Thank you Ricky Shaw and ginger2778!

March 7, 2016	#24
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	Thank you, Worth! I think so too. 12495942_10153901009476772_4502172709012466978_o.jpg A snap of Jynx as he sleeps away the morning. He likes to lay weirdly for a cat. No curling up in a basket or box for him! (And the shaved belly is from when he was fixed, he has a tiny tattoo now thanks to the vet! ) There is a third kitty too. Her name is Minerva but she HATES pictures. Runs as soon as she hears the snap of the button. 10649857_10152702841981772_592523903285109651_n.jpg A rare picture of Minerva. It's blurry because I used our webcam. And OMG. I just discovered there are MORE Smilies.

March 11, 2016	#26
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	Well, it's been so unseasonably warm and dry that the garden was actually workable the last three days. I've dug out/yanked out all the old stuff, raked away the mulch that was around my neighbor's tomatoes (which will be going into the trash or maybe reused across the yard in the raspberry patch), removed the old fence (needs repairing/replacing), put up the trellis/arch the neighbors said I could have, dug the new fire pit, and finally started plotting the new beds using bamboo skewers and string. I'm exhausted. My 'Munstead' lavender made it through winter just fine, as did my rose. Yay! I'll need to re-cover both though with some leaves because we're forecast SNOW next weekend. So much for this being spring already. I've seen robins and heard sandhill cranes though so we're close.

March 11, 2016	#29
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	BackyardFarm, I am a cat loving person too. Post number 25 is a lot like how I expect our 4-5 week old kitten to look like eventually. He's a male that has been gently handled and petted for weeks now. To get a good picture of him, I need to take him outside tomorrow. Right now, he is asleep on an old feather pillow. He has never seen outside - so it might take a few days to get a good picture. And I was visiting this thread to talk about tomato seeds.

March 12, 2016	#30
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Such happy-looking felines! Didn't know all those different lettuce varieties... Rouge d'Hiver I knew, that was it!