Healing When I posted this picture, my niece recognized it as an aloe and said “We could all use some healing.” It’s been a year of losses; loved ones/relationships, familiar patterns and health. Once again we’ve said goodbye to family and friends we love. We’ve struggled with health issues and tough decisions. But more than…
Forcing blooms from fruit tree prunings is a simple and magical way to anticipate Spring. Forcing Blooms It’s still winter cold out- best time to prune the fruit trees, and that means time for forcing blooms indoors. Those delicate pink blossoms will chase away any winter blues in a hurry. In our desert, the budding fruit…
Today I listened to The Rise of Urban Homesteading on KUER radio, and it caused me to revisit my own reasons for gardening and keeping chickens. My grandparents gardened for survival, but I’m sure that I garden for sanity. I know the grocery store like the back of my hand; five of them in the…
I love to work outside, and today I was cleaning up the chicken coop; scrubbing out their waterer, when my little Chickie-Dee decided to hang out in the garden with me. The other chickens don’t like her, so she is not welcome in the flock. That means she and I spend a lot of time…
I’ve been waiting for this day. I purchased five baby chicks from the feed store in March; “Hens” the sign read. Hmmm. . . that sounds easy. 5 little hens, fresh eggs again, and the ability to keep things small and simple. I needed to get back to my gardening and being outdoors where the…
Can you hear it? That deep rolling thunder that sneaks up on a summer afternoon? I’m in the garden; stirring the compost and planting lettuce and the trees around me start to sway. The drum-roll in the distance is mesmerizing. I look up and see the sheets of rain falling in the distance. They’re somewhere…
Hands down, the most beautiful plant in the garden is purple cabbage, and mine is doing so well for June this year! I credit the great compost pile in the corner of the garden. I haven’t had cabbage this full and healthy this late in the season since I had sheep to raise and little…
Our little hens have outgrown their dog kennel pen, so this weekend Mike and Matthew set up our old dog run in the corner of the house garden. The first thing we needed was a chicken wire roof. We have a beautiful red tailed hawk that lives nearby, and he comes for breakfast often. He perches…
Today I went into the Bean Scene in St. George to get a Pomegranate Green Tea, and I picked up some compost gold for my garden. Their coffee grounds are rich and fresh, they use unbleached filters; which are a great addition to the garden, and they give me a bucket full for my compost pile…
I’m so excited today to have baby chicks again! It’s been a few years. We used to buy 25 at a time, and then let the mama’s brood every year so we always had chicks in the Spring. I got up early and went to the feed store so I wouldn’t miss the good picks….
