A Wildflower Morning

Drip hose on the potato row that is just beginning to sprout!  The soil on the left of the row will be piled on as the potatoes grow. Since I live in a dry area, it is absolutely essential that I get water to my garden daily.  I know that some of you live in the humid areas of the south and the east, and you don't really have to water, but can rely on humidity to do the job.  But if I don't water, my plants can die within a day, and that's the end of that. Drip irrigation works better here because it uses less water but still waters the plant adaquately.  Sprinklers put more water into the air then on the soil by the plants.  Much of it evaporates quickly.  Many plants don't like water drying on their leaves either.  So, in answer to a request from a friend, I am detailing my watering system with photos. There are many ways to do a drip system.  Local home and garden supply stores may have some drip system products.  I've tried many...

 Would you like to come rest in my garden?  The Poet's Narcissus that Grandma Dorthea gave me from her yard before she died, are now blooming.  They waft a sweet sent to all who care to come and rest a while on the garden bench.  And they remind me of an amazing woman, who still inspires me to keep on learning and be active, every day of my life.  I met her when she was 81 years old, working at a mission in Thailand. These bulbs are the last ones to bloom in my garden before the iris start.  The Internet says that the Romans made a perfume from this flower. The scent is a combination of jasmine and hyacinth. Its fragrance affects the nervous system, relieving stress. A native of Western Europe, this close relative of the daffodil naturally grows in mountain meadows and flowers March-May.

A few weeks ago we were privileged to participate in a Bible Memorization Seminar in our area.  The four Nebblett siblings came from New Mexico to teach and train on this and other spiritual topics.  What a blessing! As a child, my brain memorized pretty fast.  I remember earning a beautiful new Bible for memorizing a large number of verses one time.  The verses I learned then have stuck with me, at least in part, until this day.  But the verses I've worked on in the last couple of decades are only there in general meaning, or paraphrase.  The older I get, the harder it seems to be to memorize, so sadly, I have kind of given up on memorization, making excuses, like I'm too busy to do that right now.  I thought the seminar would be really good for my kids, motivating them to make the best of their brain while it is young, but I found it was very helpful for me too. Our guest speakers are all in their 20's.  They come from the same family,...

The first vegetable to be planted in our new big garden is potatoes. But before we could plant we needed to dig, and dig deep.  We wanted the soil loose much deeper then the red rototiller goes.  We found that the soil was good and packed, since it hasn't been worked for years, if ever.  If it wasn't for my dad, and his strong work ethic, we couldn't have got this all done.  He is the best shoveler on the team, moving dirt faster then all of us combined. So we dug a deep trench, 1.5 to 2 feet deep, and then amended it with old straw and goat manure.  Then we cut my carefully saved organic potatoes, that have been growing big thick sprouts for me in a box in the garage for a few weeks. We have some reds, and some Yukon golds, and a few Russets (left over from what I grew last year). We placed the potatoes in a little nest of soil, handling them carefully so those healthy sprouts don't break.  We made double rows with about 1 to 1.5 fe...

Things are changing in our garden spot. More work has happened there almost every day. The tilling is finished, and rows are being laid out. The ground is not flat, so we have had to work to trellis the garden, shoveling paths onto beds to make beds as level as possible. We are expecting the grass roots, and weed seeds we tilled under to start sprouting soon, and know we will be fighting to keep grass and weeds under control all summer.  We plan to put down newspapers and straw where ever possible, and black plastic where practical, such as under the tomato plants, who love the extra heat.  Every one will take their turn at the end of a hoe, and if necessary we will can take turns with the weed eater.

"He who is a Christian in his private life:  Who daily surrenders self,  Who is sincere in purpose,  Pure in thought,  Meek under Provocation, And faithful in that which is least;  Who represents the character of Christ  in the home circle-  Such a one may in the sight of God,  Be even more precious than the world-famous missionary or martyr."   Christ's Object Lessons page 403