Shoo Sheep Shoo!

I have long enjoyed watching the woolly sheep my neighbor has in the field across the street. My neighbors started their farm like endeavor with two sheep two years ago, a ram and a ewe. Last year we oohed and aahed over the baby the ewe had had. It has always amazed us how the sheep enjoy the ten acres of field, following one another, with no fence of any kind to impede their movement. This year we again oohed and aahed as the mother ewe gave birth to not just one baby, but two. One of the lambs was even the cutest shade of brown. Then, to our surprise, two tiny lambs appeared following close behind last years baby who was definitely a baby no more. Wow! Seven wonderful fuzzy creatures to watch and enjoy. They climbed and played on the old tractor and they drank from the ditch by the road. What a great life!

But alas, the easy going, peaceful, grass munching sheep have turned renegade. Yesterday morning, while sipping my coffee, I noticed movement through the blinds. "What was that?" I asked my husband. We rushed to the kitchen door to see the sheep converge on my mother's shrubs next door. I dialed her number and then watched with a smile as she cam running down the walk, wearing her pink pajamas with the phone in one hand and the other waving frantically, exclaiming,"Shoo, sheep, shoo!"

Drying Sunflowers for Decoration

After Madeline asked, "Do you know if there is a way to dry sunflowers? Or do you think they would get faded?", I set off on a quest to find the best answers for her.

I have dried herbs many times in the past as well as roses but I have never dried sunflowers. I have seen dried sunflowers before for sale at the local Michaels Craft Store so I knew it could be done. The question then became how best to dry them? I investigated this matter through extension offices, craft groups, and countless websites to produce what I hope will give the best results.

The Hanging Method:
This is the most tried and true method out there for drying just about anything. 1. Cut the sunflowers leaving a long stem.
2. Bunch them together and tie the ends with string.
3. Hang the bunch upside down in a dry but dark place.
4. The sunflowers should be dry in a few weeks.
This method is the method that I regularly use with my herbs. The petals of the sunflower will become a little crinkly and fold around the seed pod. Their color will dull partially. All in all this is an easy way to dry the sunflowers. The look is a little rustic.

The Wire Rack Method:
This method is very much the same as the hanging method with the exception that the sunflowers will dry in an upright position and therefore have a more flat appearance.
1. Suspend an old wire clothes shelf, chicken wire, or other mesh wire that is framed in a dry dark place.
2. Cut the sunflowers leaving a stem.
3. Poke the stem of the sunflower through the holes in the wire and position the flower so it rests flat on top of the wire with the stem hanging below.
4. Give each sunflower enough space on the rack so that its petals do not touch another sunflower's petals.
5. The sunflowers should be dry in a few weeks.
This should produce a somewhat flatter flower when dry, but the color will still fade or brown a bit.

Cat Liter Method:
This method I have done before for roses and it works very well. I have always found the color of the dried rose to be very close to its original fresh color.
1. Poor a couple of inches of cheap clay based cat litter into a basin. Be sure to use a kind that won't clump.
2. Remove the sunflower from its stem and lay flat on top of the litter.
3. Carefully pour another inch of litter onto the sunflower.
4. The sunflower should dry in a few days.
I read in my research that some people have even had luck using this method with a microwave. They did steps 1 - 3 and then microwaved for two minutes. This sounds like it might be worth trying especially if you don't want to wait days or weeks to have dried sunflowers.

I hope this helps and happy planting!

Planting a Sunflower Garden

It has been quite a while since I was able to work in the garden, but this weekend I am looking forward to planting sunflowers. It won't matter whether the sun is shining or there is torrential rain, I will be planting a variety of sunflowers to fill a 4 foot by 6 foot area located just outside the kitchen.

We have started two varieties of sunflowers already in peat pots. Peat pots are a great way to start seeds ahead of time. I simply fill them with a good soil and the seed of choice keeping it moist until planting time. I will plant the whole pot which quickly decomposes. This enables the plant to continue growing without the shock of having its roots disturbed.

The Mammoth Sunflower seeds will grow to be 8 - 10 feet tall and these will be at the back of the garden. Mammoth's are gorgeous and very much the typical sunflower people think of when they think of a sunflower. These are about a month old right now and doing well. I plan on staking them with bamboo to provide them with extra support. The wind will knock them over during storms otherwise.

The Velvet Queen seedlings will go in front of the mammoths. These will grow to be 4 to 6 feet tall and are burgundy in color. I am really looking forward to cutting a few of these to go on the kitchen table. These are about 2 weeks old now and are leafing out nicely.

The Big Smile seeds will be direct seeded in the garden. They are very fast to mature and grow to be between 1 and 2 feet tall. These will be planted in front of the Velvet Queen. I can't wait to see how these work out.

Sunflowers definitely bring a little happiness into our lives as well as the birds and squirrels that reside on our property. And planting a garden full with them will bring a smile to my face and warm my heart after a very stressful week at work.

Trees Trees Trees

Trees

I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

by: Joyce Kilmer 1886–1918

This is one of my all time favorite poems! And with each new leaf that appears my heart sings with this poem. The willows are fully leaved as is the Bradford Pear in my garden. I am still eagerly awaiting the maples and sycamore however. Soon the yard will be transformed into a different land altogether. Gone will be the skeletons that were the naked trees of winter. The trees will don their verdant coats, and they will step into Spring, fully clothed and home to birds aplenty. We will sit beneath their arms and enjoy the coolness of the shade when the weather warms. Truly, thank God for trees!

Gardening is Therapy

When I am feeling frustrated, angry, or sad I turn to the garden. It doesn't matter the season there is always something to do there that can bring me comfort or release. I find shoveling to be especially helpful. Turning the soil for a new planting or even shoveling manure out of the chicken pen are my favorite ways to vent. It is quite impressive just how much can be done in such a short time when anger is the fuel. Draining the tension in this way is much healthier than having an argument with someone and my garden even reaps the benefits.

When I'm disillusioned and disappointed I seek comfort there. A tiny sprout, a blossom about to open, a well engineered nest all remind me that life is worth living. Watering, pruning, planting, and mulching all bring a smile to my face that must be contagious. It isn't long before I find myself humming a tune.

The garden brings me peace and I enjoy the simple thingsMaybe the world would be a much better place if we all gardened.

Planting Grapes

I had to replace two of my grapevines this year. I chose a Thompson red seedless and a green seedless when I went to my local feed store for more layer pellets. It is always a treat to go to Parksley Livestock. Whenever I stop by there is always something new to see and this time it was a great selection of vining fruits. The best part of shopping there is that they make you feel welcome. No sooner than I open the door I hear them say, "Hello, Mrs. Kio. How are you today?" My purchases are always loaded into the van for me. In this high tech, fast paced, superstore world it is nice that there is still a place where someone can go to shop and feel that they are welcome and special. I hope that you all have a store near you that brings a smile to your face.

Well, more about the grapes. I opened the bare root containers upon returning home and then soaked them over night in a five gallon bucket of water. When I checked the next afternoon, these new plants had soaked up 2/3 of all that water. My husband and I then planted them near their respective bamboo posts in the grape arbor, making certain to spread their roots evenly. I gave them a thorough watering and that's it. One of the best things about grapes is how easy they are to grow even with little care. I have often been amazed as I ride past an abandoned home, which hasn't had a family in residence for probably two decades or more, to see clusters of grapes swinging in the breeze from an overgrown vine. I hope that my grapes will be as prosperous for many years to come.

I have been merrily taking cuttings to root from various roses in the yard. I took these clippings as I was out doing my routine spring maintenance. I could stay in the garden morning, noon, and night in the spring. After the grayness of winter I really enjoy discovering the various hues appearing daily. However, it is also this time of year when I can actually enjoy the outdoors without the buzz and bite of mosquitoes. Living next to the salt marshes of the Chesapeake Bay does have some disadvantages, but on to the roses. They have been pruned, fed, and sprayed.

Pruning:
1. Remove any branches that are broken, black, or dead.
2. Maintain 5 strong branches to form the base of the bush.
3. Shape the remainder of branches to spread up and outward from the base.

Feeding:
1. Mix 1/4 cup of Epsom salt with 1 to 2 shovels of compost and work into the soil surrounding the bushes.

Spraying:
1. Mix 4 teaspoons of baking soda to 1 gallon of water and spray on to roses. This is a great way to prevent and get rid of black spot. I learned this information from the article, Nature's Alternative: 70 Uses For Baking Soda, by Melaine Ryther which was published at Mother Earth News. I never knew there were so many things you could use one product for. Wow!