New Rain Barrel

My sweet mother-in-love bought a rain barrel for me.  My man installed it.  Dear daughter wanted to be in the photo.  All I need now is rain.

In Today's Paper

John Isaac made his debut in the local paper.

They ran a piece on neighborhood community gardens.  I would link to it, but you have to subscribe to the paper to read the article.  The most exciting part (at least in our opinion) is the fact that his mug was on paper.  :)

We love our garden in so many ways.

The first (of hopefully many) from my garden.

Garden Flags

I cut triangles from an old sheet with pinking shears then let my children color the cloth with fabric crayons.  Idea came from The Artful Parent.

 I also found a tree monkey in the garden.

Weekend Snapshots

The city gave away mulch this weekend. We borrowed a neighbor's truck and got two loads of FREE mulch!

Sister loved every minute.

This bush is now by the curb.  I do not understand why anyone would plant these prickly holly bushes.  They are evil if you step on a fallen leaf, or heaven forbid, brush against it.  I take that back, I know why people plant them: they will never die.  Unless you dig them up.

Last weekend, we traded sweat equity with a friend, Matt Maguire.  Yes, Matt Maguire - his real name.  He fought with dug bushes and in two weeks, we will go to his house and help.  Win-win for both families.

Brother got in on the chopping action.

Remember when my parents were here in October and we chopped the bushes to wash the windows?

Since then, a landscape architect friend drew up free plans for us - yay!  We decided the wicked bushes should be ripped out.  I'm excited to plant new flowers.  He described the theme "sort of English-garden-ish."  It will look a bit rustic, creative and wild...not very groomed...and just my style.  
After working in the yard, Sister took a nap then brother and I went to the Children's Theatre to see "If you take a mouse to school."  It was very creative.  We both enjoyed it. (except I get crazy headaches after being in that theatre...I must be allergic to something in there.)

Once home, Hubby took us out for dinner.  Then we went to Home Depot where Sister found something just her size.  In this picture, she is hamming it up - pretending grunt at the weight of the shovel.  This was picture #2 because #1 was blurry and she went and posed again.  Silly girl.

And Sunday nights are all about a messy kitchen.  It's kombucha night.  One of two nights a week since I'm bottling ELEVEN gallons a week now.  We drink about a gallon a day.  I told my people that we must slow down our consumption.  Four of the gallons I use to barter for fresh milk and babysitting.

Please notice the pink camellias in my window.  The neighbor's bush is stunning.  In the yellow pot on the sill is a cactus that was a gift.

Oh, and somewhere along the way I was blogging for Real Food in Little Rock.  I'm doing a series of interviewing local farmers.  Well, the farmers write their articles - I just edit.  Some need more editing than others...if you get my drift.

That was my weekend.

Arkansas Flower and Garden Show

Today's field trip *might* have been a little self-serving. We ventured downtown to the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show.  I think you will see by the pictures I wasn't the only one who had a good time.

He tested these chairs for their readability.

This hammock chair would be perfect for his room (in another color, of course.)

Career opportunities abounded.  He could have talked in this booth all day.  It was a tree-trimming climbing service.  I asked the vendor about my yellow bellied sapsucker problem, and he seemed to think that it would not kill the tree.  Thankfully I can report that the foil has foiled the bird's efforts.

The highlight of the show was this train display.

Below she's holding a balloon.  We lost 4 today.

One of the conductors was quite friendly.

The following picture I took because I want something similar (flagstone, pergola, sitting area) at our house.

We did make a few purchases.  I bought several root starts (not sure that's what they're called) for native flowers (read: will withstand heat and poor soil) and will attract hummingbirds and butterflies.  We found a little something unusual for the dads in our lives - of course I can't show pictures or a link because they read this blog.  :)

On our way out, of course he needed to sit one last time on the digger.  The little green bicycle pot holder next to him was a splurge for me.

Below: he's holding the bike while we rode the shuttle bus that looked like a trolley.  I made the mistake of telling him at home that we would be riding the trolley from the parking area to the convention center.  When will I learn to stop exposing my cards?!  I suppose I read the website incorrectly.  He was very disappointed that it was a bus and not the trolley...almost a deal breaker and we almost went home before getting out of the car.  Not pretty.  But getting to ride in the back of the bus like this almost made up for the fact that it wasn't a trolley.

Once home I was motivated to turn under the wheat grass/cover crop in my raised bed.  I'm so happy spring is here!!!

Winter Wheat

The threat of frost looms at the week's end so today I pulled up my last two bell pepper plants. Which, by the way, still had fruit on them.

The kids had fun digging in the soft soil.  This summer I used grass clippings as mulch to help retain moisture.  We turned it under the soil.  Then we planted a winter wheat crop, using the same wheat berries I use for bread making.  The cover crop will help to revitalize my soil - details here.

Sister says, "This looks like chocolate but it definitely does not taste like chocolate!"

To help disguise the wheat berries from the birds, we added rice hulls to the top of the soil.  I got them at the farmers market this summer with intentions of adding it to my compost.  However, most of my food scraps go to the freezer and eventually to my farmer's pigs.  Composting, in the traditional sense at my house, has come to a screeching halt.