On Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:08:32 -0400, songbird
wrote:

one or two more days and the first round of
major plantings will be done.

strawberries are coming along nicely with
a few dozen already appreciated by me, the
birdies, and a mystery critter probably
related to a chipmunk (but i didn't get a
good enough look at it to know for sure).

today was a rain day, ran a few errands
and picked up the inter-library-loan of
_the Rebel Farmer_ by Sepp Holzer. quick
read.

it is much more of the history and various
wrangles with regulators and people (including
his father). i'm rather amazed the guy stuck
with it through everything (Chernobyl being only
one of those). i liked it better than the later
work cited before (_Sepp Holzer's Permaculture_).

still i think the two books have gaps that
are rather large if you are someone trying to
figure out what he means by his descriptions
of aquaculture and a few other things. they
are only covered in passing (the second book
is stronger on describing the various animals).

a real systematic description with more
diagrams would help.

still, overall, and even if i think some of
his ideas are a bit odd, i like his appreciation
for plants and animals, diversity, trying things
and generally just doing it, including being
willing to help others (even in far off lands).

oh, and while at the library i was able to
check out google earth engine which uses landsat
images from 1980s to now to show how land uses
have changed around the planet. the series of
images of clearing the rainforest in South
America reminded me of the growth of bacterial
cultures on a petri dish. and the drying of
the Aral Sea... wow...


songbird

Friday I planted Cannellini and black beans in one of my new boxes.
Weeded 2 other boxes and looked at the old one with the garlic and
onions. It is full of grass and I pulled up an onion and it was
dripping wet. I decided that between the grass and the water they
were not going to do much of anything more. So I pulled them all.
They are not large but actually a good size, not so big that half of
it goes to waste.

Yesterday morning I started getting weeds out from between the rows of
rhubarb. Then it got hot. This morning I started again and made
another dent into it. Then I started harvesting rhubarb. I got to 16
of my 25 plants today and I have a 16 inch wide colander full. Now to
get it washed and figure out what to do with it. I have already made
rhubarb jelly. Maybe I will make some rhubarb and orange jelly. I
may see if some of my friends at the exercise pool want any.

The strawberries did not do much of anything this year. Too cold and
too much rain. DH has almost finished filling another of the new
boxes to put strawberries in. We won't have nearly as many as we have
had in the past, but at least we will be able to get to them and they
probably won't drown in a heavy rain.

Most of the tomatoes have survived. They are about a month behind
what I usually do. Just looked and several of the plants have little
green tomatoes on them.

The eggplant, peppers and cucumbers are doing ok, if I can keep the
flea beetles off the eggplants. Will replant the zukes, cantaloupe,
and watermelon.

I bought a "Pocket Hose" and used it last week. I love it. It is 50
feel long and I can pick it up and carry it every easily. 50 foot of
regular hose is a real chore for me to move. Some people have
reported that they did not last. Instructions say not to leave them
in the hot sun or very cold weather. Right now mine is in the
greenhouse but I think I will bring it inside. I decided to buy 2
more.

Guess I better get busy cutting up the rhubarb. I try to always cut
the leaves off as I harvest and put them around the plants for mulch.

--
USA
North Carolina Foothills
USDA Zone 7a
To find your extension office
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html