Leaf Mulch

Every fall I try to get as many leaves as I can from the yard, the neighbors and anyone else who is willing to provide them. After cleaning the garden, I like to spread a nice thick layer over the soil and till them in, apply some water and let winter do her work of breaking them down and adding vital soil nutrients. It is almost too easy. The extras are then dumped into a wire "bin" for spring use as compost and mulch.

The ones at the bottom of the pile will break down while the ones on top are good for further tilling in the spring or to mulch around the plants. Collecting leaves is truly a task where you can get something for nothing. I have been known to rake and bag the public right of way just to get some of this fabulous stuff! I think you will find that most of your friends are willing to drop them off to avoid the dump. A few words to the wise: avoid pine needles, they can make the soil acidic over time. Cottonwood leaves are not the best. Their waxy leaves take longer to break down. A nice mix is good.

On the Wall

One of the coolest things I have done most recently for my craft room is to hang a large piece on flannel on the wall for a design board. Quilt blocks or color swatches stick to it like magic. If you have a small crafting space this is a great trick making it so you can lay something out vertically on the wall and still have room for cutting on the table and walking on the floor! I tacked this piece to the wall but I could see it on a curtain rod as well allowing you to tuck it back if needed. You can see about 3 different projects on the wall as well as something in the bottom left corner that my 3 year is working on! I used about 4 yards of flannel sewn together on the long edge for a work space that is about 6'x6'.

Happy Jack

Sometimes your friends egg you on and make you do things you shouldn't be doing. Things like start another project before you finish the 12 that are already in the hopper! Say hello to Happy Jack; forever to make appearances at Halloween from now until the end of time! The original is from Sandy Gervais of Pieces From my Heart. This is my own extrapolated rendition. Tis the season when blustery days make gardening is unpleasant and the sewing machine is oh so inviting! Thanks for sharing my friends, now will you please let me get on with the baby quilt I need for that upcoming shower!

Rutabega

The mystery vegetable is a rutabaga. It is a root crop in the same family as turnips and radishes. I personally have never partaken of it until this one came my way. Whilst my sis was out of town I was the recipient of her crop share. After a little research I decided to julienne it with some fresh carrots dug from the garden. After steaming the concoction was glazed with butter, brown sugar, lemon juice and dill. Well the results are in and I found it to be very pleasant and mild. This one seemed to have gotten a bit big and was a bit fibrous in spots but generally good giving credence to my theory that either butter or bacon will make anything better, good or great!

Vegetable Intimidation/Identification

This is a quiz. Do you know what the vegetable in the photo is? It is a bit larger than a softball. Do you know what to do with it? I can't wait to hear your answers! No Googling for answers!!

Gourds

I really love gourds. They come in any number of beautiful shapes and sizes. Green, white, stripy, orange, yellow, warty....their only real purpose is to look good. Yes, I know if you get the right one, birdhouse, luffa or spoon gourd you can actually make something but I think the real pleasure is in how they look and feel. They grow very easily and would look and home dangling from an arbor or snaking through your flowers. This year, I put mine on a 5' trellis. They probably would have covered at least 10' of trellis easily but none the less it took minimal training to get them to climb on up. If you want to keep them, care is simple and there are any number of authorities out there on how to do that... I suggest you just pick, clean, dry, display and enjoy! If you want more information follow this link to the Cornell University Cooperative Extension

Teach Your Children Well

In my opinion one of the biggest tragedies of urban living is the distance that is put between us and our food. If you do not garden or keep small animals all your food comes from the grocery store, not the the cow, chicken, pig, stream or earth. It is a separation that I feel has caused us to become callous and removed from the cycle of life and each other. The distance fosters little appreciation for the hard work of the farmer and laborer when in fact these are the very people who are at the heart of your dinner table. Municipalities often make it difficult to even sustain for yourself through strict covenants and city rules. I would challenge you that even if you don't have the room or will to raise your own food there are plenty of ways to foster this relationship. Take your kids fishing, visit the local farmers' market and check into many of the "agritainment" opportunities out there. You never know what you will find. And above all, be sure to foster this relationship for you children. They need to know where their food comes from and they need care about it!
Oh, and congratulations A, for bringing your first meal to the table!