So Happy, Park Seed is Sending Part of My Order

After eying Park Seed's Online catalog for what seemed like years, we ordered some new plants! We ordered a Blueberry Sunshine Blue (Vaccinium corymbosum Sunshine Blue Dwarf) and Dwarf Pomegranate Nana (Punica granatum Nana). Today I received word that my Vaccinium corymbosum Sunshine Blue Dwarf was shipped out this morning! We should be receiving our new blue berry bush shortly. They have not shipped my Punica granatum Nana yet, but it may not be the right time a year for them to ship it.

I will post again about this once my new plants arrive.

New Compost Bin

Late last summer we started composting our our garden and kitchen waste. We started with a basic 35 gallon black Rubbermade trash can. We spent about 12 dollars and in about 15 minutes we were up and running. Once we got the trashcan home, I took a drill and drilled out 100 small holes all over the can including the bottom of it for drainage.

Within a couple of months we filled the first one up. We then bought another one and started the same process all over again. Of course we filled this one up as well. After several months of research, we decided to go bigger!

We went out and bought a 55 gallon food grade barrel for $22. From the local feed and seed store. Originally I was going to build a tumbler composter out of 2x4s and a food drum. After getting the Drum home I changed my mind to use that money toward some other garden project in the next few weeks.

I used a heavier duty drill and drilled over 150 holes to provide for air circulation and drainage. The more air the compost bin gets the faster the material inside will compost. Because the drum has an air tight lid I will fill the barrel up about halfway and tip it over and roll the drum up and down the driveway several times, once a week. Once the barrel gets to heavy I will remove some of the composted materials in one barrel to cure. The other barrel will be used for new materials waiting for its turn in the tumbler.

Quick Directions for building a "rolling compost bin"

Materials Needed:
1. 55 gallon food grade barrel .
2. Drill and drill bit
3. 20% bleach water mix
4. Black spray paint for plastic. (optional)
5. Bricks to make a stand.


1. First thing you need to do is clean the barrel out. You may need a 20% bleach and water mix to clean the barrels. With my barrel it was easy. I Only needed dish soap to clean the barrel
2. Let the barrel dry out.
3. Once dried, start drilling holes. You will need to drill holes every 5 inches all the way around. At least three rows will be needed. Once finished add rainage holes into the bottom of the barrels.
4. Once completed you can paint the barrle black. By painting the barrel black this will help heat the barrel.
5. Fill the barrel with garden waste and kitchen waste.
6. Once a week tip the barrel on its side. Check and make sure the lid is on and secure.
7. Start rolling the barrel around the yard.
8. Once finished put in a sunny spot out of the way and let the composting begin!

- All I have left to do is paint the the bin. I will update this post once that has been completed.


Please post your opinion on this homemade garden project.

Its Snowing in Dallas!

As some people may knowduring the day yesterday we had mostly rain and mist. As the day went on the temperature slowly fell. By the time I got off work around 5:30 PM it was raining and the weather was very cold. The Radio said the temperature was falling very quickly. By the time I got to work, It was sleeting.

After several hours of class, several people came into the lab and said it was snowing! I did not think much of it. We generally do not get that much and if it does snow it only lasts a few minutes.

When I left class, I found that it was still snowing, not just a little but it was hard and my car had almost an inch covering the hood, windshield, and the roof. I drove home and there was not much as to accumulation.

About midnight I went out in the backyard and yard was white! All my plants were covered. My Oleander was flattened and my camellia that is about to bloom was covered in snow.

Open Air Cati Terrarium

A few months ago I saw a great idea about keeping different types of Cacti and succulents in a small space. I after reading up on the best ways to do this, I combine several different approaches, and came up with a good one. Right now I am still testing this to see how well the cacti are doing but overall they are doing great.

I made the mistake of not photo documenting this little project. But the next time I make one I will make sure to documenting this project and repost.

My wife and I worked together to create this. To recreate this you will need the following;

1. A glass container of your choosing
2. Cacti potting soil
3. Horticulture grade charcoal - (regular non instant start BBQ charcoal will work)
4. Pea Gravel for drainage
5. Fiberglass window screen.
6. Enough plants to densely populate the area for growing - (over crowding is good)
7. Pea gravel, decortive rock or sand can be used to cover the potting medium
   

The first thing you need to do is clean your container out with a soapy solution. Once cleaned and dried. You can start creating your new cacti garden. Next you need to crush up the charcoal so it a fine powder and add that to the bowl. After that you will need to add the pea gravel for drainage. Once the pea gravel has been added you will need to cut a piece of the window screen to lay on top of the gravel. This will help keep the roots from digging into the drainage. Next you will need to add the potting soil. Add enough soil that the root balls will have enough room to be buried properly. Once you have the soil at the right height you will need to prepare the plants to be planted. Some plants will need to be divided if they are to large or if you are not pleased with the shape of the plant. In most cases you will have to gently remove the dirt from the root ball and cut away a small amount of the root. By doing this you make more room for all your plants and slow the growth of the plant. This will cause the plant to spend more if its energy on the root system. After all of your plants are planted and they are where you want them to be. You will need to cover the surface with your decortive rock. The final step is to mist your plants.

Do not water your plants by watering can or in the sink. This will cause the container to be water logged and this will kill your plants! Only water your plants by misting. If you do not have a spray bottle you can get them almost anywhere. Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot and many grocery stores carry them for less than $5.00. You only need to water you plants about once week, if that. You should only water the plants when the soil is dry or if the plants look as if they need watering. Cacti and most succulents do not need very much water.

When placing your plants, make sure to place your plants in a sunny window or a well lit place in your house or office. Make sure the plant gets at least 6 good hours of sunlight. If you can not get enough light or the plants start browning up then add a spot light or a desk lamp will work. You can purchase CFL 26 watt Daylight bulbs that will give it the right kind of light and it uses very little energy to run.