CFN – News from my backyard
It is amazing how things grow and change over spring days. The fragrance and subtle beauty of apple blossoms are an absolute delight to the senses. New visitors such as the Bluebird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the honey bee visiting our dandelion dressed lawn lift the spirit. With spring moving forward in full throttle we are preparing are yard and beds for the upcoming season of planting, growth and harvest.
We have had a compost bin, 4’ x 4’ x 4’ for several years. It is has acquired a lean over time however it is still standing and useful. We have decided to add a second compartment next to it so that we can start a second pile once the first if full. This was done simply by attaching three pallets. Attaching one to the first bin and then the rest to each other with ties. It’s not very pretty at the moment as noted below however it will look better over the season when the wild daisies (which grow about 5 to 6 feet tall) and the sunflowers grow around the side and back perimeters of the bins during the summer. A move to help us compost more of our yard and household organic matter.
In my jaunts in the fields beyond the compost bins, debris is often found that has been blown out of garbage and recycling bins. I make it a point to pick up this foreign matter and recycle or garbage as needed. On one such walk a sponge noodle was found. You know the floatation noodles that kids or adults use in swimming pools? I decided to repurpose this into a peonies support. Several branches that were trimmed from our bushes and trees were sharpened at one end for easy insertion into the noodle and then into the ground around the peonies plant. Once the branches were secured into the ground, the noodle was pushed to a height which will support the flowers and plant as it continues to grow and bloom. This will keep the heavy blooms off of the ground which we guess will allow us to enjoy the blooms a little longer and make it easier to groom the ground around it. Now we are not suggesting that noodles be purchased for this purpose, our hope is to inspire you to think about how some of the things that normally end up in your garbage or recycle bin can be repurposed in and around your home.
I came across an article on a social media site that talked about growing celery by planting the cut-off end piece in the ground. Supposedly this would grow new celery. Sounds incredible, doesn’t it? So I embarked on a little experiment. Because it is still cool to think about planting things in the garden I decided put a couple of these ‘end celery pieces’ in water so that it would have a chance to grow some roots before planting outdoors. A couple of weeks in a south facing window sill in a bit of water have produced the following results.
Both ends have grown roots and new growth has begun in the middle of the ends. This experiment will be planted outdoors this week-end. A report on the progress of this trial will be shared in the coming weeks; so exciting.
We would love to hear about what is happening in your backyard. Your commentary is encouraged and always welcome.
