Click here for an interesting article in the New York Times about some of our local beekeepers. Seems as though bees are as prone to the lure of junk food as people are.
Author Archives: admin
Happy Thanksgiving
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope between the food and family you have a chance to pause and contemplate all the things you are thankful for.
Urban Nature
It always amazes me how resilient nature can be in an extreme urban environment. A crack in the pavement grows weeds in a matter of weeks. Trees pop up in empty lots. This photo is of a tree pushing it’s way through a metal fence.
Window Farms
Here’s a short video that shows The Windowfarms Project. I think it’s a great idea, and is especially suited for school classrooms. They have kits especially designed for schools, but the biggest hurdle is funding. A kit for elementary schools sells for just under $300.
Growing Fruit
One area of gardening that still intimidates me is pruning. Especially when it comes to fruit trees. Two years ago I bought a dwarf apple tree and have been afraid to touch it. So far it hasn’t matured enough to produce fruit. Last year I saw one blossom, but that didn’t stick around long enough to make an apple. We had a weird, dry summer, so that wasn’t a surprise. This coming summer, I really want to see some action with this little tree. I think some judicious pruning, might help it along. That is why I got this book yesterday.
I had some fantasies about training the tree into a fancy, espaliered form, but I think I will just stick with a basic tree. Besides, a fancy, formal tree wouldn’t really fit in with my shabby, chic Brooklyn backyard. I say that mostly because I’m intimidated. One day you will see a post from me where I am attempting one.
So, hopefully this book will help me not only with my apple tree, but also with my berry bushes as well. I hope to see some currants and gooseberries this year!
Winterizing the Coop
Today was a beautiful day, so my hubby worked outside getting the coop ready for the cold weather. He wrapped the smaller run with some plastic to keep out the cold winter winds. He also brought the extension cord out there so when it gets colder we can have our heated water dispenser. We haven’t had a frost here yet, but it’s good to get ready. The girls had a nice afternoon running around the yard and inspecting the renovations.
As you can see, the head of cabbage we hung in the larger run is hanging there totally ignored. Not at all like the eager cabbage-pecking I saw from the chickens on youtube. I thought this might happen. Kind of like when you buy a cat scratcher and the cat still uses your sofa.
Bonus Eggs
It’s been a while since I’ve checked the girl’s egg box. I thought they had finished laying for the season, so I hadn’t loosened the raccoon deterring straps my hubby put on the coop in a while to check. Today I peeked inside and was surprised to see 5 beautiful eggs. This is a nice, unexpected gift from my hen Lulu.
Take Jack Out Back
Now that Halloween is over it’s time to think about what to do with your carved pumpkins. According to the US Census the US grows 998 million pounds of pumpkins each year. The thought of all those pumpkins ending up in the garbage could be the most frightening part of Halloween.
Our pumpkins, which look like old men without dentures, are starting to mold. So I’m going to toss them in my compost bin. If you don’t have a compost bin, find an out-of-the way outdoor spot to leave your pumpkin for animals to munch on. They will be happy for the extra beta-carotene and the landfills will be grateful not to have 998 million pounds of organic matter dumped in them.
