Rally the Troops: It's Beneficial Insect Time!

As we move into March, early pests begin to emerge - mites, aphids, white flies, and other soft little 'suckers' perfectly time their hatching schedule to match that of the newly unfolding and tender young leaves of springtime. A healthy flush of rose leaves or new juniper growth can turn yellow and curled seemingly overnight, and the gardener's natural reaction is to run for the bottle - of pesticide, that is. Even botanical and natural pesticides (although an improvement upon their synthetic chemical counterparts) are often 'non-selective', and can harm the 'good bugs' that are our natural garden allies. Now is the time for the release of BENEFICIAL INSECTS. These bug friends include green lacewings, beneficial nematodes, trichogramma wasps, ladybugs, and praying mantis.

Green lacewings, pictured above, are often called "aphid lions" because of their voracious appetite for aphids. In fact, it is the lacewing larva that destroy garden pests. Lacewing larvae consume a variety of insects in vast quantities, including aphids, mealy-bugs, spider mites, leafhopper nymphs, caterpillar eggs, scales, thrips, and white-flies. The larvae attack the eggs of its prey with a paralyzing venom, and draw out the body fluids of the helpless victim. Ahhhh, garden biology: such graphic violence!! Adult green lacewings are harmless, feeding primarily on pollen and honeydew.

Green lacewings can be ordered from Marshall Grain in Fort Worth, as well as from my old friends at the Beneficial Insect Company in Fort Mill, SC.

Beneficial nematodes are microscopic roundworms that work in the soil to destroy grubs, fleas, gnats, flies, cutworms, billbugs, ants, and Japanese beetles. Beneficial nematodes are a highly effective alternative to chemical insecticides. They control harmful soil-dwelling insects by feeding on their larva - all without harming other beneficial bugs! Late March to early April is a good time to work nematodes into the garden, and they are available at Marshall Grain.

March is also the best time to release trichogramma wasps. These wasps, harmless to humans, destroy caterpillars. While many moth and butterfly larvae can be devastating to the garden, I love my swallowtails so much that I tend to spot treat problem caterpillars with a Bt spray instead. If you are overrun with caterpillars though, these wasps can be invaluable. They can be found at Planet Natural.

Ladybugs are a beneficial favorite. Voracious hunters of aphids, they have been shown to be more effective at their control than any chemical application! Plus, they are just so durn cute. Almost all beneficial insect suppliers carry ladybugs, as do many local garden centers nowadays.

As the season progresses, praying mantis egg cases can be placed in the garden. One egg case can contain dozens of mantis, the most ferocious pest predator in the garden- feasting on bugs of all sizes. Try the Beneficial Insect Company for egg cases and recommended release dates in your area.

My schedule begins with green lacewings and nematode orders readied for next week, followed by ladybugs and praying mantis. I'll skip the wasps, because I want to protect my butterflies, and opt for Bt sprays if problem caterpillars crop up.

Rally your troops, and let the bugs do your dirty work this year - which means more time for a glass of wine in the garden!

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The Bohemian Homestead: A House. A Home. A Homestead

We all know the difference between a house and a home. A house is but a mere structure, a place to hang one's hat, a roof over our head; but a HOME, ah, a home is where the heart is, it is shelter from the storm, and where we long to be when we are away. When a "house" becomes a "home", it is because we are more emotionally invested in it, having banked love, memories, and a sense of place.

I have come to discover that the distance between 'home' and 'HOMESTEAD' is just as great; although the words to describe the additional investment required to transform a mere home into a homestead still escape me. "Permanence" comes to mind, as does "connectedness". After all, one doesn't start homesteading a piece of real estate they intend to leave someday (at least without a plan and a container garden), because the roots of a homestead run deep. Of course, the very word 'homestead' automatically implies growing things and an investment in the land one's "home" sits upon, even if it is a tiny suburban lot, or a condominium courtyard, or just a windowsill; when we homestead, we literally DO lay down roots. And with roots, our investment begins to yield returns - our plants feed us, our animals nurture us, our kitchens become havens of health and wellness, we require fewer resources from 'the outside world', and we generate fewer wastes in exchange. We act more 'sustainably', yet become more sustained.

If a 'home' is a state of mind, then a 'homestead' is a condition of the heart. I can't recall the exact moment my home became our homestead. Thankfully, there are no minimum requirements to meet, or any conditional checklists that must be satisfied. It does seem, though, that the common denominators uniting backyard homesteads and their enthusiasts are:

*Gardening, producing a share of one's own food
*Composting as much as possible
*Collecting, storing, and reusing rainwater
*Experimenting with alternative energy
*Investing in biodiversity
*Integrating small animals into land management plans: milk, eggs and honey
*Implementing organic practices
*Learning food preservation techniques
*Eating well, using nutrition first in our healthcare practices, using medicinal herbs
*Working and sharing food and resources with our neighbors and communities

Sound complicated? It really isn't - because creating a homestead is less about what we DO than how we FEEL. At our Bohemian Homestead, my husband, Eddie, and I started simply with a small herb garden and just forgot to stop...Slowly, quite accidentally and without warning, the home evolved into a place we felt utterly connected to: complete with kids and chickens, weeds and crops, and - in keeping with our personal vision of paradise - crazy, large scale sculptures interspersed among the gardens. It is a homestead because mundane activities like taking out the compost and feeding the birds have become sacred, and because, despite all American pressures to 'be mobile', to 'move upward', we have decided that THIS is the place. ...and it sure feels GOOD:)

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How often do you really play croquette, anyway?

Lawn space is awesome for entertaining and as a place for the kids to play. Think about your own for a moment,,,ahhh, refreshing! Lemonade, the smell of cut grass, children running through sprinklers; no wonder we have such a love affair with our lawns. BUT - do you really need as much as you have? Is one pick up game of football on Thanksgiving honestly worth an entire year of mowing and trimming? Besides a place to lay a beach blanket or set up a croquette wicket, what does your lawn give back to you, your homestead, your community?

For ideas on how to start cutting back on your green monster (and for some juicy garden-porn pictures in their slide show) check out the Lawn Reform Coalition site.

Here at the Hippie Homestead, Eddie and I continue our quest to eliminate as much grass as possible each season. Without the aid of chemical herbicides, or any other 'easy' method (even fire isn't potent enough to knock back the scourge of Texas: Bermuda grass), we have discovered that the only effective way to destroy the grass is by smothering it. Thick layers of flattened cardboard boxes are placed right over the grass, and we are plenty careful to be sure they overlap each other or the grass finds a way through. Grass clippings, roadside leaves we gather, manure, wood chips and kitchen wastes are composted on top of the cardboard, leaving a new bed in their wake. This method of sheet composting works quite well, and isn't nearly as messy-looking as it sounds. Just keep anything that looks gross covered in grass clippings or leaves...For more information, check out Pat Lanza's book called Lasagna Gardening. We have reclaimed about an acre of new planting beds from the grass so far, and in the process, saved a whopping 4 tons of biodegradable wastes from the landfill! IMAGINE THE IMPACT if every homeowner created just one teensy plant bed...mmmmm, delicious.

The results of sheet composting right over the grass: awesome, rich, totally dig-able soil in about 18 months. What we have gained: healthier soil of course, but also: more biodiversity, less mowing, a much richer habitat and greatly improved water conservation,,,not a bad tally, huh? Plus, isn't that football game more fun in the road or the park anyway?

Photos yoinked from the Lawn Reform Coalition peeps. I loved the blue chairs in the tall grass and zinnias so much that I vow to recreate this scene at the hippie homestead this year!

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Musings: On Garden Snobs and Dope Growers

This link comes from one of my favorite garden blogs: GardenRant. I am in such awe of what the gals at GardenRant produce I almost didn't share it for fear of looking like a rank amateur against their impressive background. But they are just too awesome to hoard. In particular, I love their honest, quick-and-dirty approach to gardening.

This post, by a guest 'ranter', addresses Garden Snobbery from the interesting point of view of a marijuana grower who couldn't get his book published because he 'wasn't a REAL gardener'. Um, untrue. There are many illegal applications of horticulture, and growing dope is just one of them (and hardly the most profitable: ever bought a geranium plant without a tag in it? chances it was illegally propagated!)

This paragraph is what really hit home:


"In the gardening world, many times there is an elitism that is sort of inherent in the plants and kind of garden a gardener grows. Those that don’t know the latin names of every plant turn their nose up at those that do. Those that like fancy flower gardens with a feng shui design, look down at those who garden in more of a disorderly kung fu design. Vegetable gardeners think their gardens are better than flower gardeners. Container gardeners choose the beauty and art of the container over growing in soil. And vice versa in many of those examples."


'...disorderly kung fu design' ... snort... I never knew there was a term for my garden style...


You don't have to have an opinion about marijuana cultivation to get the point here: people like to sound like know-it-alls and gardeners are no exception. In fact, outside of the world of wine snobs, gardeners are the biggest bunch of horn-tooters I know. How can we possible encourage others to join in the garden-game if we can't answer a question without being preachy and self-righteous? Quick story: I dropped out of the local organic gardening club the same night I joined because one of the horn-tooter types lectured me for a half hour on "what was WRONG WITH ME because I wasn't a pacifist and didn't I know fire ants were part of the freakin' ecosystem (duh)", all because I had the audacity to ask about a good organic control for the vicious little devils.


Moral of the story: if we want to actively help Guard'n the Planet, and bring others into the fold, drop the big words and attachments to what "REAL GARDENING" means.

To read the full rant, click on this link to GardenRant. And try not to love it too much:)

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Edible Estates

Ok, so it isn't the most easily navigated website, but once you get used to the little pull down tabs the garden eye-candy and amazing urban/suburban landscape transformations are worth it~


A wonderful initiative with an accompanying book.
Bueno, we likey! Way to help Guard'n the Planet! Click here for link to Edible Estates

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Homesteading Video Series by University of San Francisco

This is a very interesting site that hosts a video series called "How to Homestead". The website and video series is made by a small group of professors and students at the University of San Francisco. Additionally, they have put together a wonderful tour of homesteads in each of the San Francisco districts with videos and demonstrations at each site! An idea whose time may be coming to Texas:)

Link to 'How to Homestead'.

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Little Homestead in The City

I just found the most beautiful small homestead, right outside of Los Angeles. It is called The Little Homestead in The City . The link brings you to a wonderful video on their blog...
Wonderful inspiration! The Dervaes Family have been Backyard Homesteaders since the 1980s, and their site is chock full of beautiful photos as well as interesting statistics about their garden operation.

Enjoy:)

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Why People DON'T Garden, and how to change their minds

To garden is to use the Earth as a canvas on which we create beautiful and sustainable works of art. Garden time is play time. Garden time is meditation time. Garden time is exercise time, 'me' time, couples time, or family time. We all know the many benefits of digging in the dirt - physical, health and nutrition, environmental, financial and emotional - it is why we are here after all: to learn more about gardens, backyard homesteading, and how to share our passion with others. Some folks are tough recruits though; no matter how much they love the IDEA of gardening, it is just too overwhelming an enterprise for them to actually actually DO.

I have been reviewing websites for good information about 'gardening' and 'homesteading' basics. Because organic gardening and composting tend to form the 'core' of backyard homesteading, these subjects have been the focus of my search. There are some awesome sites out there to be sure, but for the most part it seems like gardening and composting are being presented as 'science' rather than 'art'. Certainly there is a science to gardening: we need to know what plants will survive in our areas, which insects are harmful vs. our garden allies, and how to judge the health of our soil. But there is NOT A BOOK OR WEBSITE IN THE WORLD that can explain gardening like EXPERIENCE. And if our non-gardening wannabe-greener friends are overwhelmed by facts, figures, charts, the periodic table of elements, and carbon to nitrogen ratios, they may indeed never try.

People DON'T GARDEN when they feel:

- overwhelmed by science and what 'they don't already know'

- intimidated by glossy magazines featuring perfect, weed free, professional gardens

- as if they have a "black thumb" because some (or many) plants have died in the past

- they don't feel a connection to their home, and are afraid to 'invest' in putting down roots

LEAD BY EXAMPLE (and change someone's opinion without words):

*Share your joy, passion, and of course, your harvest!

*Invite people to your garden or homestead, even if it isn't 'perfect' at the moment (especially if it isn't perfect at the moment!)
*Offer to help someone with plant selection or starting their first bed.

*Share your failures with a light heart

*Answer questions with a smile:)

Travel forth and spread the vibes, and help others get growing!
Photo above is from "edible estates", a delightful movement...click here for link to Edible Estates.

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Winter Gardening

Hands down, the most beautiful photographs of a winter garden are found at The Gardener's Eden. Clearly, Michela is a more experienced garden designer and author than I, having done freelance writing and photography for the mighty Martha Stewert. Michela's grasses, particularly, have amazing sculptural structure.

The picture at right, yoinked from The Gardener's Eden site, shows winter scene to die for: the three cardinal evergreen colors (green, deep red, and pale green/yellow) are perfectly balanced by the simple and strong gray of the concrete. Even her use of concrete is flawless, with natural, organic forms (steps) contrasted by geometric (bowl).

I am filled with envy.
Winter is a gray and dreary time for gardeners, and a season when productivity slows substantially - if not altogether -for food crops. If you live in an area with mild winter temperatures (zone 7 or warmer), then winter production may still continue by careful plant selection and the use of floating row covers. Here in North Texas, we continue to grow chard, garlic, onion, sorrel, burnet, rosemary and sage all year 'round.

left: chard, a winter survivor great for stew and soups...

For gardeners in more northern environments, winter is a good time to focus on the 'architecture' of the garden: evergreens, sculpture and other accessory elements, as well as gardening for the birds and wildlife. (Link here for more information on gardening for the birds .)

right: monochrome magic: simple concrete sculpture in our winter garden at Forgotten Works. The concrete was literally a road side find, shaped with a jackhammer...

Sculptural elements in the landscape can also add interest, especially in the deep of winter when everything may be shades of white, gray and brown. Some pieces combine function with beauty, while others exist only for ornament. When investing in art for your garden, go with a piece you love. Look for durable materials such as steel, concrete, or porcelain. Glass is durable, but can be subject to breaking during temperature extremes; be sure glass vessels are overturned so they don't hold ice and crack.

Don't let winter ruin your garden fun: if all else fails and it is just to cold, winter is the perfect time for scanning favorite garden catalogs and seed suppliers sites! Sstay by the fire and dream:)

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Mademoiselle Oiseau

: : .Mademoiselle Oiseau. is the result of the collaboration between Swedish China company Rörstrand and Swedish fashion designer Lovisa Burfitt. The series consisting of five pieces tell the story of Mademoiselle Oiseau. See more of Lovisa Burfitt's work here. I adore her mix of contrast; color, textures, line weight, media. So delicate.

Tack Erica för tipset! (Thank you Erica for the tip)

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arrows and more

 

: : love these colorful kites, masks and handmade arrows from .fredericks and mae. (found via oh.joy). I wish I could afford a few handmade arrows up on our wall.

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Gardening: It's for the Birds!

Succulent berries ripe on the vine; rosy red fruits dangling from branches; thickets of ornamental grasses; seed laden perennial flowers...Whether your green space consists of a condominium courtyard or a multiple acre estate; when you increase the proportion of land dedicated to garden areas, the birds are sure to follow! Adding birds to your property will yield many rewards - with their playful antics, beautiful songs and brilliant colors, it is no wonder backyard bird watching is such a popular pastime. Their appetite for insects and other garden pests make birds our welcome garden allies as they help maintain the ecological balance of outdoor environments, and even in the cold of winter, birds add warmth and life to our homes. On the other hand, every farmer knows to place a scarecrow in his corn field, and we have all seen the Hitchcock-like gathering of blackbirds near local intersections and parking lots. Too many feathered friends of a single flock can be devastating to the gardener trying to attract a rich diversity of song birds to their property or raise food crops in their yard.

With a little planning, your outdoor spaces can accommodate a diverse population of birds -without endangering any desirable fruits or vegetables you have planted. The secret is to create a suitable variety of habitats. Like all creatures, birds are naturally enticed by areas that provide food, water and shelter. Water is the easiest resource to (provide) through birdbaths or small water gardens. Birdbaths are simple, attractive additions to garden spaces, and many beautiful examples are available that can be a work of art as well as a functional piece for the landscape. Placing a fresh water source for birds on your property will help draw them to that particular area when they are thirsty, instead of eating the juicy berries and fruits you were saving for yourself!
(We always have an assortment of hand crafted bird baths on hand at Forgotten Works Garden Gallery!)

Understanding the food and shelter needs of birds means studying their habitats a bit more closely and mimicking nature where possible. Not to worry though: they don't require perfection, they like it a little messy, and they are extremely adaptable. Beautiful bird sanctuaries can be achieved in any landscape by applying three, easy, A-B-C suggestions:

A- "All natural". Consider converting as much land space as possible from lawn to garden beds. Birds are more attracted to wild areas than neatly manicured grass, and while a lawn is important for entertaining and play, most of us have more than we need. Also, eliminate the chemicals. Pesticides are toxic to birds, so transitioning to an organic program that includes greater plant diversity, good compost and mulch for healthy soils, and native/ adapted plant species will all benefit and attract a wide variety of bird species.

B- "Berries and seeds". Provide natural food sources for birds instead of or in addition to using bird feeders. Blackberries are a natural choice, as are roses, hollies and other thorny plants that create a safe haven for nesting as well as food. Also remember food in the form of fruits and nuts (persimmon and pecan for example), seeds (echinacea, zinnia, and sunflower varieties), nectar (sages and mints), sap, and a wide variety of the insects that associate with those plants. The larger the variety of plants you grow, the more different kinds of birds your yard will attract. Diversity means many choices, and the more choices you offer the wildlife, the less likely they are to become overpopulated or destructive to select crops.

C- "Create layers". From the canopy to the floor, think of your garden in terms of vertical selections. Use tall trees in the background, understory shrubs beneath them, and a variety of grasses and low growing plants as accents and features close to outdoor living spaces. Plants provide nest sites and nest material, as well as protected hiding places; be sure that tree dwellers have a habitat along with ground species. Work some evergreen varieties into your landscape for winter coverage (and a boost of green during cold, gray days), and remember to leave the garden floor messy! Leaves, twigs and other 'floor' debris provide nest materials and feeding sources for your birds.

If your feathered friends do help themselves to more of your fruit and vegetables than they are welcome, try deterring them by tying bright, shiny objects (old CD's) in your crops, or put nets over fruits as they ripen (old sheers work wonderfully). More determined species can be averted with a plastic snake from the toy store, or special bird-deterring devices like inflatable owls from garden centers. And don't forget the old fashioned scarecrow: a fun family project that is just 'for the birds'!
　

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Sculpture and Sky

Garden Sculpture tends to be small in stature: little creatures on the ground, saints and angels, gazing balls and bird baths...

But I like to look at my art where I tend to need it the most here in Texas: against the vast, unbroken sky. No sense adding to more confusion on the ground amidst the plants with all of their colors, the soils, and all of the mulchy textures of leaves, barks, and other debris.
Right: Steel bubbles reach for infinity. This piece is about 7 or 8 feet tall, and is made of cast off pipe fittings from the gas wells down the road. It does have a sturdy base, and could serve as a trellis for a climbing rose or a vine, or, um, a poolside towel rack;) Done for Heather Buckley by Forgotten Works Garden Gallery

For the Gallery Page, click here


The beauty of working with steel is the height and architectural whimsey that can be achieved because of its strength.

Left: "Tupelo" is our 20 foot steel bottle tree positioned in the center of the drive, setting the tone for our Bohemian Backyard Homestead and the whole recycled theme. It is also where cobalt Reislings go to die.

Grapes and a Wisteria climb the twisted steel trunk, and by August the sculpture is just the skeleton and a trellis for these aggressive vines. Wild Morning Glories have also taken seed, assuring us that the whole piece is but a dripping green form by summers end.

Right: "Blue Dharma" uses rings, but this time instead of pipe fittings, asymmetrical circles have been cut from a scrapped piece of steel sheet metel. Powder coated in cobalt, it reflects and repeats the blue of our frequently-used-bottles.

This is one of three pieces in our 'planetary' series. A red sculpture, still available, is similar in size and stature, and sits near our homestead entry. The orange piece, third in the series, was sold in 2009.

Today is the coldest day in February, and I can't even think about looking outside. "Bleak", "Gray", "Boring", and, dare I say it, "DEAD" come to mind. Even the evergreens look tired and cold. When we talk about adding 'winter interest' to the garden, often my first reaction is 'YEAH, RIGHT'. Days like today make my garden sculptures more important than ever.

Left: The cobalt bottles on "Tupelo" are even more welcoming when set against the dreary sky of winter...

Visit us at Forgotten Works to find more of our 'modern organic' designs for the garden.

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