Solarizing

so·lar·ize  (sl-rz): v. so·lar·ized, so·lar·iz·ing, so·lar·iz·es v.tr. To affect by exposing to the sun's rays. v.intr. To be overexposed. Used of photographic film. solar·i·zation (-lr--zshn) n.

My definition:  Kill all the grass so I can plant food.

What you see here is me killing the grass.  It's a passive action on my part.  All I did was cut our two defective pool covers in half and spread them out.  Then I weighed them down.  Now I will wait for the sun to kill the grass and weeds and in the spring, I will take off the tarps and have nice brown grass and happy, warm dirt.

And it looks really nice in the meantime, all decorative and whatnot with those tarps. :)

To me, this seems like common sense.  But apparently it's quite a science:
http://www.weekendgardener.net/organic-weed-killer/solarization-100710.htm
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46163001.tip.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_4037_solarize-soil.html
http://www.gardenguides.com/834-soil-solarization-weed-control-garden-pest-tip.html
and on and on.

Really, that just gets WAY more complicated than it needs to be.   Bottom line: you wanna kill grass?  Put down plastic.  The end.

Oh, and add chickens.

And old tires.

Because why not?  It looks nicer that way.

Yep, I do know that the tarps don't cover the whole area.  I will have to deal with some live grass in the spring. 

Sigh. 

Ironically, as I was doing this yesterday, I realized that this garden is actually bigger than our house. 

Hmmmmmmm...................

Uh Oh

The eese-gay ave-hay earned-lay to imb-clay the ack-bay eck-day.

(What?)

Just another typical day on the arm-fay.

(Hey lady, what's for dinner??)

Sour-DOH!!!

Dear Sourdough bread,

Why do you hate me???  I have tried and tried to make you successfully, and you continually elude me.  Look, I gave your starter a view outside.  Was that not good enough??

See the chickens, starter?  See them?  They are happy.  Why aren't you?

Do I not feed you enough?

Do I not keep you warm?

Do I not speak nicely to you?

I think I do.  Yet, when I turn you into bread you insist on either spreading out into a mushy mass of goo, or perform your new trick, laying in the bowl like a lump.

Why, Sourdough bread, why???

I have tried so many recipes, Sourdough bread.  So, so many.  I have tried 3 different starters.  Still, you elude me.  What is it about me you don't like??  Do you not like my kitchen?  Do you not like my oven?  I do I knead you too roughly?  Not roughly enough?

You know what, Sourdough?  I don't have to take this from you.  You're nothing but bacteria after all.  There are plenty of other breads in the cookbook.  PLENTY.  We'll see how you feel when I make them instead of you.  I don't need you.  HA!  After I'm through making those others, maybe I'll come back to you.  Maybe.  Then we'll se how you feel about me.  Bet you'll have changed your mind then!

Yeah, we'll see.  'Till then, Sourdough, 'till then.

Sincerely,
Me

Bench!

This bench

 

Wanted to be this color

(oh, hi chickens)

It really, really did.

The "Berry" Beginning

Oh, HA!  I am SO "punny".  Ok, I'm done now.

Got to work on the North Field, as I am going to call it, and started with the berry bush strip.  It's about 3 feet wide by 35 feet long. 

Not a huge strip, but good for now.  There are 11 Raspberries going in it, and 2 Blackberries.  I'd like to add a few more blackberries and a yellow, a black, and a purple raspberry eventually. 

In front, you can see one of the pear trees in place.  We're putting them two by two in that section.  This pear is next to a peach tree.  So far, we have 2 apples, 2 pears, and 1 peach.  I'd like to add a sour cherry, an apricot, and a plum eventually.  Probably in the Spring.  There aren't too many choices in fruit trees right now.

I know you can see my little tiller above there.  It's a good machine.  It had a hell of a lot to deal with.  The ground here all looks like this:

Rocks, rocks, and dirt with rocks.  I pulled out some mama ones.

Of course, Ferdi and Ginger were there to assist.

Yeah, not so much.  Reid was a good helper.  He made the ground "smooth" for me. 

Lorelei started helping and then said "This is boring" and wandered off to look for frogs.

Sigh.

All in all, the field will be 50'X40'.  Not too bad, I think I can get a good yield from it.  The berry patch is not included in the measurement.  The first two feet will be a strip of herbs.  I started planting them today.  The rest will be used for crops.  The mini orchard will be in front, nearer to the road, and behind the field, further towards the next door house, there will be blueberries planted and the beehive will be located behind that planting. 

Not a bad start, in all.  I did get a lot further along than I can show here, but Jeff took the camera away.  He said that I was getting it dirty and dirt isn't good for electronics.  What is that about???

Oh, and did I tell you (I'm thinking no)?  Jeff said it's ok for me to get a rooster (like he had a vote-ha.  Ok, maybe he had a little vote)!!  Woo hoo!!!!  Cock-a-doodle-doo, baby!  I think he fell in love with this guy, like I did.

Tell me that's not the most gorgeous boy you've ever seen!  Yeah, you can't, 'cause he is.   Oh, he's too good looking.  But he's an Old English Game Cockerel, and  I can't have one because they are the fighting kind of rooster and because of that are $200 a piece. 

Sigh.

It's ok, though.  I found a couple of breeds that have roosters that are really good looking, too, so I'll just go with that in the Spring when we increase the flock. 

And let go of my dream.

That I have had for a week. 

Sigh.

I guess I'll live.