rain, rain, go away

i'm not sure what the weather is like at home, but i can tell you that it's raining in new england today. the kids and i drove up on thursday (a ten hour adventure which deserves a blog entry of its own), and today we're in boston. and it is a dreary, rainy, cold day. we'll be staying indoors until the skies dry up. the downpours haven't dampened our spirits though, and lulu and bug are happily playing and are eating up all of the attention from daddy's family.

we'll be travelling on our annual fall pilgrimage north until just before thanksgiving, so in an attempt to keep up with luluandbug while we're on the road, i've brought a thumb drive full of projects and photos to write about and upload as time allows over the coming week. and with all of the umbrellas, raincoats and galoshes in the city today, this seems like the perfect time to post our rain barrel project.

a few weeks ago our family purchased and installed a rain barrel. what's a rain barrel? it's a large barrel (wooden, plastic or otherwise) that has a hole cut into the top (to allow rain to fall in) and a spout at the bottom (to allow rain water out when you need it). our rain barrel came from our local boy scout troop. they buy previously used barrels and repurpose them for rain as a fundraising activity. it's a relatively green idea... save the rain water when it falls so that when the plants and flowers need to be watered, you're not running the indoor tap or outdoor spigot to get water, but instead use the previously gathered rain.

with our new pecan tree going in the ground this weekend (thanks to daddy, who is at home while the kids and i are on vacation this week), flower bulbs and garlic cloves planted, and numerous plants and mums around the house, we don't have any shortage of things needing to be watered... so the rain barrel was a no brainer for us. and, if that wasn't enough incentive, our town even offers a rebate to residents who purchase barrels. perhaps yours does too.

stay dry out there, everyone!

rain barrel project

what you'll need: flexible pipe, hack (or other) saw and rain barrel

1. decide where to place your barrel. proximity to plants and flowers is a consideration if you plan to attach a garden hose to your barrel. at the bottom of a downspout is ideal since the spout is already funneling water for you

2. using hacksaw, cut downspout at a distance of two to four feet above the top of your barrel

3. using hacksaw, cut flexible pipe to a length that fits over bottom of downspout and ends at top of barrel

4. place rain barrel under downspout

5. slide flexible pipe over bottom of downspout

6. route flexible pipe into top of barrel



7. optionally, attach garden hose

8. wait for the rains to fill barrel, then water away over following days and weeks



how has your family gone green?

the stinking rose

our family participated in a csa (community supported agriculture) program this past summer, and i loved it. for twenty weeks, we drove five miles down the road to pickup our weekly share of locally grown, organic produce from our chosen farm. our veggies never traveled in a truck, were never treated with chemical pesticides, and 100% of our payment went directly back into our local economy. what a deal.

i had such a great time taking lulu and bug to the farm each week... showing them the animals happily grazing on the pasture, identifying the tomato vines and other plants, and showing them what a real honest-to-goodness carrot looks like (green flowery stalk and all; no bagged baby carrots here), that i've now got the itch to have a garden of our own. our yard isn't huge by any means, but i'm already planning out what we'll plant and attempt to grow in the spring. and, in fact, what we're starting to plant now... like the stinking rose (otherwise known as garlic).

did you know that planting one individual clove of garlic will grow an entire new garlic bulb? or that these cloves get planted in the fall (just like flower bulbs) to produce new growth in the springtime? yeah, neither did i (until i did a little research recently). did i mention that they are ridiculously easy to plant? they are. and they don't take much space either... in one hour, i planted thirty cloves in a space measuring less than three feet square.

the only tricky part to planting garlic cloves is that you probably shouldn't use garlic purchased at your grocery store. their product has likely been treated to prevent the onion from sprouting (yes, garlic is in the onion family). you can find garlic for purchase online though, or at your local farmer's market. so, if you'd like a full stock of garlic for next summer's pastas, pestos and other savory dishes at virtually no cost, read on.

oh, and consider yourself warned, dear reader... i'm sure this won't be the last time i blog about our family's gardening adventures!

p.s.

1. will i participate in our local csa program again next year? yes.

2. why? because we had a great experience with it this year. it challenged me to cook veggies that i'd never used before (like kale and beet greens), helped me to make sure i was providing meals at home rather than dining out, and gave us a powerful connection to our local economy. and, honestly, who knows... i'll improve the soil, plant some seeds and water, but nothing may actually grown in my little backyard garden... the csa is a natural plan b for me!

planting garlic cloves

what you'll need: garlic bulbs (ones that have not been treated to prevent sprouting), compost (if your soil needs a boost), gardening gloves and shovel.

1. separate individual garlic cloves from bulb head

2. select your biggest cloves to use for planting (none with surface damage)

3. using shovel, dig trenches at least 6" deep

4. don your gardening gloves and mix in your compost (if necessary)

5. place garlic cloves in trenches, at least 6" apart

6. cover cloves with soil

7. wait patiently for the scapes (stalks) to sprout in early summer

what else should we plant in our garden? send us your suggestions.

root down

if you're anything like me, the fall season brings to mind nostalgic visions of football games (little league, college or nfl - you choose), brisk mountain hikes, apple cider, and pumpkin patches. and if you have small children, it means hours spent jumping into leaf piles (ala linus from charlie brown). it is filled with lazy days spent pretending to read a novel while you instead doze with said book tucked under your arm. who wouldn't fall asleep wrapped in that toasty, warm blanket. hibernation? yes, sign me up.

with these dreamy thoughts percolating in my mind, it is nearly impossible for me to even consider the reality of a season called spring. but nature has her masterplan, and it includes a bit of preparation for the easter parade of lilies, iris and tulips that show their bright, flashy colors each year. and so, armed with the usda's plant hardiness zone map reminding me that it is in fact planting season here in zone 6b, this week i undertook an outdoor project... my very own (petite version of the) big dig.

i'm not one for delayed gratification, so it was a stretch for me to put my tulip bulbs into the ground knowing i wouldn't see them again for months. but i'm rooting for them anyway (har, har). i know that come april their dots of color along my front porch will be a welcome respite from the cold, gray days of winter.

here are three of my thirty little guys. i've affectionately named them mca, adrock and mike d. hey, if we're going to root down, we may as well do it with the beasties!

here's hoping they sprout into blossoms worthy of their advertising campaign

Planting Flower Bulbs

what you'll need: gardening gloves, a hand trowel (or shovel), compost and/or fertilizer (if your earth looks like it could use a boost), and the flower bulbs of your choice. this time of year, bulbs are readily available at most any local hardware store or gardening center. i picked banja luka and apeldoorn tulip varieties found at my local home improvement shop.

1. select a sunny (or partially shaded) spot

2. don gardening gloves

3. using trowel (or shovel) dig to 12" deep and cultivate earth with compost/fertilizer (if necessary)

4. set bulbs at 5" below soil level, at least 4" apart

5. water (if your soil is bone dry)

6. hibernate until spring

-- when in direct conflict with the steps above, follow the specific instructions found on the inside of your bulb packet

tell us: what's your favorite spring bulb?