Preparing a Garden Bed - The Home Depot - Garden Club

Good soil preparation is the basis for any great garden. Take the time to do it right and you’ll save time and money in the long run, as your plants thrive and garden maintenance becomes minimal.

Step 1 Cut sod into strips 12 to 18 inches wide. Cut the strips by digging into the ground with a spade or edger, pushing the blade just below the roots — a depth of about 2 or 3-inches deep.
Step 2 Professionals remove sod with a sod lifter — a tool designed specifically for the job that can be rented or purchased at The Home Depot. Alternatively, you can put the handle of a spade close to the ground and kick the blade sharply to dislodge sod.
Step 3 You can reuse sod. Roll up the strips and remove them from the bed. Trim it into lengths of 2 to 4 feet. Replant as soon as possible.

Step 4 Work amendments, such as peat moss, manure or fertilizer, into the soil. Dig to a depth of at least 1 foot, then rake the bed smooth. To discourage growth of weeds, lay down landscape fabric, such as Weedblock, available at The Home Depot. Cut Xs in the fabric and root plants in the soil below. Cover the fabric with 2 to 3 inches of soil or mulch.

Preparing a Garden Bed - The Home Depot - Garden Club

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"Love", CHAOS and a dream

It's that time of year again, apparently, you know the time when all bulls fall in love, lol :) Lot is back in "love" with Treva he carefully busted his way out of the arena and was resting in the barn with her and Eva when we woke up this morning. Thankfully he didn't do too much damage and we were able to fix it easily. We are still deciding if we want him to breed her but we probably will and then he's off to the butcher.

CHAOS: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome - yup there is a name for it and there is help. Thanks to FlyLady there is help for people like me. My mom "blessed" me with a need to have a clean kitchen always if I am to function properly. When you have sucky (yes it's a word, ok I made it up) plumbing like mine and your kitchen sink is almost always stopped up, that becomes an impossible task.

The problem is that once the kitchen goes downhill, so does the rest of the house :( It's a horrible cycle but I'm working through the flylady steps and trying to find creative ways to keep my sink shining. Once we get it done I hope to take 1 room at a time and really get it set up nicely. It's going to be quite the challenge for me but I am determined to do it.

In other news, I have defined my ministry with this little farm. I know what I want to do and I am looking for other area farmers who share a desire to feed others affordably. Farm Fresh/Organic/Healthy shouldn't be cost prohibitive to ordinary people. I plan to have an event to kick it off, anyone interested please email me for more info. Ideas and suggestions welcome :)



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Hello and good-bye

A couple days ago the most wonderful dog showed up on our doorstep, we initially we very concerned but she proved to be a great farm dog. WE knew she had to belong to someone so we made posters. We got a few responses, they were looking for boy dogs, then today I got the call and it was them. They had lost her . . . seems so strange that they didn't post any lost posters or even put a collar on her but she seemed to know the lady that came to pick her up or at least that is what dh said. The kids are really sad, she even got along with the chickens (that was so weird). We'll miss her, they call her Lucy, the kids called her Shelby. I really hope she has a good life with them . . . :(

Yesterday our cat had 6 kittens, they are way smaller than I'd ever seen, it is so weird to see kitten the size of mice. We haven't named them yet, she was really hungry and thirsty when we found her and the babies between the bales of hay. We set her up a spot that they could have privacy and be warm, good thing to since it was pretty cold last night. It is officially fall and that means it is time to start thinking of our propane needs to get through winter.

We are currently reevaluating all of our expenses and cutting everything that is unnecessary, we will also see if there are any animals that we can sell so that we don't have to feed them through the winter. Lot may go the butcher if we can't get him sold, we'll see how it goes.



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Living within our means

This weekend I did a lot of baking to keep us stocked with bread a real staple at this point. Tonight for diner I wanted to do something different as I was a bit tired of the bread, beans and cheese routine. Dh told me that I could make whatever I like as long as I only need what we already have. The menu consisted of sweet potatoes w/brown sugar, Home-made Scalloped potatoes and baked fish. I was out of butter but I had skimmed cream yesterday. I used most of the cream for the butter and kept some for the half and half. Dh loves it in his coffee. :) Life with 2 toasters ovens is a challenge but totally doable. i also discovered that my crock pot can cook fresh meat in 2 hours or less as long as I don't get too fancy with it. It's been interesting, so what have you guys been up to?

Home-made Hot Fudge Sauce

Too good not to share. The SpruceHill blog is one of todays featured recipe posters on PW's Tasty Kitchen with her delicious fudge sauce recipe. Check it out.

Kanye West at the VMA's unbelieveable

Who takes a mic mid-speech to compliment someone else? I cannot believe that he is so ridiculous. Read more here

Productive day and school irritation

After my not so great day yesterday I decided to bake cookies (WW Chocolate Chocolate Chip), I also made chocolate chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast (not as great as I'd hoped). Several loaves of bread were baked and 8 chickens were butchered for the freezer. It was a very productive day. :)

I was all happy and excited until I get the mail and there was a note from the local school. We inquired about getting the kids in for Music and PE, they have no issue as long as they get their money or it's a no go. I don't have an issue with that but it was the next paragraph that ticked me off. The principal wanted to let me know that he had informed the county attorney that my oldest would not be attending their school this year, though he knows I have elected the homeschooling option, his letter claims that he is "required" to report this. Funny, I was not required to tell them anything since they were not enrolled, but whatever. I really don't trust those people. We have reconsidered the music and PE and will be opting to find that outlet for the kids elsewhere.

So is it time to start working on a fall garden?



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Having a blah day

Today was wildly uneventful, I am incredibly irritated and/or frustrated. I really need to have dinner and go to bed. Not a whole lot else to tell, homeschooling is going well, we are making calls and working on getting accounts for the business. We have some tests scheduled for next week. :) That's about it for now, I'm sure there is a lot more but I'm just not in the mood to think of it. :(



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Tim Hawkins - The Government Can

Too good not to share:





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Our New Business

Since you've asked, I am posting a link here of our business. We are still finalizing a territory map so stay tuned for that update :) Thanks for all of your support and continued prayers.

Homemaking and Volunteer gardening

Because I grew up a city dweller with a concrete front yard (mom didn't want to have to mess with having to mow the lawn), I really suck at gardening. The concepts are so very foreign to me :( Of the things I attempted this year the 1 grape vine has survived and the tomato plants that I put out late are still alive. However nothing has bore fruit. I may have mentioned that I noticed that we had a volunteer garden coming in the old pig pen, well said garden is doing wonderfully. We have gotten some juicy cantaloupes and there are several tomato plants that have begun to produce. We are still waiting patiently for the watermelons to be ripe. It is amazing how blessed we have been by this garden and I am saving the seeds for next year. We had a chance to get a butternut squash from a friend's garden and we have also saved the seeds.



On another note I am really been enjoying having time to crochet. I am excited to re-learn how to knit and I have found a great easy sock tutorial. I will give it a try as soon as I get done with the pillow and blanket I am making for AR.


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DIY Cloth Diaper Video Tutorial

Find Pattern Links Here



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We are certified!! (w\shameless plug)

Dh and I spent the last few days working on getting certified for the new business and man oh man was there a lot to learn. Now we will work on getting accounts set up. The ability to work from home on our schedule seems like it will be great, though we are aware that there are times that we will have to work really hard to get business. Anyone working (you don't need to own the business, we hope to get a lead and can help save you and/or your company money) in and around the Wichita, KS down through the Ponca City, OK area, feel free to contact us to get more info about the business, no business is too small. :) We're so excited!!! Keep us in your prayers.

Snake among us

Today AR found a snake in the laundry room, now living on a farm snakes are a part of life, especially when you have chickens. We have been very fortunate not to find snakes in the coop and/or layer boxes, but this guy has been a rather frequent visitor to our laundry room for some time. This time though he stuck around long enough to get caught and killed. Now I am well aware of the "good" qualities of snakes, especially their mouse catching skills but this guy was falling down on the job big time and had overstayed his welcome. I'm just hoping that there isn't more where he came from :(


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