Bells of the North Homestead

I've been looking at photos from the past few weeks, especially since I found some recently on my Facebook page from last year at almost exactly this time, and well....I really have to pat my husband and I on the back. This is what really made the impact. The left side was from last year.  No compost, no raised beds, No compost tea, no extra soil. Nothing. This year we've added raised beds, extra soil, extra compost, compost tea, vermicompost and bonemeal along with loads and loads of backbreaking work. So I guess I cannot attribute all of our success to the compost tea.  However, the tomato plants in our planters are doing awesome ! We have diligently been following a schedule of compost tea one week, miracle grow fertilizer the next. The end result? Can you believe this!?  What amazing growth! Next is our tomato and eggplant/pepper beds.  Again just really awesome growth here.  We've been out here almost nightly now so it's easy to miss how the plan

This is pretty rare. This is actually only rare because A) I did another video       & B) My son and husband helped me

Normally I like to update here each week but this past week has been extremely busy.  The theme parks are open so we've been enjoying that as well as preparing for our upcoming vacation. Plus, add the rainy weather and well.  I just haven't had a chance to take photos, give any updates, etc. So without further delay, here's a photo log of how things are going.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a shot of my little friends, the worms, so they'll be following in my next blog. We thought this Azalea was almost dead but thanks to a little TLC it's coming back! Sweet Banana Pepper Plant There are actually TWO tomato plants in this pot however one is smaller so you can't really see it well.  Nasturtiums started by direct sowing are circling the Tomato.  Later these will climb down the pot and provide us with some colorful and tasty flowers for our salads! The grass is FINALLY growing in in spots!  Not as much mud now to wade through!   Okra, direct

Okay, another treat.  A video.  Once again I felt that me just taking pictures wouldn't show how cute this little garden lights look at night. They make me feel like I'm watching a fireworks show in my backyard!  Love it!

Wednesday our little friends arrived in the mail!!!  Approximately 250 of Red Wigglers along with several little cocoons which will hatch later on and provide even more worms. (or as we call them for our son "squirmy wormies") So Wednesday night hubby and I had to prepare their new home. Luckily enough I had already picked up the rubbermaid containers from Target.  Great deal for $5.99 each.  Not bad! Then hubby got out his power drill and proceeded to drill holes for ventilation.   We drilled all around the top with just about an inch apart from each one.  We didn't go very far down simply because I've heard red wigglers like to explore.  I didn't want them to find a hole and explore right on out of our container!   We also did loads and loads of holes on the top.  I figured it would take a pretty creative worm to get to the top of the bin!   Next was the bottom.  I read pretty much everywhere that it's important to drill holes in the bottom to allow exce

Actually we completed the front bed over 2 weeks ago but we finally had the time AND the money to get the compost and till up by hand the area a bit.  It looks so much better!  However it appears that some monster is getting to the Marina di Chioggia simply because they're being broken.  I'm guessing it's the neighbors dog but since I haven't seen him do that to those plants I can't tell for sure.  I know our neighbors dog has killed one of our watermelons and almost killed a cabbage. Two weeks later, this is what we have.  The Snapdragons were free from our CSA share at Brad's Produce which help dress this area up a bit.  More beans are planted and the cabbage looks a bit better. The Marina di Chioggia closest to the camera seems to be the one with the most injury.  The other one is constantly on again, off again healthy.  Weird.   The Yarrow of course is happy almost wherever I place it along with the marigolds.  Those are so hard to kill, you almost hav

A bit of history on me.  First I used to help my Dad in the garden as a kid.  Many's the time I can remember helping Dad harvest our meager amount of tomatoes in Southern Maryland. My babysitters parents used to have a massive sized garden and when my babysitter needed to run an errand she would bring my little brother and I to her parents so they could help watch us.  In the end my brother and I used to be enlisted in helping in the backyard with large bowls so we could pick the wax beans, tomatoes, corn, etc. We usually ate more than what we brought in but I'm sure my babysitters Mom was just grateful for the company as we all worked together.  I used to help my Dad tend our front yard in Hawaii.  I remember our delight in our own home grown coconuts and papayas or me killing our hot pepper plant because it was being attacked by some unknown pest(they were aphids). Later, once we had moved to Tennessee I used to help somewhat however by then I was a 16 year old teenager.  Pl