31 August 2014

Standing in the Garden Last Night

Standing in the garden last night, 
I was inspired to photograph the beauty before me.
The words that came to me were not my own, 


May you see and appreciate what is right before you.



29 August 2014

Our Chicken Coop Awaits Artistic Inspiration

We scoured blogs and free chicken coop designs for months and had friends bring over old pallets and break them down in an attempt to provide us with materials to create one.  Due to time and resource constraints, it seemed wiser to buy a pre-fabricated coop to get rolling.

We have assembled our chosen coop and the the run and will connect the two after we get it painted and sealed.  The coop is well designed, but we had to throw out all of the original hardware and screws due to quality issues. 


Our plan is to get four Black Australorp chicks this next week and we plan on adding an elongated run as the chicks mature.



This week, we are collecting brooding supplies, looking for an appropriate predator barrier for the bottom, and hoping for artistic inspiration for the coop.

Some paper resources on starting up this important component of permaculture: 

And you can't forget the Old Farmer's Almanac any time you are doing something with permaculture, farming, or ranching.

17 August 2014

My Friend the Dragonfly

I really enjoyed working in one of the gardens today as my friend would survey my work and come sit by my side.  I look forward to more time together.  


Photo of Brown Dragonfly on Tomato Cage 

06 August 2014

Planting Calendar For Travis County

What are the best seeds to plant this time of year?


Here's a planting Calendar for Travis County and Central Texas:
(Feel free to let us know of more plants that work well this time of year)

JulyAugustSeptember
    1-15
  • Chard
  • Sweet Corn
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Okra
  • Black-eye Peas
  • Pepper Plants
  • Pumpkin
  • Salsify
  • New Zealand Spinach
  • Summer Squash
  • Winter Squash
  • Tomato Plants
  • Watermelon
    15-31
  • Lima Beans
  • Snap Beans
  • Canteloupe
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Chard
  • Sweet Corn
  • Cucumbers
  • Fennel
  • Okra
  • Black-eye Peas
  • Pepper Plants
  • Pumpkin
  • Rutabaga
  • New Zealand Spinach
  • Summer Squash
  • Winter Squash
  • Tomato Plants
  • Watermelon
    1-15
  • Lima Beans
  • Snap Beans
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Chard
  • Chinese Cabbage
  • Sweet Corn
  • Cucumbers
  • Fennel
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Okra
  • Black-eye Peas
  • Potatoes
  • Rutabaga
  • Shallots
  • New Zealand Spinach
  • Summer Squash
  • Winter Squash
    15-31
  • Snap Beans
  • Beets
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Chard
  • Chinese Cabbage
  • Collards
  • Sweet Corn
  • Cucumbers
  • Endive
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Head Lettuce
  • Leaf Lettuce
  • Mustard
  • Potatoes
  • Shallots
  • Summer Squash
    1-15
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Chard
  • Chinese Cabbage
  • Collards
  • Endive
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Head Lettuce
  • Leaf Lettuce
  • Mustard
  • Parsley
  • Garden Peas
  • Radishes
  • Shallots
  • Summer Squash
  • Turnips
    15-30
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Chard
  • Chinese Cabbage
  • Collards
  • Garlic
  • Head Lettuce
  • Leaf Lettuce
  • Mustard
  • Parsley
  • Garden Peas
  • Radishes
  • Shallots
  • Spinach
  • Turnips
(Chart obtained from the Texas Agrilife Extension of Travis County.)

Areas included in Travis County: