Look! "I Grow More Than Veggies"

Just wanted to show what was blooming around the house and show that I can garden more than veggies, lol! Many things have already bloomed such as Pear trees, Crab-apple trees, Lillie's and such and there are many others getting ready to bloom!

Linked with:
farm-photo-friday-linky
Wordless Wednesday,
Country Home Maker Hop
Wednesday Link Up
Garden-club-thursday

"The proper understanding of everything in life begins with God.  No one will ever understand the necessity of conversion who does not know why God created us.  He created us "in His image" so that we would image forth his glory in the world.  We were made to be prisms refracting the light of God's glory into all of life.  Why God should want to give us a share in shining with His glory is a great mystery.  Call it grace or mercy or love- it is an unspeakable wonder.  Once we were not.  Then we existed- for the glory of God!"  John Piper

Broccoli,Onions,Butter-head Lettuces,Chard,Kohlrabi

Bleeding Heart

Virginia Bells

Forget-me-nots

Viburnum

Grape hyacinths

Orange Gem

Wild Geranium

                           

Damping-Off 101

Complements of the NJHA

  Most of us by now have either started our seeds or are planning to within the next week or so! One of the main things you need to try to prevent is called "Damping-Off". According to the University of Connecticut, "Damping-off is a common disease that kills seedlings in the greenhouse. Damping-off can kill both germinating seeds and young seedlings. Several fungi can cause this disease, including Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium spp., Phytophthora spp., Sclerotinia spp., and Botrytis spp. Most of these fungi can also cause cuttings to rot. These fungi are found in practically all soils and pose a large threat to plant propagation. Practically all species of plants can be affected." Read More fro them Here!

  It is simply caused a few things: 1) Dirty Container:, so soak and clean with a mixture of 1 part bleach and 8 parts water. 2) Non-sterilized Soil: buy sterilized, seed starting mix. 3)Stagnant air in the area staring your seeds: make sure you have good venting. 4)Dirty Tools and Hands: keep your tools and hands cleaned while plating! A couple other hints are: Water early in the day, when you go to transplant seedlings into larger containers make sure to keep hands off stems, use a spoon to move them and take as much of the staring soil as you can with it!

  I have read where you can mix 4 tsp. of chamomile tea, 1 tsp. of dish liquid mix in a quart spray bottle with water and spray on the seedlings and it will help as well. I personally have never used it and feel if you use the four steps above, you probably won't need to! Just remember this can happen to anyone, try not to get discouraged and start over as quick as you can.

  It happens to the best of us for what ever reason. I have lost a couple of tomato seedlings this year, hopefully that's it! Lets us know if you have any other tips!

  Look at each of these like this: 1)Dirty Container=Uncleaned Vessel 2)Nonsterile soil=Unpurified Soul 3)Stagnant air=Same unjustified life 4)Dirty Tools and Hands=Unforgiven Sate, all needing one thing, the saving Gospel of Jesus! "Can We Do Enough?". 

  Whether it is a "Dirty Container or a Dirty Vessel", both led to the withering up and eventually death of the plant or person. To clean dirty containers for our seeds, we have to do all the work to make sure they don't die before the reach their full potential but to have the Dirty Vessel Cleaned, that work is already do for us and our own vessel! God Bless and Happy Gardening!

1 Timothy 2:5-6  “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.” 

This is linked to"
Homestead Revival: Barn Hop #56 
Fugal-days-sustainable-ways 
Tuesdays Garden Party 
Frugal Tuesday Tips 
Country Garden Showcase 
Your-cozy-home-party-13 
Tuesday Greens 4 
Teach Me Tuesday 

"A Challenge From Neglection"

  I was blog reading this morning and I ran across a challenge that I felt the need to extend! But before I do let me explain a little about it. We all neglect things in life (myself included), look at our plants that we take such a long tedious time to plant the seed, water, keep enough light, warmth and breeze on them. Everyday we go out and check on them, taking much care and paying close attention to detail, BUT what if we start to neglect them? I would venture to say they would wither up and probably die! As their care givers though, as soon as we see something wrong with the little plants, we take great care to quickly hurry and troubleshoot what is happening with them. We grab our trusty "How To Fix It Book", computer, we ask a friend, we will take as much time and effort that it takes to nurse our dieing plant back to perfect health, so that it will grow up and produce a heavy crop for us to consume! You know I am right, I do it too! That's just an example of something we may neglect. It could be you neglect projects around the house, relationships,exercise,anything can fall in this category! Things get away from us!
  Well, whats this have to do with the challenge? Just like neglecting the plant as it grows, if we neglect our bodies they will get sickly, hurt and maybe even wither up! But that's still not the area of concern. The area of concern is our soul. Just like the plant we must feed, water and take much care of our soul. Paying close attention to detail. This is how the soul stays healthy and grows to produce fruit. (Keep in mind that it is only by God's grace that we can and would even want to do this! In my unsaved state, I didn't want nothing to do with anything of God's, I was His enemy!)

You might say, "Well Clint, I pray, go to church and follow the Lord". 
I would say, "If you only feed and paid attention to your plants once a week they would probably die".
You might say, "Well, I pray everyday".
I would ask, "Do you read you Bible everyday"?
You might say, "Not everyday or every once in a while".
I would say, "Prayer is two way communication between you and God and if all you are doing is praying (talking) to God and not reading His word (listening) to God, then its a one sided conversation!

http://www.bibledesignblog.com/

  So if you don't read God's Word everyday, we are not taking as good of care of your spiritual soul as we are those tender little plants. If you do read Gods Word Daily, great don't quit. If you need a Bible Click Here for a free one!
  The Challenge is this: pick up your "How To Fix It Book", "The Holy Bible" at least 5 minutes a day (we do spend an average of 4 hours a day watching T.V., isn't God More important?) and listen to what God has to tell you. The answers to your side of the conversation are in there, all the food and water, all the things you need to grow up as strong, healthy and fruitful as the plant that you your self have taken such a delighted care to raise. You have given the plant everything it needs and it trusted you enough to receive it. Well, God has done the same for you, He has given you everything you need, you just need to open it and read! http://www.biblegateway.com/

Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Linked to:
Your Thriving Family 
Barn Hop 56 
Tuesdays Garden Party 
My Daily Walk in His Grace 
 Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday
On in and around Mondays
The Beauty of His Grip 
these five of mine plus two 

"From Start to Finish"

  My Pastor did this 30min study to help answer questions of  salvation. It starts at the beginning and takes us through our walk with Jesus. With Gods word he answers many questions that people have asked for a long time. Please take less then 30 minutes to listen. Click Here: "Salvation Start to Finish"! May God Bless you with His word!

1 Peter 1: ²⁰ "He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."

Linked with:
Sunday Scavenger Hunt 
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Beating "Jack Frost"

  This is the time of year when you plant and then worry about old "Jack Frost". But don't worry there are many ways to beat that cold snap that knocks out your favorite veggie, fruit tree or perennials! You can use commercial row covers, news paper, bed sheets, burlap sacks, Cloches, plastic, anything really to protect your tender plants from Jacks bite! There are many good places to buy Row Covers! But sometimes we don't have things large enough or even enough of to cover everything! So here is a tip that dad taught me that you can do in a pinch.

  This seems to go beyond all good reasoning when it comes to freezing but to it is something that even your fruit farmers have done for years. The night before go out and mist everything down with a water hose or sprayer! I have heard people say you can do this really early of the morning, way before the sun comes up, but that's not what I was taught. The reasons plants or fruits are damaged by the cold temps is because the cold draws moisture from inside the plants, kinda like freeze-drying them. The colder it gets on the surface of the leaf, the more damage is done to the plant. A coating of ice keeps the temperature on the surface of the leaf to the freezing point of water or a little below. So if it goes much below 32 degrees, you would probably have better luck with covering them with something. Like I said it doesn't make logical since but it does help!

  Before you try this please read this more in depth article by the West Virginia Agricultural Engineers, "FROST PROTECTION WITH SPRINKLER IRRIGATION"!

  Also while ready different articles about this a few weeks back I stumbled across this Video and article you may what to watch. I have never tried or this! This Botanists developed a spray that, when misted over a plant, will help it endure temperatures 2.2 to 9.4 degree. "Anti-Freeze For Your Plants Botanists Develop 'Antifreeze' Spray for Plants". 

  Link up with:
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Weekend Whatever
Garden Life
Preparedness Challenge 

 Proverbs 25:25 "As cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a far country."

Ramps, Good Eatin?

Picture from www.bloggingwv.com

  Here in West Virginia it is coming the time of the year were people will grab up their hand shovels and head into the woods to dig up some wonderful tasting "Ramps"! You might be wondering at this point, what in the heck are ramps? Ramps are in the same family as onions, garlic and leeks. The leaves look a lot like that of the Lily of the Valley. They start growing right about now and don't have a very long growing season, so you have to get them quick before they go away! Here is a more in depth research  from "NCSU on "Ramps". Can you grow ramps at home in your garden? You sure can but I would do lots of research on them before you do (good article coming up). They have to have a specific soil type and shaded area before they will grow well! Can you eat them? I love them, they are great to eat with almost anything. I will tell you though don't expect to get to many hugs or kisses from your spouse or anyone else for that matter if you eat them for at least a couple of days, they really stick with you!  In old times ramps were thought to have a medicinal uses for many different thing "A Modern Herbal". Here is another great article on everything that we have talked bout so far "Wild Leeks of Appalachia", especially growing them yourself. We also have a "Ramp Festival" you can go to if you are in the Richmond area, "Ramp Festival"!

  I have to tell you a funny story about the first time my wife was introduced to ramps, by me. We hadn't been married that long and we both had had to work that day. Well, I was gonna be home before her, so I called her and asked what was for dinner. She told me and as we were talking I drove by a guy who was selling ramps beside the road. I told her I was gonna stop and buy some to have with dinner. I could hear a pause in her voice, she either new what they were and didn't tell me or was trying to figure out what they were. Long story short, while I was cleaning the little guys, I opened up all the windows in the house, then started cooking them. Oh, they smelled so good to me (I thought anyway), I couldn't wait! I heard my wife pull into the driveway, the car turn off and the door shut! A looong silent pause, looong! Then I heard from my beautiful new bride, "What in the $%#@ is that smell"? This was while she was out side. When she came in the door, I heard, "Clint what is that smell"? I was a little afraid to say by this point. So I graciously said, "maybe I should finish cooking these on the grill!" She kindly agreed and in 17 years I have never cooked them in the house again. Most of the time I just go to a local Ramp Dinner, it saves time and weeks of airing the house out. But they are very good eatin I tell you, if you have never tried one try it, you might be surprised! 

  Note: this was B.C. or Before Christ!

States that Ramps Grow in are in Green!

Linked up with this week:
My Simple Country Living Blog Hop
Deep Roots at Home Link-up
Farm Girl Treasure: Hunt Tuesday
Growing Home: Home Making Link-up
An Oregon Cottage: Garden Party
Our Simple Farm
Rural Thursday Blog Hop
Two Bears Farm and Three cubs
Preparedness-Challenge-33
Saturday Nite Special 

"Going to the Goats"

Dawna and 2 of her new babies!

  Today is my wife's birthday and she wanted a little time to herself, so my daughter and I went to visit a friend of ours at their farm. Dawna and Doug's farm is just a couple of miles from our house. It is a special time around their farm because the have new babies being born. Just this morning as they were getting ready for church Dawna heard one of the nannies getting ready to have a couple of kids. So Doug being the fearless "goat doctor" that he is, got Dawna ready to go to the barn, dropped her off and he continued on to church, lol! You have to understand these are Dawna's babies, Doug loves to love on them and even built the barn for them but when it comes to the goats themselves Dawna is the expert! So after church my daughter and I drove out to see the newest babies that were born today. We had a blast!

Born March 25,2012

Eatin Away!

    "Away In A Manger"

Me and a baby

  We did have a fun time! Dawna taught us so much and was a very gracious host. She has 13 now and counting. I think a couple more have to have babies as well! We had goats growing up, one even accidentally stuck on of her horns between my front two teeth when we were playing around. Accident or not it still hurt!

  Thanks again to Dawna and Doug for allowing us to come out and share this learning experience with my daughter! Hope you all enjoyed the little guys as much as we did.

Matthew 25:32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats."