Rain!

It rained two inches in about twenty minutes yesterday. I have a happy garden and one-hundred gallons of rain water in barrels.

Cool site...

Homegrown Evolution:

Erik Knutzen and Kelly Coyne write Homegrown Evolution, a blog that explores a fast-growing new movement: urbanites are becoming gardeners and farmers. Kelly and Erik are the authors of The Urban Homestead coming out in June of 2008 from Process Media. They have researched and experimented with small scale urban agriculture since moving to their tiny bungalow in Los Angeles ten years ago. Since 2006, in this practical, hands-on blog, we have shared our successes and failures and include step-by-step directions and links to resources that will get you started urban homesteading immediately, whether you live in an apartment or a house. Contact us at survivela [insert “at” symbol] sbcglobal.net.

Some seeds I'm considering from Evergreen

• Coriander, Slow Bolt Winner
• Korean Radish, Hybrid Sweet
• Chinese Radish, Red Skin
• Daikon Radish, Miyashige Green Neck
• Korean Squash, Hybrid Green BT
• Edible Amaranth, Tender Leaf
• Komatsuna, Hybrid Kojisan
• Japanese Squash, Hybrid Tetsukabuto

Fennel seeds from Florence fennel

I planted this fennel last November or so, in what was then my butterfly garden. It made it through the frosts and inundations and droughts and now has been blooming for a couple of months. I pick the seed caps as they dry, separate out the seeds, let them dry, and add them to my spice jar. My three or four little plants have produced easily two cups of seeds this season.

Weather Discussion : Weather Underground

Yep, basically six weeks without a drop of rain. It's been getting into the low 90s every day. Incredibly dry.

Weather Discussion : Weather Underground: "The last major rain event occurred on Apr 6th when much of east central Florida received between 1.50-2.00' of rain. Since then... all of the major reporting stations (kdab/kmco/kmlb/kvrb) have received less than a quarter inch of rain total."

The Greywater Guerrillas

The Greywater Guerrillas: "Recycling Water the Greywater Guerrillas' Way

Greywater is water that flows down sink, shower, and washing machine drains--but not the toilet. Greywater may contain traces of dirt, food, grease, hair, and household cleaning products. While greywater may look “dirty,” it is a safe and even beneficial source of irrigation water. If released into rivers, lakes, or estuaries, the nutrients in greywater (mainly phosphate from detergent) become pollutants, but to garden plants, they are valuable fertilizer. Aside from the obvious benefits of saving water (and money on your water bill), reusing your greywater keeps it out of the sewer or septic system, thereby reducing the chance that it will pollute local water bodies Reusing greywater for irrigation reconnects urban residents and our backyard gardens to the natural water cycle."

These guys are the real thing...

Drip system installed...

I spent the morning finishing up the installation of my micro-sprinkler system. I like the simplicity of the system, and it's very effective at watering and minimizing wasted water, though it does require a bit of meticulousness and patience to install (compared, say, to a wand sprinkler on the end of a hose). I have two zones, connected to timers.

It should, therefore, pour today. I'm sure there's some law about it.

Stone Pylon Garden

I liked this list of summer temperate/tropical veg, from a hobby gardener in South Florida. The site as a whole is pretty interesting, though it looks to be neglected.

Nesbit Grapes

Nesbit, Vitis rotundifolia. From a large vine I transplanted this summer.

Alstroemeria rhizomes

I got a pot of alstroemeria back in 2006, and they've been blooming happily every year in a big fiberglass urn, from November through April. This year I decided that I needed to repot them (and I needed that urn). I've never seen the tubers before -- they're fleshy and come in crowns, like dahlias. They seemed evenly distributed throughout the pot, and didn't seem to be oriented in any particular direction, so I just tossed them back into some nursery pots full of potting mix. If they don't come back next year, I'll just buy some new tubers.

A quick update in mosaics...

New compost barrel

Our compost situation was, well, squirming. Seething might be a better word. Wriggling works.

I have a very high threshold for such things, and even I quaked, when it came to be MY TURN to take the accumulated scraps to... the swarm. Caught some nice bluegill, though, using the soldier fly maggots as bait.

So for Mothers Day (in addition to buying a new super-efficient fridge to replace our 1995 model), I built my wife (and myself, of course)... a drum composter!

Fifteen bucks for the barrel. Twelve for the hardware and 4x4x8's. I used a salvaged steel rod from our old awning (very very strong), and the top from an old trashcan. Four conduit brackets hold the barrel onto the posts.

I still need to add a doorknob to make turning easier, and rig up some way of keeping the door closed when turning. Oh, and i need to finish painting it and clean it up some. But otherwise, I'm pretty satisfied.

It's at exactly the right height to empty into my wheelbarrow, and I have the option to add a second barrel, above the existing one, if we decide we need it. We could start compost in the top, transfer to the bottom when that load is finished.

The hardest things were cutting the plastic neatly (it's seriously stiff plastic -- I broke a jigsaw blade and wore out two power drill batteries cutting the holes) and digging the four foot holes for the posts (dry dry dry sand and no posthole digger). Otherwise, an afternoon project. It turns the compost beautifully, and drains well, which should help the soldier fly maggot problem. Too hot and dry for them to flourish.

Cachucha peppers

Finally poked up to the surface this morning. A week or so from planting to germination. Nice warm window.

Seed update

From Isaac's observation journal...

Column 2, 3 (Summer Glory) -- lots of sprouts, some large, some small.
Column 4 (Epazote)-- no germination yet
Column 5 (Amaranth) -- two cells sprouted
Column 6 (Lagos Spinach) -- spotty germination
Column 7 (Basil) -- great germination
Column 8, 9 (Queensland Lettuce) -- fair germination
Column 10 (Cachucha) -- no germination yet