From Skilled Hands » Mandala garden

This and That: A My Town Monday Post

fromskilledhands — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:42:40 +0000

It’s been absolutely gorgeous in my town, the Village of Peninsula, population 602. Blue skies, warm sunny days. Summer personified! My gardens are full of blooms and hopes for harvest. This is the 3rd year for my mandala garden, and it has filled in quite a bit.

Then:

And now:

In other news, Peninsula Python Day is coming! Saturday, July 16, from 10-5. There will be a plethora of pythons in Peninsula, and a people powered python parade, too. Visit Explore Peninsula, to see what’s on the agenda.

As always, please feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve been by. And don’t forget to see if anyone else has anything to say about the places they call home, over at My Town Monday.

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How Green is My Garden

fromskilledhands — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 02:35:31 +0000

It’s been hot and humid in my Valley. The temperature was in the mid-90′s all day, and the humidity was about the same. At 10:00 pm it’s 86. Not exactly what my mother used to call good sleeping weather.

After a slow start, our 22 foot mandala garden is looking pretty good, with celery, broccoli, brussel sprouts, garlic, onions, beets, radishes, carrots, peas, lettuce, kale, chard, beans, potatoes and sweet potatoes in the ground. Sunflowers, tomatoes and assorted herbs and flowers have volunteered from last year, and they are welcome additions. Here’s a look:

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Yesterday in Garden Henge

fromskilledhands — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:22:27 +0000

I spent some time in the garden yesterday, a welcome respite from the events of the past few weeks. What a wonderful place to be, feet planted firmly on the ground, feeling the energy of the earth. Here are some photos so you can see how my garden grows. As always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o) to let me know you have been here.

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Wordless Wednesday: First Week of August Edition

fromskilledhands — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:07:25 +0000

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Hey,The Barn Door is Open: A Wordless Wednesday Post

fromskilledhands — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:21:42 +0000

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How Green is My Valley: A My Town Monday Post

fromskilledhands — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:05:37 +0000

The weather has been good to the gardens in my valley, and Garden Henge has also enjoyed the blessings of Spring. The intense rains earlier this week and the warm temperatures have encouraged the plants and seeds to flourish. Each day is an adventure. I love going out there and seeing what has changed. I have brought a chair out to the garden, and I enjoy my morning cup of tea or coffee in the solitude of the space. Butterflies and insects abound and the majesty of Mother Nature is evident every way I look. Seedlings are emerging from the rich soil, reaching for the light.

We are already enjoying lettuce, peas and onions from the gardens. Here’s a look at what else is growing.

Travis Erwin, My Town Mondays intrepid host, will be glad to know that the rains have also brought out lots of slugs. I think that they would qualify as meat. Wander on over to Travis’ place, and you will find links to other folks’ towns all over this fine planet.

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My Town Monday: Garden Henge

fromskilledhands — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:47:58 +0000

We’ve gardened for some time here in our valley, but this year we decided to expand our garden, and our minds. I’ve spent the last few years exploring permaculture. Dictionary.com defines it :

per-ma-cul-ture

[pur-muh-kuhl-cher] –noun

a system of cultivation intended to maintain permanent agriculture or horticulture by relying on renewable resources and a self-sustaining ecosystem.

We decided on a mandala shaped garden for the new bed for several reasons: there is certainly more square footage with this method but mainly it is beautiful. Nature does not grow things in straight rows. It is also a no-till method so the soil structure is maintained. We started by mowing the area and then put down a thick layer of newspapers to kill the sod. We layered different kinds or organic matter: leaves, straw, grass clippings, compost, and manure. Then we planted. The soil is amazingly friable! We never walk on it so it isn’t compacted. Weeds can be pulled out with ease. We planted a variety of vegetables an flowers to create a diverse environment. Our goal is to grow as much of out own food as possible, as well as food for my in-laws, and for a food pantry.

Here are some photos of the work in progress. I’ll keep you posted so you can see how it grows.

Cloudy and Winston were happy to join us in this beautiful place.

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Travis Erwin is the main MTM Marauder. Take a walk on over to his place and you will find links to blogs all over this blue planet.

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Wordless Wednesday: Garden Henge

fromskilledhands — Wed, 20 May 2009 01:28:15 +0000

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From Skilled Hands » Mandala garden

This and That: A My Town Monday Post

It’s been absolutely gorgeous in my town, the Village of Peninsula, population 602. Blue skies, warm sunny days. Summer personified! My gardens are full of blooms and hopes for harvest. This is the 3rd year for my mandala garden, and it has filled in quite a bit.

Then:

And now:

In other news, Peninsula Python Day is coming! Saturday, July 16, from 10-5. There will be a plethora of pythons in Peninsula, and a people powered python parade, too. Visit Explore Peninsula, to see what’s on the agenda.

As always, please feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve been by. And don’t forget to see if anyone else has anything to say about the places they call home, over at My Town Monday.

How Green is My Garden

It’s been hot and humid in my Valley. The temperature was in the mid-90′s all day, and the humidity was about the same. At 10:00 pm it’s 86. Not exactly what my mother used to call good sleeping weather.

Yesterday in Garden Henge

Wordless Wednesday: First Week of August Edition

Hey,The Barn Door is Open: A Wordless Wednesday Post

How Green is My Valley: A My Town Monday Post

We are already enjoying lettuce, peas and onions from the gardens. Here’s a look at what else is growing.

Travis Erwin, My Town Mondays intrepid host, will be glad to know that the rains have also brought out lots of slugs. I think that they would qualify as meat. Wander on over to Travis’ place, and you will find links to other folks’ towns all over this fine planet.

My Town Monday: Garden Henge

We’ve gardened for some time here in our valley, but this year we decided to expand our garden, and our minds. I’ve spent the last few years exploring permaculture. Dictionary.com defines it :

per-ma-cul-ture

/?p?rm??k?lt??r/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [pur-muh-kuhl-cher] –noun

a system of cultivation intended to maintain permanent agriculture or horticulture by relying on renewable resources and a self-sustaining ecosystem.

Here are some photos of the work in progress. I’ll keep you posted so you can see how it grows.

Cloudy and Winston were happy to join us in this beautiful place.

Travis Erwin is the main MTM Marauder. Take a walk on over to his place and you will find links to blogs all over this blue planet.

Wordless Wednesday: Garden Henge

[pur-muh-kuhl-cher] –noun