Gardening on the Cheap,,, I mean, really cheap

  
    Do you know that Bible verse about "train up a child in the way that he should go?"  Well, it really works..  Alice-Ann and I were on our way to Grandma Combs' house on a detour the other day when I stopped the car in the middle of the street, backed up, and yelled, "Throw that stuff into the back!"   Which she promptly did!  What was worth all that, you say?   FREE   wire closet racks, which will soon be turned into the shelves in my greenhouse.  My greenhouse, which is becoming more and more a reality, now that I have MORE windows, and these were FREE! 

 Can I say "FREE" any more?  Yes, yes, I can!  After band practice Wednesday night, I was chatting with a Wabash prof/trumpet player, and started telling him about our building project.   He is also a woodworker, so he was interested in how it will all come together.  I then mentioned "greenhouse" and "recycled windows"  and he perked up.  He then offered me 5 tall, double-paned, refurbished storm windows from his historic house  (red Italianate with a tower on Cherry St.).  He and his wife finally became tired of carting them up and down the stairs and had replacement windows put in.  Bill and the boys picked them up yesterday,  and now they are mine, all mine!   I'm not sure where they are resting right now,,, Sissy and I were too busy thrifting in Indy to watch that whole process.  

                                               

     This is the basic idea of what I want the greenhouse to look like. 

 I also snagged three heavy greenhouse windows (formerly from a Purdue greenhouse) from freecycle.org.  I had never tried that website, but I'm here to tell you, it worked the first day I got on there!  Someone had these in his potting shed, tore down the shed, and just wanted them out of his way.  FREE!  I just had to go get them.  I'm thinking that if they are not wall or ceiling material, they may become lids to cold frames, which are large slanting boxes on the outside of the greenhouse where I can harden off seedlings in a protected area.  

Another project I'm working on now is planting a native/bee friendly garden in the backyard for Bill's little friends.  We had an ugly foundation for an old horse barn in the back, so the foundation digger guy moved dirt he had dug back there.  He filled in and smoothed out over the area, which is very close to the beehives.  So now I've moved two ninebark shrubs, 

 some lilies, 

 oregano,

 hyssop, 
               

and a redbud tree sapling, which will eventually look like this.

                          

I need to move several more native plants back there, but with all this rain and the resultant mud, I'm having to bide my time.  I did just sprinkle buckwheat seeds all over the fresh dirt.  Buckwheat comes up quickly, is a great nitrogen fixer, and when turned under, or left to rot, adds green manure to the soil. Buckwheat is legendary for bee nectar production.  In fact, it is one of the best plants for honey.  It will help keep the soil intact on the hill, and keep down weeds while I try to fill in with plants.  It's supposed to be up and growing well within 20 days, we'll see!  

Also, alongside this spot is a patch of wild raspberries, which I partake from every time I'm back there.   I have to do "poison ivy yoga" to get to some of the berries.  That means bending into unlikely poses, leaning over, and hoping to snatch some berries before I touch the dreaded beastie plant.   I have left several patches of raspberries untouched along the edges of our property in the back for bird food, and bees.   Bailey and I were back there planting the shrubs and eating raspberries the other day.  I told him to go get a bowl.  His remark--"Mom, a bowl means sharing, and I'm not willing to do that."  I agree. 

Plant of the week:  Bee Balm
                              
This is a great plant if you want to attract and feed butterflies, all kinds of bees, and other flying creatures.  It can spread itself out nicely if it is growing in a large patch of garden.  It's perennial, so no need to replant, it does a great  job of finding new places to live ( a nice way to say "invasive")all on its own.   There are several varieties of bee balm,  find a color you like, pull up a chair. and have a free nature show. 

Hey, it's rained a lot lately, but no one's building a boat yet, so there's hope for us!   At least everything in the garden is lush this year!

Dirt up!
Dianne