The drive is long but this weekend I will have more visitors :) I will take it and be hsppy while I can get it cause after this I don't think many relatives and friends will take the 3 1/2 hours drive just to pop in and say Hi :)
So the visit date is 1 week away.... yea I had to even schedule it. I am thinking what I would like to accomplish on this trip. My vast experience has taught me (3 visits to the property) that I should pick my battles wisely as although I would love to just knock out my 10 item long to do list each item takes time and I also have to allow for camp site build up and tear down. Cooking And keeping the guests entertained. Also I have to avoid activities that waste time. Like going off property to eat or get supplies.
So I have been thinking of this I want to do before hand and some of the lessons I have learned.
This week I want to focus on Gardening.
This week I want to focus on Gardening.
PREPARATIONS
Volunteered at High Park
This was a great experience i will do it again for sure. I live the look of my little forest and I am seeking some education on how to conserve the look as well as do a little subsistence farming and fishing. High Park has a volunteer program that runs twice a month. On my first visit they were clearing invasive plants that were good for somethings but bad for the other species of plants that the park wanted to conserve. Our focus was the tall sweet white clover. Good things: it's nitrogen fixing and has good tasting polen for bees that makes yummy hunny. Bad stuff: about this plant it's reproduction rate, growth rate and coverage area was faster and wider than the plants High Park wants to keep. I think I will try it out see how I like it read about it some more.
Vegetable and Herb Garden
Mint
One thing I love in this world is tea. And my favorite tea is mint tea. I come from a world where when I woke up in the morning and felt like having a nice fat mug of tea , I would go outside in my back yard and pick off a few leaves off my mint bush , wash them and brew. You can't get fresher than that. I miss that. So the first order of business is plant a mint bush and see what happens to it through the winter.
I have been doing some internet reading and Mint should be winter hardy depending on the species. The bush will die back during winter but grow back in spring time. So we will see.
One thing I love in this world is tea. And my favorite tea is mint tea. I come from a world where when I woke up in the morning and felt like having a nice fat mug of tea , I would go outside in my back yard and pick off a few leaves off my mint bush , wash them and brew. You can't get fresher than that. I miss that. So the first order of business is plant a mint bush and see what happens to it through the winter.
I have been doing some internet reading and Mint should be winter hardy depending on the species. The bush will die back during winter but grow back in spring time. So we will see.
Day 1 I purchased some spearmint seeds for $2. I put them to germinate using the paper towel method.
Day 7 I saw no signs of life none of the seeds sprouted and so I got anxious and a little disappointed. I went just went to my neighbourhood florist and bought 2 plants. Luckily they were on sale and I got 2 of them for $3 total.
I bought spearmint and apple mint both yummy.... i tried them. I made a few cuttings and put them in water to root. They root easily I have done it a few times.
Day 7 I saw no signs of life none of the seeds sprouted and so I got anxious and a little disappointed. I went just went to my neighbourhood florist and bought 2 plants. Luckily they were on sale and I got 2 of them for $3 total.
I bought spearmint and apple mint both yummy.... i tried them. I made a few cuttings and put them in water to root. They root easily I have done it a few times.
Day 9 I decided to check on the mint seeds again. To my surprise 6 germinated ....very tiny little things. I was extatic.
Day 11 days after that I think I had 9 more that sprouted. I carefully planted the 9 to see if they would take to the soil this early and left the 6 in the paper towel to grow up a little more. I checked on the cuttings. No roots yet.
Day 11 days after that I think I had 9 more that sprouted. I carefully planted the 9 to see if they would take to the soil this early and left the 6 in the paper towel to grow up a little more. I checked on the cuttings. No roots yet.
I think the plan will be. Plant the original ones I got from the florist when I got visit the property next weekend.
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Orchard
To recap I hsve a few fruits planted already. I bought them from home depot. Plants there are expensive by my standards so buying all the trees I want will be very expensive for me.
The tress and bushes and vines I have already that cost me total of $70 are:
1 cherry
1 apple
1 grape vine
1 blueberry bush
To recap I hsve a few fruits planted already. I bought them from home depot. Plants there are expensive by my standards so buying all the trees I want will be very expensive for me.
The tress and bushes and vines I have already that cost me total of $70 are:
1 cherry
1 apple
1 grape vine
1 blueberry bush
I know that planting seeds that come from the grocery store are unpredictable as worst case they may not fruit and if they do the fruit may not taste good. But until I can find the seed packets to buy I will try the supermarket seeds.
I ate a some fruits ... one apple and got 4 seeds and ate one pear and got 5 seeds and 138 cherries. ... ha ha ha ... that was my lunch one day 138 cherries while i read about how to grow cherry trees from seed.
I put the apples and the pears to germinate and the cherry seeds to dry for 2 days.
Solar Power
I was checking the Canadian tire website for deals on solar equipment. The panels and inverters full price are expensive.
I bought a 150W solar panel on sale.
I was checking the Canadian tire website for deals on solar equipment. The panels and inverters full price are expensive.
I bought a 150W solar panel on sale.
PROPERTY PROJECTS
Planting
I will plant the crops I took with me. And check on the ones that are there.
I will plant the crops I took with me. And check on the ones that are there.
Bed relocation:
It was out in the sun and with the lack of water shade and too much heat all the plants were not having a great time. So this week I will get more materials to move and make a bigger bed
It was out in the sun and with the lack of water shade and too much heat all the plants were not having a great time. So this week I will get more materials to move and make a bigger bed
Check on the solar path lights
I forgot to pack them up last time so I hope they still work and the rechargeable batteries are doing ok.
I forgot to pack them up last time so I hope they still work and the rechargeable batteries are doing ok.
Tree check
I would like to make a note off all the different trees I have on the property. I would like to find a suitable evergreen tree to plant at the fence the start propagating that.
I would like to make a note off all the different trees I have on the property. I would like to find a suitable evergreen tree to plant at the fence the start propagating that.
More canadian tire shopping.
IT'S FINALLY THE WEEKEND!
So what happened?
I must say I have been better organised this trip. Woke up early rented the SUV, packed it, picked up my mom and picked up a few things from home depot and got out of town by 10:30am. What's a new record usually it's like 12 and one of clock.
Here is the YouTube video
https://youtu.be/uqw23j1IRG8
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