Foraging - Huckleberries

I've just made a neat discovery in my own woods. Huckleberries! I found a thicket of the bushes farther down than where I'd previously trekked.

Huckleberries are similar to and related to blueberries. Huckleberries are smaller, though, so it takes a lot more of them to use in a recipe. The bushes are very similar in appearance to blueberries so they're pretty easy to recognize. They are lower growing a bit, probably because they grow so close together and under the canopy of the woods.

What I found already have a few ripe berries and hundreds of green ones that will be ready within the next week or two. I am hoping to get to them before the birds and other animals clean them out.

Of course, I'm also keeping an eye on the local elderberries. Some of those are also getting ripe so I'll probably need to plan on having a berry picking outing over the course of a couple of days.

I'm looking forward to jams and jellies made from this sweet portion of nature's bounty.

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More on reclaiming water

I now have 10 of the 5 gallon oil jugs from where I work. All that's left to do is clean them out well so that the oil residue is gone. Since it's cooking oil, I'm not terribly concerned but I don't want the water I reclaim in them to smell like old, rancid oil.

Next on the agenda is to put some gutters in place along the roof's edge so that I have a way to catch rainwater to go into the jugs. I'm thinking that letting it downspout directly into the jugs will be the best solution. Then, I can just move the filled jug to a more convenient location until I need the water.

Of course, I'll also still be collecting and reusing the water from my washing machine rinse cycle. It can go right back into the washer for the next load of clothes.

Son seems to think I'm a little whacky doing all this. His preference would be a high-end home like the Outer Banks homes. You know, where you don't have to be concerned with all this water reclamation. The truth is, I don't have to be concerned with it, but I am for personal and environmental reasons. Someday, I'd like to go completely off-grid!

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Beneficial insects and animals

Maybe I'm just a little strange, but I'm wanting to build a couple of bat houses to put in the trees here. I have seen a couple of bats at night, flying around the yard light hunting for bugs. Bats eat a lot of bugs at night and since we do have mosquitoes in abundance in this part of the country, it seems like a good idea to encourage more bats to live close by. These night flyers whisk through the air silently as they seek their prey. They are swift and accurate hunters.

I like to encourage all kinds of beneficial animals and insects. I make sure there are small pans of water around for frogs and lizards, so they can consume insects within their reach. I also like to make sure I have certain flowers blooming that will attract a small variety of wasp whose primary function is to lay eggs on tomato worms so their offspring kills the worms.

I figure, if I encourage beneficial insects and animals they will help me keep the population of harmful insects down without having to use possibly harmful chemicals.

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Return on investment

You all know how keen I am to stay at home and still earn a living. Besides being frugal with my spending and making sure utilities are kept to a minimum, I also like to keep a sharp eye out for opportunities to earn without punching the clock. I'm thinking pretty seriously of looking into silver as an investment that will return income to me later on.

I only have a few years left before retirement age, and I don't believe Social Security is going to be enough to get me by. I'm already buying stocks in the company I work for, and I have a 401k I'm paying into. I fully intend to look more closely at Monex to see what I can invest in and how much I'll need to spend to get a decent return on my investment dollars.

I've seen ads on TV for precious metals investment companies, but none of them has the long history that Monex has. It's important, in my view, to look at a company's history in whatever their field is and make sure that it's a company that will be around for the long haul.

Transplanting update

I got all my transplants in the ground. The key to moving established plants mid-summer is to make sure they are well-watered before, during, and after the process. This helps them to shock less and recover to full growing vigor much more quickly.

I watered every transplant very well before I even started digging holes to put them in. Then, after the holes were dug, I filled the holes with water. I moved the transplants into the watery holes, and gently pushed soil in around them, packing as I went to make sure there were no air pockets. (The air pockets can dry out the roots and be death to the plants.)

Let me tell you, even small plants with super-wet root balls are heavy, so watch your back! Unless you're already accustomed to a vigorous workout with Kettlebells, you could strain your back hoisting small shrubs that are heavily loaded with soil and water.

Once planted, I then watered again until the water absolutely would not go in the ground anymore. I've re-watered them each day since and so far the plants are taking to their new home as if they'd never been anywhere else.

I'm looking forward now to lovely, aromatic cuttings from the artemisea and yarrow, as well as blooms next spring from the violets and Rose of Sharon.

Of course, I'm keeping a close eye on the rosemary and mint that I am trying to root in small pots. I'll let you know how that goes.

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Free gardening - flowers and shrubs

One of the best ways to acquire new plants for your yard, garden, or inside your home is to take cuttings or be willing to put your back into digging up extra plants that friends and relatives may have. If they're willing to let you work a spade in their yard, you can wind up with lots of great plants such as Rose of Sharon, which tends to drop seeds and grow new plants all around itself all summer long. The added benefit is the great workout you'll get. Even with the best diet pill on the planet, you need to exercise to really stay in shape for summer gargening.

Monkey Grass (lariope) is another plant that loves to propagate itself to the extent that it almost becomes a nuisance for many homeowners. Dividing some off will give you numerous plants to take home and put in the ground as borders and edgings in places that need a little dressing up. This hardy plant will grow in shady spots so could be a good choice if you have an area that is too shady for grass to grow in. This also lends a nice green or striped leaf to an otherwise drab winter landscape.

Violets are another plant that are beautiful when in bloom and have wonderful dark green leaves through the summer. They spread readily so that only a few crowns are needed to quickly fill in borders along the edge of your walkway or to be the front attraction for an otherwise tall flowerbed. They are low growing and easy to maintain. In the spring you get gorgeous purple flowers that are actually edible. Use them in salads to add color and interest. Violets will grow in full sun or partial shade.

Artemesia is another willing grower that can be used as a fast ground cover. Although it can get tall if left alone, cutting it down to around 8 inches will give you a thick growth of lovely silver leaves. The cuttings can be dried and used in flower arrangements or on wreathes. This plant is also very aromatic.

Yarrow is a perennial that grows easily in either full sun or partial shade. It really does better in full sun, though. It will give you gloriously soft, feathery leaves and also reward you with delicate blooms in mid-summer.

Technorati Tags: gardening,plants

Recycling

By now, you all know how much I am "into" recycling and reclaiming. From the paper I use at home to using reusable shopping bags to reclaiming water that runs off from the roof or from the washing machine, I am a firm believer that it's up to us as individuals to make a difference in the world.

I'm not alone, of course. There are large paper recyclers who use Paper Equipment for hauling and getting paper ready to be recycled. Some of these companies are small, yet still do their part. Others, like Surplus Paper Equipment are large and go about the recycling process in a really big way.

This company actually supplies the world with Paper Machines so that we an all benefit from their technology. I'm sure you've heard, or even said "Save a tree" when you use plastic or reusable shopping bags. I'm sure you never really realized just how important it is.

By supplying others with things like Vacuum Pumps and Pulp Mill Equipment, this company makes a reality what many of us may think is impossible. Placing this equipment into the right hands means saving acres and acres of rainforests, sustainable forests, and hardwood stands.