Roses, Herbs, and Compost

Man alive, the weather has just been gorgeous!  As I worked outside over the past few days, there were birds everywhere.  I am so glad to have a business that requires me to be outside.

It may only be February, but spring is really gaining momentum.  I am not the only one feeling it, a lot of calls and emails have started to come in inquiring about certain plants and compost piles.  According to the farmer's almanac, the spring equinox will be on March 20th, the earliest start of spring in 116 years.  Spring is definitely coming early this year.

The compost pile that has been working all through the hot dry summer and this winter did not look like much on top.  I could still see whole leaves and hay on top, but once I shoved the shovel through the first layer, I felt that resistance give way.  Underneath the intact top layer was the gorgeous deep brown stuff my dreams are made of these days.  I haven't decided if I will continue composting in this spot or if I will put in a flower bed there.  If I put in a bed, the ground is already prepared.

For now, the compost is helping the business grow.  Last Thursday, we picked up our first order of David Austin Roses.  Roses are my love and David Austin has done an amazing job of breeding roses for beautiful old world blooms and scent while achieving the repeat blooming of the modern rose and keeping the disease resistance strong.  I have had several of these roses in my garden for several years.  To be honest, they were not thriving like my earth-kind roses were in the same bed.  Then, Mark Chamblee spoke to our Master Gardening Class and said that David Austin Roses like a little afternoon shade in our very hot Texas summers.  So, I relocated the roses and WOW- they took off and thrived right on through this record breaking heat and drought.  Now, I am proud to add the David Austin roses to our product line-up for 2012.  Saturday, four of us- Jonathan, Sierra, Tony and I- potted up 100 roses in 3 gallon pots.  That was some work!  However, we had a good time talking and laughing.  Sierra can now prune a rose bush with the best of them.  Each pot received a mixture of planting medium and compost with a layer of compost on top as a mulch.

Not only did I pot roses on Saturday, but I also potted in 4in cups 75 tomato plants.  "June Pink" is an early heirloom variety that is supposed to rippen  up early so those of us who just can't wait to eat fresh tomatoes don't have to wait so long!  My numbers are nothing compared to a lot of growers, but I am doing what I know I can do and do well.  There are 4 varieties that we will offer and all of them are organic.  "June Pink" is first into the pots, but Cherokee Purple, Iliini Yellow, and Arkansas Traveler are sprouted and will soon be in their pots ready for a new home.  As tempting as the weather is, tomatoes won't be ready to plant outside until the end of March. Tomatoes, Eggplants, and Peppers need the very warm/hot weather to thrive.

Herbs have kept me busy as well.  Herbs are second only to roses on my lists of loves.  However, since roses are considered to be herbs- I guess herbs are my first love!  We have flats and flats available and I am doing hanging baskets of herbs this year. 

Spring is no time to rest, but after such a wretched summer and a quiet winter I am ready to be busy.  Five out of six raised beds are ready to go.  So, I plan to have cool season veggies planted by the end of the week and that last bed will be cleaned out and ready, too.  From one 5X20 bed, my pig got 3 bushels of "organic greens", my goodness that is a of clover and weeds!  Happy Spring, Y'all!

Ripped in 30

Well, I wouldn't exactly call my body ripped, but it is certainly different!  Part of my fast this January was to give up 30 minutes of sleep each weekday morning to exercise.  I have known for a while that it was time to take better care of myself.  This past Friday marked the 30 day marker.

Thanks to my sister Windy, I found out about Jillian Micheals "Ripped in 30".  I must say that I am very impressed with how thoroughly she can kick my butt in 20 minutes/day. (I know mom, we don't say "butt")  I am a firm believer in her now.  I am also really impressed with the folks that would go on Biggest Loser and give that woman full access to them.  She gets results no doubt.

I plan for this to be a lifestyle change.  I have met the first goal, one month down. However, I don't plan on stopping.  I love gardening with my 81 year old grandmother and I want to garden with my grandkids and nieces when I am that old.  So, it begins today to be healthy for the end years.

I hadn't blogged about this because I hate to throw things out there and then not deliver.  In the past, I could have found a thousand reasons in 30 days to "justify" not completing this.  5:30 am comes early and I did not want to crawl out from under the warm covers, but every time I did I was proud of me.  When week four came around, it was hard.  I felt the worst of all the weeks.  But, when Friday came and I finished that workout, I was proud of me.

A belly button ring has always been something that I have wanted.  By the time I had the guts to get one, I had given birth to 4 babies and by belly was in no condition to be host to a belly button ring.  I have always said that if I got my belly back I would get one.  I never really believed that this would ever be a reality.  However, thanks to Jillian Micheals, it just might be.  September 29th will be my 40th birthday.  My long term goal is to work out consistently until then and on my birthday my reward will be the belly button ring.  But for now, we will just take it one 30 day bite at a time.  For now I am going to do the "Ripped in 30" again.  Then I plan on getting her "Yoga Meltdown"  I really like yoga and if she can results with yoga like she can with the other, I am excited. 

One thing I liked about this workout, is that each week was different.  You don't do the same exercises twice.  For those that loose interest in things quickly like I do, this is awesome.  Now, in the first week- Jillian says that when the push-ups are gone they are gone forever.  She lied.  The push-ups came back each week in varied and evil forms, but because of the strength you built the week before, you can do it!  She is also very fond of the plank.  Again, I was surprised with how quickly I built strength.  Given the almost immediate results, I was motivated to keep going.  Each Friday that came, I was walking around in a different body.  The scale changed slightly, but my physique changed considerably.  Experts tell you to weigh daily, but I did not.  I found that if I looked at the scale, it became all about the number.  If the number did not change I got discouraged.  By waiting till Friday to weigh, the changes in my body had convinced me that this was working.  I did not need the scale to change to be happy.  I have gotten a chest lift and a lift in my backside with no surgery!  I highly recommend Jillian Micheals "Ripped in 30".