letters from the wilderness
Time for. a quick update! This is going to turn into an on-going list for the month so be prepared for a long post by the time April 30th rolls around. Identify need-to-buy purchases My daughter's prom tickets, dress, and up-do— My daughter decided to use a dress she bought for a previous dance, plus... Continue Reading →
I'm doing a no-spend month for April. Since I jumped in at the last minute, I'm quickly pulling together my list of things to do for this challenge. I'll be popping in with periodic updates as we move through the month. Identify need-to-buy purchases My daughter's prom tickets, dress, and up-do—While the prom tickets and... Continue Reading →
It seems like just yesterday was the beginning of March, and now it's April all of a sudden. We had to make 2 trips to Pennsylvania which impacted much of the month. 5 years ago, driving or riding in the car for 12 hours in one day wasn't too bad. Now, a trip like that... Continue Reading →
To save money, I decided to make my own homemade salad mix. I bought two items from the store and mixed in some kale and parsley from our overwintered garden. My goal is to use the parsley before it starts flowering, which it will when the weather warms up. Cost breakdown Red lettuce: $2.29 Radicchio:... Continue Reading →
I did a quick photo update of my garden today. We went to Pennsylvania over the weekend and came back to lots of green. Snap peas popping up around support Bleeding Heart Kale and Red Cabbage Growing in Vegetable Garden Daffodils blooming here there and everywhere Camellia Cherry blooming in front of compost bins
This week, I took a trip north of us to pick up my tree order at the Virginia Department of Forestry Augusta nursery. I had elected to pick up my tree order this time rather than pay $25 to ship a $30 order. My tentative plan was to stop at Costco in nearby Charlottesville to... Continue Reading →
Spring is so close! Here in southwest Virginia, we are having what's called a false spring, with temperatures reaching 70 degrees. Since I'm a bit behind in getting my cold-weather crops outside, I am using the warmer temperatures to bring my seedlings outside daily. Lots of happy seedlings are doing their thing in our indoor... Continue Reading →
Spring is the time of new beginnings. Amidst the growing uncertainty of rising prices, diplomatic crises, and the pain and suffering here and abroad, I'm taking a pause to see what's greening in my garden. Camellia We have 2 Camellias next to the kitchen window. Last year, they had a scale infestation, probably because of... Continue Reading →
Today, we worked on our compost piles, moving them along for the warmer weather. A few years ago, we set up a 3 bin system with cinder blocks in the back of the property. I think the total cost was about $300 to $400. As an aside, my husband will fix the left bin that... Continue Reading →
Thanks to warmer temperatures this week, I've been preparing the outdoor beds for spring. Though a week behind, I planted many snap peas and a few sweet peas. I need to pick up more sweet pea seeds this weekend. Anyhoo, I'm still getting accustomed to planting snap peas in mid-February instead of mid-March like I... Continue Reading →
2 dogs and a house 