Thrift Store, Huglekultur, Bokashi, Mutants and More

Category: Starting and Maintaining the Garden | Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:28 pm

Have spent the last week painting and weeding and digging. Even made a couple of trips to the thrift store. Everything goes slowly as I wander from one task to another with many thoughtful or is it thoughtless moments. The perfect life to be sure.

The thrift store provided a third chair for the smoke shack. With less than 60 square feet it now provides comfortable seating for three. I still believe I could get a fourth chair in, but hubby wants plenty go room for the heater and old table in the last corner. The fourth person will have to sit on the ottoman...if they can squish in.

New chair for smoke shack ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

The other seating ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

Ciara took a moment to excavate the Huglekultur. Some city critter had obviously caught her attention and she moved some of the soil to reveal huge open spaces within the mound. There had obviously been a great deal of settling. This forced me to continue leveling (removing soil) from another area to use as fill around some of the logs in the Huglekultur.

What was intriguing to me was one of the logs on top that was only half buried. Some mustard greens I had planted were well rooted through the dirt into the bark of the log. The log was full of moisture and quite heavy for its size. The tomatoes seem to be doing well, but haven't set fruit. The cucumbers, squash and bush beans are coming along. Whatever is produced will be gratefully appreciated, even if it just turns out to be green manure. This first spring is just an experiment since it should have been started the previous fall or summer for everything to settle.

Huglekultur with Buddy in foreground ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

Greens, etc. on Huglekultur ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

Tomatoes on the Huglekultur ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

Have a couple of mutants that cause a bit of reading and curiosity on my part. The first is a hosta. When I bought it it was just like the two in front. The first year I planted it more in the sun and the color changed. I had thought it was because of the sunlight. When I moved it to the shade early this spring it retained the large blue with smaller cream pattern. It is the hosta in the far back. It is hard to believe they all looked exactly the same at one time. I find hostas intriguing. With the thousands of varieties and hundreds of species and all the cross breeding being done it is totally mind boggling and small wonder the poor plants can't decide what color they are.

Mutated hosta... ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

My other variation of a plant is a plumeria clump. One plant in the clump has a very silver leaf rather than the spotted variety. I will be separating it from the clump this week. It is so pretty I was thinking of giving it a pot of its own.

Pulmaria variation ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

Now for the update on one of my other experiments, bokashi. The dogs love it no matter what I do to hide it and will dig it up no matter how deep I plant it. Like blood meal not an easy organic to use if you live with animals in a city full of critters. My other purchase from the thrift store were two metal pails with locking lids. Layers of dirt and bokashi pickled house scraps went into the buckets. We will see if they turn to compost in a few weeks. If not this may not be a viable solution for this household.

On a brighter note the miniature rose I got off the sale rack after Valentine's Day are blooming and good sizes bushes.

Bicolored mini rose ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

Red mini rose ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

My favorite mini rose ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

My favorite combinations in the garden at the moment

( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

Noid lilies ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

Little planter ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

I will close with my last thrift store purchase. May your day have many peaceful moments woven into it.

A last little thrift show find (first frost and blue mouse ears hostas in planter) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )

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Comments

waretrop wrote on Tue Jun 24, 2014 10:18 pm:

Very beautiful. Everything looks so good.

eclecticgarden wrote on Tue Jun 24, 2014 10:24 pm:

I enjoyed reading this and looking at the pictures. Keep the bokashi updates coming. I have never tried it, but am definitely interested to see how it works for you.

AgnesKS wrote on Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:00 am:

It's getting together now, Jewell. Thanks for sharing your garden with us. Namaste

Donna S wrote on Wed Jun 25, 2014 11:24 am:

Thanks Jewell. I enjoyed all. Nice finds.

Jewell wrote on Fri Jun 27, 2014 5:16 am:

Thanks Barb. A real compliment from such a great gardener.

EG glad you enjoyed the post. Right now I am not very impressed with the bokashi. The smell of the last bin even though it had lots of inoculate was a real animal attracter. Unfortunately in our urban environment this is not a good thing. Part of my problem is definitely that my gardening practice is pretty much no till.

Agnes, it is an ongoing progress and always changing. Already planning a second Huglekultur. I love all your lovely garden photos.

Donna, glad you enjoyed my share :D

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