Thursday, July 8, 2010

The Goodness of the Garden...



Today's harvest.
Even with the heat and drought
the garden has been producing well.
Chicken poop, bunny poop and straw
are a girl's best friends.
We have been eating well and tonight
those tomatoes and peppers
will become pasta sauce.
Ok.. that is a lie.
I will pull the last of last year's
tomatoes out of the freezer for sauce
because it is the right thing to do.
I have been using the fresh tomatoes,
but I must stop!
So tonight I will be good and
use the old stuff up.
But you know...
that bowl looks like salsa to me.


And I made the fountain for the insects.
I spent $20 on a small
submersible pump,
took the galvanized tub,
a length of old sewer pipe
and an anonymous pipe that I
found in the yard,
some bricks and
Ta Da! Fountain.
It was an instant hit with
the local insect life.
Butterflies, bees, wasps
and other bugs visit daily.
I placed a small stone on top
of the pipe to make a bit of a spray
that splashes down and wets the soil
and stepping stone and the old pot
that is leaned against the tub.
It gives wet surfaces for the insects
to land on and drink from
without drowning.
I have noticed an increase of insect
activity on all of my blooming plants,
including the important ones
like my tomatoes, squashes and cukes.
I knew it would help, but I am
amazed at how quickly and how well
it has worked to draw the bugs.
Never, ever again will my garden
be without a water source.

3 comments:

  1. Brilliant idea, easy and effective. Had I a garden I would gladly copy your wonder invention. Since I am unable to have a garden, I will stop by and visit yours.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Your blog is such an inspiration. My boyfriend of four years and I have decided after years of twiddling our thumbs that we want to be homesteaders. Doesn't it just make perfect sense. Sustainablility and homegrown food and good manual labor for ourselves and our future children. Congratulations on making the dream come true, your farm is amazing. Kudos.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ok, now that's exactly the idea I've been needing. We've struggled this year for polination and it's very encouraging to hear that this worked so quickly. thank you for sharing and inspiring!

    ReplyDelete