Those Pesky Wabbits!

Okay, I know I said that all things are beautiful and even the cute little bunnies that eat my garden every year are part of the great circle of life, but I'm over it! :) The "cute" little bunny ate 3 broccoli plants and 2 cabbage plants. The very plants that I worked so hard to save from our mid march snow, that I worked hard to prepare the clay and rock ridden soil, and that finally have been showing signs of health and growth. Yeah, I'm bitter, I admit it.

I also, for some reason, deeply connect to the plants I help to grow. I care about them and take great joy in their life. When one is destroyed I actually feel sad. Maybe that sounds weird, but it's true. Now I don't cry or anything, but it does make my heart pang. I would leave the bunny alone if it would leave me alone.

So I went online last night to try to find some answers on keeping bunnies away. Basically what I found were numerous opinions. I read that animal blood or blood meal sprinkled in the garden would help, that taking dog hair and placing it around the garden would also scare the little creatures, numerous foul smelling or hot pepper sprays were suggested, and even placing a big replica of an owl would deter them.

So here is what I have decided to try: We have a German Shepherd named Domi, so I brushed her outside tonight and took the hair and placed it in the garden. I do have a bag of blood meal in the garage so I sprinkled that in the garden. I am going to try these first and see what happens. Finally, I did buy some rabbit repellant that apparently is so foul that I was warned by the salesman to wear gloves so it does not get on my hands. I am ready to prepare some cayenne pepper spray this weekend if I have to.

Like I said, we learn as we grow here. So I'll keep you posted on what works for us with that pesky wabbit.....and even what doesn't. So keep reading! Also, take a look at the pictures in this, it will show you what our healthy plants look like compared to the damage the little varmant did. Take care and keep on growing!

Spring is Popping Up Everywhere!

I love when I can walk around and see all of the new life popping up around me. I can finally start to see the new seedlings begin to look like the plants they will soon become and the trees and plants we have planted in the ground start to show signs of growth. I even spottoed a bunny hopping through the yard today. Although I don't like that they eat my garden, they are pretty darn cute. Our dog loves to chase them around, but can't ever seem to reach them before they are through the fence.

The Asiatic Lillies have begun to peak up in the flower bed, along with the Day Lillies and Rose bushes. We planted a young fig tree this year as well. It was just a big stick when we put it in and is now covered with the most beautiful and velvety leaves I have ever seen. Just around the corner, next to the very spot where we will plant our new Oklahoma Redbud tree, the grape vines have begun to grow taller. The garden is beginning to fill out with cabbage, spinach, broccoli, garlic, red and yellow and green onions. There is life everywhere and I love being a part of it all.

Radfield Farms for me is more of a philosophy, a goal for my journey. I like being a part of the food I eat. I like being connected to it, helping it grow, knowing what I fed it and put on it. We have become so disconnected to what we consume, blindly trusting others to keep us nourished. I realize I cannot know everything that I eat so well, at least not at this time, but any part of my diet that I can be connected to is better than no part at all. That is part of the reason for my passion, the other is that I just LOVE to watch things grow. It is so exciting to me to watch a plant grow out of the ground from a seed that I sowed. Then to eat what it produces that helps to nourish me is amazing. It is the circle of life and I love that.

So Radfield Farms may not currently resemble a true farm, but the idea is the same. We believe in sustainable life, in becoming part of the process again, in being healthy and connected. As we say here, we are learning as we grow!

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Tip for the week: Most seedlings should be growing pretty well in their containers by now. If they have new growth, a second set of leaves, you can begin to take them out into the sunshine a few hours a day. This will help them get stronger as well as get used to spending their lives outdoors. In a couple of weeks they'll be ready to plant!