Watering System

For plants, and people, water is life. This year I think I finally have the watering thing down. I know myself and my garden usually ends up flooded because I have forgotten that the water was turned on or in a drought like state because I forget to water altogether. My solution is a fully automated watering system complete with a timer :) . It's so nice to not have to think about when I watered last (if I remembered to water) and my plants are sure appreciating it. I have a soaker hose coiled in each box and the timer and valves are adjusted so each plant gets the water they need.


There is one hose buried going from the spigot to the center box. It is connected to a four way valve and there are three hoses connected to the valve. (There are two extra valves that I can use for hand watering with a hose or using a sprinkler for the surrounding area.) Each of the three hoses are buried going to the three boxes and then a soaker hose is attached to each. By burying the hoses I could make sure they are out of the way of the lawn mowers. It looked a little complicated at first and took some planning, but now it is making my gardening a breeze.

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Organic Mocha Cinnamon Coffee

This is by far the best coffee I have ever had. It took a lot of experimenting to get to this point but I finally have an organic coffee, free of plastic, that is just amazing.
Here's my recipe:
2 teaspoons of organic cane sugar
a sprinkle of cinnamon
1/3-1/2 cup of 2% Organic chocolate milk
Strong organic coffee (to taste of course)
I always put the sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate milk in first. (If you put the cinnamon in after filling the cup it seems to not mix as well.)









Then top off your cup with your favorite organic coffee. My latest favorite is an organic Peruvian blend.









I have switched from a traditional coffee maker to a glass cone filter. This cone filter is made by Hario for more info check out amazon hairo glass cone filter. I don't like the idea of hot petroleum in my coffee and then my body having to digest it. The cone filter came with a plastic holder, but as you can see I have switched it for an oak one. The coffee has a richer flavor and I know that nothing harmful is entering my system. The cone filter is simple, fast, and sure makes a good cup of coffee. You can make two cups with one cone of coffee grounds.









Doesn't that look yummy. I think I need another cup lol.

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New Life

I love watching new things grow. Isn't new life a miracle? I get excited every time I see a another seed emerge. Radishes (pic below) are so fun to grow because they come up quickly. It's almost instant results lol.



After much research online, I ordered my seeds from Botanical Interests. I chose them because they are all organic and have not been genetically altered in anyway. There is controversy as to whether genetic modification is acceptable or not, but I feel that we should have all of our foods as close to the way that God intended as possible. I know we live in an imperfect world, but I would rather go as organic as I can for my health and that of my family.
I can't wait for my first harvest from the garden, so until then I'll just enjoy the process.


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Square Foot Boxes

There is lots of info on how to construct a raised garden bed so I'll just tell you what I used for mine. The boards are four foot squared decking material and really strong. They are built two high (6" each) so that I can plant whatever kinds of crops I want, without having to worry about depth. I put a layer of cardboard down before filling them with soil. The soil is Jungle Growth Organic Potting Soil sold at Lowe's. It contained all of the nutrients I needed and it was premixed :). There are two pieces of ten foot PVC pipe crisscrossed in the corners for each box so that I can quickly and easily cover them in case of a late frost. I'm so pleased with the way they turned out. Thanks to my handy-dandy neighbor for constructing them.





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My Organic Garden

This is my first year doing the square foot gardening method and I'm using all organic products. I'm really excited to see how it is going to work out. I haven't had much luck with the Florida sand, so I will post my progress and hopefully you can enjoy the experience with me.  Please note that this blog is my experience only and any tips you use are at your own risk or blessing :-)