Keyhole Garden Progress – March 26, 2020
The keyhole garden is in that awkward transitional stage between Winter and Spring. Winter veggies and herbs are petering out while spring plants like tomatillos, peppers, cucumbers and onions are just getting started.
The Four Ducksketeers
Mamma hatched these four and their sister two years ago this month. Mamma is a Swedish Blue duck and dad's a mallard. Together they made these fashionably gray-tonal boys (their sister looks like mamma). They still hang out together but they don't do much other than eat, hangout and get into trouble, so we call them the "Ducksketeers". Clockwise from top left, that's Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnen.
Natives and Newcomers
Wildflowers, some native, some not, growing among the weeds in spring 2020 The wildflowers are a mixed bag, but they're better than weeds There's a strip of The Acre that borders chaparral and oak surrounding the pond. Technically, it's "defensible space" mandated by the fire department, so it's supposed to be cleared of weeds and growth in the fire season, which is roughly June to October when things are dry and hot. But during the winter and early spring it doesn't have to be kept clear, so rather than just letting it be a weed bank, I seeded it each [keep reading...]
Chickencam Lockdown Livestream – March 21, 2020
I haven't told the chickens and ducks that we're under a Coronavirus lockdown, so they still think they're free range. Watch them live at on the ChickenCam at Sage's Acre or on YouTube.
How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer
I learned to make hand sanitizer for camping while in the boy scouts. Every bit as good as the store-bought stuff and 10 times less expensive. Here's how to make hand sanitizer using plain old household products (and an aloe plant if you have one).
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 17, 2020
Warm weather followed by a week of rain has really kicked the leafy greens into high gear. On the front left you can see the remainder of the romaine heads giving one last push. Meanwhile on the right, it's a motley assortment of loose leaf greens, spinach and cilantro. One head of broccoli remains as does the red cabbage (back and center right). The dill I have planted around the perimeter of the compost bin (center) is thick, leafy and deep green. Way in the back is the garlic and cucumbers now in need of trellising. If you look at [keep reading...]
Rainbow for St Patrick’s Day
Walked out to the front yard first thing this morning and was greeted by a rainbow. Since it's St Patrick's Day I'm sure there's a leprechaun and a pot of gold to be had at one end or the other. If it weren't for this whole "stay at home, Coronavirus" thing, I'm might actually go look for it. Might be able to trade gold for toilet paper.
Hummingbird Sage Colony
I started with two small Hummingbird sages (Salvia spathacea) in March of last year, planting them in my native garden on the south side of the house. This particular spot happens to be in the shade of a pine and a large blue gum eucalyptus, two tress notorious for their ability to keep other things from growing under them. Fortunately, Hummingbird sage is a California native that thrives on the floor of oak forests, so the pine and eucalyptus were no problem. Over the winter the sages have taken the opportunity to colonize the whole area and are now producing [keep reading...]
Lavender Rose Texas Sage
One of the many Texas sage (Savlia coccinea) varieties I have planted in random spots around the Acre. I can't remember the name of this one, but I really like it because it's a lavender-rose color (instead of the usual red or pink) and has these unusually long, tendrils that grow at the end of the flowers like a big curved horn. Makes it seem more dramatic for some reason.
How to Make Awesome Hot Sauce
Fermented hot sauce is more complex and flavorful than a standard hot peppers and vinegar sauce. Better yet, it's not hard to make your own. Here's how.
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 26, 2020
The keyhole garden is in that awkward transitional stage between Winter and Spring. Winter veggies and herbs are petering out while spring plants like tomatillos, peppers, cucumbers and onions are just getting started.
The Four Ducksketeers
Mamma hatched these four and their sister two years ago this month. Mamma is a Swedish Blue duck and dad's a mallard. Together they made these fashionably gray-tonal boys (their sister looks like mamma). They still hang out together but they don't do much other than eat, hangout and get into trouble, so we call them the "Ducksketeers". Clockwise from top left, that's Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnen.
Natives and Newcomers
Wildflowers, some native, some not, growing among the weeds in spring 2020 The wildflowers are a mixed bag, but they're better than weeds There's a strip of The Acre that borders chaparral and oak surrounding the pond. Technically, it's "defensible space" mandated by the fire department, so it's supposed to be cleared of weeds and growth in the fire season, which is roughly June to October when things are dry and hot. But during the winter and early spring it doesn't have to be kept clear, so rather than just letting it be a weed bank, I seeded it each [keep reading...]
Chickencam Lockdown Livestream – March 21, 2020
I haven't told the chickens and ducks that we're under a Coronavirus lockdown, so they still think they're free range. Watch them live at on the ChickenCam at Sage's Acre or on YouTube.
How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer
I learned to make hand sanitizer for camping while in the boy scouts. Every bit as good as the store-bought stuff and 10 times less expensive. Here's how to make hand sanitizer using plain old household products (and an aloe plant if you have one).
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 17, 2020
Warm weather followed by a week of rain has really kicked the leafy greens into high gear. On the front left you can see the remainder of the romaine heads giving one last push. Meanwhile on the right, it's a motley assortment of loose leaf greens, spinach and cilantro. One head of broccoli remains as does the red cabbage (back and center right). The dill I have planted around the perimeter of the compost bin (center) is thick, leafy and deep green. Way in the back is the garlic and cucumbers now in need of trellising. If you look at [keep reading...]
Rainbow for St Patrick’s Day
Walked out to the front yard first thing this morning and was greeted by a rainbow. Since it's St Patrick's Day I'm sure there's a leprechaun and a pot of gold to be had at one end or the other. If it weren't for this whole "stay at home, Coronavirus" thing, I'm might actually go look for it. Might be able to trade gold for toilet paper.
Hummingbird Sage Colony
I started with two small Hummingbird sages (Salvia spathacea) in March of last year, planting them in my native garden on the south side of the house. This particular spot happens to be in the shade of a pine and a large blue gum eucalyptus, two tress notorious for their ability to keep other things from growing under them. Fortunately, Hummingbird sage is a California native that thrives on the floor of oak forests, so the pine and eucalyptus were no problem. Over the winter the sages have taken the opportunity to colonize the whole area and are now producing [keep reading...]
Lavender Rose Texas Sage
One of the many Texas sage (Savlia coccinea) varieties I have planted in random spots around the Acre. I can't remember the name of this one, but I really like it because it's a lavender-rose color (instead of the usual red or pink) and has these unusually long, tendrils that grow at the end of the flowers like a big curved horn. Makes it seem more dramatic for some reason.
How to Make Awesome Hot Sauce
Fermented hot sauce is more complex and flavorful than a standard hot peppers and vinegar sauce. Better yet, it's not hard to make your own. Here's how.