#this grew out of my compost for free with no work i love work free farming

[danielforshort]

Northern VA Native Plant Garden

Wow oh my goodness life turned upside down and inside out and overall not great! But in an effort to practice things that would help my mental health I started fussing around in my garden. The new house I'm in has a front yard and a backyard. I've decided to devote most of my attention to the backyard. I spend a lot of time scrolling through Facebook Marketplace and my various FB groups looking for free gardening materials. I'm not really planning on staying in the house past the year (though I'd like to be done moving honestly) so i don't want to invest too much money in the garden. But time and energy are fine to spend; I'm enjoying playing in the dirt so I get an immediate return of "childlike joy at playing in dirt" and a possible future return of "oh I grew stuff!"

My goal is to have an ornamental side of the garden and a raised garden bed for things I plan on eating. Currently i have a ton of yellow bell pepper seedlings (I started them a bit late in the season but it's been unseasonably warm these past few falls and mild winters) and 14 tomato plants! I do not like tomatoes but I do like to grow things and they're so easy.

I'm planning on making my raised bed out of some bricks/pavers/garden stones someone gave me. It doesn't need to be huge or pretty or super stable, just a bit of a container for me to drop some plants in. Someone was also giving away plant soil which was great.

With all the weeds I've pulled up I'm hoping to fake/badly compost them. I'm too impatient to wait the months and months I need for them to properly break down. I've stuck them all in a black garbage bin to hope the 100 degree days will kill off their seeds so I can crumble them up in the bottom of my raised garden bed.

For the ornamental side of things I'm focusing on native Virginia plants! There's a great FB group dedicate to native VA plants and people are always giving away or swapping plants! A very generous woman gave me a ton of plants that I'll detail about later in this post!

First I'd like to document the weeds I pulled! I had so much fun weeding actually. It's a repetitive task I enjoy and I like to identify plants even if they are weeds. I used Google Lens for IDing most of them and it actually seemed fairly good at that. Without further ado a list of the different weeds I saw in my garden during 2+ hours of work :D

Note: None of these photos were taken by me! I was too focused on weeding to take good photos of anything.

Weeds

Erigeron Canadensis (Horseweed)

This one was fun to pull! It came up easily and hadn't flowered or gone to seed at all! I think Alexis Nicole has talked about this one before? I wish it had been growing in a part of my garden that didn't need to be weeded right that moment so I could have eaten some. Apparently "dried leaves can be used as a seasoning with a flavor similar to tarragon" (source: eat the weeds) I'm sure I'll find it again maybe in my front yard and I'll try to save some.

Oxalis Acetosella (Wood Sorrel)

God this one HURT to pull, emotionally speaking! I love wood sorrel so much and its one of those plants I can ID easily. Some of my brave friends will eat it when I offer it but most pass. Unfortunately it was right in the area I needed pulled up for my raised bed. I am hoping I can encourage it to grow in my ornamental side! Alexis Nicole has definitely talked about this one before. It had shallow roots and was easy to pull :)

Matricaria Chamomilla (German Chamomile)

Another one I did not want to pull up but had to! It had pretty shallow roots that came up easily. I actually collected all the ones I weeded and popped them in some water. I hope to replay in my ornamental side of things. Fingers crossed they've survived this shock. I have a couple packs of really old seeds so I've started some chamomile from seed. I don't know that it'll work. I think I have some growing in my front yard so I might try to transplant that.

Lactuca Serriola (Prickly Lettuce)

This plant was my second least favourite to weed. Its roots are strong and run deep. The prickles bit me through my gloves. It was satisfying when I got a good grip and pulled it all up but more often than not I heard the roots snap leaving good chunks under ground. It sucked. A lot of them were super big and tall. I know its edible but didn't save any to forage. I'm sure it will be back.

Solanum Carolinense (Carolina Horsenettle)

This plant is my mortal enemy. It bites you. Its stubborn. Its totally toxic. I hate it. This was the most predominant weed in the garden. It was tall and if I tried to reach around to grab a different weed it would scratch me.

Verbascum Thapsus (Common Mullein)

Lord this plant was a stubborn one. The roots were strong and deep but it was so satisfying when I got it out. I actually couldn't remember this one's name when I sat down to write this so I used the Virginia Tech website (link here) to ID it! It's a great website that lets you select features of a plant and offers ones that fit those criteria.

I had a lot of fun weeding and IDing these plants! I'll have another post up about the native VA plants I'm cultivating. I hope whoever reads this enjoys the post. If its just me I hope I find this useful as I start a garden art journal where I can draw and take notes on all these plants.

[lavvythejackalope]

Every now and again I am reminded that My experiences are not necessarily universal. Which is good, I think we all could stand to be reminded now and again. Here’s a couple highlights for me.

I grew up the only child of a single working mother. So a lot of my childhood was simply spent alone (no other kids in my neighborhood despite growing up in the 90s when outdoor neighborhood play was still very much a thing).

I dropped out of Highschool and got my GED as a teen. The day I turned 18 I moved out - not because I was kicked from the nest, but because I wanted to be with my partner, who my mother did not approve of.

My favorite job I ever worked was as a horse drawn carriage driver. I gave guided tours around the historic downtown district of my city. I barely made enough to live on, but I got to meet folks from around the world, and frankly it was a ton of fun. I miss my partner horse.

I had two distinct ‘families’ growing up. One was the church we went to (Southern USA, church was practically a requirement.) Although I no longer align with any form of Christianity, I had many good memories in that church.

The other ‘family’ was a Gay Theatre Troupe my mother was involved in. That gaggle of queens gave me my fondest birthday memory when I turned 13 by surprising me at the end of one of our productions curtain calls by bringing out a sparkler cake on stage and having the audience sing happy birthday to me.

Some mad haunted shit happened to me while I was on a camping trip in scouts but frankly that deserves a whole post of its own.

I’ve worked as a historic tour guide in the mansion of a long dead rock and roller, and have even more haunted af stories from my time in the barn on the same property taking care of the horses.

I once travelled across the country to apprentice at a horse breeding ranch for a year, only to be told to gtfo a week later.

I have worked as a tour guide, a stablehand, an administrative assistant, a compost hauler/educator, and, of course, freelance digital artist.

Among other things, but these were what came to mind. I actually really, really miss driving carriages. If I could have survived comfortably doing that, I think I would have done it for the rest of my life. It was hard, physically demanding work, but I loved it. Feel free to send me asks about anything if you’re curious, sometimes I like to reminisce (and there’s a lot of misinformation out there about carriage horses).

[creepiefarm]

pumpkin season get spooky

[thatadhdfeel]

Hiii, so I hope you won't mind my little rant. If you do, feel free to delete this! But I have no one I can comfortably talk to about this at this point, so I thought why not.

So I've accidentally started learning about ADHD just this year. Honestly I was trying to find some info on something else but then I got distracted and, y'know. I never before in my life thought I might have ADHD, but now I think there's a high chance. I'm scared to talk about this to my GP or anyone else really. I'm scared they'll mock me or ignore what I'm saying, or say I'm stupid etc.

Either way, I have some trouble umderstanding hyperfocus & hyperfixation. I always think of excuses why it's probably not that but idk. For example, I love video games. Always have. It's the only interest of mine that stayed with me from early childhood up til now that I'm an adult. I often can play over 120 hours a week, especially when I find a new game I'm really into. Then I won't even finish it and just... leave it. I WANT TO finish it but seemingly I can't. Don't know why. Same goes with books, comics, tv series etc. Once, I accidentally found out there's this flower marigold and I immediately thought it's really beautiful. An hour passed and I ended up ordering seeds, pots, compost etc. for the next day. I got to work and for the next couple of weeks I kept blabbering about my flowers to anyone that would listen (and even if they wouldn't tbh, I was too excited and proud) and showing them pictures etc. It was like my little child. Until a few weeks passed and I grew bored. I wanted to clean the pot but I kind of kept procrastinating and it ended up dying :( Other times I find out a new book or manga series and order a few at the same time (yeah, I have a spending problem) and just end up never finishing it. It's just lying on my shelves, waiting for me to pick it up again.

I don't know if any of these are hyperfocus or hyperfixations but I thought I may as well ask for someone else's opinion or advice. Or just vent at the very least. Sorry for long message!

i dont mind at all!

I mean, it could be hyperfocus & hyperfixation, but there's no way to say for sure as other disorders can cause similar experiences to what you're describing here. for example i have bipolar and experience the picking-up-lots-of-projects-spending-too-much-money during hypomania, but my ADHD def aggravates it. so again there's lots of experiences that overlap between a lot of different disorders esp. in this regard. so i think your best bet is to talk to your GP, i know its scary but i believe in you<3

[styx1an]

A Chat about Chat

A short fic about how Chat came to be a singular being, written by yours truly. By all means, this isn’t canon, it’s just my interpretation of things.

Word count: 1,863

Fandom: RTGame, Miitopia (NGL I’m a little displeased with how I wrote the ending, but oh well!)

You know, there is this odd sense of irony in knowing how terrified Chat was of Magical John when they aren’t even human nor a singular being in the first place. Wait, so you didn’t know? Of how they became such a being in the first place? (They chuckle.) Then I suppose that means I’ll have to tell you their story. Well then, shall we begin the tale of Chat? (You see the twinkle in their eyes. They must’ve been waiting a while to be able to do this.)

> You nod. You’ve been waiting a while to understand Chat’s origins. Tonight, like many others, belongs to the storyteller.

> You shake your head. No thanks, you think you’re too tired. Dawn shall rise anew soon, and you will not waste your time with tall tales.

(They nod, pleased with your decision.) Then I shall begin to relay their tale.

Our tale begins in the vast lands known as Twitch, a domain that belongs to another, a far crueler being whose tale is for another time. It is a place where one is free to express their opinions and whatnot (as long as it suits the many whims of its Amazonian overlords, of course), and many are versed in the easy to learn, but difficult to master art of gaming. Many such masters have gained a large following, and even if they do not possess such skill, more often than not their humor and charisma paves the way to fame.

One example of the latter would be RTGame, a man of sizable repute. Aside from the frankly ridiculous story of the origin of his moniker, he is also known for doing some… questionable things for the sake of entertainment. There are still tales of his quest in the bathtub along with Gilbert (yes, the very same Gilbert on the quest to defeat The Darker Lord Khadgar!), the night of the Painted Wall’s Communion, the birth of Mr. Compost- But my dear, we are here for one of his lesser-known exploits, one that would change the world as we know it.

> You lean closer to the campfire, watching the storyteller with a renewed interest. Where does the tale lead? Where does it end? You need to know.

> It’s getting even later. You think some rest will be needed before tomorrow’s travels begin. Perhaps the rest of the story can wait another time?

It was a dark and stormy night. The then-Dark Lord Von Karma had just been unleashed upon the land, and I Want Die set along the path of salvation with his fellow party members, Mr. Bean the Warrior, Goofy the Thief, and Mint the Horse. He was pleased with the ease with which they vanquished monsters and saved (literal) faces, but the lack of actual conversation within the party had begun to get to him. Mr. Bean had nothing to offer other than a simple “Bean!” every now and then, and Goofy terrified him with all the “hyuck!” and talks of absolving the world’s many sins. Mint is a horse and therefore cannot participate in a verbal conversation unless you happen to understand what her neighs meant. She also happens to be the most normal member of the party, strangely enough.

Either way, I Want Die longed for a proper conversation.

And God took notice.

It was inevitable. The fourth party member was always going to join, whether he wanted one or not. It shouldn’t be notable in any way whatsoever, yet here I am regaling this tale to you.

It is not how Chat had come to join the party that I wanted to explain, but rather how they came to be.

Do you remember the man I had called RTGame? I hope you had not thought of him as irrelevant to our tale, as he is the patron saint of I Want Die’s adventures. Surely you know of the vast armory that belongs to the party? The various delicacies fed to the team? All his work. Along with his followers’ contributions, of course.

Chat was what he called his followers, the ones who watched his various endeavors as he traveled across the land of Twitch. Oftentimes the crowd would conversate with him (hence their name), offering jokes and sardonic commentary whenever he did anything remotely comedic. Other times, RT would have to tell them off for being such a rowdy bunch- the usual group of thousands could never keep quiet for long.

It happened that Chat witnessed I Want Die’s pilgrimage along with RTGame. They all looked upon him with a jolly sense of humor (after all, their master is well-versed in the art of comedy), some wondering where his travels will bring him. The others who knew how it would all end kept silent at the behest of RTGame. Either way, every single one of them was enjoying the show he had put on for them. 

And came the time to summon the fourth member.

As per usual, RTGame withdrew into his workshop, closing the curtains around him so no curious onlooker could see inside. But that did not stop Chat from yelling their predictions and demands.

“EDGEWORTH” one cried.

Another begged for a certain “End Mii!”

“CHAT CALM DOWN!”

“!uptime”

“69420toesucker just subscribed for 5 months!”

“TURG”

RTGame smiled at them. He wasn’t surprised at all at their reactions, rather it was something he had hoped would happen.

“Alright then Chat,” he said, “here they are!”

His pale, thin hands reached out to open the curtains-

And unveiled a faceless, empty husk of a being. 

Under any other circumstances, Chat would’ve rioted, demanded justice against the irony of sending a faceless doll to retrieve the faces of others. But they had no time.

Almost in an instant, the skies darkened. Clouds swirled up above with vibrant shades of violet, cobalt, magenta. Bright blue lightning strikes a tree and dissolves it into dust. Somewhere distant, something roars. The air feels thick- something magical, something electric is positively buzzing. Magic truly is in the air.

And thunder strikes once again. 

The crowd is gone.

Silence fell. All that is left is the master and the doll, no longer an empty husk.

> You look up to the storyteller, their eyes reflecting the blazing flames. You have a feeling that you know how this ends, but you’d rather have them confirm it first.

> You’re sleepy. As tempting as it is to continue listening to their story, you must admit that the very idea of slumber is even more tantalizing.

RTGame had managed to do exactly what he wanted. Chat’s consciousness, placed inside of a single, physical being. A puppet controlled by a hivemind would not be very easy to control, yes. But the idea intrigued him. And wouldn’t it be better than having a large gaggle of people constantly behind him, watching his every move? It could help I Want Die on his journey too.

So it is settled. It happened that one of the members of his temple had just crafted a rather nice puppet, in case RT needed one. And he did come to use it. It does look a little plain, as both body and head are painted in the same shade of bright white. However, the face was not white like how it was in the beginning, but a disturbingly pitch-black space. No, that’s not the right word.

Rather, it was like a void had formed. That’s also not the right phrase to describe it either, as there were drops of ichor dripping down onto the ground, dissolving the once green grass. But I digress. 

Chat broke the silence that had fallen between them, wailing as a cacophony of noises and emotions spilled out. Despite what RT had done to them, they were still determined to voice their opinions. Quite in character, really. 

“RT WHAT”

“NO NO NO”

“!uptime”

“I'M ON TV!!!”

“bazingabanana just gifted 5 subs!”

“that’s kinda meta”

As their voices grew louder, ichor kept pouring out of the void. As expected, RT thought to himself. He still needs to act fast. So with a quick snap, he fastened a wooden mask the temple-goer made; the same shade of white, a pair of beady black eyes almost as dark and soulless as the void, bright purple ears. 

The yelling and complaining didn’t stop of course. Still, as their voices were muffled by the mask, it was an arguably better experience than the previous ear-splitting wails. And it was less deadly too. Ichor had stopped dripping down onto the grass, which meant that the constant sizzling would finally stop.

Now, one last thing.

RT stared into Chat’s eyes.

This in itself wouldn’t have been quite a remarkable action had it been anyone else, but it’s Chat that we are talking about. The very sensation of doing something as simple as gazing into a hivemind’s many souls wasn’t anything ordinary, either.

It felt like you had just plunged one of your hands into ice-cold water in the middle of winter and not only are you freezing, you’re scared and you don’t know whether you’d come out in one piece.

They all stared back. Thousands and thousands looked upon RT, all different yet whispering the same things, each claiming to be an individual yet virtually nothing distinctive belongs to them. A true hivemind. It’s exactly what he wanted, but he wondered if perhaps other troubles would arise.

He let himself go from their gazes. It asks too much of him.

“Alright then, Chat. Ready?”

A gaggle of voices reply, sounding their agreements.

“OK then!”

--

I Want Die finally opened the inn door, after convincing himself that he’d like this new friend. That this one would be neither an anime villain, a comedy star or a horse. Someone with actual rational thoughts and words to speak.

In front of the door stood a short figure, clad in a purple mage’s robes. Their pitch-black eyes looked at I Want Die, and a chorus of voices came from their permanent smile:

“Hi, I’m Chat!”

And I Want Die wondered if he had forgotten to cross off ‘hivemind’ off his list of potential party members.

Chat’s introduction ends here, of course. But not their tale. The journey was far from over in fact. The party had yet to meet the Royal Court, witnessed the court’s love affair, or get kidnapped by the Dark Lord Von Karma. Even the party wasn’t complete, as it was only the first party I Want Die would encounter in his tale of redemption.

And it’s not the only story either. You haven’t heard of Magical John’s past life, or how Cupcake isn’t as pure as she seems. Gilbert’s fear of the kitchen. How Jefferson came to be, and Obama’s past life with Mr. Bean.

But I’m afraid I must stop here, for it is late already, is it not? Our journey must continue tomorrow. Let us rest. Goodnight, may the stars shine for you. (They head off into their tent, leaving you alone with the flickering embers of a dying fire.)

> You bid the storyteller goodnight. Perhaps they’ll tell you another one of their stories, underneath the moonlight once more.

[peachy-inserts]

leon s. kennedy general hcs

✎a/n: i wrote these back in april and never posted them, i thought id make them longer but never did, so here they are :) theyre pretty simple, just my ramblings and smth to post

✰warnings: n/a

Despite his terrible record with vehicles, he tends to collect classic cars and refurbish them. Likes to spend his free time tinkering with the old engines and often comes inside covered in grease, but it’s not such a bad look on him

Has a soft spot for classically feminine things, but as we know he doesn’t mind something a little rougher, too. Someone who’s confident and reassuring is best for him; someone who isn’t afraid to be themselves and can help him figure his own self out, too. He likes being told what to do- He makes so many snap decisions in work and holds so much responsibility on a daily basis that someone telling him what he should do and giving him something to do is comforting. It may seem like a sexual thing or even domineering, but it’s rooted in domesticity and his own fears

I’m fairly certain he grew up in the midwest, maybe even a little southern- somewhere rural, so it’s only natural for him to keep a little piece of home with him in the little garden out back. He’s not around a lot to take care of it, and so he spends time outside with you teaching you how to hold the gardening shears, how to harvest the tomatoes, and which compost and soil he uses. It’s a bonding exercise for the two of you, and taking care of that little garden while he’s away is almost symbolic for you

Listens to a lot of 80’s rock music, I’m pretty sure this may as well be canon. Definitely blasts some shitty song your mom used to headbang to in the car, maybe an old mustang he fixed up

I’m stuck on the thought of Leon having an old yellow labrador that he spoils, who’s dumb as rocks and yet knows so many obscure tricks because at times, she was his only comforting force, and so he’s poured so much love and energy into training her that she’s stuck to his hip

To no surprise, is not interested in ever having kids. It had been his plan for a long time to settle down and start a family at a young enough age, but certain and well known events of course interfered. The thought of bringing someone so vulnerable and so precious to him into such a threatening and dangerous world is terrifying, and when considering kids he finds himself grieving despite them never having been born

Can’t cook. At all. Wbk

[captainscanadian]

Better | Bucky Barnes x Reader (Epilogue 2)

My Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Summary: You did good. No, you did better than good.

Word Count: 2505

Pairing: Doctor!Bucky x Doctor!Reader, Portia Barnes, Grant Barnes, Sarah Rogers

Warnings: Swearing, Mentions of Abuse, Mentions of Death

A/N: This is it. This is the end of an era. This is the end of me writing Better. I cannot believe I actually managed to finish a fic. Most importantly, I cannot believe so many of you have taken your time to read this and to love this story and Better!Bucky as much as I do. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you all. I am forever grateful for every single one of you. This one’s dedicated to @dramadreamer14​ because after the torture that I put her through, she needs this domestic, fluffy, “growing old together” kind of wrap-up for this fic. Pic’s not mine, credit to the owners!

20 years later...

New Hope, Pennsylvania was a quiet little town. No one ever knew that it had even existed. Even Bucky had only come to know of this small town until he had met you. Over the years, you had not questioned why your husband had been sending money orders to your hometown every single month. You knew the answer to that. But you also knew that a few years into your marriage, the payments had stopped. Bucky had not mentioned it to you, but you knew that they had stopped. You did not live under the biggest rock on earth for crying out loud.

When you had asked Bucky about it though, he did not try to hide it from you. He did not lie to your face in the name of wanting to protect you, even if he knew how much pain was behind the answer to your query. Your biological parents had tragically passed away after your childhood home had caught fire and burnt down. A kitchen fire, apparently. It had spread so quickly by the time one of the neighbors had found out and managed to call the fire department, that your parents could not be saved.

Bucky had believed that you had every right to grieve your parents, to feel completely free from them now that they were really gone for good. A fire accident in your childhood home, he had told you. Neither of them survived. As it turned out, your mother had left a will before her death, stating that whatever the remaining amount of money she had left in her bank account should go to the science teacher at your school. After all, she had signed a contract saying that she would cut all ties with you. Of course, she was not going to leave you that money. But it seemed as though, after all these years of never being able to be on the same page, your mother did understand you at some point. She knew that you owed your old teacher so much for that one night of shelter and your mother also owed her that much for ensuring that her only child had not frozen to death. And that was the end of that.

Portia Natalia Barnes never got to know her maternal grandparents, but she knew from a very young age that her mother had not been as lucky as she had been when it came to being the recipient of unconditional parental love. You and Bucky had made sure to let both of your children know that they were loved from the day they were born. You never took them or the responsibility that you had taken on as being their parents for granted. You were honest with them, allowing them to understand that their parents were not perfect. But they were human beings with their own flaws, who thrived to be better. You had given them the space and the openness to be honest with you too. If they ever felt like your parenting was unfair to them, they would tell you. You communicated with them to make sure that they understood the boundaries that you had set for them as their parents and they felt understood as well. You were much better parents that the ones you had.

As the years rolled on, Portia had left your nest to go off to Harvard. Having inherited her father photographic memory, she had been quite a smart kid. When it came to her going to college, she had managed to grab an acceptance to multiple Ivy League schools. Her father had taken it personally that she had chosen Harvard over Columbia, his own alma mater. But truth be told, Bucky was simply not willing to see his little girl go off to live on her own. He had been a very protective father.

While your daughter was attending university in Boston, your son was freaking out over the football tryouts at his high school. While neither you nor your husband was athletically talented, it seemed as though Grant had taken a particular liking to playing sport. Now a senior in high school, he was well under way of getting a football scholarship. Both of your children were doing well for themselves and you could not be any prouder.

And as for you and your James, the two of you had resigned from the hospital when your children were starting school. The two of you had agreed that the unpredictable work schedule that came with working at the hospital was not ideal when you wanted to be raising two children. Bucky had admitted that he wanted to be more present in their lives. As much as he had been raised by a nanny, he was against the idea of you hiring one.

But the time had been right, for Bucky’s friend T’Challa, who had taken over your in-laws’ private practice from them had sold it back to the two of you before moving back to Africa. You and James began working together as partners, dictating your own work hours to accommodate your school runs and running your own clinic at the shelter. The two of you had really built yourselves a life together, just for the two of you.

Of course, this did not mean that you did not get to see your friends at all. Every weekend and the holidays were spent in each other’s company, no matter how far away from each other your lives had taken you all. Even if you all had your own families now, you still made time for each other. In the end, you were all each other’s families and that was never going to change all that easily.

“Mooooom!” Your son whined as he made his way down the stairs, his feet stomping across the hardwood floor with every step he took until he reached the kitchen. For a seventeen year old, he was quite broad and tall. He sure had the built for a football player, towering over your height too. According to your mother-in-law, he certainly took on after his father. But you would not say that he only took on Bucky’s appearance; he had his father’s heart too. “Mom, Portia says she needs the car tomorrow but I’ve got practice. Can you please remind her that she doesn’t live here anymore and the car’s mine now?”

You let out a sigh as you finished chopping up the vegetables, discarding the scraps in the compost bin before walking over to the stove to check on the pasta.

“I told you. I’ll even drop you off and pick you up, you punk.” Your daughter’s voice echoed through the hallway as she followed after her brother. “Mom, I’m just meeting up with my friend for coffee. We have our project due after spring break and we were going to be working on it together.”

“It’s spring break. Why aren’t you taking a road trip to Canada and getting pissed drunk or something like a proper college kid?”

“It’s spring break. Why do you have practice, huh?” She asked her brother.

You turned off the stove before turning around to face your children, letting out a sigh of disbelief. “Have you two seriously forgotten what day it is?” You asked them as you crossed your arms against your chest.

They both looked at each other for a moment before their eyes grew wide in realization of what day it was.

“Oh shit-” Portia quickly covered her mouth. “Sorry, mom! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to forget, I... I’ll text my friend right now and cancel our study session. I promise, I’m not leaving the house for the whole day.”

“Sorry, mom...” Grant frowned as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. “I’m calling the coach and telling him that I can’t make it. Family comes first.”

“As much as I’m a little disappointed that the two of you forgot your father’s birthday, I’m glad that you two are at least fighting about study sessions and football practice.” You admitted, chuckling softly. “Help me finish up with dinner and set the table? Dad will be home soon and it’s been a while since we’ve had a family meal with all four of us.”

“Of course.” Your daughter smiled as she walked around the kitchen counter to wash her hands. “I’ll roast the vegetables.”

“I’ll drain the pasta.”

“And I’ll finish up the sauce!” You announced and the three of you worked together to finish cooking before your husband got home.

Dr. James Barnes was a lucky man. At sixty years of age, he was happily married to his wife of twenty-two years. With a successful private practice and a part-time position teaching anatomy at Columbia Medical School, he had learned to keep himself busy with work while still managing to have a family of his own. He had two wonderful children who loved him dearly and were well onto becoming responsible adults. He was not worried about their future; they were good kids.

His goddaughter on the other hand though, he was worried about her for sure. “Sarah, I’m telling you. Being my little niece does not mean that you’re going to get special treatment in my class.” With an eye roll, Bucky made his way upstairs right after he entered his home.

“But that doesn’t give you any reason to be twice as hard on me, Dr. Barnes.” She told him sternly as she watched him ascend up the stairs. She walked into the dining room, her expression a little softer as she greeted you. “Hey, Aunty Y/N.”

“Hey, sweetheart... will you be joining us for dinner this evening?” You asked your beloved niece as you finished setting the table. Just as you had been a regular visitor of the Rogers-Carter household when you had first started working with Steve and Peggy, Sarah was a frequent dinner guest as your house as well.

“Do I have a choice? I have an anatomy quiz after the break that I’m supposed to study for and my professor’s a jerk. Uncle Bucky... offered to help me study tonight.” Sarah Rogers, in the way she carried herself and spoke her mind, was her mother’s daughter. But when it came to her constant banter with Bucky, she was all Steve. “I’m telling you. If I end up dropping out of med school, it was your husband’s fault.”

“This... is exactly why I went off to Harvard.” Portia pointed out as she walked over to Sarah and pulled her into a hug. “Cheer up, Rogers.”

“Wait, I thought Uncle Bucky is your professor...”

The girls turned around to give Grant a look of disbelief.

You gave him a pat on the back. “Let’s finish setting the table, baby.”

Your husband made his way downstairs after freshening up, having changed into a pair of sweatpants and a Henley. Even after years, he still liked to separate his personal and professional lives with how he dressed. When the two of you were home, you rarely spoke of work. Your children had always been your priorities.

James’ hair had a hint of grey now. But that only made him look much more attractive to you. The years had been kind to the two of you, despite a few wrinkles here and there. Your physical appearance did not matter much to you though, for your hearts were still the same? You loved each other just as much as you did that night in your hospital room and that was never going to change.

After a long-awaited family meal, the children got busy with doing the dishes while you found yourself heading up to your room for a quick shower. By the time you had changed into a pair of pyjamas and made your way downstairs, you found Sarah and Portia huddled on the living room floor with their textbooks laying wide open around them. Grant had followed their example and grabbed himself a book to read while he laid on the couch – The Merchant of Venice, which was apparently now being taught in his high school English class. He really was his father’s son.

Bucky sat in his study, reading through his emails. As you knocked on the door and poked your head through, he looked up at you with a smile. “I wasn’t expecting any visitors at this time, doll. But I’ll take it.”

You walked into the room, making sure to close the door around you. “So, this is where you spend all of your free time after... a hard day’s work and a good family meal.” You told him with a wink.

He chuckled softly as he stood up from his seat. “Well, I do think that there’s a lot more value to my time if it’s spent in the presence of my wife.” There was a teasing tone in his voice and you knew that he had caught on.

“Hm... flattery will get you everywhere, Dr. Barnes.” You giggled as you walked up to him, leaving up to quickly peck his lips. You were cautious, for you did not want the children to see you like this. “A wise man once told me that I was capable of being so much better than what life had to offer me. Happy birthday to him, I guess.”

“I think there’s still a few hours until midnight.” He said, his eyes darting to the wall clock behind you.

You reached into the pockets of your robe and pulled out an envelope. “I just thought I might give you your present a little earlier...”

“What’s this?” Bucky asked you as he took the envelope, his eyebrow raised at you as he stepped back to retrieve the letter opener from his desk. He carefully tore through the envelope before retrieving the tickets to your romantic vacation destination.

You watched as he looked down at the tickets. “A wise man also told me that if I really wanted to live like I’m in the Merchant of Venice, all I had to do was hop on a plane.”

He turned around to give you a cheeky grin. “A romantic getaway to Venice? Really, doll?”

“I think we both need one, don’t you think? Now that Portia’s out of the house and Grant will be moving out soon.” You shrugged. “We can just travel the world like free birds, just you and me.”

“I think I’d like that.” He agreed as he walked back to you and kissed you softly.

You giggled as you kissed him back, wrapping your arms tightly around him as you took in his scent. “We did good, James...” You admitted, laying your head against his shoulder and shutting you eyes for a moment. You wanted to savor this, for every single intimate the two of you shared was precious. You still saw it as a blessing, having a wonderful husband like him and beautiful children.

“No, I think we did better, Y/N.”

[woollymitts]

I do do other things than just transcribe all day. Amongst them is gardening. I have a longish side project going on where I managed to convince the commissioners of the local parish to let me turn 1/4 acre of the hilly section of a common field into a wild flower meadow.

I started late in 2018. And tried lots of fun methods to get it going. First was seed bombs. Nada. The grass and existing plants out competed the seeds. They blew in the wind to other parts of the village so Fox and Cubs and poppies etc sprung up lane verges and on the paths of the graveyard, following the direction of the prevailing wind.

I froze thousands of yellow rattle seeds to try to acclimatise them and break their dormancy.

It is a semi parisitic flower that weakens grass. It is also notoriously difficult to germinate and it only germinates from the previous year’s seeds. Shelf life miniscule. I was like I’ve germinated Himalyan poppies this will be a piece of cake. Er, no. ££ sunk in and nada. Yellow rattle rage is a thing apparently.

Meanwhile, the field in spring was showing up with dandelions, buttercups, daisies, plaintain and ground elder. Nothing special and in comparison to the tussocky unkept parts of field not much different for biodiversity. Thus proving, wildflower growing is not as easy as let go and leave. So more reading on meadow management.

In the summer, we cut out a trefoil outline and turned it over with a cultivator to see if flower seeds might germinate on that. More seed sowing, but dandelions and ground elder soon colonized.

Luckily, plan d, was a bunch of seeds I had grown at home. With the with the help of a lovely Brownie pack we pricked out, grew on and planted 100 plants. Little tooth pick flags were used to identify them and like a lunatic I had to individually visit them and water them for a week (hence the trefoil path and flags so they could be easily found) until the rain finally came to take over their settling in process. We added marguerite and cornflowers, borage and red clover successfully established.

But the factor that made all the difference was in someways the most obvious: meadow management. In late summer, I went out with a strimmer. It took five days to strim the whole area back. I worked slowly to encourage, voles, lizards and beetles to head for the tussocks. I burned my arms on giant hogweed sap mistaking its umbelliferous form for the ubiquitous ground elder.

Next our domestic mower set to high and another week of spent mowing and collecting the grasses into mounds for drying. Once dried, they could be rolled onto tarp to be dragged to the massive composting heap. Removing any cut great matter was my best chance of weakening the current sward to give the plants a fighting chance. After that fortnight, I was shattered, sweaty, burnt, dusty heap myself.

A small envelope of local island yellow rattle free from the Manx Wildflower Trust did germinate and now this spring I’ve spotted a dozen or so making their appearance.

At the end of February another much easier cut (only 2 days of backbreaking work). So finally come this spring we have our usual display of the old familiars but hello to some newbies. Last years’ wild flowers planted by the Brownies have also filled out.

Lockdown has resulted in only being allowed a short visit so I tried painting seeds onto loo roll and leaving ribbons of loo paper on the path topping them with seed compost but four weeks of no rain has made this look detritus from a Halloween after party.

Walking the dog, I have been out with a weed puller just to knock back the ground elder a bit. Will take on other plants that tend to dominate the sward later.

I plan to stash another 100 plants on the cultivated path section (all again grown from seed to healthy plugs). Then the summer cut is essential to disperse their seeds and further weaken the grass and remove more nutrients as wild flowers favour poor soil.

My advice; assume a five year process. Cut and remove clippings twice a year. Get a cultivator and turnover a working path for planting little wild flower plugs you’ve grown yourself. Get local yellow rattle, do not waste your cash on other supplies as reliability is poor and there is no way of check yours is from this year’s crop. And do make little toothpick flags and invest in a watering tank back pack or hope to heck there is a water outlet near by. Best of luck.

[jenthebug]

Taking some characters out for a test drive

I wrote what might become a scene in my novel, to give myself some practice with these new characters and this new setting.

The preacher’s son meets the witch at a farmer’s market, 1311 words.

A tall, muscular man with a crew cut approached a booth at the Bonny Farmer’s Market. He walked straight up to the proprietor, who was eyeing him suspiciously. “I don’t think we’ve formally met. I’m Cole Harlan, Don’s son.” He held out his hand for a handshake.

“Terra Moirai.” She gave him a quick, perfunctory handshake. “I’ve had a few conversations with your father,” she said coldly.

“Did he tell you that he’s leaving town for a few months? He’s going on a mission trip to Thailand to build homes for the homeless!” Cole beamed. “I’ll be preaching in his place on Sundays. You’re welcome to come to tomorrow’s service.”

“That...is not what I heard from Don,” she said. She tugged the hair tie out of the braid that hung over her shoulder, a tangle of green and brown curls, and unbraided it. “He explicitly told me that I am not welcome in church, not to speak to his family, and not to spread my wickedness in this town.” She piled her hair on top of her head and pulled it up in a messy bun. “I’m spreading my vegetables. Is that okay?” Her voice hit a sardonic note.

“That’s more than okay! I actually came over here because your greens look so good! And, Terra, please excuse my father.” His whole posture seemed to soften. “He is a man of the Baptist tradition. He’s very conservative. He wants his flock to adhere to the Baptist Faith and Message, live a lifestyle free of sin, and take the Bible as the final word.”

“You sound almost apologetic.”

Cole sighed. “I’ve only recently moved back to town. I’ve been away for four years, studying at seminary, and becoming an ordained minister myself. I’ll admit, I spent too much time doodling in my notebook and listening to secular music and staring out the window with my eyes glazed over. But one thing held my attention every time I studied it: The teachings of Jesus Christ. I’m not sure if you know this, but there are times that the Baptist Faith and Message seems to contradict the teachings of Christ, and there are many more times that the lifestyle we live contradicts those holy lessons.”

Terra raised an eyebrow.

“Have you read the Bible?”

“No.”

Cole seemed unfazed. A gentle smile spread across his face. “1 John 4:20 states that ‘Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For they who do not love brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.’ And while it’s easy for a person to say they hate the sin yet love the sinner, that statement is usually followed up with berating and punishments. That is not a loving way to treat a person. To love someone, one must act lovingly and kindly.” He opened up his cloth bag and began inspecting the bunches of spinach and kale piled up at Terra’s booth. “Church should be a hospital for the spirit, not a museum of how closely one can stick to doctrine and tradition, you know?”

For the first time since meeting Cole, a smile spread across Terra’s face. “Well said!”

Cole grabbed one bunch of spinach and one bunch of kale, examining them closely. “How on Earth do you get these to grow so well? I planted spinach, kale, and lettuce in the backyard this spring. The spinach was alright, but it was so small. The kale immediately bolted and went to seed, and the lettuce just died.”

Terra nodded knowingly. “The soil in eastern Colorado is just so sandy! I come from the foothills, where the soil is more dense, so I’ve had to learn a few things. Water often, it’s totally worth it to set up drip irrigation. Mix more compost into the soil than you think you need. With the heat out here, partial shade works better than full sun, despite what the seed packets say.”

Cole nodded. “Alright. Water, compost, partial shade.”

Terra stepped back and smirked. “You want to know if I put a spell on these things, right? Called up the Devil and asked for good veggies?”

Cole laughed nervously.

“I draw my energy from the earth, and return my energy to the earth. Everything I do is a reflection of the cycles of nature. My spirit communes with the spirits of the soil, the plants, the water, the insects, the animals. I am as much a part of nature as the seed that grew that spinach, and as much a part of the seed’s growth as it is a part of mine.”

Cole gave Terra a blank smile as he tried to wrap his head around her words.

“I did not call Satan, and I did not cast any magic spells on those vegetables.” She spoke simply and bluntly. “I’m just a really good gardener with a bit of an innate advantage. Call it a green thumb if that makes it easier for you.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll take two spinach bunches and one kale bunch, please.” He pulled three dollars out of his pocket and handed them to Terra.”

“Thanks, take your pick.”

“Hey! Cole!” Hannah, Cole’s sister, ran up to Terra’s booth. “There you are! I tried texting you!”

Cole gave Hannah an apologetic look. “Sorry, I got caught up talking to Ms. Terra. Have you met her?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve bought skin care stuff from her before. She makes a really good goat’s milk soap.”

“Is that what that stuff in the bathroom is?”

“The pink bar of soap? Yeah. Goat’s milk, rosewater, all kinds of good stuff.” Hannah pulled her blonde waterfall curls up into a bouncy ponytail and turned to Terra. “Hey, have you ever thought about making hair stuff?”

Terra laughed, pointing to the green and brown bundle on her head. “Maybe I should! But I never really do anything with my hair, except make sure it’s clean and untangle it…”

“And you dye it,” Hannah said. “That’s damaging, especially since you’re lifting brown.”

Terra shook her head. “Nope. No dye. This is just how it grows.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Cole said.

Without a word, Terra lifted her combat booted foot onto the table, behind the iPad that she used as a point of sale. She lifted her long, brown skirt to reveal that she hadn’t shaved in way too long. Along with the brown stubble that Cole and Hannah expected to see, there were little green hairs mixed in.

“Oh...kay. Now I don’t.” Cole pressed his lips together, trying to suppress a laugh.

Terra giggled and put her foot down. She sprayed down the table with a homemade cleaning spray, wiped it with a washcloth, and rang in Cole’s purchase.

“Cole, would you like a receipt?”

“No thank you.”

“Hannah, are you still okay on soap?”

“Yes, I am, but I was hoping for some of the rosewater toner that you had last time.”

“Oh no, I sold out of that!” Terra cringed. “Tell you what. I’m coming into town on Tuesday to get my oil changed. I’ll bring a bottle for you then, and only charge you $10 instead of the usual $12 for the inconvenience.”

“Sure! Thanks! Can we meet here at the park at 5:30? I’ll be on my way home from cheer practice.”

“Why not just meet at the school? It’s right by the garage.”

Hannah cringed. “Well…”

Terra sighed. “You know what? The park should be fine.”

“Thank you so much.” Hannah said.

“Yes, thank you,” Cole said. “It shouldn’t be like this...but it is.”

“Yep.” 

Cole held out his hand for another handshake. “It was nice to meet you, Ms. Terra. I mean that.”

Terra smiled and shook his hand again. “And it was nice to meet you, too, Cole. I also mean that.”

[arielleyoga-blog1]

Earth-Loving Home in 4 Steps!

I believe growing up in Los Angeles has a lot of benefits, but I would say one of the main things I am so grateful for is how my public school education taught me about how important taking care of our planet is, and that it truly is every individual’s responsibility, and every effort counts!

Ever since childhood, I have turned off the water when soaping up my hands, my dishes, or brushing my teeth. In fact, my friend told me when she was in med school and was scrubbing for surgery, the doctor next to her asked “Are you from California?” She replied “Yes, why?” And he said “Californians aways step off the water while they scrub.” YEAH BECAUSE DROUGHT DUDE!

I’ve always picked up trash I find on the street: whether it’s a receipt that fell out of a person’s bag, or a soda can. As long as it isn’t wet (because it could be urine everyone) then I pick it up.

Every person’s effort counts!

I was trying to find ways to really help eliminate waste creation in my own home, much to my husband’s huffing and puffing over. “Recycling is a scam have you been to a recycling plant?” He grew up in the Midwest...I don’t think they talk about saving dolphins in Ohio as much as we do out here lol

I did research, followed bloggers, searched online, and eventually found some SIMPLE and effective ways to create an earth-friendly home. Here FOUR simple ways you can start living in a more Earth-Friendly home: 

1. STASHER BAGS

I registered for these for my wedding, I kid you not! You will NEVER need a ziplock bag AGAIN!!! Whether Anthony is traveling and throws his soap and razors in one, or I’m needing to freeze some left over soup: there is a stasher bag for EVERYTHING, and they are dishwasher and freezer safe! They’re also safe in the microwave, or in a pot of boiling water and conventional oven up to 400 degrees!!! YOU WILL NEVER NEED OT USE A PESKY ZIP LOCK BAG AGAIN YOU GUYS!

You can order them on their site (or also find where they’re carried near you) at https://www.stasherbag.com ! Even better: They’re a Certified B Corporation! They care about PURPOSE just as much as PROFIT!

2. Scott Tube-Free Toilet Paper

I mean, that’s pretty self explanatory! Those little TP rolls add up in our world! Think about how often you use toilet paper...

So instead of ditching the roll in your bathroom trash and NOT separating it to be recycled: Ditch it all together! The TP is still soft and lovely and what an easy fix to eliminate waste.

I ordered them on Amazon, before requesting my local grocery store carry it! You can always request at the manager’s desk or online at your local store for them to carry it: let them know you buy it elsewhere, but would happily purchase it from THEM if they carried it! They’re almost always happy to oblige!  3. Branch-Basics

I heard about this brand for a long time before deciding to give them a try. When I read The Woman Code, which I ALWAYS talk about in my blog and on my instagram, I instantly tried to switch my household over to natural products without my husband freaking out. 

I wasn't totally ready to trust BB, so I got an awesome cleaner suggested in the book. It’s been good..but isn't as easy to make, and isn’t as effective.

Branch Basics is AMAZING! Their all-purpose cleaner got out some old wine stains in a sweater, and their laundry concentrate with oxygen boost ACTUALLY cleans and DE-SMELLS my and my husbands gross work out clothes !

This way whether your cleaning a mirror, your bathroom, or your clothes: your using ALL NATURAL CHEMICAL FREE products THAT WORK! Happy home, happy earth! Use http://branchbasics.refr.cc/arielle to save $10 on your first order! 

4. Poop Bags THAT ACTUALLY BREAK DOWN! 

As a dog mom, one thing that has always bothered me is that when we pick up poop...something that will naturally break down into the earth, we put it in a PLASTIC bag that will rot in a landfill and destroy our planet.

I looked around at all types and tried dozens of “plastic-free” bags, but I wanted something that I KNEW would 100% breakdown in a landfill because I don’t compost...yet.

AND FINALLY! I found THESE! Earth Best Earth Rated® compostable bags! They’re not the color green: because guys that doesn’t mean they’re better for the environment! These bags are a vegetable-based alternative to the green-colored bags AND THEY WILL BREAK DOWN IN 45 DAYS!

I get mine at The Healthy Spot, although I will say...they’ve been running out a lot lately, so grab two or three boxes! Or of course anywhere on line! They’ve got a website and are also carried on Chewey and Amazon!

Hope you guys check these products out and let me know your thoughts! WE CAN FIX OUR PLANET: every person counts!

[bethestaryouareradio]

Garden of Eating

By Cynthia Brian

 “The gathering of salads, radishes, and herbs made me feel like another about her baby--how could anything so beautiful be mine?” Alice B. Toklas

 The final month of summer is the most delicious time of the season when summer crops, especially tomatoes and squash are at their tastiest. Throughout the year I look forward to this moment when I can pluck sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes right off the vine, pinch a basil leaf or two, and devour the combination while working in my potager.

 Since medieval days, the French have been combining flowers, herbs, and vegetables in kitchen gardens called potagers. Still popular today, according to government surveys, at least 25% of consumed vegetables in France are home-grown. With the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables at an all-time high, many Americans are following suit and smartly growing their own groceries. 

 Growing up on our farm, our edible gardens were expansive. Everything we consumed we either grew or raised, except for dairy products. Whenever we visited friends or relatives, we always brought a box of freshly harvested goodies. Our meals were colorful, flavorful, and nutritious, making me a life-long advocate of continuing the tradition of growing my own organic crops and sharing the bounty with others. 

 Everyone benefits from enjoying a little patch of earth; however, most people don’t live on farms with acres of land. The good news is you don’t need a hectare to grow your own herbs and vegetables. With limited space, window boxes, balconies, doorsteps, and porches become your personal, edible Eden.

 If you are wondering what is a potager or kitchen garden, the best description is that it is a place where you grow your own garden of eating. In other words, what do you want to bring into the kitchen? Fruit, herbs, flowers, and vegetables are all welcome in a kitchen garden. Kids are instilled with better eating habits as well as a love of gardening by giving them a small plot or pot to grow foods they want to eat. Whether you are a green thumb or a non-gardener, growing edibles in a container on your patio or deck next to the grill make the ingredients easier to use in your meal planning. Most people don’t want to hike out to the back forty to harvest a handful of chives. Ornamental edibles are gorgeous and entertaining as herbs, flowers, and vegetables flow seamlessly together, attracting beneficial insects to keep the garden healthy and in balance.

 Although it is too late this year to plant a kitchen garden for summer harvesting, the forthcoming fall offers the opportunity to plant winter crops. And by salivating now over the luscious summer offerings of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, and more, you can plan next spring’s planting.

 What do you need to grow a mini garden of tasty delights?

 Containers: Anything that can hold soil and water will work well. You can purchase decorative containers in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and textures or you can recycle unlikely items for more of a unique design statement. I grow herbs and plants in old cowboy boots, coffee mugs, shells, wine boxes, teapots, toys, and even hats.  Drainage is critical, especially for any vessel without a bottom hole.  Add an inch of gravel or packing pebbles to the bottom of any containers to improve the drainage. Water damages surfaces. Provide saucers to prevent runoff staining.

 Soil: Synthetic “soils” are best suited for growing vegetables and herbs in pots. Purchase pre-made bags or make your own by mixing sawdust, wood chips, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, fertilizer, compost, or other organic mediums. Mixtures must be free of disease and weed seeds, be able to hold moisture and nutrients, be lightweight, and drain well.  Before planting, water the new soil thoroughly.

 Sun: Growing herbs or vegetables requires sunshine. Make sure to position your planters in a non-drafty area receiving five to six hours of sun daily. A south, southeast, southwest, or west location is ideal. Most containers are easily moved from place to place. If very large or extra heavy, utilize the assistance of a hand truck!

 Seeds: Whether you choose seeds or small plants, you’ll want to choose herbs or veggies that won’t grow too tall or too wide and don’t have a deep rooting system. My favorites are parsley, mint, basil, chives, sage, thyme, dill, strawberries, and lavender. I have had success in growing tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, cabbage, and peppers in containers on my patio. If you have vertical space on a balcony or porch, pole beans are fun while cucumbers and squash can be trained to trail. For great barbecue flavors, keep a wagon of herbs, specifically rosemary, within rolling distance.

 Water: Herbs and vegetables drown when water-logged. Water sparingly. Once a week during cooler seasons or in hot weather, once a day is sufficient. Poor drainage kills plants while wet leaves encourage disease. Be diligent. Feed once a month with a fertilizer designed for edibles. 

 My Asian pear and apple trees are overflowing with fruit this year as are all my citrus trees including lemon, lime, tangerine, and tangelo. Grapes are ripening and will be harvested next month. Miniature or dwarf fruit trees are available at local nurseries allowing you to grow your favorite treats in troughs or containers. Berries can be grown in barrels to boost your antioxidant quotient to fight disease and keep you healthy. 

 There is nothing better than plucking a few leaves from your aromatic herbs, ripe fruit from your tree, tangy berries from the bush, or any veggie growing in your personal plots to add flavor and health to your cuisine. Growing in the ground or pots near your cooking environment will decrease stress and improve your happiness quotient.  Your botanical babies are beautiful!

 Plant your own garden of eating today.  Enjoy paradise on a plate. Bon appetite!

 Happy Gardening. Happy Growing.

Photos and more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1614/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Garden-of-eating.html

Press Pass: https://blog.voiceamerica.com/2022/08/31/garden-of-eating/

 Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, is available for hire to help you prepare for your spring garden. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com. Her newest children’s picture book series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures, will be available soon. Buy copies of her books, www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store. Receive a FREE inspirational music DVD and special savings. Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures.

Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com

www.GoddessGardener.com

[livingcorner]

7 Common Mistakes in Raised Bed Gardening – The Beginner’s Garden@|how to raise garden bed@|https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/02/bgp38-blog.jpg@|21

Updated August 21, 2019

Many beginning gardeners plan to grow their vegetables in raised beds — and for good reason! Those of us who have been raised bed gardening for years testify to how much we enjoy it! Better harvests, less weeding, sharp aesthetics — what’s not to love?

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But as in any venture, there are mistakes to be made. The problem with making mistakes in a raised bed garden is they aren’t easily corrected. I know this first-hand!

From my own experience and from hearing the experiences of others, I’ve compiled these seven mistakes raised bed gardeners commonly make.

If you’re planning a raised bed garden for the first time or adding to your existing beds, this will help you avoid many of the mistakes I and others have made. And if you’re already gardening in raised beds but are seeing lackluster results, you may find some reasons why here.

*some links below are affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission. 

1. Raised Beds are too wide.

One of the biggest benefits of raised bed gardening is avoiding soil compaction. You want to be able to work in your garden beds without stepping on them. This promotes a better soil structure and ultimately healthier plants.

But if the width of your raised beds prevents you from working all sides within your reach, you will find yourself stepping inside the bed, defeating this major purpose of a raised bed.

For this reason, raised beds should never be more than four feet wide. Most people can comfortably reach into the center of a four-foot-wide raised bed without any problem. But as I’ve experimented with different sizes, I’ve found a three-foot-wide span is even more comfortable for me.

When choosing the width of your raised beds, you also must consider the placement of the bed. If you situate your raised beds next to a fence, I recommend the width not to exceed thirty inches. This way, you can work your bed from one side only with ease.

2. You don’t plan for irrigation.

Unless you want to hand-water your raised beds with a watering can (and that will get old quick), you need to plan ahead of time how you will irrigate the beds.

First, I recommend placing raised beds near a water source. Whether you plant to hand-water your beds or use a more efficient system of soaker hoses or drip lines, having water easily accessible will save you much time and headache.

In my early years of gardening, I placed a lawn sprinkler near my raised beds to overhead water my garden. But this proved entirely inefficient. Not only did overhead watering waste water, but it also exacerbated many of the fungal diseases common in my area like early blight and powdery mildew.

(Here’s a more thorough discussion I had about garden irrigation with Joe Lamp’l.)

Now I recommend soaker hoses or drip irrigation for raised beds. For just a few raised beds, soaker hoses will perform just fine.

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But if you have more than a few raised beds, or if you garden with a combination of raised beds and ground beds like I do, setting up a drip irrigation system works great and costs less.

Here is an inexpensive soaker hose as well as a drip irrigation starter kit similar to what I use in my garden.

3. Material Used is Unsafe.

Though you will find a myriad of speculation about the safety of certain pressure-treated wood for use in raised beds, most experts agree on this: do not use pressure-treated wood manufactured prior to 2003. 

Pressure-treated wood manufactured prior to 2003 contains chromated copper arsenate, and you don’t want that near your food garden. Modern methods of pressure-treated wood use safer practices, and whether you choose to use it is a personal decision.

I have used pressure-treated pine wood in all of my raised beds, but this is a personal decision each gardener has to make.

Many people choose to use rot-resistant and chemical-free woods such as cedar or redwood, but prepare to pay more if you go that route.

If you’re looking for cheap raised garden beds, you might want to repurpose wood that was used in a different capacity. Perhaps you have an old fence you are taking down, for example. To be safe, just make sure it wasn’t manufactured prior to 2003.

My brother-in-law called me when he took down his old fence and asked me if I wanted the wood. Before I took it, I confirmed the fence was only 10 years old. Then, I repurposed that old fence into three new raised beds. You can see my process of building these raised beds from that old garden fence here.

(Want more information on how to choose wood for raised beds? Here is a great article that goes into more detail on your options.)

What other materials can you use for raised beds? Many people are starting to build beds out of steel panels like Jill Winger’s raised beds here.

With any new idea for raised bed materials, do your research first. Avoid old railway ties (which contain harmful creosote), for example, and do your research before you use old tires.

4. Raised Bed Garden Soil Lacks Nutrients

Many soil combinations will work well with raised beds, but some do not. Potting soil, for example, drains too quickly. Unless your raised bed sits on concrete or rocks (and thus acts more like a container), skip the potting soil. You need more substance than what potting soil can provide.

Another mistake well-intentioned gardeners make is using soil with too much nitrogen content, like a bed full of composted manure or a bag of soil filled with chemical fertilizers. Your plants will grow great but fruit-producing plants like tomatoes produce little fruit.

Another caution: I have found that plants grown in a raised bed filled only with bagged soil grew much slower than those beds with some amount of organic material mixed in.

I top-dress my raised beds with homemade compost, which adds organic matter into the soil.

Personally, I’ve found the best success in my raised beds by using a combination of native soil (or garden soil) and organic material like compost, but depending on what you have available and your budget, you have many options to choose from.

The possible combinations of raised bed soil can get overwhelming, especially if you’re on a budget. That’s why I put together a free guide to help any gardener — on any budget — discover the ideal soil combination for them. Download the free guide by clicking below.

5. Raised Beds are placed too close together.

Working in raised beds can be the joy of any gardener. That’s why you want to create the most comfortable working area as possible.

To do this, you want enough room to be able to work between the beds comfortably — two to three feet at least. I made this mistake by only allowing about a foot between my raised beds, and it’s always a challenge weeding, planting, and harvesting from those edges.

When you place your raised beds, ensure you can get your garden cart or wheelbarrow in between them. When you have enough space to do that, you can sit a stool beside the beds for a comfortable working area.

6. Pathways grow up with weeds and grass.

There are few things more frustrating than going out to my garden, planning to enjoy some time working in my raised beds, and discovering the grass has grown up beside them.

I have to be alert to snakes, and the overgrown grass causes my legs to itch. My husband and I both try to keep the area trimmed with a weed eater, but with 3 acres to maintain, sometimes we can’t always keep it tidy.

If you don’t want to keep mowing or weed eating the grass and weeds around your raised beds, place a barrier down before the weeds and grass emerge for the season.

Broken down cardboard boxes with a light layer of mulch on top works great! But an even easier method I’ve begun to use is rolling brown kraft paper between beside my beds and covering with mulch.

I do recommend organic mulches. Skip the landscape fabric because weeds will eventually get through anyway. Pine needles are my favorite for pathways because they break down more slowly than other materials.

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7. Neglecting to Mulch Raised Beds

Mulching your raised beds is just an important as mulching in a ground garden bed, and perhaps even more so.

Though weed pressure is usually less in raised beds, it isn’t non-existent. Weed seeds from native soil find light and sprout. Seeds floating in the wind and deposited from birds love the rich soil of raised beds. For these reasons, mulch will dramatically reduce your weeding time.

But more importantly, mulch regulates the soil temperature and retains moisture — both critical needs of raised beds in the hot summer.

One huge advantage of raised beds is how the soil heats up quicker in the spring, allowing for faster planting. But it also heats up as the season goes on. Mulch helps regulate that temperature more than bare soil would.

Mulch also regulates moisture. In wet seasons, it acts like a sponge, absorbing excess rainfall. In dry times, it keeps moisture from evaporating in the heat of the summer. You will find your mulched raised beds much healthier than those without it.

I prefer to mulch with wood chips, and in this post, I talk about the pros and cons of four common types of mulch — all of which I have tried in my raised bed gardens.

Hopefully, by avoiding these 7 mistakes, you will be on your way to an enjoyable raised bed gardening experience with abundant harvests!

Do you have anything to add to my list? 

More Raised Bed Gardening Resources

Podcast

I discuss each of these seven mistakes in even more detail in this episode of the Beginner’s Garden Podcast. Listen here or on your favorite podcasting app.

FAQs of Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening

I’ve received many follow-up questions to this post, and I addressed the most common ones here: Raised Bed Gardening FAQs: 9 Common Questions 

3 Raised Bed Soil Mixes Tested

What is the best soil blend to fill your raised beds with? I put three common raised bed soil mixes to the test, and the results may surprise you.

Raised Bed Garden vs. In Ground Garden

Jill Winger of the Prairie Homestead talks with me about why she changed from an in-ground garden to a raised bed garden to help others decide if it’s right for them in this post.

Raised Bed Soil Options Free Download

Don’t forget to download my free Raised Bed Soil Options for any budget guide below:

Avoid Common Beginning Gardening Mistakes

Grab this free download and not only discover some of the most common mistakes first-time gardeners make — but even more important — learn what to do to avoid those mistakes altogether!

Plus, I’ll send you my “In the Garden E-mail” on Fridays, periodic updates on garden resources relevant to you, and get access to my entire bank of free garden downloads!

You are also agreeing to our privacy policy.

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source https://livingcorner.com.au/7-common-mistakes-in-raised-bed-gardening-the-beginners-gardenhow-to-raise-garden-bedhttps-journeywithjill-net-gardening-wp-content-uploads-sites-2-2018-02-bgp38-blog-jpg21/

[cook-the-beans]

Well, let’s talk about bar shampoo!

As you all know I’m vegan, what you don’t know yet is why I went vegan in the first place. A plant-based diet came to me very naturally as my knowledge grew about the devastating implication that animal exploitation has on our planet.

So for me, it’s not only a diet but making thoughtful choices about everything in my life in order to cause the less impact on the planet as possible.

I probably consider myself to be an environmentalist first. A plant-based diet just fit on it naturally, because is the most environmentally-friendly way to live.

Nowadays I’m vegan for many reasons, for the environment, for the animals and, for my health. All the choices I make in my life go in this line. Choosing a shampoo couldn’t be any different 💆🏻💚

For obvious reasons, starting to use a bar shampoo is the right way to go, but the problem is to know what to choose.

I hope that you will find this post useful. Because for me when I decided to swap for a bar shampoo it was quite hard to find information and to know what was good on the market.

The brands

The brands mentioned here are all from the United Kingdom and all have a philosophy that agrees profoundly with my ethics.

All the shampoos were tried by me and also my partner (he volunteered himself 😅).

So what is written here is a completely honest review about the experience we had with the products. A mere recommendation to start you off on your journey to find the best shampoo bar for you.

All bar shampoos mentioned here are cruelty-free, eco-friendly, free from palm oil, and are from conscientious businesses 🌿💚

probably, it’s also important to say that I’m not being paid to write this article, and I will not receive anything in return if you purchase a product from the list 😊 

***

Caros Creams

NEEM & Rosemary   £5.50  (100g)

Caroline’s NEEM & Rosemary bar shampoo is precious, it has a delicate smell and is packed with goodness. You can feel by the touch and smell how careful she is at choosing the ingredients.  

I just love the ethics behind her small business.

When I first used the shampoo my hair got in a mess, was very oily and kind of waxy; I found it difficult to create a good lather and to rinse.

This is not an uncommon issue for some people when using a new bar shampoo!!

So I kept trying and my reward was a healthy, soft and silky hair, after 2 weeks 🙂  I found that with this shampoo was easier to create foam on my hands, and only use the foam to wash my hair, instead of rubbing the bar directly on my hair.

From day one I didn’t need to use conditioner with this shampoo, what was great. The shampoo is made with great natural ingredients and the packaging is very environmentally friendly! The product arrived very quickly, was packaged well, no plastic involved, and the ingredients were all listed.

All Caroline’s products are handmade with locally foraged herbs and she uses predominantly organic ingredients.  Her products are based on herbal extracts, non-GMO, no artificial colorants or dyes, chemical free, no parabens, and no synthetic fragrances. 

***

Friendly soap

Friendly soap    £2.18   (95g)

I’ve tried all the 3 different bar shampoos they have. The one with Lavender and Geranium,  the one with Lavender and Tea Tree and the Travel Soap, that contains lemongrass, lavender, tea tree and peppermint.

They all smell amazingly and I found the performance between the three quite similar on my hair, my favorite in terms of essence was the Travel Soap.

Plus I found the travel soup’s idea quite clever because it’s formulated to be antiseptic, anti-fungal and insect repellent. You can’t really ask for more when traveling, can you?

All 3 shampoos lathered up super easily (actually its quite impressive for a natural shampoo), and rinsed well.  I didn’t need to use conditioner (only an acidic (ACV) rinse twice a week).

During the first week I had to wash my hair every day because was super oily and greasy, but now I can go 3-4 days without washing my hair. It worked better for me to cut the bars in half, to have more hand-sized pieces.

The Friendly soap bars are the ones with the best value for money, between all the bars I’ve tried. The product arrived very quickly, was packaged well on a paper box so no plastic involved. The individual paper boxes contain the list of all ingredients.

Friendly soap is a company from West Yorkshire (UK) with a strong connection to nature, so their products have little impact on nature and health as possible. Every bar is poured, cut, stamped and packed by hand. 

They don’t use any animal products or by-products. They only use naturally biodegradable ingredients, plant-based oils, essential oils, flowers, spices and herbs and buy fair-trade ingredients.

Bar Shampoo

Bar Shampoo

***

Zora Lou Organics 

Rosemary, Lemongrass and Aloe Vera   £4.00  (70g)

I’ve tried the Rosemary and Lemongrass bar shampoo and it worked quite well on my hair.

During the first month, my hair was quite sticky. After that, I felt a boost on my hairs health. The Shampoo is extremely moisturizing yet lightweight and cleans well. The essence it’s also amazing, it smells lovely but doesn’t foam much.

I do an ACV rinse twice a week when I’m using this shampoo to help de-tangle and to add softness.

The product arrived quickly, on a lovely package, with a personalized letter and small note with instruction and the list ingredients. It was lovely to receive something so thoughtful. Because of the presentation this bar shampoo is great to offer as a gift. 

Zoralou Organics is a mother & daughter business founded and based in The Lake District, UK. They create synergistic blends, with handmade products that are vegan-friendly. Everything they do is non-toxic, chemical and paraben free. They also have a resident Aromatherapist that is available to advise and tailor make specific blends on request to suit any individual needs, what is really cool.

***

Pure Chimp

Natural Shampoo   £6.95  (80g)

I just loved the shape of this bar shampoo, much easier to hold and apply than the regular rectangular ones, really fits right into your palm.

The Pure Chimp only sells 1 type of shampoo, or you like this one or you don’t. One of its pros is the fact that only has literally 5 ingredients. Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Beer, Banana Extract, what for a shampoo is pretty amazing.

The smell reminded me of a banana bubble-gum that I used to eat when I was a child, not really a fan of the smell, but it’s imperceptible on the hair when rinsed. So not really a problem. The shampoo is incredibly easy to lather and rinsing was not an issue. During the first couple of washes my hair was a bit heavier than normal like it had wax, but naturally, after a couple of weeks that sensation reduced and my hair started to get soft and looked healthy and clean.

The product arrived very quickly, was wrapped in recyclable black pepper, with a sticker listing all the ingredients.

Pure Chimp products are all 100% natural and vegan-friendly, plus they give 5% of their profits to charity. They are a small company from Huntingdon, UK.

***

Wild Sage

Rosemary and Lavender  £5.00 (100g)

After a short adaptation period, of about a week, where my hair didn’t look really happy (neither I 😅),  I can go now for about 3 days before my hair needs to be washed again. So far I didn’t need to use conditioner with this shampoo. I only do an ACV rinse once/twice a week and my hair is very smooth. I’m really happy with the results.

This bar shampoo foams really well what helps to massage your scalp.

I cut the soap into 4 pieces to get the most out of it. The lather is amazing, and my hair feels soft and smells great. My partner also loved this shampoo.

The product arrived very quickly, involved in a strip of recycled paper which can be composted with all the ingredients listed and a note inside with instructions, hits, and tips.

Wild Sage is a small family-run business hand crafting cold processed soaps and skin-loving balms from natural ingredients, from their cottage in the Herefordshire countryside. “Simple, honest and good”. 

All the soaps they sell are made with 100% natural, Vegan ingredients, The shampoo I’ve tried has Rapeseed oil and Organic Apple Cider Vinegar along with their home-grown Rosemary, and infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Truly amazing.

  ***

Lush 

Soak And Float    £6.50  (55g)

The bar shampoo I’ve tried was the Soak And Float, and as everything on the Lush shop this product is quite appealing visually and the smell is absolutely delicious. The size is perfect and easy to hold and use.

The Soak And Float shampoo is specific for dandruff/itchy scalp. But they have more than a dozen solid shampoos to choose from.  

This shampoo gives a deep cleanse, from the very first wash. My hair felt healthy, light and bouncy. 

This was the only bar shampoo that my hair accepted from day one. So I didn’t go through the adjustment period like I did with the other ones.

The shampoo foams so much more than any other bar shampoo I’ve used and has a good smelling lather. My experience with this shampoo was more than positive I only think that is a shame that they use SLS on their shampoos.

The product arrived very quickly, inside a colorful paper bag with a sticker with all the ingredients listed.

Lush is a cosmetics retailer headquartered in Poole, UK; they sell creams, soaps, shampoos, moisturizers, scrubs, masks and other cosmetics using vegetarian or vegan recipes, and use parabens to preserve their products.

The company do not support animal testing, and since 2008 they removed all traces of palm oil from the products. Lush donates 100% of the price of every ‘Charity Pot’ purchased to charities that promote environmental conservation, animal welfare, and human rights.

***

Which one to go for?

It is a matter of taste and type of hair. All the ones mentioned here are really good!!

So look for one that can be adapted to your hair, and persist if the shampoo doesn’t agree with you straight away, it will be worth it.

Keep in mind that bar shampoos do not strip hair in the same way as detergent-based shampoos so its normal that your hair will feel different to the touch after washing.

I found that shampoo bars worked well on my hair after the adaptation period. Although my partner had a different experience. His hair didn’t require any adaptation and was really easy for him to switch to a shampoo bar. That made me so mad and super jealous😅.

Personally, after using the bar shampoos I’m not using conditioner, what I used to use after every hair wash. The nourishing butters and oils that the bars have worked really well for me. So far they have been enough to keep my hair smooth and healthy.

📍Important

There is usually an adjustment period of about 1 month on chemically treated hair when using natural products.  So if your hair doesn’t look great after the first wash that’s normal, just keep persisting.

Shampoo bars may not perform as well in hard water. So it may be worth to try an apple cider vinegar rinse (ACV).

If you still think after a while that the bar shampoo is not agreeing with your hair,  you are probably not using the right one for your hair. The true is everyone’s hair and scalp are unique so try different samples, until you find the one that is perfect for you.

What I’ve learned

Apparently, my hair is very picky. Almost all shampoos left residue on my hair and caused oiliness. I really had to keep trying until my hair and scalp got used to it.

I blame the water (hihi 😝) from where I live that is just too hard to handle natural shampoo 😆

Although I was able to make the change and I couldn’t be happier with that.

No more harsh chemicals, no more plastic bottles, zero effect on the environment. Yupy 🎉

What kind of shampoo do you use? have you tried to use a solid shampoo before?

Let me know your thoughts.💙 

SaveSaveSaveSave

Choose the best bar shampoo for you (made in the UK) Well, let's talk about bar shampoo! As you all know I'm vegan, what you don't know yet is…

[takemeawaytocamelot]

The Runaways - The Funny Twist of Fate (1/3)

As many of you might have guessed, I did not especially like the episode in Helwater. I certainly hated when Jamie and Geneva were together. You all know this and you know why. I won’t get into a debate about it here. What I will do, however, is write an alternate story! Because what else does a good fanfic writer do, but fix the things the authors mess up? So! This is my idea for what should have happened. It’s a canon departure and a few things had to change so that this story would work.

Jamie is quite a bit younger than he was in canon, early to mid 20′s, as is Claire. 

Lamb is Claire’s father, elder half brother to Lord Dunsany.

Lamb is a widower who travels all over the world with his daughter at his side, coming back to Helwater for Christmas.

Jamie is known around Helwater as Mac.

@outlandishchridhe was a massive help in getting this idea hammered out and down on (digital) paper. I kid you not, it’s 50 pages on our Google doc. @diversemediums helped polish it up and make it a strong, compelling story that I’m, quite frankly, in love with. So, buckle up! It’s a bit of a read.

Jamie carried the sack of grain into the barn, pausing when he heard wheels coming up the road. After setting the sack down, Jamie walked to the far corner of the barn where he could catch sight of the road. Sure enough, a small coach headed for the estate. Odd. It wasn’t a rig Jamie recognized.

Moving quickly, Jamie rushed to meet the coach, coming to a stop just before it did. The driver climbed down and opened the door, helping a tall, slender man out. Jamie recognized him as Lord Dunsany’s elder half brother Quentin Lambert Beauchamp.

Something about his arrival felt off, though. Any time he’d come to visit, he’d ridden his own horse, not hired a coach. Assuming the presence of a second passenger, Jamie rushed to the door and offered his hand.

A graceful, slender hand came out of the shadows to grip his. Holding himself up to his full height, he helped the young woman out of the coach. She appeared to be near to his own age, though he couldn’t be sure. The only thing he knew for certain was that she was beautiful.

“Quentin! I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Thank you,” Lamb said. “You remember my daughter, Claire?”

“Pleasure to see you again, Uncle,” the woman said, dripping in a polite curtsey.

Lamb’s daughter? Belatedly, Jamie realized he was still holding her hand. Dropping it, he took half a step away from her, unable to look away.

“Mac, would you take care of the horses, please.”

“Of course, my lord,” Jamie said, bowing and nodding to the driver. “This way, sir.”

As he lead the way to the barn, Jamie cast one glance over his shoulder at the young woman. While the men were walking inside, she was watching him. Their eyes met for only a moment, but Jamie felt his knees go weak. How could one woman make him feel this way?

The following morning, Jamie was going about his chores when he heard footsteps. Setting down the rake he used for the manure, he dusted off his hands and turned to greet his visitor.

“Mac? Can you prepare two horses for a leisure ride?”

Lord Dunsany stepped into the stable and looked at the groom. The large red-headed man stood up straight and nodded once.

“Aye, my lord. Yours and one for Lord Beauchamp?”

“Yes,” Dunsany said. “I’ve some things to discuss with my brother and he’s more amiable when he’s out of doors.”

“Right away, sir.”

With the horses groomed and saddled, Jamie lead them out of the stable. Both men came down from the house and mounted without a break in their conversation. It seemed polite enough, a discussion of current politics. But Jamie suspected that wasn’t what they’d talk about soon. Once they were safely off, Jamie went back to his work.

Jamie found himself daydreaming about Lamb’s daughter. Lambert’s wife had died shortly after the birth and he’d never remarried. He’d been raising Claire on his own for her entire life, something the Dunsany’s didn’t approve of. Jamie had often overheard the women discussing the shortcomings of raising someone of Claire’s station on the road.

But Claire was a unique girl. Unlike her cousins, she spoke her mind and did as she pleased. They’d never officially met, but Jamie had been around enough to know a little about her.

Gathering up his cart of manure, Jamie headed for the compost pile. His mind wandered to his family - his sister Jenny and her husband Ian. He wondered how they were doing, if everyone was still alright. As he dumped the cart out, he heard a squeak.

“Damn it!”

Frowning, he walked around the side of the compost heap and found someone kneeling in the dirt. Her skirts were stained with mud and her hair was a wild mess. She threw a small knife on the ground beside her.

“Are ye alright, mistress?”

She yelped and spun around, landing hard on her rump. Eyes the color of good whisky looked up at him in shock. One of her hands was clutched in the other and he realized she was bleeding.

“Ah! Christ, lass. Here, let me help ye.”

Jamie knelt down beside her and tore a strip of cloth from the bottom of his shirt. He wrapped it tightly around the small cut on her hand.

“Are ye alright?”

“Yes,” she said with a smile. “I’m quite alright. My knife slipped and just cut me a little. You’re… Mac, right?”

He nodded and helped her to her feet. Her hands were slender with slight callouses. Neither of the Dunsany girls would be caught dead with callouses like that. Nor would they be happy at having so much dirt on their dresses.

“Allow me to escort ye to the house.”

She released a deep sigh and rolled her eyes.

“You’ll sentence me to another lecture about what a lady of my station ought to be doing with her time?”

He couldn’t help but smile at her as he walked her toward the house.

“Aye, I’m afraid I must. Do ye mind if I ask just what ye were doin’ over here wi’ a knife?”

“Oh! I was digging up some herbs to put in my medicine kit. Father says I’ve a knack for healing, so he bought me a box to put my things in. We found some incredible things while we traveled.”

Pausing at the door, he gave her a slight bow.

“I hope ye enjoy your stay, mistress.”

“Please,” she said, holding her injured hand close to her chest. “Call me Claire.”

Excusing himself, he headed back to the manure and finished his task.

When Mr. Dunsany and Mr. Beauchamp returned from their ride, Jamie took care of their horses. They looked unhappy, but it wasn’t Jamie’s place to ask about it. Lord Dunsany stormed off to the house, leaving Lambert behind in the barn.

“Mac, do you have family?”

“Aye, my lord, I have a sister.”

“Ah. So you’ll understand. I love my brother, but sometimes I wouldn’t mind pushing him off his horse.”

Jamie smiled, despite himself. He’d always liked Lambert. Everyone on the estate treated him as though he was invisible, unless they needed him for something. Lamb talked to him like he was a human being, regardless of the looks he got from his family.

“Aye, I felt that way wi’ my sister a time or two.”

Lamb sighed and ran his hands through his already messy hair.

“Yes, well… You can’t pick your family, can you? I suppose one might say it’s God’s way of teaching us patience.”

“Aye, sir. One might say.”

Jamie emerged from repairing one of the stalls in the barn to shouts. Putting his tools away, he grabbed one of the stable boys to find out what was going on.

“Mistress Beauchamp has run away,” the boy said.

Frowning, he observed the chaos around him. Lambert and Dunsany were yelling at each other, heading straight toward him. Jamie thought they’d likely want their horses to go and look for the lass, so he fetched both out.

“Mac,” Dunsany said in a sharp tone. “You know how to hunt, yes?”

“Aye, my lord.”

“Can you track very well? Were you a good hunter?”

Jamie nodded, saddling the first horse.

“Aye, my lord. I was a fair hunter. I can still track well.”

“Good. It seems my niece has run off and we need to find her before this turns into a family scandal.”

Jamie caught the way Lamb rolled his eyes.

“How might I help, sir?”

“Go and look for her. Take a horse and bring her home.”

“Shall I finish saddling your horse, my lord?”

Dunsany shook his head.

“No, get one of the boys to finish this and saddle your own.”

A few minutes later, Jamie nudged his horse onto a trail most wouldn’t see. Unless you knew where to look, it was invisible. He rode for some time, trying to think where a young lady might run to escape the house.

There was a spot he knew of that was quiet and peaceful. He’d gone there many times since the start of his job at Helwater. It was his favorite place to pray for his family and relax.

Rounding a tree, he found her sitting on a log, staring out over the lake.

“Mistress Beauchamp?”

She didn’t turn to him, but sighed.

“I wondered if you’d be the one to find me.”

“Mistress?”

Her eyes closed and she leaned back on her hands.

“Have you ever just… wanted to be someone else? To just disappear from the life you have and go to a new city where no one will know you?”

“Aye, I’ve wished that from time to time. Why would ye want to escape, though? Surely your father takes good care of ye.”

She smiled a little.

“He does. But my aunt can be… persuasive. Father has told me more than once he wishes my mother was still around, to teach me the things a woman my age should know. My aunt thinks it’s time I settle down and marry.”

“Oh aye? And I suppose she’s someone picked out for ye?”

Claire laughed, sitting up and looking at him.

“She has. I didn’t want to hear what sort of man she’d put me with. I’ve heard her talking about her own daughter and I will not let her set me up with someone. Honestly I’m not the sort of woman to be meek and obedient.”

Jamie sat down beside her.

“Have ye a sort of man ye’d like to wed, then? Perhaps one ye left pining after ye in a foreign country?”

Her smile grew.

“No, at least none that I’m aware of. But… I want a marriage where I’m free to do what I want. I don’t want a husband who would expect me to manage an estate like this one, or just sit and raise the children. I still want to explore the world, learn new things.” She turned suddenly to face him, her eyes wide and bright. “Is that insane? Am I mad for wanting all that?”

“No’ a bit, lass,” he said softly. “I think ye shouldna settle for something ye dinna want. I think ye should fight for what you believe in.”

“Tell me, Mac, what sort of woman do you want?”

Jamie eased himself onto the grass and leaned back against the log.

“Weel… No one’s asked me somethin’ like that in some time. I suppose… If I got a choice about it, I’d like a woman who’s smart, who kens what she wants. No’ afraid to speak up, but compassionate as well. And… I’d want a woman who loves me. My da and mam marriet for love and I ken what their lives were like.”

When he looked up at her, her brows were nearly in her hairline.

“You want to marry for love?”

“Aye, I suppose I do.”

“That’s awfully romantic of you.”

He shrugged.

“A groom canna be a romantic?”

“Of course you can! I think it’s lovely. Most men want their wives to be pretty and mind the house.”

“Och, weel. Dinna get the wrong idea, Sassenach. I’d like a beautiful woman too.”

Claire slid off the log and sat in the grass next to him.

“Do you want a woman of good breeding?”

“Wide hips are usually good for breeding,” he said, earning a flush from her. “But no. If she loves me and I her, I dinna care what her station is.”

They sat in silence for some time, the seat of his trousers getting wetter by the minute. But Claire needed the reprieve from the house, so he was inclined to give it to her. No one else would find them out here. The Dunsany women wouldn’t be caught dead out here without a proper bench to sit on and the men sent to search for Claire weren’t good trackers.

“I’m glad it was you that found me, Mac.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because I knew I could talk to you. I can’t talk to Father about this. He thinks he’s let me down, not having a woman around to help raise me. And… Well you know the other side of my family.”

He watched her for a moment.

“What should I do?” she asked, meeting his gaze again.

“I canna answer that for ye, lass. All I can do is get ye back home.”

Tears filled her eyes and slid silently down her cheeks.

“That place isn’t my home,” she said softly.

Jamie pulled her against him and held her for a few moments while she cried. After a little while, she gathered her wits and stood up.

“I suppose I should get back before Father faints.”

“Aye, ye should. I’ve a horse so ye dinna have to walk back.”

“Thank you, Mac.”

Picking up her skirts, she started towards where his horse was tethered.

“Claire- Mistress,” he said quickly, heart thundering in his chest.

“Yes?”

“Mac isna my name. No’ my proper name, anyway.”

Her head tilted to one side and then she grinned.

“I didn’t think you looked like a Mac.”

“Weel, Mackenzie is one of my names. But… Ye can call me Jamie.”

She walked over to him and studied his face.

“Yes. Jamie suits you. But why does everyone call you Mac?”

“My family name is well known. I was told I should use a different name while I’m here. Could be dangerous for my family if they kent who I truly was.”

Claire nodded slowly.

“Your secret is safe with me.”

He smiled and offered his arm, walking her back to his horse.

“As are yours wi’ me. What ye told me today, Sassenach, I willna tell another soul. I gi’ ye my word on it.”

“Would you mind if I maybe came and talked to you again? I swear you’re the only person here that has any sense.”

“Aye, I wouldna mind it. But I may ask for payment.”

Her step faltered and she stared up at him in shock.

“What kind of payment?”

“Stories. I’ve been to Paris, Scotland, and England. But ye’ve been all over the world. I want to hear what it was like.”

“I can do that.”

She mounted the horse without assistance and he got on behind her. The ride back to the estate was quiet and slightly uncomfortable, if only because he had a young woman’s body pressed tightly against his own. At least she rode well and didn’t need him to help her.

Lambert was just riding back to the stable when Jamie helped Claire out of the saddle.

“Claire! Oh thank God, Claire you’re alright! When your aunt said you’d run off…”

Lamb rushed to her and crushed her in a hug.

“I’m sorry I frightened you, Father,” Claire said in a soft voice.

“Just… I know this isn’t always easy for you. But you can’t just disappear like that.” Then Lamb turned to Jamie. “Thank you, Mac, for bringing my little girl back.”

“It was no problem, my lord.”

One afternoon, a few days after Claire’s escape attempt, Jamie took one of the young horses out for training. She was a beautiful filly, a warm chestnut with a white star in the middle of her head.

In one of the small exercise rings, Jamie let her off the line to get herself sorted. She was still too young to put a saddle on, but it was never too early to start teaching manners. A few hours into her lesson, the wind shifted and she spooked. The rope tore out of his hand and he hissed, looking to see the burn across his skin.

“I’m so sorry,” came a sweet voice. “I didn’t mean to scare her.”

Jamie turned and smiled at Claire, who leaned against the rail with a basket in the crook of her arm.

“She’s just a girl wi’ spirit, that’s all,” he said gently. “That’s always a good thing.”

“Is it?” she asked, setting her basket down.

“Aye. Keeps ye on your toes, tells ye what she’s thinkin’.”

Their eyes met for a moment more.

“Is there somethin’ I can do for ye, Mistress Beauchamp?”

“I’ve brought you some food, in case you’re hungry. And I was wondering if I might ask a favor of you.”

“What is it ye need?”

Claire removed the cloth from the top of the basket and brought out a few slices of bread. After offering one to him, she nibbled on her own.

“What I need is intelligent conversation that does not revolve around social seasons or ladylike behaviors!”

Jamie blinked at her in surprise, enjoying her little outburst.

“Let me finish wi’ her first, aye?”

“Of course.”

Claire stepped back and watched, eating some cheese while he finished his exercises with the filly. Once she’d been groomed and put away, Jamie nodded to a bench on the front of the barn. This would be the safest place to talk to her. Out in the open where no one could accuse either of them of scandal.

She sank heavily onto the bench beside him, resting her head against the side of the barn. Jamie waited, stretching out his legs and back.

“They simply don’t understand me. Uncle and his whole family, they just don’t get it.”

“You’re no’ the sort of woman they’re used to, Sassenach.”

Her head turned sharply to face him.

“Why do you call me that?”

“Weel, it means outlander, ken? You’re as much a sassenach here as I am.”

They fell quiet for some time.

“Jamie, what do you want out of life?”

Hearing his true name gave him chills, unused to it as he’d become.

“Ah… That’s quite a complicated question, Sassenach.”

“It is. I don’t have an answer, myself. I only know a few things I want. You seem so self assured, so confident. I hoped you might have an idea.”

“Really I suppose I want a few things out of my life.”

Claire turned her whole body on the bench, whisky eyes glittering in the sun.

“Oh? What do you want?”

“To provide for my family,” he said quietly, glancing around to be sure they weren’t overheard. “That they’ll be safe and cared for. To find…” he paused, meeting her eyes briefly. “No, I canna say. You’ll make fun o’ me.”

She sat up a little straighter.

“I promise I won’t laugh.”

Eyeing her warily, he nodded.

“Alright. I’ll trust your word, then. I want to find the right woman, like I told ye before. One who’ll love me wi’ all my faults and whom I can love in return.”

“You’re really quite a romantic, aren’t you?”

He made a Scottish sound of dismissal and waved his hand.

“Dinna be goin’ about and tellin’ people that, aye? I’ve a reputation!”

Claire laughed and stood.

“I give you my word I won’t say a thing about you being a sweet romantic man. Perhaps I’ll see you around, Jamie Mac.”

Meeting her eyes, he dared to take a risk.

“I certainly hope so. I dinna want to step beyond my station, but I verra much look forward to your company, Mistress Beauchamp.”

One heartbeat. Two. Three. Silence and tension passed between them and Jamie refused to drop his gaze.

“As do I… Sassenach.”

With a wicked gleam in her eye, she gathered her skirts and headed back up to the house. Jamie watched her go, hoping she’d dare a glance over her shoulder. She disappeared from sight without another look.

Lamb and Claire stayed at Helwater for nearly two weeks. In that time, Claire went to visit Jamie almost daily. They talked as long as they could without raising suspicion. More than once, he’d gone to that log to pray for his family only to find her sitting there. So when he rounded the last tree, he wasn’t surprised to see her.

“Good evening, Mistress,” he said, offering a slight bow.

“Oh stop with the formality. No one’s around. I’m sorry I couldn’t visit with you today. Father and I are preparing to leave.”

Jamie came to a sudden stop at her words, his heart thundering in his chest.

“Leave?”

Claire nodded and patted the space on the log beside her. He sat down and waited for her to explain.

“Yes. Father can only stand being in one place for so long. We’ll be leaving tomorrow and then we’ll be off to some country.”

“Will ye come back to Helwater?”

“Oh of course! We’ll be back for next Christmas.”

The tension in his chest eased a little, though he was sad to see her go.

“Oh… That’s good. I’d hate to never see ye again.”

“Will you meet me tomorrow? Before I leave?”

“Aye, I can come see ye for a bit. Where?”

She thought hard for a minute.

“In the trees behind the barn? I’d say we should meet here, but it’s too far to walk in a short time.”

“Aye it is. I’ll meet ye behind the barn, then.”

“Thank you.”

Looking out over the lake, they watched the moon’s reflection for what could have been hours. Eventually, Claire leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed.

“I should get back soon or I’ll never leave.”

“Aye,” Jamie said softly. “Ye should.”

Reluctantly, she stood and dusted off her skirts.

“Until tomorrow.”

“Aye, Sassenach. Until tomorrow.”

Jamie woke early the next morning, nerves keeping him from deep sleep. He would need to prepare the horses to take the carriage into the city. Lord Dunsany wouldn’t let his brother hire another cab when he could show off his wealth with the carriage. But before any of that was to happen, he had to meet Claire.

She waited in the spot she’d mentioned, wringing her hands nervously. He moved silently, stalking around her until he was nearly in front of her.

“Good morning, Mistress,” he said, his voice husky in the early morning.

“Jesus H. Christ!” she blurted, hand over her chest.

“Sorry,” he said with a smirk. “Didna mean to frighten ye.”

Her eyes rolled.

“Yes you did, or you wouldn’t have crept up here like a big cat.”

All he did was shrug.

“What is it ye wanted to see me for?”

She handed him a small piece of folded parchment.

“If you’d be willing, you can write to me and post it to that address. I hope… I hope you will. I enjoy talking with you very much and I’d be sorely disappointed if I couldn’t speak with you until next Christmas. I could… I could write you back, even.”

“Ye’ve enjoyed our wee conversations so much?”

“I’ve enjoyed you, if I’m being honest.”

Taking the parchment, he slipped it into his pocket.

“Aye. I’ve enjoyed ye too, Sassenach. Will it no’ be difficult to get letters to me, though?”

She shook her head.

“No. I’ve spoken with one of the maids and promised her a gift in return for stealing my letters to you out of the weekly post. She’ll deliver to them to you for me.”

“I appreciate that verra much, Claire. Thank you.”

She took a tentative step closer to him.

“It might be some time before I can send you the first letter.”

“Aye. I’m a verra patient man.”

“Promise me something, Jamie?”

Claire was near enough to touch now and he wanted to - badly.

“Anything, lass.”

“Promise you won’t forget me?”

“I couldna forget a thing about ye, even if I tried.”

Those whisky eyes looked down for a moment before looking up through her lashes at him.

“I suppose I could give you a token, to be sure you remember me.”

“A kerchief perhaps? Or a hair ribbon?”

“Something much better.”

Then her lips met his and the world around them melted away. She was timid, unsure, but that only made it better. His hands moved up her neck before digging his fingers into her hair, pulling her closer.

Her lips parted from his almost reluctantly. His eyes remained closed for a few moments before he opened them and met hers.

“Was that a good enough token?”

“Aye,” he said, voice cracking. “Aye that was a verra good token. Have ye done that before?”

Those sinfully delightful lips turned into a smile.

“A lady never tells.”

He cupped her face in one hand, trying to memorize her features.

“Thank ye, mo nighean donn. I look forward to seeing ye again.”

“I’ll write you as soon as I can, Jamie Mac.”

“It’s… Fraser. James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser.”

Her smile grew and she hugged him.

“Until next time, Mr. Fraser,” she whispered into his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

“Aye. Save travels, Mistress Beauchamp.”

Continue to Part 2 - The Elephant in the Room

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“Break-Through Organic Gardening Secret Grows You Up To 10 Times The Plants, In

Half

The Time, With Healthier Plants, While the “Fish” Do All the Work…”

Imagine a Garden Where There’s No More Weeds or Soil Pests, No Tilling or Cultivating, No Fertilizer Spreading or Compost Shredding, No Manure Spreading or Irrigating, and No Tractor Shed Required…

And Yet… Your Plants Grow Abundantly, Taste Amazing, and Are Extremely Healthy. Here’s How It Works:

WARNING: What You’re About To Read Is Life Changing Information, DO NOT Read This If You Don’t Want To Discover a Way To Grow Up to TEN Times the Amount Of Organic Produce In the Same Area of Ground, Use 70% Less Energy, And Absolutely Revolutionize Your Gardening and Farming Forever.

Dear Gardener,

Imagine you knew a secret about growing plants in a break-through new way… to the outside world your organic garden or farm would seem almost “magic”, Why? Because people almost never see you working in it!

While every one else works hard at planting, weeding…more weeding…, watering, fertilizing, composting,… and more and more weeding… You’re gardening from the comfort of your hammock.

What’s more… your plants grow twice as fast, and you can grow up to ten times more of them in the same area of space as your neighbors do. That means, if you’re growing lettuce, and have 10 square feet of space… your method grows as much lettuce as someone would with 100 square feet of space!

If this sounds like a dream, you may be shocked to discover that farms and home gardens like this already exist… and you can do it too.

If you want to transform your gardening, and possibly even your life forever, get a cup of tea or coffee, sit down, and spend the next 5 minutes reading this short story, this will be the most important letter you read this year, here’s why:

In the past several years, researchers from the University of the Virgin Islands have discovered and experimented with a break-through new way of growing plants organically .

The process is revolutionary because with it your plants grow 100% to 50% faster, and you can grow up to TEN times the plants in the same amount of space. How does it work? Basically, it turns normal gardening on organic super-drive as it feeds rich ALIVE natural nutrients to your plants 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

In 2006-2007, the ‘secret’ slowly started to leak out and people started catching on… converting gardens and entire commercial farms to the system.

On a recent visit to Hawaii, I discovered one family already applying this method, and its transformed their gardening, and their lives.

Using this method they grow over 4,000 pounds of organic vegetables per month… with only about 3,000 square feet of space. That’s is just about the size of a well sized yard!

They are producing so much food, they can feed their family with the food they grow AND recently got USDA Organic Certification and have started to sell their produce to local markets.

Now, if you’ve read this far, and you’ve grown plants before, you might think this sounds like science-fiction. Wait till you hear this:

This one family in Hawaii spends less than 1 hour per day.

Just to compare… a normal farm that produces 4,000 of vegetables per month would need about 3-4 hours of labor per day!

The only effort involved is in this system is setting it up initially and planting, and then, it runs on auto-pilot.

Here’s just a taste of what happens on this system, and what you’ll experience when you do this yourself.

There’s no more weeding . The system removes your need for pain-staking and annoying weeding. You get more freedom and enjoyment!

No more fertilizing or soil cultivation. In fact, the whole process of nutrient delivery to your plants, which is absolutely critical, is almost completely automated. It works without you, that’s the key of this system!

No more soil pests . The need for pesticides is eliminated , which makes it that much easier for you to have amazing plants and fruit without toxic chemicals.

It grows most plants twice as fast. Plant experts are shocked when they visit these farms at how fast plants grow. For example… lettuce, which takes 60+ days to mature, takes only about 29 days with this system.

You use up to 70% less Energy than conventional gardening!

All these things normally take up 90% of your time and effort and are hard work. This system takes them completely out of the equation, which is why with a home system you spend only minutes in daily maintenance, instead of hours.

Now wait… this sounds way too good to be true. It’s the opposite of everything gardening and farming is about. There’s got to be a fault somewhere, right?

People who see this ask this question all the time: “Where’s the fault? What’s the catch?”

However, the more you look at it, the more you realize that it’s actually the result of the what happens when you build something in balance with nature.

Here’s the secret how and why this works:

Imagine for a moment that you had the ability to connect to a plant’s roots…it’s life support system… and give it EVERYTHING it needs, 24/7/365 days a year. All the rich and alive nutrients, minerals and vitamins.

If you could do this… your plants would thrive like never before. This is what agriculture has strived to do since the beginning

In an attempt to try to do this in the past, ‘Hydroponics’ was invented. It’s a way of growing plants with their roots directly in water, the idea is that you can feed plants more directly with plant food being introduced directly to the roots, without soil.

To sum it up… it doesn’t really work. Yes, plants grow big fruit, but… it all tastes like water! It just doesn’t produce REAL nutrients for the plants, the plant is de-mineralized and ‘under-fed’.

Plus, you spend more money on plant food than you could imagine!

The University experimented with a solution to this problem… it was a huge success… and if you do it, it will turn your gardening world up-side down.

What the the University found was something amazing… There IS a way to get everything your plants need… directly to the roots… it’s free … and nature will do it FOR you….

The idea was so simple it’s mind-boggling… It’s about balance with nature , which is automatic, for example:

1. Trees provide us with Oxygen to breathe…

2. We breathe out Carbon-Dioxide, and…

3. In turn the trees breathe the Carbon-Dioxide… and breathe out Oxygen.

It’s automatic... we don’t have to think about where and how we’re getting our oxygen… it just happens.

Well, what if you could do the same thing for plants? So their food supply is automated. You can, with AQUA-PONICS. It is the combination of hydroponics with aqua-culture.

Aqua-Culture is the process of growing fish in a tank… and it has one big problem… Fish produce Ammonia, Algae, Minerals, and all kinds of other by-products that need to be

constantly filtered.

Wait a minute! Plants eat Ammonia, Algae, Minerals and Nitrates! Everything that fish produce naturally!

What if you connect the two together? This is where the magic of aqua-ponics comes in!…

If you connect the fish-tank water to the water of the hydroponics system… your plants get an automatic food supply of almost everything they need to grow from the fish water… and in turn… the plants filter the water for the fish.

It’s a win/win/win situation for everyone:1. The plants get rich alive nutrients around the clock.2. The fish are happy as their water is filtered by nature every day. 3. You get healthier plants (a lot more of them), and A LOT of benefits…

This way, your plants exist in a natural balanced relationship with the algae/fish, which makes them grow faster and healthier.

  “Dear John,

Many thanks for creating such an informative and easy to understand system and videos. Aquaponics4you taught me more than I ever imagined about Aquaponic systems. I have learned things that are making a huge difference in my gardening. I would recommend your program to anyone, no matter if they have years of aquaponics experience of if they are complete beginners on the subject.”

[View Original Testimonial]

–Ben Simpson

“When my father was alive he was an avid gardener. He grew amazing vegetables and truly loved horticulture. Unfortunately, I was not able to get advice from him because he passed away before I found my green thumb. I have learned a lot of very valuable information from the Aquaponic4You Step-By-Step Program. My father incorporated much of the teachings that are taught within the program. It has given me a step in the right direction towards being able to be the great gardener. I want to thank you for the Aquaponic program.”

[View Original Testimonial]

–Joe Grey

[View Original Testimonial]

–Kevin

“When my husband, Ben, and I started gardening we thought that it would be easy and that we would be able to enjoy vegetables within a few weeks. Sadly, we were wrong. We could not figure out why we were not getting the beautiful vegetables we were hoping for. When we got your Aquaponics system we realized exactly what we were doing wrong. After incorporating your teachings we were able to see great results. I have recommended your system to all of my friends and family. We are hoping that we will be able to see even more vegetables in the next harves because we will continue to follow your teachings.

Thanks so much for creating such a great system, Gina”

[View Original Testimonial]

–Gina

  * Testimonials Published With Client Permission.

If you’ve read this far, then you’re maybe starting to imagine or are getting excited about aqua-ponics!  The best part is you can do this too, it’s easy, and you don’t need any experience.

You can do this on a budget, and build a mini-home system… or scale it and build an entire commercial multi-acre system, it’s up to you!

You will get step-by-step video instructions on how to build your very own home made Aquaponic system. Its so easy that even your grandma can do it!

Here’s what you’ll learn with Aquaponics 4 You:

Up to 10 Times More Plants! With aquaponics you place plants closer together on a float system above the water, therefore it fits 10 times more plants in the same space! The roots of the plants are always in nutrient rich water and there’s no over-crowding! Inside the eBook you’ll find out exactly how to place the floats, which material to use, and how to plant your seedlings inside.

Step-by-Step Instructions! Start Yours Today! Inside the eBook you’ll find everything you need to make your own aquaponics system, including diagrams, explanations and instructions, every-thing is step-by-step, anyone can do this.

With the price-less advice inside you’ll avoid some of the few common mistakes, and be on your way to starting your system today!

No More Watering! The aquaponics system uses only 2% of the water normal gardening does… Because the water is constantly re-circulated , and you do not lose any to soil absorption. The roots of your plants are constantly submerged in nutrient rich water and you never have to worry about watering plants again.

If you pay for your water… imagine of how much money this can possible save you.

Multiple Sources of Income When you try the aquaponics system yourself, you’ll have more plants than you’ll know what to do with. If you decide to sell your vegetables …guess what… you also have fish to sell! The aquaponics system produces both plants and fish(You’ll learn all the details on this inside the e-book)

Grows Plants Twice as Fast Because your plants are getting rich alive nutrients such as algae from the fish, right at the root level , 24 hours a day, 7 days a week… plants thrive like never before. You won’t believe your eyes at how fast plants grow, and how great the fruit tastes! Inside the eBook you’ll learn all the critical pieces to make sure the roots are getting all the right nutrients from the aqua-culture.

Amazing Organic Plants! USDA Organic Certifiable Aquaponically grown produce tastes incredible , and it’s organic! Some commercial aquaponic farms have already gotten USDA Organic certifiable.

Uses 60%-70% Less Energy You save money and time with this system. The only energy involved in an aquaponic farm is electric energy to circulate water. Almost all your gardening expenses are minimized or diminished.

No More Weeding or Soil Work! Imagine no more weeding or fussing with soil, no more fertilizer or compost work. All this hard work is removed and automated by the nutrient delivery system. This is worth gold by itself!

No More Back-Straining Planting! Planting normally takes a lot of bending, not with Aquaponics . You’ll find out exactly how to plant your seedlings in the aquaponic floats, and how to make sure the roots get all the nutrients.

  “After many failed attempts of building an aquaponic system. I was performing a search on the internet for information and found your site. I have never been so thankful to find a site before in my life. I learned so much through your guide and video. I have also been very impressed with your customer service. I have sent you many emails asking questions and you answered me back quickly. Thank you”

[View Original Testimonial]

–William B. White

“Till now I have followed many different classes on Aquaponics. Many use scientific verbiage that is difficult to understand at times. Aquaponics4You’s step by step is exactly the opposite! Your system was not only informative but also easily read because it uses a conversational tone that caught my attention and kept me wanting to read more. Thanks for creating a system that makes aquaponics fun and exciting.”

[View Original Testimonial]

–Dilan

“Many of my aquaponic plants had to suffer the ultimate sacrifice because of my lack of experience on the topic. But I found out I knew little to nothing about it. Just by looking at your website I quickly realized that I was completely ignorant and uninformed when it came to aquaponics. I knew right then and there that I needed to get a copy of your program – so that no more plants had to suffer because of my ignorance. From the very beginning I found your guide to be simple to understand. Saying that your program is worth the money is an understatement. The results that I have seen make it well worth far more than what I paid.”

[View Original Testimonial]

–James

“After many years of farming I fell upon health conditions that prevented me from being able to go to my farm anymore. I was devastated because I did not want to give up the one thing that I loved. While searching the internet, one day I came across your website. I was so excited to learn that there was an option available to me that would allow me to continue my hobby in my own home; without risking my health. After ordering, I am totally blown away with your knowledge on aquaponics and am very grateful for giving me what I love back!”

[View Original Testimonial]

–George

  * Testimonials Published With Client Permission.

It doesn’t matter what you grow, whether you’re an experienced green-thumb or if you’re just getting into it, anyone can do this, it’s easy, and you can do it too.

Countless farms and gardens are now switching over to Aquaponics, the benefits are just too many. In fact, if you care about your garden, and your family, you cannot afford not to set up your first Aquaponics system as soon as possible.

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