It appears my first blog post comes after a whole quarter year has passed and amidst a global pandemic. Alas, the Winter was brutal for business and we were really coming out of Winter with some work lined up and heading into the major building season. All hope is not lost but it'll make for some excruciating long days in the Summer to make up the difference. We were on a formidable earnings projection path when this all screamed to a halt. So I though I'd take this time to revisit the blog since the blog was originally the birth child of the Great Recession and one of my outlets into writing, documenting and diversifying.
With that being said, as an entrepreneur it's me default to immediately look for some positive spin, "the play". After the Great Recession I took many lessons from that experience and looked to incorporate them into my future plans. I guess it's the logical progression along with my running injury posts that an injury will always heal but the scar shall remain. With that being said (yeah, that saying gets on my nerves a little bit too, but it's a verbal segue) I've tried to diversify my revenue streams as much as possible. I'm still working on taking the YouTube channel mainstream so please Subscribe to that and help me get some numbers up, we've done a couple of small brand deals and are getting into tool and equipment reviews, and we should have some brand deals coming down the line. I've divided the channel by labeling the titles as they would appear in a playlist (they're also arranged by playlist) and we're going to be uploading more Home Renovation videos as we complete our projects. Those will have a long video and a short explainer video, the short explainer video will also be placed on our new channel through Spatial Recognition. I hope to take both channels in similar directions but with slightly different intentions. JasonMichaelKotarski will continue to be broadly defined and random as my interests and Spatial Recognition will be both explanatory and showcase our business of Residential Commercial Design | Build, Planning, and Historic Preservation. The goal is take the Spatial Recognition channel into a transition as we visit Cultural Sites, Historic Preservation Projects and launch our non-profit foundation for traditional building practices for both historic sites as well as home owners. Spatial Recognition will also be launching an Environmental Planning element for Natural Resources as well as Landscape Design.
This hiatus has also given me the chance to get back to The Farming Prospectus and start building up inventory for the Nursery. The goal is tri-part, 1) to establish a plant nursery for sales that offsets the costs of product acquisition for the Orchard (the Orchard offers Market Grade produce but more importantly on site product for WellHaus Winery, 2) create a native plant inventory for Spatial Recognition clients, 3) serve as a future Educational Events Centre.
My goal has been to use our current property as a prototype and upscale that as funding and land becomes available. I am creating analysis on scaled increments of 5 acres (current land costs have our ceiling at only 20 acres, best case scenario)
So keep up to date, I'll be adding inventory to my Amazon store as I finish them, creating content on YouTube, adding merchandise including logo shirts and hoodies.
Hopefully, we'll rebound from this and get financing for some property development so we can transition into a Development Corporation as well as Professional Services.........
Showing posts with label Jason Michael Kotarski. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jason Michael Kotarski. Show all posts
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Observation Beehive Part II
The Observation Beehive is coming together!!! Keep following the channel and the blog for more information, we are also taking orders for custom furniture
Friday, October 18, 2019
Observation Beehive Part I - Bringing Bees Indoors!
Check back soon, I'll get to writing this as soons as I can. I always add secrets in the blog for my fellow old school "readers" that can't stand videos starting every time they try to read a news article!
Friday, September 13, 2019
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Design|Build - An Observation Bee Hive!!!
I've been charged with the task of designing and building an indoor apiary for a Seattle based clothing company!!! I'm pretty excited because I had wanted to do one of these for a while and this one is bigger than I could really find indoor space for. There are some really cool challenges to building an indoor bee hive, not having to mention bees getting loose in the store! This store has already been built out and the display floor is arranged so this build needs to mesh with the existing decor.
Since the store has a warm feeling of repurposed construction materials from salvaged wood and patina metal, I dug around for some matching materials. Since the specification for the beehive was three deep frames wide and three deep frames tall with optional space for six honey supers, I figured I'd need to use metal to get the strength and aesthetic I was after. I was able to get in the shop and spend a good day or two welding up the observation frame. It's great really getting into the groove of a project and not watching the clock and just enjoying the craft.
Stay tuned for the finished product and I hope to have enough media captured for a video on my YouTube channel!
Jason Kotarski Bees Beekeeping Apiary Honey Permaculture Welding Ironworking Metal Fabrication Furniture Office Furniture Commercial Design Build Architecture Nature
Since the store has a warm feeling of repurposed construction materials from salvaged wood and patina metal, I dug around for some matching materials. Since the specification for the beehive was three deep frames wide and three deep frames tall with optional space for six honey supers, I figured I'd need to use metal to get the strength and aesthetic I was after. I was able to get in the shop and spend a good day or two welding up the observation frame. It's great really getting into the groove of a project and not watching the clock and just enjoying the craft.
Stay tuned for the finished product and I hope to have enough media captured for a video on my YouTube channel!
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| Jason Michael Kotarski Observation Beehive |
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| Jason Michael Kotarski Observation Beehive |
Jason Kotarski Bees Beekeeping Apiary Honey Permaculture Welding Ironworking Metal Fabrication Furniture Office Furniture Commercial Design Build Architecture Nature
Monday, July 29, 2019
Carving a Square Bowl
Here's the latest bowl carving! This time around I decided to do a square platter from a chunk of Big Leaf Maple I've been saving in the corner of the shop. This time I went with a diamond embedded grinding disc on the grinder instead of the carbide tipped Graff Speedcutter that I used on the Root Bowl. The grinding disc isn't as aggressive so it takes a little longer but there is more control and less chance of accidental damage to the material.
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| Jason Michael Kotarski Jason Kotarski |
Friday, May 31, 2019
Healing a Sprained Ankle
One of my most dreaded fears on runs, hikes, and job sites reared it's ugly head again, the sprained ankle. We embarked on a regular Saturday morning trail race in a wonderful County park with rolling hills. Not much different from my "home trail" except no real elevation gain. Knowing the Memorial Day weekend was full of anticipated projects I was completely and utterly content at starting of somewhere mid pack, take it slow, pass when the opportunity presented itself and find a good pace pack to run with. My fear was starting to creep into the back of my mind as I got bunched up with a pack running at a conservative pace leaving me blind to the trail and staring at the heels of the runner in front of me instead of the trail. When the trail opened up on a downhill slant I was able to stretch out to a normal pace and find my stride. The race was a double loop and I took my time at the halfway point, a little hydration, shake some stones out of the shoes, breathe in the wooded air. The next two miles I found myself out on the trail alone as runners spread out along the course. At some point I lost focus and got too comfortable enjoying the whoop-de-do's and mountain bike made banked turns. Somehwere around the 8 mile mark Pop, Face Meet Trail. That leaves 5 more miles of hobbled trail navigation to go.
As I have noted in past injury related posts, I AM NOT A MEDICAL PHYSICIAN, but seeing as this sprain is somewhere between the 22nd or 25th on this ankle and one on the right ankle I have a pretty good amount of empirical evidence to feel comfortable in my recommendations.
If you have never sprained an ankle and you found this article, YOU WILL RUN AGAIN, promise. It's usually not as bad as you think the moment it happens and after the inital pain wears off. Basically there are 3 levels, if your hear a pop and you find yourself catching your balance on something or taking an awkward tumble, you see some stars and you get a little nauseous it's a level 1, you'll be just fine. If you hear a pop, face plant into the ground and scream in agony on the ground its probably a level 2, these ones really hurt and you'll probablly be out of commission for a day or two plus not running for at least 3 weeks. If you hear a snap, have no idea how you ended up laying on the ground rolling in your own vomit, feel like it's 200 degrees and the world is ending it's likely a level 3 or you broke it. A level 3 is a complete tear and you will be out of commission for a week and not running for 6 weeks (at least), if you can't put any weight on it and you puke in your mouth when you take a step it's likely fractured. The shitty news? There's not a whole lot you can do about it and will likely have to immobilize it while it heals. So what can we do if it falls in the not so bad news of level 1-3?
Everyone is likely aware at this point about RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) but for those who find themselves out on the trail somewhere Compression is about all your going to be able to do if you can't find a cold stream or snap pack in a medical kit. By the time I finished the 5 miles to the finish line my ankle was pretty much mush. An ice pack wouldn't do much but if you can find an ice bucket or ice bath I strongly suggest full immersion. You made need a heavy jacket or a heated blanket (or a flask) to ward off the shock but full immersion is the only thing that is going to reduce swelling and pain. The next is Compression but you need to be careful here, after the damage has occurred and the trauma has passed you'll need those new red and white blood cells pumping through your veins to start the repairing process. In my backpack I carry two Mueller Ankle Braces rolled up small and tight and a knee brace plus an ace bandage or two (ok, the ace bandage had to be left behind due to shortages of TP during a mountain excursion) After all the sprains I have had I can tell you I can't stand the agony of sitting in a waiting room to have someone tell me its a sprain and we'll have to bandage it up, RICE, and "stay off of it for while", here's your bill. What I can tell you is that out of 2 or 3 of these instances I did have the availability of an acupuncturist and did sit until my butt went numb with needles sticking out of me like a pin cushion. These 2 or 3 times were the fastest helaing sprains I have EVER had and have to recommend that if you have suffered an injury like such, acupuncture IS part of the healing process. The next couple days are going to be painful, and this particular time around I am still getting pulsated throbbing throughout the day and night on Day 7 of this injury. So as far as pain relievers go I prefer Beer, but that has limited use do to work, driving and using equipment ( And I refuse to take anything stronger than Naproxen Sodium). Two natural remedies that I have had great results with have been Arnica and Bromelain. These combined with nightly hot soaks in Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salts) reduce the throbbing, help blood flow for repairing damaged tissue, aid in sleep, and reduce tightening. I can say that the biggest part I struggle with in RICE is the resting part. I did have some shock after the race and did sleep for a considerable amount but the following days I tried to resume "semi" normal activity. As I am realising that's not the greatest idea I should have written this article while soaking my ankle in hot epsom salt while drinking beer, Well, stay healthy and read up on your next training, watch some running videos, write some articles and fear not, the Mountains Are Calling, We Will Go Again.
If you have never sprained an ankle and you found this article, YOU WILL RUN AGAIN, promise. It's usually not as bad as you think the moment it happens and after the inital pain wears off. Basically there are 3 levels, if your hear a pop and you find yourself catching your balance on something or taking an awkward tumble, you see some stars and you get a little nauseous it's a level 1, you'll be just fine. If you hear a pop, face plant into the ground and scream in agony on the ground its probably a level 2, these ones really hurt and you'll probablly be out of commission for a day or two plus not running for at least 3 weeks. If you hear a snap, have no idea how you ended up laying on the ground rolling in your own vomit, feel like it's 200 degrees and the world is ending it's likely a level 3 or you broke it. A level 3 is a complete tear and you will be out of commission for a week and not running for 6 weeks (at least), if you can't put any weight on it and you puke in your mouth when you take a step it's likely fractured. The shitty news? There's not a whole lot you can do about it and will likely have to immobilize it while it heals. So what can we do if it falls in the not so bad news of level 1-3?
Everyone is likely aware at this point about RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) but for those who find themselves out on the trail somewhere Compression is about all your going to be able to do if you can't find a cold stream or snap pack in a medical kit. By the time I finished the 5 miles to the finish line my ankle was pretty much mush. An ice pack wouldn't do much but if you can find an ice bucket or ice bath I strongly suggest full immersion. You made need a heavy jacket or a heated blanket (or a flask) to ward off the shock but full immersion is the only thing that is going to reduce swelling and pain. The next is Compression but you need to be careful here, after the damage has occurred and the trauma has passed you'll need those new red and white blood cells pumping through your veins to start the repairing process. In my backpack I carry two Mueller Ankle Braces rolled up small and tight and a knee brace plus an ace bandage or two (ok, the ace bandage had to be left behind due to shortages of TP during a mountain excursion) After all the sprains I have had I can tell you I can't stand the agony of sitting in a waiting room to have someone tell me its a sprain and we'll have to bandage it up, RICE, and "stay off of it for while", here's your bill. What I can tell you is that out of 2 or 3 of these instances I did have the availability of an acupuncturist and did sit until my butt went numb with needles sticking out of me like a pin cushion. These 2 or 3 times were the fastest helaing sprains I have EVER had and have to recommend that if you have suffered an injury like such, acupuncture IS part of the healing process. The next couple days are going to be painful, and this particular time around I am still getting pulsated throbbing throughout the day and night on Day 7 of this injury. So as far as pain relievers go I prefer Beer, but that has limited use do to work, driving and using equipment ( And I refuse to take anything stronger than Naproxen Sodium). Two natural remedies that I have had great results with have been Arnica and Bromelain. These combined with nightly hot soaks in Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salts) reduce the throbbing, help blood flow for repairing damaged tissue, aid in sleep, and reduce tightening. I can say that the biggest part I struggle with in RICE is the resting part. I did have some shock after the race and did sleep for a considerable amount but the following days I tried to resume "semi" normal activity. As I am realising that's not the greatest idea I should have written this article while soaking my ankle in hot epsom salt while drinking beer, Well, stay healthy and read up on your next training, watch some running videos, write some articles and fear not, the Mountains Are Calling, We Will Go Again.
Friday, November 23, 2018
Finishing the Wood Carving Maple Root Bowl- Jason Michael Kotarski
The Big Leaf Maple Root Bowl is finished and ready to ship! It wad fun getting to finally use the branding iron my wife gifted to me for our "wood" anniversary. She just couldn't bring herself to find something in wood that I wouldn't say "I can make that", lol.
Check out the channel for more video as I hope to really expand the content during these rainy cold dark Pacific Northwest Winter days.
Jason Michael Kotarski- YouTube
Check out the channel for more video as I hope to really expand the content during these rainy cold dark Pacific Northwest Winter days.
Jason Michael Kotarski- YouTube
Thursday, October 25, 2018
WellHaus Barn Door is Hung!!!!!
I finally got the WellHaus Barn Door hung!!!! This has been a loooooooooong time coming and it feels great to see some achievement on this part of the project!!!! We're detailing out the casing design to creating a secure locking device with minimal air gaps. If you noticed the R-MAX ThermaSheath-3 shining on both sides of the door, your looking at the continuous insulation (CI) over the CDX plywood sheathing. While we will be going for R-6 in future builds, the R-3 will help act as a wind rain barrier (WRB) as well as a thermal break. This is essential for reducing thermal transfer through the framing system of the building. After we add some mineral insulation we should have R-23 in the walls (since we build with 2x6 exterior walls) and the R-3 Sheathing just like we did the roof and ceiling. This should give us some great thermal resistance along with some quality noise absorption.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
New Computer Build "GearGrinder"
Finally getting the pieces together for a new computer that can handle the amount of data I have with video editing in 4K HD with the Nikon D5600. Going to try and keep everything listed and up to date as possible as I acquire the various components.
Since I have been planning this for over a year I was able to keep my eyes open for some deals. Having my Google News preferences set on the list below I started seeing rumours that AMD was about to release a new, next Generation ThreadRipper 2990X. This means the last Gen should start being discounted to make room on shelves for the latest and greatest! I was able to score a combo pack on NewEgg that was exactly what I was after for a nice little discount! That takes care of the CPU with a AMD Threadripper 1950X and the ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme X399 Motherboard.
The Fractal Design Define R6 Full Tower Case happened to be on sale as well so I figured a little savings is better than no savings! Now for those pesky (and expensive) graphics proccessor unit! With Nvidia releasing the RTX 2080ti I thought I'd get a good deal on the GTX 1080Ti but alas, everyone else had the same idea and with the general specifications between the RTX and the GTX being close enough the cost savings on the older model are great, except there aren't very many left in stock.....
Now......to get some more parts.... Sponsorships or Discounts anyone????!??!!?!?!?!
GearGrinder on PCPartPicker
| Component | Selection | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU |  | $699.99 | GOT IT!!!! | |
| CPU Cooler |  | $159.99 | Buy | |
| Thermal Compound |  | $6.57 | GOT SOME!! | |
| $6.57 | Buy | ||
| Motherboard |  | $537.00 | GOT IT!!!! | |
| Memory |  | $276.99 | Buy | |
| Storage |  | $167.99 | Buy | |
| Video Card |  | $704.98 | Buy | |
| Case |  | $109.99 | GOT IT!!!!! | |
| Power Supply |  | $201.00 | Buy | |
| Operating System |  | $124.79 | Buy | |
| Sound Card |  | $149.99 | Buy | |
| Case Fan |  | $19.34 | Buy | |
| Monitor |  | $893.94 | Buy | |
| Total: | $4059.13 | |||
Monday, October 1, 2018
The trails are very active lately!!!
Had to change out some SD cards in the TrailCam but it was well worth it! So far it's the usual suspects but the bobcat did make a nice midday pass!
Two Bucks came down and walked by ( Upper Left Hand Corner Behind the Well)
Two Bucks came down and walked by ( Upper Left Hand Corner Behind the Well)
Thursday, September 27, 2018
YouTube Partner Program Back Up and Running!
Well, it appears I have not blogged on this site since February when YouTube announced the demonetization plans. I'll admit I do the majority of my writing and video editing during the dark cold months so it's only fitting that I restart with entry at the beginning of Autumn! After a long hot summer my Channel finally hit 1000 subscribers and the requisite 4000 hours of Watchtime per past 365 days. While this is by no means a windfall in the grand scheme of things, it is a good feeling.
A double wammy on the YouTube channel struck as the demonetization went lock and step with the laptop absolutely imploding. I put in a new motherboard, usb board, power button, 8 G ram stick, battery and power supply, NOTHING! the only thing left that was original is the fan but even with that unplugged I get no lights. I'll probably continue tinkering with it as I hate to give up when I'm defeated but we'll start the HP Pavilion 15 obituary soon. The more important thing is the next phase. I'll be adding some random tech entries (as if I know what the hell I'm talking about) as I build the next generation computer. Editing video shot with my new Nikon D5600 brought the laptop to a standstill reminiscent of my college days trying to render video, computer animation, and autocad files. We only had one computer in the lab for rendering and you had to sign up for a timeslot with your anticipated final files size! A stack of sticky notes was always handy to jot down your name and location (ie, coffee shop, bar, couch...) as we didn't have cell phones!
Stay tune and check out the build, I'll have some YouTube videos coming up as well and a list of parts still waiting for funding on over on my Patreon page!
A double wammy on the YouTube channel struck as the demonetization went lock and step with the laptop absolutely imploding. I put in a new motherboard, usb board, power button, 8 G ram stick, battery and power supply, NOTHING! the only thing left that was original is the fan but even with that unplugged I get no lights. I'll probably continue tinkering with it as I hate to give up when I'm defeated but we'll start the HP Pavilion 15 obituary soon. The more important thing is the next phase. I'll be adding some random tech entries (as if I know what the hell I'm talking about) as I build the next generation computer. Editing video shot with my new Nikon D5600 brought the laptop to a standstill reminiscent of my college days trying to render video, computer animation, and autocad files. We only had one computer in the lab for rendering and you had to sign up for a timeslot with your anticipated final files size! A stack of sticky notes was always handy to jot down your name and location (ie, coffee shop, bar, couch...) as we didn't have cell phones!
Stay tune and check out the build, I'll have some YouTube videos coming up as well and a list of parts still waiting for funding on over on my Patreon page!
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Upgrading to the New Nikon D5600 DSLR
Awhile back I made the decision to up my game a little bit in terms of photography. After cycling through several point and shoot cameras that had dismal battery life and frustratingly small storage capabilities with relatively crappy resolution it was time to do some real documentation. For those of you who stumbled upon this blog from my youtube channel, you'll be happy to know that future projects will be filmed in HD!
So after playing with the settings, reading several other blogs and watching some youtube videos I feel comfortable announcing this new upgrade. All in all I am very happy with this camera, not the highest end of the spectrum but right where I need to be between amateur and semi-pro. The video feature is limited due to both over heating and apparently some stupid import tax on the difference between cameras and video cameras, kinda sucked finding that out after I bought it.
So in the future some of my blog posts will be far less text and alot more pictures! Here's tow links to the Nikon D5600.
And here are the first few photos.....................
So after playing with the settings, reading several other blogs and watching some youtube videos I feel comfortable announcing this new upgrade. All in all I am very happy with this camera, not the highest end of the spectrum but right where I need to be between amateur and semi-pro. The video feature is limited due to both over heating and apparently some stupid import tax on the difference between cameras and video cameras, kinda sucked finding that out after I bought it.
So in the future some of my blog posts will be far less text and alot more pictures! Here's tow links to the Nikon D5600.
And here are the first few photos.....................
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Jason Michael Kotarski on Amazon Handmade
Well the rains have finally arrived which means it's officially the wet season. As we prepare for the Long Dark we will be moving into the shop which means there will be more blog posts and more youtube video posts and more items going into the inventory. I'll be trying to ramp up production and get more items listed for the Amazon Handmade store. We stopped using Etsy awhile back as we couldn't compete with the manufacturers that were taking over. Amazon Handmade has a bit more rigor to ensure that the small production custom craft artists have a chance in today's mass manufacturing world.
So take a peek and keep checking back to see what's new. I can always do custom orders as well and if you see something that strikes a chord let me know!
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| Jason Michael Kotarski |
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| Jason Michael Kotarski |
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| Jason Michael Kotarski |
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| Jason Michael Kotarski |
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Woodworking- Carving a Bowl from a Root with the Graff Speedcutter - Jas...
Update!!!! Check out the awesome grain on this finished bowl on my channel
Jason Michael Kotarski- YouTube
Found this piece of root wood and decided to try out the new Speedcutter disc from Graff. Ended up with a little bowl that would be a great presentation piece or centre table piece! I'll put it up on the Amazon Handmade store so someone can have a unique conversation piece for the holiday's!!!
Jason Michael Kotarski on Amazon Handmade
Graff Speedcutter Angle Grinder Blade
Jason Michael Kotarski- YouTube
Found this piece of root wood and decided to try out the new Speedcutter disc from Graff. Ended up with a little bowl that would be a great presentation piece or centre table piece! I'll put it up on the Amazon Handmade store so someone can have a unique conversation piece for the holiday's!!!
Jason Michael Kotarski on Amazon Handmade
Graff Speedcutter Angle Grinder Blade
Friday, May 5, 2017
Landscape Master Plan
| Landscape Master Plan | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1. To govern the overall maximum benefit to the health of all inhabitants (Humans, Bear, Deer, Rabbits, Mt. Beaver, Birds, bats, bees, etc…) |
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| 2. To protect and enhance the watershed | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3. To act as a potential Wetland Mitigation Plan in anticipation of any additions, alterations or renovations |
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| 4. To provide food, shelter, harvestable materials and beauty. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 5. To follow the basic principles of permaculture with an emphasis on native species where appropriate. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6. To include management of soil erosion caused by storm water runoff and bioremediation through phytoremediation and myco remediation. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7. To remove and eradicate invasive species including ivy, knotweed, something and something and something else???? | ||||||||||||||||||
| Plant Purpose Abbreviations | ||||||||||||||||||
| PNW | Native Species | |||||||||||||||||
| M | Medicinal | |||||||||||||||||
| FB | Fruit Bearing | |||||||||||||||||
| PA | Pollinator Attractor | |||||||||||||||||
| N | Nitrogen fixer | |||||||||||||||||
| EG | Evergreen | |||||||||||||||||
| BA | Bioaccumlator | |||||||||||||||||
| T | Edible tube | |||||||||||||||||
| BR | Bioremediation | |||||||||||||||||
| Plant List | ||||||||||||||||||
| Plants on this list are to be introduced in addition to the existing landscape of canopy trees, understory fruit and nut trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs, groundcover, and mushroom patches. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Native Species are labled PNW (Those listed shall be used in any mitigation plans) | Code | |||||||||||||||||
| Red Flowering Currant Ribes Sanguineum | FB | PNW | ||||||||||||||||
| SnowBrush Ceanothus Veluntinus | PA | PNW | N | EG | ||||||||||||||
| Cascade Pentsemon Pentsemon Serrulatus | PA | PNW | ||||||||||||||||
| Service Berry Amelanchier Alnifolia | FB | PNW | ||||||||||||||||
| Wild Ginger Asarum caudatum | M | PNW | ||||||||||||||||
| Kinnikinick Arctostaphylos uva ursi | M | PNW | FB | EG | ||||||||||||||
| Arrowhead Sagittaria Latifolia | T | PNW | BR | |||||||||||||||
| Great Camas Camassia Leichtlinii | T | PNW | PA | |||||||||||||||
| Yarrow Achillea Millefolium | M | PNW | BA | |||||||||||||||
| Elderberry Sambucus Caerulea & Nigra | M | PNW | FB | |||||||||||||||
| Agricultural Plants | ||||||||||||||||||
| Camellia Sinensis | Tea | PA | EG | |||||||||||||||
| Goumi Elangus multiflora | FB | N | ||||||||||||||||
| Seaberry | FB | N | ||||||||||||||||
| Comfrey | BA | |||||||||||||||||
| Hibiscus | Tea/wine | PA | ||||||||||||||||
| Jujube | FB | |||||||||||||||||
| Olive (Arborquina) | FB | |||||||||||||||||
| Passion Flower | FB | PA | ||||||||||||||||
| Kiwi | FB | |||||||||||||||||
| Moringa tree Moringa oleifera | M | |||||||||||||||||
| Saffron Crocus Crocus sativas | Spice | PA | ||||||||||||||||
| Pineapple Broom Cytisus Battendieri | N | |||||||||||||||||
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Happy Easter- Joyeux Paques!!!!!
Ah J'aime les Printemps!!!!! Happy Easter, and for the Poles out there, Happy Dingus Day Eve. I love this time of year as for many almanacs it is officially planting season. For the orchards and perennials we get to see what survived and what was lost. An obvious existential insight into our lives here on this great planet.
For us we managed to not lose any fruit trees to the beaver and the deer have given us some reprieve. I think it is mere luck and little defensive adjustments but really, luck. We sacrificed dozens of Wax Myrtle for the new beaver lodge, wherever that may be, and I've been trying to add similar fast growing un-killable and deer loving plants to keep them off of the stuff I want to eat! While I certainly am not trying to attract them, I would like to distract them while they creep through in the middle of the night or while were away.
I have a good jump on the garden this year, the plastic hoop house worked wonders and we have plenty of salad greens, Our newest raised bed is just about ready for squash and zucchini. I'm also adding a layer of squash, zucchini and pumpkin in the orchard as a ground cover!
Really hope I get to add a swarm of bees this spring, with the orchard in it's third year, and the blueberries laddered in 1,2, and 3 years I really hope to get some fruit. The blue orchard mason bees are coming back and will hopefully stay in their new home. With the hop trellis up and running we should have a good harvest and very enjoyable growing summer.
So far in the Orchard level story we have Plum, Italian Plum, Persimmon, Apricot, Fig, Cherry, Apple and Pear. underneath the we have black currant, red currant, gooseberry, goji berry, evergreen huckleberry and I'll soon be adding seaberry. Surrounding those bushes are herbs and pollinator attractors, almost ALL in a blue or purple, Rosemary (4 varieties) Lavender (3 varieties), and Valerian. On the other side of the terrace from the herbs are all flowers for the bees, Lupine, Foxglove, Delphinium, Columbine, and Hollyhock.
Check back in to the blog and youtube channel! I'll be adding a copy of our Master Plan and some drawings explaining the grid planting I established intermixing nitrogen fixers, fruits, bio-accumulators, pollinator attractors and beneficial plants.
For us we managed to not lose any fruit trees to the beaver and the deer have given us some reprieve. I think it is mere luck and little defensive adjustments but really, luck. We sacrificed dozens of Wax Myrtle for the new beaver lodge, wherever that may be, and I've been trying to add similar fast growing un-killable and deer loving plants to keep them off of the stuff I want to eat! While I certainly am not trying to attract them, I would like to distract them while they creep through in the middle of the night or while were away.
I have a good jump on the garden this year, the plastic hoop house worked wonders and we have plenty of salad greens, Our newest raised bed is just about ready for squash and zucchini. I'm also adding a layer of squash, zucchini and pumpkin in the orchard as a ground cover!
Really hope I get to add a swarm of bees this spring, with the orchard in it's third year, and the blueberries laddered in 1,2, and 3 years I really hope to get some fruit. The blue orchard mason bees are coming back and will hopefully stay in their new home. With the hop trellis up and running we should have a good harvest and very enjoyable growing summer.
So far in the Orchard level story we have Plum, Italian Plum, Persimmon, Apricot, Fig, Cherry, Apple and Pear. underneath the we have black currant, red currant, gooseberry, goji berry, evergreen huckleberry and I'll soon be adding seaberry. Surrounding those bushes are herbs and pollinator attractors, almost ALL in a blue or purple, Rosemary (4 varieties) Lavender (3 varieties), and Valerian. On the other side of the terrace from the herbs are all flowers for the bees, Lupine, Foxglove, Delphinium, Columbine, and Hollyhock.
Check back in to the blog and youtube channel! I'll be adding a copy of our Master Plan and some drawings explaining the grid planting I established intermixing nitrogen fixers, fruits, bio-accumulators, pollinator attractors and beneficial plants.
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