SO good to see hummingbirds around.
In Portugese, the hummingbird is known as Beija Flor -
Literally "Kiss Flower". How nice is that?
I took this picture right outside the front door,
she let me get really close to her.
So Ive been planting and taking care of trees that
have already been planted. There are 12 right now.
Ill put some more pics up soon (and hopefully a vid -
damn Apple doesnt let you upload mpgs to Imovie.
Damn them!
Anyhow, I planted a BEAUTIFUL Lisbon Lemon.
She was full of blossoms when I came upon her today
and the smell was simply intoxicating.
I seriously cant think of a better smelling blossom.
So...here is the process of me planting this beauty.
Step one...have lots of fun with compost tea.
This is THE composter to get.
Loads from the top, you can spin it,
and it will drip out compost tea when it rains
or if there is excess moisture in the bin.
This stuff is golden! Keep a rock in the bin so the wind
doesnt move it around. I pour maybe 1-2 cups for a
5 gallon pail. Maybe more, but Im playing it safe.
See...thats where all that stinky goodness drips out.
Nature has a way of smelling...go figure. Good and bad.
Here is the shovel I used!
I miss my copper shovel in Minnesota,
but heck...it works!
So I wondered out to the front yard where I have the
5 gallon pail waiting for use. I fill it up in the morning
and about 12 hours later use the water so the chlorine
has evaporated off. Some say 2 hrs is enough, some
wait over a day. Since I have only one pail,
I do two cycles a day at 12 hours. Ahh..the math.
Im loving that stir stick too. Really nice to swirl
up all the goodies. I brought some spirulina
and sea salt along with me, and I always add that stuff in.
I usually like to add dairy whey to my mix as well,
but I just started a new batch today so that will
have to wait until tomorrow. Really good for
building up healthy bacteria populations in the soil.
Um....dont ask! Put a little of yourself in the mix!
The plants will love the nitrogen and if your diet is good,
think of all the fun stuff in there.
This is super weak too...1 part urine to 5 parts water is really good.
This was more like 1 to 30.
I cant believe I took a pic of myself peeing into a bucket.
Seriously though, this is a GOOD idea.
So this is the finished brew...I then stir for a little bit
and sing some songs if Im in the mood.
The water responds...im sure most of you know that by now
who read blogs like this. Water is intelligent, and if you
bring the intention of love and positive vibes to it,
I feel that its super powerful.
The blank canvas. So rocky, but rocks come in handy.
I love to build rock circles, they trap nutrients
and keep the rain from washing everything away.
And it looks good. To me at least.
Let the digging begin. So damn rocky. More rocks for the circle!
I basically pried (is that how you spell it?)
rocks out of this hole. I really wasnt digging,
I was just getting rocks out. Sandy dirt and rocks.
This is going to need allot of TLC.
Bring in the TLC. Organic composted mulch.
The guy at the nursery said 1/2 this with 1/2 native soil (sand)
is just fine. I erred on the side of caution and added in a little
more of the good stuff, and watered it down with nice nutrients.
Me starting to get the hole prepped.
Good stuff on the bottom.
And after all this talk, you finally get to see the tree.
She is big! And FULL of blossoms. Heavenly!
After popping her into the hole and filling it in,
I like to surround the larger area with a few thick inches
of the mulch. This way it will trap more moisture
and leech down into the sand, feeding the tree later on.
Ill continue to dump more of that mulch on as the weeks go by.
This is my feeble attempt at trying to lure people
into planting trees!
The power of association! Let it overtake you!
I havent modeled for a month now,
so this is me working the camera for practice.
Cant get rusty. That tree is looking happy with
all that tasty mulch around it.
With my hands, I mixed in some nice organic fertilizer.
Maybe 2 cups or so...spread all around.
There she is...sitting pretty. Im excited to see how
everything is looking in the morning.
I also happened upon a lovely yellow guava.
$30! I was ordering these online and they would
cost me $100 with all the shipping! Crazy!
The boys go crazy about planting fruit trees...you should too!
I worry that guavas are a little cold-sensitive
for the winter desert nights here,
so Im putting this one in a nice container and will
see how things pan out. The nursery guy said
that people are having success with them down here,
but it takes a little TLC to make it click well.
Moisture, warmth...but not too much.
I think the container is perfect for now.
Show your plants the love they deserve and they
will give it back to you 100 fold later on!
Treat planting as a joyous hobby,
not some lame chore. The plants will thank you!
Until next time...
Anthony
