2022 Green Wizard Almanac - Open Post January

kma's picture

A few weeks ago, I proposed an idea here of starting a Green Wizards almanac. I said, "I like reading gardening almanacs or "in this day in your garden" books and posts. I thought it might be interesting if every once in a while, we have an open post and report on what we are doing in the garden/homestead. I thought it would be a nice way to keep up to date with people and if someday, someone wants to compile these posts into chronological order, that would make a nice project. Also, to be selfish, it keeps my morale up to see what other people are doing and occasionally report my own successes (or troubles!)."

So, I'm starting this thread for January. If people like, just post a snapshot of what you are doing in a day. It can be freeform or if you like structure, it could match the circles here, or you could practice your garden notations in the style of Sweet Tatorman. There was a post here a while back (from Ken?) mentioning "Mind Set, Skill Set, Tool Set" which is close to a rubric I used to use in skill share meet ups, "Head, Heart, Hands", which is likely how I'll post.

I volunteer to start an open post on the first new moon of each month, hopefully some of you will drop by and tell us what you're up to!

kma's picture

Head
-I started a side project at Dreamwidth writing about Mary Gardens. It's helping to keep improving my botany and flower
knowledge growing. Wednesday is my regular posting day.
--Seed catalogues! I practice extreme will power and set them aside until after the holidays to look at and start planning. The recent garden planning documentation thread has me rethinking my planning ways. I tried using astrology from the farmer's almanac a few years ago and liked that but just didn't keep up with the timing due to kid stuff.

Heart
-Everything is shutting down here again, feeling a bit isolated
-Literally, hearts. Filling the next month with Valentine's Day crafts for the little one. Trying to get her into maker mentality. Also, hoping to send out a lot of Valentine's by mail to help with some social connections that have become unmoored in the last 2 years. Sewing some hearts for a Valentine's Tree to help keep the little one improving sewing skills.

Hands
-Making stock today for soup for dinner (I was the portable soup failure, will try again another day)
-Running to the Tractor Supply for pine shavings for the chickens
-Thinking about coop design as the snow piles up every year and the coop doors and fencing gets stuck. Will have to dig it out a little more.
-Spreading ash from the wood stove over the garden. We process as many downed limbs as we can for the stove. The wind gave us quite lliterally a windfall from the maple tree in the fall.

Yesterday I went through my seeds and made records of what I have, as well as removing anything too old to be viable. I jotted down a few ideas for variety trials to possibly try this year. I also removed some dead plants and live grass in the garden, since the snow had receded enough, and stuck them in the compost. I also misted the vivaria.

Today I watered indoor plants and misted the vivaria, but did nothing else garden-related.

It's not really time for most gardening around here.

kma's picture

I had never heard the word 'vivarium' before! I thought they were all terrariums but now I see that is a subcategory. Did you buy it or make it?

I keep pet geckos. I bought the glass container, then built and planted habitats suitable for the species in question. Not the most collapse-friendly hobby ever given the electricity use and live crickets for food, but not the worst either, and I do love my lizards and making their homes look spectacular. And the lizards are both old. In a year or two, I'll probably only have one.

Today I'm collecting milk jugs from the neighborhoods recycling bins and cleaning them for use in winter sowing. I also washed broken pots and other odds and ends, and stuck them in my recycling bin - after rescuing and moving the very cute clouded salamander that had been using a couple as a home. Fortunately there's lots more places it can live, and I put it within 6 inches of at least three possibilities. The snow has gone, and it was awake when I disturbed it.