Urban Pioneer Story | Because we can't all have 40 acres in the country.

May 18, 2012
by Jeanette
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Fairy Garden

I fell in love with some of the fairy garden pictures I saw on Pinterest, ans knew I had to have one. Our local garden shop sold a number of accessories for them (which, honestly, I couldn’t figure out at first, until I started seeing the cute pictures on the internet.)

I don’t know if I had more fun choosing which little accessories I wanted, or looking around for little plants that would look perfect for the tiny scale of the project!

I can imagine myself going overboard on all the mini accessories (we bought some at the garden shop and some at the hobby store in the miniature doll section). I wasn’t sure how they would all go together, but in the end I think we got a really nice composition.

This picture is taken from fairy perspective.

The boys love it–though it’s really hard to get them to leave the little tools in place, and they were very disappointed that the little watering can doesn’t actually pour water out it’s spout. (I wonder if we could punch a hole in it?)

I love it because it is just so picturesque. It makes me imagine what my yard could look like if we lived somewhere a little more woodsy. But it makes me happy to look at one little mini plot of beauty in my yard.

The chickens were rather interested in it as well. A little too interested actually–the fairy garden has now been relocated into our front yard!

May 16, 2012
by Jeanette
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Mothers’ Day Gift

Sometimes I just go ahead and tell my husband what to get me for a gift–things often turn out better that way. So yesterday we went out and bought the things I had asked for.

Little teeny plants, and tiny gardening tools.

They’re irresistible.

The plant down on the lower right is called “Elvin Thyme”. That gives a little but of a hint as to what these supplies are destined to become.

May 14, 2012
by Jeanette
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Eating Weeds

Since we had so much fun foraging mulberries with my mom here, I thought we’d give her a taste of lamb’s quarter too. (Aka: weeds that grow in the back yard.)

We ate them like we did last year– creamed on toast with an egg. It makes a really delicious meal. My mom thought so too.

When I told her that lamb’s quarter is also sometimes called pig weed she said “Oh yeah” an told us that her dad talked about eating pig weed as a boy. They would pick it along the creek.

I loved to hear that about my grandpa. I love that the things Jeremy and I are learning about are old knowledge–what used to be common knowledge–and we’re carrying that on for the next generation.

We don’t eat wild all the time, but every once in a while. It’s interesting and empowering. And I’m sure–after seeing how irresponsibly non-traditionally we are living much of the rest of our lives–my mom can at least rest assured that with our ever-growing knowledge of wild food, at least we won’t let her grand children starve to death.

May 10, 2012
by Jeanette
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Late Spring Walk

We visited this hike for the first time since winter. I really love seeing the same area in different seasons.

Last time the vegetation was all but dead. This time

We had mallows,

Prairie roses (we’ll come back in the fall to harvest rose hips),

Along with more mulberries for wild foraging, and plenty of poison ivy for avoiding. The water level was higher, and we’ve discovered that the map indicates there is another loop to the trail that we haven’t been able to locate yet–next time we’ll be on the lookout.