Making Baby Plants - Rootings

 

Did you know that cuttings need darkness to root?

Neither did I.

When I bought my English Lavender at the Farmer’s Market, I asked the farmer if it was easy to grow/root/take care of. He said ‘Yes.’ He said to take a cutting of new growth (green and flexible – not woody and hard) and place it in a glass of water in a sunny window.

So I did. The lavender cutting was healthy. It was happy. It even made a flower. But it did not grow roots. Eventually, I switched it from the glass to this dark blue vase. I thought the dark blue would look pretty with the lavender flower.

After about a week, I pulled it out to change the water and found roots! Voila!

Since then I’ve made another cutting, a woody one this time. Placed in the blue vase in a sunny window, it rooted as well. Then I cut two pieces from it and now they are growing roots in the blue vase.

I adore this little guy.

Okay, so I’ve admitted that I had no idea a simple clear glass would not work.

Who knew?

FarmGirl Crafts – The Sock Monkey

The Sock Monkey is an American classic craft that emerged during the Depression. The Sock Monkeys with the iconic red mouth were made from worn out Rockford Red Heel socks. You can buy these classic socks from Fox River Mills. Each pair of socks comes with instructions for making sock monkeys.

Lyli spotted a bright sock monkey in Bealls one day in 2010. The $30 toy didn’t fit into our budget, so I ordered a pair of socks and made one myself.

Here she is sleeping with it in 2011.

Loral likes it too.

 

I’m happy to say that the monkey has survived for a couple of years, even though Lyl removed his red hair and blue bow-tie that I had made.

 

I hope to make more in the future, using the Fox River Mills pink socks and other unique socks that I’ve collected.

National Geographic

We always had National Geographics around. My grandparents and cousin all subscribed. I will never forget the time I read an article about allergies. It basically said that children raised on farms were healthier than those raised off farms. (A gross generality, I know, but stick with me here.) The article actually stated that this one family would have been much healthier if they had moved a cow into their living room.

Well, a statement like that made an impact on my subconscious.

When I was growing up, I noticed a friend of mine with major health issues. She lived in a newer brick house. I lived in an old farmhouse (minus the farm) that was quite drafty. I was in much better health than her. I asked my parents what they thought. They responded basically that fresh air is good for you. Now that I’ve done more research, I realize that the paint and carpet and building materials in her new house were probably emitting toxic fumes. And the windows were so well-made and sealed tightly (and never opened) that the fumes had nowhere to go.

My FarmGirl leanings are all about health. My health and that of my family. I know that the food I grow in my own backyard is fresh, organic, and healthy. I know that working in the garden and with animals is good for our bodies and souls. Having room to run and play is a luxury that I had as a child, and one that I desperately want for our children.

So… the hunt is still on. We are still house-hunting. Dreaming of a HomeStead. Evolving into FarmGirls. Trusting God!