Spring seems to be steadily approaching but the cold is refusing to end its cycle just yet. While outside the other day I took a few pictures of blooms and buds starting to show themselves as they anticipate spring's arrival. The Hungarian Paprika sitting on the porch finally had all her peppers ripen, and I hope to put her in the ground come summer for another fruiting.  Not much one can do in these cold winter months, when growth retreats underground. I have found much comfort in reading literature about Permaculture, Biodynamics, and Natural Farming, with the occasional youtube movie to ease the imagination along. Such examples would be From Dirt to Abundance in 126 days or even in 92 days. Both from the same user, check his work out! We are both excited to try making seed balls the next sunny day, for sowing a majority of our spring crops around the equinox. I have tediously made a list of plant varieties to go together for each of the three growing seasons. There will be 8 different seed balls used in the spring, 15 in the summer, and 8 again in the fall. The balls will contain 2 to 6 seeds each of up to 4 different plants.  Cover crop, dynamic accumulators, fruit, and vegetable seed will be used. I hope to put a biodynamic twist on the seed balls in a couple ways. One, by using compost prepared biodynamically. Two, by grouping crops into leaf, root, fruit, and flower crops. Therefore, allowing us to cast the seed balls over the course of a week on each respective crop day. The costs are just under $200 for the year's seeds (enough for multiple years really), biodynamic compost, and red clay powder. If that investment produces food like seen in the clips above, I will be over joyed with the results and looking for takers of excess food.  If this works, I will be confident in moving forward with food forest seed ball creation. Plants suited to revitalize the soil and let Nature return triumphantly, such as pioneer plants, dynamic accumulators, green manure crops, perennial flowers, and other native vegetation from prairie turnip to alder and birch. Here are a few pictures of spring showing a glimpse of new life. I have also been busy the past two week building trellis for peas, both Green Arrow Shelling and Mammoth Snow varieties. Upon completion I planted 3 to 4 peas with innoculant at the base of each trellis leg. Taking advantage of the pvc still in the ground from winter greens, I planted more shelling peas at the base of each pvc leg.. lots of shelling peas for a pea loving woman and I. Enjoy!

February 18 paprika harvest. These were topped, then seeds and gills taken out. Next, the peppers are cut into long 1/8 inch wide strips. A baking sheet works fine when spreading all the strips out and putting in the oven on the lowest temp possible. We use 170F for about 3 or 4 hours. When dry enough, powder down with a spice grinder or mortar and pistil, jar it up. It isnt smoked paprika, but we havent got that far along yet in our home made spice preparing.

February 18th view of the crab apple showing some buds amongst this late winter weather. Hope to harvest her fruit this year for Nature's Way, if only the weather doesnt ruin the crop like last year.

February 18th view of the Hyacinth, one of three blooming.

February 18th view of the peach tree showing signs of a happy spring to come.

February 18th view of a daffodil days away from bloom.

February 18th view of the blueberry bushes, established and maybe worthy of setting a crop this year.

February 18th view of white azaleas trying to bloom.

February 18th again of white azalea. We found a branch half buried under leaf mulch, uncovered it and found it had roots shooting from the stem. Hopefully the two plants propagated from this branch will root and be two beautiful white azalea bushes in the future!

February 18th view of the new pawpaw mound planted a few weeks back. I finished dispersing all the mulch/compost, and wish I had about 5 cubic yards more! I used old branches that had fallen in a storm for edges, laid cardboard on the bottom and filled it in, 6 inches deep. I knew the soil is a bit lacking in certain minerals, soil test done, so I added epsom salts to the mound. Next came purple coneflower seeds and some of the old straw bales from winter cold frames. Hope the pawpaws really take off this year and we can get more native plants established in this mound.

February 18th view from what was the mulch/compost mound. There was a white metal thing in the ground that destroys lawnmower blades, so I put this mound on top of it. I aim to put a fruit tree in, still marking the spot, but not being capable of breaking mowers. In the background is the rest of the prepared garden space. I am considering not mowing the space from here to the other plots and grape vine, while throwing seed balls into it. If I can find free mulch I will use it, but without it may be a good example of using seedballed green manure and pioneer plants to revitalize struggling soil.

February 18th view of the fall greens finishing up winter as best they can. We have been eating spinach and cilantro from the garden at will, while the kales, chard, and pac choy have offered me only a few stir frys, sandwiches and smoothies. I filled in the walkways with mulch and strawed the top. I tried to pull the rows into the walkways if there were no living plants, to level the entire area some more. I have sown peas for all the trellis and all the pvc, both soil entry points. We are hoping for peas galore as the seedballs start to germinate late march, early april. I also took a chance spreading watermelon radish and chioggia beets last week over this area. The mulch will protect them from most animals, but disease, rot and cold may have found them recently. Hence the importance of clay and compost in the seed balls compared to broadcasting direct seed. Nature will reveal what works over the next few weeks.

February 18th view of the new do-nothing plot. I may do a post dedicated solely to it in the future as more time lapse shots are available. In summary, this was were I planted vine crops (watermelon, pumpkin, zucchini, squash, sweet potato, and birdhouse gourd) last summer. Directly into the sandy soil I dug a 2' wide by 1' deep hole and filled and mounded with compost and good soil, along with a transplant or direct sowing of 2-3 seed each. This worked great for 2 months, produced about a dozen zucchini and yellow squash. As well as 2 star and moon, with 3 sugar baby watermelons. They needed to be expanded once with more compost, soil, and straw/mulch forming one mound from two. Late last year I covered this area with cardboard then epsom salts, a couple inches of leaf compost from 2013, and mulch/compost from the 7 cu yard purchase last year. After that I may have put some grass trimmings on if any were available. The next layer was when the leaves fell last year, I raked them up, minus the sandy spots that needed the leaves to breakdown upon them, into about 5 tarp (20x14?) loads. Each load of leaves made it to this plot. When done, there was a 2 foot layer of leaves, all from this land, on top of the previously prepared layers. Note the only time I cut into the soil and tilled it was in summer 2014 before being introduced to this method. Ever since it has been simply placed on the soil, to be assimilated over time. I then put about 2 inches of mulch on the leaves to keep them there and compact enough to start breaking down. After the fall greens no longer needed straw bales, they were spread over this plot and again received more mulch. Now, the plot will probably stay as is, pea trellis made, peas planted, awaiting seed balls. I am thinking sweet potatoes will volunteer from the ride side of this plot. I may try a three sisters mound or two in the front left corner and side, while seed balling the rest. As mentioned, excited to see what happens when Nature is left to her perfection.

February 18th view of the pea trellis and sowed spot in the spiral garden. Smokie Doo is in the hand chair, but the row behind him has had grass trimmings slowly breaking down on it... I think I should have layered it for better results.

February 18th again of the spiral garden, but this time to show the cover crop on these two rows. It protects the rows from erosion, is wild and seeded itself, hopefully will add life back to the soil in the coming months. I honestly wish all the yard and garden plots would be consumed with this or clover. This concept of not trying to rid the soil of weeds, but encourage a different plant or weed to grow instead is more harmonious with Nature. For example, sandspurs are consuming one's yard. Scientific farming would say spray chemicals and or till/weed the plant from the soil. Organic farming says use vinegar or certified organic herbicides. Natural Farming solves the problem by dissolving the label of weed or pest plant, making all plants of similar importance, allowing a natural, perfect, perspective. Then native plants, be it green manures, perennial flowers, or even bushes and trees, are seeded/balled to encourage Nature's competition and cycle. In this way, no plant is disrespected, which clouds our perspective, and the soil gains more biodiversity. This in turn discourages the need for Nature to encourage the undesired plant. Seems complicated, but it is the philosophy that is being absorbed.  While the mind attempts to scare us from simplicity, nothingness, mu. Planting seed seems much easier and cheaper then scientific 'solutions'.  Logically it will always be easier as Nature works better then our human intellect can. Besides the yard, or vacant lot, could use native vegetation instead of being barren or constantly mowed, both restricting growth at tremendous expense.

This is hairy vetch and winter rye that I broadcast bare seed of in the fall. Not much made it, lack of seed protection, soil that sterile? Learning, one season at a time. The vetch is the long stemmed symmetrical leaved plant. It is actually fuzzy and has purple blooms. It is a legume, like peas and beans, so it fixes nitrogen from the air into the soil via its roots. This nitrogen is available to the nearby plants and microbes after the plant dies primarily, but sometimes during life as well. If a branch is cut above ground, the root system releases rhizomes (the nitrogen bacteria/fungi) equal to the above ground lose. The winter rye is the tall slender, grass like plant.

Here we have white or red clover, not sure which. It too adds nitrogen back in the soil. It will be one of our staples in seed balls and for the future homestead. Fukuoka used it especially under his fruit trees as it stays under 18" tall, while being a green manure, unlike typical grasses.

February 18th view of three of our four hens. We love these chickens! The white one, the youngest is Snowflake, a pearl white leghorn, pink, ping pong ball like eggs. The red one in front of her is Regina, a road island red and americana cross, our oldest, white green eggs. To the right is Lavender, a full blood americana, with a blue hue egg, our third to start laying. Red is not pictured, but a road island red, laying brown red eggs, being the 2nd oldest.

February 18th view of half our Food Forest Felines. These two are nuts, they climb trees 20 to 30 ft up and sit or do yoga. Fiona is in the front and youngest, while Smokie Doo is in the background, higher up the tree.