February 1, 2008 Dear Patricia
Hey everybody! Well it has been snowing like crazy here in Boston. I actually
like shoveling. It's good excerise and keeps me strong and ready for the spring
planting. Patti, Rob and Beecher on the Red Carpet
In this issue, there are a couple of brand new videos including my the aquaponic video. Because I have been working on water garden projects I also have for you my how to build a water garden in a raised bed.
Patti, Rob and Beecher on the Red CarpetOur movie, Public Enemy: Welcome to the Terrordome has a bunch of screenings next month, including the Miami International Film Festival, Tiburon Film Fest in Northern California and the Cleaveland Film Festival. Hope you can check it out.
Briana, at Sonora DesignWorks, has got a draft of my gardening page up. The gardening page looks like it will be huge. I have a huge amount of content for that page, so check out the great beginning at www.gardengirltv.com/gardening.php.
And last but certainly not least, thanks to you, my videos have received over 55,000 views since January! Wow, thank you. So, please help me out, rate, comment, post and share the videos far and wide.
Two New Videos: Indoor Aquaponics and Water garden Project
Well the Science Project is more than what I could have hoped for, next week I will be starting my seedlings using my new aquaponic system. The video is short, but it should show you how to do it yourself it is so simple. I am big into quick connect plumbing and tubing. I like it so much that I am designing an automatic watering system for my rabbits using the same techniques.
Water is the basis of all life, and I have found myself drawn to exploring projects revolving around water. Maybe it's because I am an Aquarius?
Finished WatergardenMy water garden in a raised bed video, reminds me of summer. It warms my heart, just watching it. Last year I thought it would be cool to build a pond in a raised bed, and I think it came out great. Let me know what you think.
Click, share, and post and blog!
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Please continue to share my videos and website with everyone. Thank you all again, from the sustainable home front. And don't forget it all started in a garden...
Besos(kisses),
Patti Moreno, the Garden Girl
Dear Patricia
This winter has seemed different, for one thing it has been unusually warm. It
doesn't even feel like winter. Don't get me wrong, my Caribbean blood still says
it's cold, but not as cold as it has been, so I am scared about Global Warming,
but not complaining. The Farmers Almanac has been surprisingly accurate this winter
in my zone, check out www.farmersalmanac.com for more weather info. I do find myself checking out blogs from small farms in the south and staring at the pictures longingly.
The Garden Girl work has been especially rewarding. My friend from the Ozarks, who I met on the homesteading todays forums, actually made a baby hat for a neighbor of her's who is having a baby, and Suzi from Oklahoma started building her own raised beds for her garden which means people are actually being inspired by the videos.
This issue I follow up on the aquaponic project, which has been renamed "The Great Science Project of 08". I have, as I do every winter, made some new knitted projects, including my new knit shopping bag, and a pygora scarf pattern that is to die for. On the video and webfront, Brianna has a version of the pets and livestock page up that looks very good, and two videos I am extra proud of are finally available for viewing on the broadband network.
So enjoy the newsletter, check out the links and the projects.
Besos,
Patti
The Great Science Project of 08 and Fiber Fun
The lettuce has sprouted! And seems to be growing relatively nicely. I have added fish to the system, for this project I am using carp, which are basically gold fish. I bought what are called feeder fish, and they cost about 10 cents each. I also bought a crawfish to help keep it clean. I found out from my Chef friend Anthony who has his own webshow in China called Sexy kitchen that there are some very good recipes for carp, it sounds a bit funny to me, but I love most sweet water fish. But, if I raise them for a few years they will be worth a lot as a possible cash crop.
I think that I need more fish to get a better balance in the system. I put in two dozen fingerling size fish in the tank, but I think it could use way more to be effective for the lettucre. The system is so low maintenance and simple I have decided to go completely crazy and incorporate it into my seed starting system. I think if use peat pots in the system it will be simple to pull them out and plant them in the garden, and eliminate the worry of watering completely from the seed starting system.
I think that this system is going to completely revolutionize my Urban Sustainable Living Garden over the next couple of years. But it is a bit early to say, but I tasted some of the the baby lettuce and it had a slight fishy flavor. What I think is that it will need time in good old rabbit poo dirt for a part of it's life to make it tasty. The great science project continues.
My fiber art projects this winter have included a headband, a great scarf and my new knit shopping bag. I decided to make a knit shopping bag because I seemed to find myself misplacing my other recyclable shopping bags. So I figured if I made one, it would be much harder for me to forget where I put it especially a colorful hand made bag this!
I do want to encourage people to buy hand made products for gifts and for yourself. It kind of takes buy and purchase local to another level, try buying from people that made it with their own two hands that are local to you.
It just makes Ecosense and you will have something that you will treasure and maybe even keep as heirloom yourself.
Here is the link to part one of six of the Rabbit to Hat Spectacular!
New Good Stuff to Click On and Share
A couple of videos that I have been meaning to finish are finally ready to view!
My easy simple compost bin is finally done! I made this for my friend Bently's website www.compostguy.com. It is a simple, inexpensive, and easy way to take leaf waste and use it to keep your lawns and gardens green and fertile.
I also finished My Almost Record Tomato video. This video just takes the winter away and reminds me of summer!
Dear Patricia
I do want to encourage people to buy hand made products for gifts and for yourself. It kind of takes buy and purchase local to another level, try buying from people that made it with their own two hands that are local to you.
