It’s still snowing and below freezing here in zone 4b, south central Minnesota, but it’s definitely time to get on the ball planning for the full exposure growing season!  We’ll be doing two main gardens, one at a relative’s house in Hastings (800+ sq ft) and another at our community garden plot in Saint Paul (300 sq ft – just got our confirmation Wednesday!)  I may also try a few things on our balcony, which is mostly shaded except for one corner which sees full sun – I’m thinking mostly greens/herbs and maybe a cucumber in a wine barrel or grow bag. Read More

In this installment on water, I’m going to report on my findings from my water treatment experiments so far. Read More

To address the problem of chlorine and other water treatment residuals in our tap water, the marketplace does have a few solutions to offer. One of the first things you will hear from your local hydroponics or aquarium store is “Reverse Osmosis!” Read More

I’ve been keeping freshwater fish since early 2011. My philosophy has been to keep things simple and to let nature teach me what works, so that I can invest as little as possible in time and money to make healthy ecosystems on a small scale.  The goal initially, as with most aquarium hobbyists, was to have a bit of life inside our home – to give us something to look at and engage with, other than a screen. Read More

This song was on the playlist when I posted my last blog.  Thanks Dowd for finding this band!  Lots of great OB memories came rushing back.  Sleepyhead Read More