Tag: self sufficiency
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Further Experiments With Fly Agaric
I was so determined to learn more about Fly Agaric, that I asked a friend to pick some for me. He was kind and did so, and I was so excited to study it further. The problem was, the season was done. In the time it took for him to pass them to me and…
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Fly Agaric
Who here recognises this? Fly Agaric, AKA Amanita Muscaria, the Mario mushroom, the shroom that makes Santa’s reindeer fly, that sent berserkers flying into battle in an invincible rage… I heard all the hype and knew I had to try it out. I did my research beforehand, read all the warnings and figured out what…
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Unexpected Pollinators
Did you know that flies help with hundreds of crops including cacao (chocolate) and a variety of wildflowers? They’re crucial pollinators, second only to bees, with Syrphid flies (hoverflies) being the most significant group, known for mimicking bees and pollinating numerous crops and wildflowers, alongside others like blowflies (Calliphoridae), bee flies (Bombyliidae), and tachinid flies. Flies can be found in harsh weather…
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Peas
Peas – always fun to grow, always decimated by snails in my experience. Every year, I race to do a slug pub, but it always ends up being too late. This year I’m determined to get my peas through the season, uneaten by anything other than myself. Interestingly, they say that one person needs 10-30…
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New Seeds Prepped And At The Ready!
Had family visiting recently, including a teething, cold-ridden 10 month old baby. After three nights of no sleep, I retreated to the garden to do some more seeds. It turns out, garden time is exactly what the kid needed! Soothed him to sleep with no problem! And it soothed me too. God knows I needed…
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Garlic & Potatoes
My second potato patch was paired with garlic over the past winter, and now I’ve got a sea of both. It’s quite beautiful, and honestly, incredibly reassuring, given the state of world affairs and the news these days. Potatoes and garlic are both things I would struggle to go without, but now they’re both on…
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Potatoes & Broccoli
Guess what I grew overwinter? Potatoes and broccoli! I grew the broccoli for the seeds, and this is just one of three potato patches in my garden currently. I think there’s even a garlic plant or two in there. I’m starting to appreciate the plants that grow during the worst times of the year, and…
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Horse Manure For Sale!
I help out at a stable near my home, mostly shovelling manure really, but I really feel for the couple running the place. They’re lovely, practical animal-lovers, but their two horses produce more manure than they can shift half the time! So, I’m here to advertise. At 50p per bag, if anyone in the Portsmouth…
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Mystery Plant!
While a lot of my seeds haven’t been taking, I’m so glad to see that these ones have. The only downside: I have no clue what they are. They could be tomatoes, chillies, lemons, aubergines, peppers, or so many other things. I know a lot of plants look like this at this stage, but whatcha…
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Goddamn, Why Won’t They Take?
I have a few seed trays where a) I have no clue what I put in there, and b) none of it’s even growing… It’s a little rage inducing. I was trying to overwinter these, goddamn it. I truly hate when these garden fails hit. But it’s something important for all preppers out there to…
