ramblings from an arkansas farm girl
Coneflowers rank right up there with black-eyed Susans as my favorite native summer flowers. I planted six coneflower plants in our new front bed this past spring. As the flowers have begun to dry on the stalks, I’ve been snipping some of the heads and leaving them in the bed to multiply. I’ve also begun drying and harvesting seeds to sow in other areas of our garden and to share with friends. Today I’m showing you how to harvest coneflower seeds.Continue Reading
Just a quick update on our Little Free Library! Yesterday morning I added seeds (glorious seeds) to the seed exchange box. If you’re like me, spring fever has arrived. Wednesday’s seventy degree afternoon pushed me over the edge. Plus, spring break is around the corner, so I deemed it time to break out the seeds for my Fayetteville friends who are planting cool weather veggies and planning their spring and summer gardens.
I owe a big thank you to my friend Debbie Arnold (Dining with Debbie) who shared several of her heirloom tomato varieties from her Little Rock garden. And there are a few seeds from Promise of Peace Community Garden in Dallas.
Sharing is the whole point. Sharing seeds and food and growing as a community.
Since we “opened” our Little Free Library, an interesting, varied selection of books has cycled in and out. Seeing people stop and look and take books or leave books is very cool. The books change daily, and I find myself reading more. The dogs like it too because they have more opportunity to bark. Winner, winner all around.
Today’s offerings. Little Free Library & Seed Exchange, Fayetteville, Ar
Happy planting, happy reading!
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
[tweetthis]Take what you need. Seed exchange in our #LittleFreeLibrary! @LtlFreeLibrary @DiningwithDeb [/tweetthis]
For more information about the Little Free Library program, click HERE.
“Underground, pale seeds roll over in their sleep. Starting to get restless. Starting to dream green.”
― Laurie Halse Anderson
Musical Pairing:
Oliver! Food Glorious Food
Woo-hoo! I’ve been looking forward to this day since we moved into our house. We are the proud stewards of a Little Free Library. Purchased as a housewarming/Christmas gift to ourselves, our library has been stored in the coat closet since Thanksgiving. Yesterday, it was installed. (We waited until our landscaping was in progress, so that we could incorporate it into the front yard.)
Do you know about the Little Free Library? It’s all about the books…and in our case, the seeds. Seeds? Keep reading.
“Take a book, return a book”—that’s the Little Free Library motto.
The first Little Free Library was built in 2009 by Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin. He built a one room schoolhouse design as a tribute to his mother who was a teacher. His idea caught on quickly. As of January 2014, over 15,000 Little Free Libraries have been built and installed across the world. What a great way to promote literacy and reading. Plus, they are so freakin’ cute.
There are several in our neighborhood. There can’t be too many—(another motto).
Now about the seeds. Ours is not only a book library, but a seed library. There is a drawer (see the picture below) that will serve as a seed and recipe exchange—a way to share vegetable and flower seeds with neighbors as well as favorite recipes. Neighbors can place seed packets to share or take seeds that have been donated. Our library came with 20 seed packages to start. There will be little plastic bags for dividing seeds, because who needs fifty spinach plants?
The library will be open for business soon. Maybe today. I’ll be putting a few books in it (some garden related, but not all), and seeds will go into the drawer when it’s a bit warmer. Neighbors are invited to participate, hint, hint…
I think a spring porch party might be a great way to officially kick off our Little Free Library and Seed Exchange. It will be a BYOB affair—Bring Your Own Book. Stay tuned and happy reading.
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
[tweetthis]Because I’m all about the books. And seeds! @LtlFreeLibrary #TakeABookLeaveABook #GrowSomething @WildflowerCtr [/tweetthis]
Click HERE for information on building your own Little Free Library.
“However many years she lived, Mary always felt that she should never forget that first morning when her garden began to grow.”- Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
Musical Pairing:
All About Those Books – MDIHS Library
