Benefits Of Gardening

Hey there! Have you ever thought about the benefits of gardening? How about starting your own garden? If you're on the fence or wondering if it's worth your time and effort, I'm here to share with you why gardening might just become your next favorite pastime.

Gardening has always been David's favorite hobby. When he got back from Afghanistan in late 2008, he started thinking about what he could do for work. He took a customer service job and in his spare time in 2009, he started David's Garden Seeds®.

Let's dive into the amazing world of gardening and explore the numerous benefits that come with growing your own food. Trust me, there are more perks than you can imagine.

Benefits Of Gardening - 2/17-2/23/2025

Monday, February 17, 2025

Here is our Farm Store, waiting for you to visit.

Good morning and Happy Monday! It is 34° and sunny this morning. I just made a hearty breakfast so David doesn't complain.

I found a new recipe for dinner this morning which I will be trying out this evening.

I have a lot of orders to fill today and it is a USPS holiday. Happy President's Day! Speaking of President's Day, back in the early 1990s, we lived in Colorado Springs. On President's Day in 1994, David had off from work and school so we packed up our three small children, ages six, three, and one and a half, and we visited the Hall of Presidents Wax Museum. We had a wonderful time meeting each of our presidents in wax and learning something about every one of them. Some had their wives along.

President Lincoln's chest would move up and down in bed while his wife looked on.

Abe Lincoln was on his deathbed, breathing. It was an animatronic, the only one they had in the museum. It was very interesting. Sadly, that museum closed in 1996 but it was one of the best I have been in.

Yes, our Farm Store will be open from 9am to 5pm so come on by if you enjoy the chilly temperatures. We have over 1200 heirloom seeds to choose from. You are bound to find something you will enjoy growing whether it be a veggie, an herb, or a flower.

We have a few dozen eggs in the fridge along with some pecan coffee and both long grain and jasmine Texas rice with just rice in the bag--no chemicals.

This week, as I introduced above, we are talking about the benefits of gardening so you should be ready to give gardening a try by the end of this week.

We are all eagerly pulling orders, trying to fill bags for the mailman when he comes tomorrow. Meanwhile, the orders are pouring in because lots of people are off from work today. If you want to order seeds, here is where to get them. If you would like to come by, we are open for business. I have four dozen eggs available for purchase today.

Matt and I spent most of the day pulling and filling orders and they just kept on pouring in.

No news on the goat baby watch but both girls are getting bigger and bigger.

We did not have many visitors today even though it was sunny and a holiday.

I forgot to take a photo until after we had cut into it.

For dinner, I made a sombrero, also known as a cornbread casserole. Early this morning, I found a recipe for it and it sounded good. It is good. I just put the recipe up on this website. Click on the link in this paragraph.

Benefits Of Gardening - Health Benefits of Gardening

Just looking at this pretty Swiss chard makes you want to learn more about the benefits of gardening, doesn't it?

First off, let's chat about the health benefits of gardening. You might be surprised to know that gardening can actually improve your physical and mental well being.

Physically, gardening is a great form of exercise. You'll be bending, stretching, digging, and lifting. It's a full-body workout, and the best part is, you might not even realize you're exercising while you're at it!

Plus, spending time outside in the fresh air is good for your lungs and overall fitness.

Mentally, gardening is wonderful for reducing stress and anxiety. Many people find tending to plants to be incredibly calming and meditative. Good mental health is one of the most important benefits of gardening.

There's something magical about being surrounded by nature and seeing life flourish because of your care and attention.

Additionally, gardening connects you with the earth, which can be grounding and provide a sense of peace and satisfaction.

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Good morning. I woke up about an hour ago and finished my page on the Sombrero recipe discussed yesterday. I cannot wait until lunch to eat more of it!

It is 56° this morning, a good 20+ degrees warmer than yesterday but tonight it will get down in the 20s, unless they have decided to change the forecast again.

Norma in the backseat of our truck and, yes, that is my eye on the left...LOL!

Happy birthday to my sister, Norma!!! I sent her some Titanic gifts--what else?

The air is warm but the sky is overcast. What will happen? Will a cold front really come in? Stay tuned. Time to fill orders.

My sister sent this to me today. She made her cake.

I will tell you what happened. Matt took down the tattered Texas flag at the gate and put up a fresh, new flag.

He watered everything in all of the gardens and greenhouses. He fed the bees who are doing very well. We wanted them to be prepared for the cold coming tonight.

Meanwhile, we worked hard to pack seeds, pull orders, and mail them out.

We had two sets of customers who came by today. Orders poured in.

Matt delivered seeds to a new customer in Lytle on Monday evening. As soon as he did, he let me know where he left them. I emailed the customer and I thought that was that. They did not see the email so today, they told David they never got the seeds. They did not go out and look. If you are expecting a package and you have a locked gate, where do you think the package will be?

After a few hours, they emailed back and said they found them. Out here in the country, everyone has a locked fence so you cannot get to the front door to ring the bell and deliver a package. You pretty much take a chance every time you make a delivery. In all of the deliveries we made, we have never been able to get to the front door. This is the first time someone said they did not get the seeds. So they ruined it for everyone else. If you want seeds from us, come to the Farm Store or order them online. We have stopped the deliveries.

This evening, I made enchiladas and rice. We ate them while we watched Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay. They were very good.

The wind started blowing hard during the show and it got down in the 30s by the time I went to bed.

Benefits Of Gardening - Environmental Benefits

Butterflies are attracted by our zinnias all year long.

Now, let's discuss the benefits of gardening and how it can impact the environment positively. By growing your own food, you're reducing the carbon footprint that comes with transporting goods from faraway places.

You're also contributing to biodiversity. Gardens can become mini-ecosystems, attracting beneficial insects, bees, and birds. Our garden plants attract bees and butterflies all spring, summer, and fall. My zinnias are always full of pollinators. Hummingbirds flit from one colorful bloom to another and there are always bees, especially now that we have our own hives. When the butterflies migrate, they always stop here.

Using sustainable practices and organic methods in your garden also helps protect local wildlife and keeps the soil healthy. We use the very best seeds we can get our hands on, not dollar store rejects which are years old.

Plus, growing your own food means fewer chemicals and pesticides in your meals, which is a win for both you and the environment. Keep your family safe by protecting them from pesticides and chemicals that could harm them. Knowing what you did not spray on your garden plants is one of the most important benefits of gardening.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Good morning. It is 29° and I hate it. I have been working on the website, taking down old seed sales and such. We will be having some specials on certain flowers, beans, corn, and pumpkins that will go up a little later today when David gets to it.

Matt just came in from feeding all of the outdoor animals. He seems to be alive and well. Just thinking about it makes me feel so cold. I need to make breakfast and get a move on.

We filled orders and then David, Matt, and I headed into town to celebrate the birthday of one of our dear friends out here in the country. We had a nice lunch, just the five of us and then we came back to the farm.

We had a set of customers late in the afternoon, very nice ladies who don't live too far away.

It is currently 6:30pm and 37° Fahrenheit. It is so cold already. Matt put down the flaps on the rabbit and chicken coops so the north wind won't make them miserable.

We are having leftovers from last night. David is still out there working. I came in, fed the dogs, put away the clean dishes, loaded up the breakfast dishes...then I got laundry out of the dryer and warmed up some enchiladas for David and took them out. I also took out the trash. Matt went on home just a few minutes ago. It is supposed to get down to 25° tonight. That is just horrible.

Let's Talk About What We Do Here

As we were leaving, two women drove in. After we got back, I asked our employee how that went. The driver came in because she did not know what we were.

I cannot tell you how many people say that they drove in because they were curious as they drove by. It is all in the name.

Our signs all say "David's Garden Seeds". What on earth could that mean? The gate says "David's Garden Seeds® Farm".

Some have asked if we are a restaurant. Others have come in saying they want to rent out our cabins. (We don't have cabins--the buildings are where we count, pack, store, and ship seeds. Some people have come in asking to see our trees for sale, our merchandise like they have at Walmart, the animals we have for sale, and our drinks.

Now keep in mind that when you set up a company, the experts say to keep the name simple and specifically say what you are about in the company name. Again, our company name is David's Garden Seeds.

Let me address all of this. We do not sell animals, drinks, restaurant food, trees, or merchandise and we do not rent cabins. So what do we do? It's all in the name...

We sell garden seeds. The name shows that a guy named David sells seeds that you can grow in your garden. Our gate also indicates the fact that the name David's Garden Seeds is trademarked (®) and that we are located on a farm.

We grow large gardens of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. We grow plants in greenhouses. We have chickens and eggs to eat, rabbits, and goats. Sometimes we have plants to sell. Sometimes we don't. We do not sell grass for lawns. We do not design and plant gardens for clients.

Story time--One day when our store was in San Antonio, a lady we used to go to church with came in and looked at our seeds. She was excited and told us that she wanted us to go to her yard in the miserable heat of June, design, dig, bring in soil, build raised beds, plant her garden and take care of it for her. We told her that we don't do that. Even if we wanted to (and we did not want to!) we did not have time for that.

Owning and operating David's Garden Seeds® is a full time job. There is so much computer work, counting and packing seeds, making envelopes, printing orders, filling orders, shipping orders, stocking the store, dealing with in store customers, phone calls, social media, and emails, not to mention taking care of our own gardens, yard, home, animals, etc., that there is no extra time for us to spend hours away from our business. There are landscaping companies that will design and plant gardens for you. We sell seeds.

This lady was a bit offended that we were turning down work. Apparently, she thought we were desperate to make money and that we would be happy to go dig in her backyard. I still don't think she fully understood that David and I each put in 10 to 12 hours a day five days a week, plus six to eight hours each day of the weekend. Anyway, she never came back in and our store was right in her neighborhood. She has six kids, all teens and adults at that time and they could have built that garden and planted it. No, she never bought any seeds from us. She just wanted us to build her a garden.

Benefits Of Gardening - Financial Benefits

These are Celebrity slicing tomatoes. Delicious fresh off the vine...

Let's not forget the financial benefits of gardening. With a little bit of investment in materials and good garden seeds, you can save money in the long run.

Consider this: the cost of buying produce at the grocery store can add up quickly, but when you're growing your own food, you're cutting that expense significantly.

Furthermore, when you grow your own, there's less waste because you pick what you need and nothing goes to spoil in the fridge.

Plus, there's the unparalleled taste of fresh-picked fruits and vegetables that money just can't buy. Now this is totally true. The tomatoes you buy at the grocery store have no taste. Why is that?

Because the growers have to pick them before they are ripe so they won't be mushy by the time they get to the grocery store. But the tomatoes you grow in your garden can be picked right on time. Believe me, the taste is incredible! If you have never grown a garden before, prepare to be amazed! The fresh taste has to be the best of the benefits of gardening.

Here is a homegrown beefsteak tomato that weighs 23 ounces. David grew it and has it next to a soda can for size purposes.

Thursday, February 20, 2025

These flowers were planted by me last fall and they survived the freezes--flowering kale, calendula, and red bluebonnets.

Good morning. It is 25° at 6am. That is way too cold for us Texans. The high today is supposed to be 44°.

Overstock Sale!

David has put some of our seeds on sale for $1.99 and $2.99. These are overstocked so the sale won't last long. They are not grouped together on the website. They include certain beans, squash, tomatoes, fruit, flowers, herbs, beets, corn, leafy greens, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, and more. Just look through while you are shopping for your seeds and you might be able to save a lot of money.

David heard from the organizer of the Vegetable Conference today that we went to on February 6. She sent us a few photos and told us to save the date for next year. I am going to say no thanks. David may end up going.

This was the conference audience. We were way in the back by the bathrooms.

We are at our table of seeds and you can see the people lining up for something.

It stayed cold all day. It is 3pm and the temperature reached 45°. The sky has been overcast all day long and we have not had any visitors other than the mailman and the Amazon man. We have been busy filling orders all day long.

We paid the rest of our property taxes on the business today. We did that by sending Matt to the tax office. It is a relief. Now he is at Walmart picking up a few things for David. So we are finished paying property taxes for another year.

The low tonight will be 34° which is good but the high tomorrow will only be 39°. Can you believe that?

I am now in the house, warm and cozy in my jammies as I type this. We are watching the end of season 13 of Dallas. We had chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans for dinner. It was very good.

David finally came into the house. The dishes are washing. I should be folding laundry but instead, I am working on this. It would be nice if the laundry could fold itself, right?

We got another letter in the mail addressed to David's Garden Seeds but inside, the man who wrote it said he has eaten our sunflower seeds since he was a little boy and he wants to know where he can buy a size XL T-shirt with the David Seeds logo on it. Darned if I know!

Benefits Of Gardening - Educational Opportunities

Here is Matt planting cucumber transplants. Looks like you can see a part of our little Trump who is now gigantic at nine months old.

Gardening is also a fantastic opportunity for learning. Whether you're an adult looking to pick up a new skill or want to teach children about nature, gardening has something to offer. Yes, education is one of the benefits of gardening that you can pass on to your whole family. Children should be taught how to grow food. It is an important skill to have.

You learn so much about plant biology, ecosystems, and sustainability.

Not to mention, it's a rewarding challenge to nurture something from seed to harvest.

You'll gain knowledge about recognizing the right conditions for planting, understanding the weather, and learning which crops grow well in your region.

And if you're using good garden seeds, like those from David's Garden Seeds, you're setting yourself up for a successful and productive garden. One of the benefits of gardening is to be able to eat tasty food. The vegetables in the produce aisle don't taste anything like what you pick from your own plants because they must be picked before they are ripe. Otherwise, they would be spoiled by the time they get to the store.

Friday, February 21, 2025

It's Friday morning and it is windy and cold at 34°. I have been up for almost two hours now. David just woke up. Matt is here and he brought breakfast so I don't have to cook this morning.

I pulled orders as usual. We had three sets of customers today which was a surprise since it was so cold.

I went in the house around 2pm to refill David's weekly pill boxes. It makes it much easier if I have them ready to take for mornings and evenings since they are different. A week ago, I noticed we were very short on his diabetic pills so I called it in to the pharmacy. They said they would get doctor approval and fill them.

Fast forward one week and they were not filled. I called the pharmacy and no go...I called the doctor's office. I got lucky because our actual doctor answered the phone. I told him who I was and that David was out of these pills. He told me he would put the order in for one month's supply until he saw David again. I told him that David has an appointment with him but it is not until March 21. He said okay so I hope he really sent in the approval.

It stayed cold with a high of 40°. After work, I went out to check on the goats. Still no babies but the mothers are both getting huge.

Then I went inside and fixed grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. We stayed up way too late to find out how Dallas would play out. We are now several episodes into the final season and did not care for the way it is going in Paris.

Benefits Of Gardening - Community Building

Another one of the often overlooked benefits of gardening is how it can bring people together.

Gardening can be a social activity, whether you're sharing tips and seeds with neighbors, joining a community garden, or trading homegrown produce.

It fosters a sense of community and cooperation.

You'll be surprised at the friendships that can bloom when people bond over their love for gardening.

Plus, sharing the fruits of your labor with friends and family can bring everyone a step closer while promoting the benefits of gardening.

My maternal grandparents, Mildred & Floyd Pitcher. She grew the flowers and he grew the veggies. They were both very good at what they did! Just look at those snapdragons!

When I was a little girl, my maternal grandfather always grew a huge garden, at least an acre big in his backyard. He lived out in the country. He always planted way more than he and my grandmother could ever eat each year. They would can vegetables and share the fresh vegetables with their neighbors and with extended family including us. During the winter months when we would visit, we also went home with jars of canned vegetables to help out our grocery bill. My grandparents were generous people, as are most gardeners.

When David has excess produce from our gardens now, he will give it away to friends in the area and, sometimes, take the rest to church to give away.

Saturday, February 22, 2025

It is 35° on this very cold Saturday and the high should be 45°. Everything is wet and it is misting right now. I have to go out and feed the animals in it.

The store will be open from 10am until 2pm.

I went out to take care of the animals and the rain was coming down sort of sideways. My fingers got so cold that I finally put my gloves on. Some things are harder to do with gloves on. My pants were wet going up the legs even though I had boots on. So glad to be back inside and in some dry clothes.

I made a delicious breakfast. I sauteed onion, pepper, mushrooms, and potatoes in avocado oil. Then I added eggs. I topped with some shredded cheese and a piece of toast. It was so good.

I got the dishes going, rushed out to open the store and about five minutes later, had our first customers. They left and 15 minutes later, our second family got here. They were here for quite some time. Once they left, it was already 11:30am. David had come out to Fulfillment and was working.

I pulled orders and started mailing them out.

I set up a new sale this morning as well--10% off on single seeds when you spend $15 or more. Some of the garden trays are on sale. The coffee is 10% off.

As usual with ugly weather, we got customers today. The mailman just came and went and the gate will be closing for the day in about ten minutes. Everything is still wet and cold. It is 39°. Tomorrow, it should get up to 69° but today it will stay chilly.

Chicken Egg Math

I've spent a couple of hours doing the chicken math below and looking up prices for this segment after seeing a used-to-be regular egg customer post how much she just loves her new egg supplier, knowing I can see the post.

Some of the eggs from my chickens lined up for a photo shoot after being washed.

Someone today brought it to my attention that some of my best egg customers have found new egg sources and have posted about it on Facebook.

I am sure the real reason is because I went up on the price from $3.99 to $4.50 to $6 recently.

In the beginning of my egg journey, I sold eggs for $3, then $4, then $5 but very few people would spend $5. When the egg prices lowered two years ago, I lowered mine to $4 again. David changed it to $3.99. Over the last two months, egg prices have again soared. I started paying attention when some of my egg selling friends were upset that I wasn't selling them for enough. I never really counted the costs before today but they are right.

In fact, some of my used to be customers have told me that since I raised my prices, they would have to find new sources and they did. That was when they were $4 a dozen. Other customers have not said anything. I have been wondering why some of them have not been around here for a while, especially now that moulting season is over and the girls are laying well again.

Guess that means I will have more for new customers. Some of these folks would come to get 10 or 15 dozen at a time and get upset when I had zero in the fridge for them because someone else bought eggs.

Most of my egg selling friends out this way are getting $7 or $8 for a dozen so I am still inexpensive. Others are getting from $10 to $12 a dozen further north. How about that?

Once, these new cheap egg sources do some math, their prices will go up, too. They don't realize it now, but they are losing money with every dozen they sell to you so cheaply, just like I was.

Let me tell you a secret about the eggs. We go through a lot of chicken feed each week, about two bags a week. This does not include the oyster shells needed for calcium or the worms that chickens love. A bag of chicken feed is about $19 or $38.00 a week. We are getting about 18 to 25 eggs each day.

So let's say 22 eggs a day x 7=154 eggs per week roughly. That means each egg is costing us about 25¢ just in chicken feed. That does not include the egg cartons, stickers, ink, refrigeration, worms, greens, grit for their digestion, and oyster shells. Right now, we are selling our eggs for 50¢ a piece.

Let's do some easy math.

Chicken Feed: 100 pounds per week $38

Grit: 12 pounds per week $14 for a 25 pound bag so $7 a week

Oyster Shells: 2 pounds per week. Costs $18 for a 50 pound bag, lasts 25 weeks so roughly $1 per week

Worms As A Treat: 4x a week $40 for 5 pounds, lasts about 1 month so about $10 a week

Cartons: 200 for $80 - That is 40¢ a piece. We use 7 to 14 per week. Let's say 12 a week--about $5 a week in egg cartons

Stickers: 250 for $10 - 2 per egg carton. 4¢ a piece x2=8¢ per carton. 12x.08=.96 so we will say $1 for one week.

Ink: We won't include the ink.

So now let's add: 38+7+1+10+5+1=$62 per week in cost, not including electricity, soap to wash them, ink, city water, and my time.

We sell those 12 dozen eggs per week at $6 per dozen or $72 per week minus the $62 per week that everything costs and we are making about $10 a week minus ink, electricity, soap, city water, and my time.

I follow my county's rules to sell eggs. They include not reusing egg cartons and they require that I have to wash my eggs in order to sell them. So for those of you who think we are charging too much, we were actually losing money selling them at $4 a dozen. When I had them at $5 a dozen, people told me it was too much and we were losing money.

Now, we are about breaking even. Maybe that is why most of my egg selling friends get $7 to $10 a dozen. We are not making a profit for sure. From now on, I do not plan on losing money to sell eggs. Those who want good, farm fresh eggs from me can pay my price. If not, that is fine. I will feed my family with them and put the excess up for later.

Of course all of this is approximate. You never can tell just how many eggs you will get. Some days, we have gotten two eggs. Other days, we get 30.

I did all of this math to let you know that I am not price gouging as some of our visitors have said. We actually should have been charging at least $6 a dozen for quite some time but because we don't leave the farm much, I did not realize how the prices of chicken feed and all of the required supplies have gone up. Usually, I leave the farm once a week for church only because I am so busy with the business. I do not check on prices of things often, like I used to when I lived in the city and could get away to do my own shopping.

But wait! There's more! Yes, five years ago when I got my first chicks, I had no idea what I was getting into. I have wanted chicks since I was 19 and read the book, The Egg And I. Yes, they made it into a movie back in the 1940s but, as usual, the book is way better.

So five years ago, I got my first chicks--24 of them at about $3.50 a piece so that is $84. One of them was a boy so I've already lost $3.50. I had to put them in a brooder for about 12 weeks and buy chick waterers, chick feeders, and a heat lamp and buy chick crumble for six months before I got a return on my money. So let's say about $400 for a total of $484.00 with the cost of those first chicks, not to mention all of the other chicks I have bought over the years. I have had a total of nine roosters so that is a loss of about $4 a chicken or $36.

Also, we had a chicken fortress built which cost us approximately $3500.00 with hardware cloth going 12 inches into the ground so the critters would not eat my chickens. By the way, I have never lost a chicken to a predator. Some have gotten ill and dropped dead over the years and they stop laying and even die off before they hit five years old so that has happened.

Since the first time, I have bought another 60 or so chicks over five years and now chicks are about $4.50 a piece or more, depending on the type. That is another $270.

When the chicks grow up, they need big feeders and waterers and those are expensive. Let's say around $300 over the past five years on these things plus a few more chicken sheds at about $500 and $1100 that are standing out in the chicken area, a fence with good gates so the chickens can free range during the day for $1200, and weekly changes of wood shavings for five years in nesting boxes and on the ground for $8 a bag and we use about two bags a month, sometimes more. 52x8x5=2080.00

Let's add it all up in addition to the math above.

3500+484+270+300+2080+500+1100+1200+2080-36=9674

So that is an additional $9674 that we have forked over so we could have chickens and have some eggs to sell. So far, we are in the hole so please don't tell me that $6 a dozen is price gouging. The big chicken farms can get supplies cheaper because they are buying by volume. We can't.

So next time you come into my store and tell me that I am trying to make a huge profit by charging you $6 for a dozen eggs when they are in short supply, remember all of this. We've laid out nearly $10,000 over five years and have never been compensated for it.

Getting eggs from my chickens is not "Free Food" as someone recently told me. There is nothing free about it.

One other thing. A lot of people want to buy unwashed eggs from me. Texas law requires that you wash your eggs before selling them. Yet, sellers and buyers will say that they buy them unwashed. That means that a lot of folks are breaking the law. I do not. I always wash my eggs and I tell customers. Facebook has taught me much about honesty and integrity and who has it and who doesn't. You have to wash your eggs in Texas to sell them legally. Bam!

Okay, enough said. I am over it. This is America and we are free to buy our eggs from whoever we want. Maybe, don't post it on social media for me to see...

I went out to put away the animals for the evening. Still no goat baby. I don't know how much bigger Trixie can get. Alice is almost caught up to her in size.

Alice is getting pretty big.

Trixie is even bigger...

Benefits Of Gardening - Personal Fulfillment

David holding Trump when he was about 4 months old. David loves dogs and feels fulfilled with them and when gardening.

Digging a bit deeper, let's talk about the personal fulfillment that comes with gardening. Everyone deserves a hobby that brings them joy, and gardening could be just that for you.

There's an undeniable sense of accomplishment when you've taken the time and effort to grow your own food.

That first bite into a tomato you've nurtured from seed to fruit is a satisfying reward for your hard work.

It's incredibly fulfilling to watch your garden thrive and change with the seasons. Feeling personally fulfilled is one of the great benefits of gardening.

Gardening gives you a stronger connection to nature and can fundamentally change your perspective on food and the land.

The reason David's Garden Seeds® exists is because gardening is David's favorite hobby. It is said that when you find something you love to do, you should figure out a way to make money with it and you will never feel like you are working. What we do is hard work but we enjoy providing gardeners with the best seeds around (you truly do get what you pay for) and giving them help by providing good gardening information for free, both in person, on our social media, and on our websites.

Sunday, February 23, 2025

The fog is thick this morning and it is 42°, a bit warmer but still cold...

It is so foggy out there! I woke up hoping it was still the middle of the night but it was 6:30am. I got up and unloaded the dishwasher and reloaded with the dinner dishes. The dishwasher was going last night after dinner so I couldn't deal with dishes...I hate waking up to a sink full of dishes, don't you?

I hope you have enjoyed learning about the benefits of gardening this week.

I went outside to feed this fish this morning and there was no waterfall. That is bad because the fish cannot breathe if the water is not oxygenated. I tried to find the tripped fuse thing...Three tries at three different places. Third time was the charm. An outlet was covered to keep it dry but, somehow, water got in. I had a terrible time getting the cover off but it was tripped. I pushed the little reset button and we had water falling in two places! Yay!

I moved out back. Rabbits first as I had carrots for them in my hands. I gave each a piece of carrot and then refilled their waters. Then food. In one of the male rabbit's food dish there were dark, big, brown things--rat turds.

Matt told me earlier in the week that he spotted a giant rat on top of one of the rabbit cages and it ran. Looks like they were sitting on top of the cages with their behinds pointed right at the food dishes. It was in several of them. I had to remove it all and had a terrible time doing so. Then, one of the dishes would not go back in. That took some time. I finally got it back onto the cage.

I felt so cheap and dirty and had to cleanse myself from a lot of unrighteousness when I got inside.

I then texted my pest control guy, Marc, who, by the way, is coming here tomorrow. I told him what I found and told him to bring whatever he could to send those rats to their just reward. He promised he would. I am so grossed out!

On to the chickens and they were all fine. Then the goats and still no babies.

Kitty when she was younger. She was having difficulty walking and moving around. She was in her 16th year so she lasted a long time.

We went to church and then lunch after at Charlie's Daughter. I had a grilled chicken sandwich for the first time and it was pretty good. While I was there, my sister texted me asking about Kitty. She always asks about Kitty. I finally told her...Kitty passed over the rainbow bridge on Monday but I did not tell her because Tuesday was her birthday and I knew she would be so upset.

Then we stopped by Walmart for a few things. Once we were back in the truck, my sister called me. She was crying.

We got home and I should have gone and checked on the pond but I did not until 4:30pm. The falls were off again and this time, no matter what I did, I could not get them back on. Time to call in the big guns. I called Matthew three times and texted him. No answer. I called David. No answer. I called Matt again and he answered, saying he had fallen asleep while working in his office.

Matt came and found another tripped outlet that is under the gazebo. He pushed the button and that tripped the other outlet by the pump. I fixed that and the water started. Everything was great for about three minutes. Good thing we stayed out there talking. It cut off and we went through all of that again. This time, it was about 30 seconds and it cut off.

Matt said he would get an extension cord so the falls would run which will keep the fish alive. He did that and it is still working but the pump is not running and the second falls is not running either. Hopefully, David will have ideas tomorrow so we can fix it. He would not come out to help today.

While I was over by the pump in shorts and without boots, I felt like something bit my leg hard. Then a few minutes later, two more bites. I looked down at the weeds that have grown up by the pump. Stinging nettles! I had never experienced that before. My leg just above the ankle was on fire. I sprayed some Bactine on it and it feels better but it still stings.

Still no baby goats. No more rat turds either this afternoon. I got 18 eggs today.

What a crazy afternoon this has been and my leg is still stinging. We sell stinging nettle seeds. Why do people buy them? They are positively evil. I have no idea where the stupid plants came from. We did not plant them. It was all dirt.

Benefits Of Gardening - Starting Your Gardening Journey

This growing zone map hangs on our store wall. We are located in growing zone 9A.

Now that you're eager to experience the benefits of gardening firsthand, let's talk about starting your own garden. It's not as daunting as it seems!

Begin by researching what plants grow well in your area. Knowing your growing zone will help you choose the right varieties.

Gather your supplies: good soil, quality tools, and top-notch seeds like those you can find at David's Garden Seeds. These are essential elements for any gardener.

If you're short on space, consider container gardening or vertical gardening, which are great alternatives for limited areas.

Don’t rush! Start small and expand as your confidence grows. You'll learn as you go; gardening is as much about the journey as the destination.

Remember, every garden is unique, and part of the fun is discovering what works best for you and your space.

With just a bit of love and care, you'll soon be reaping the benefits of gardening in your backyard.

Happy gardening, and welcome to a world of incredible benefits and endless possibilities!

Return from Benefits Of Gardening to Our Sixth Year

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