Greetings Gardeners!

[Bluebonnet]

After that, there is my herb collection. It is not much yet, but I am trying to expand this, as I have an interest in traditional medicine.

Hyssop
Ashwagandha
Astagalus
Basil
Bee Balm
Barage
Burdock - I have a great dislike for burdock since I tried Dandelion & Burdock, the European drink.
Calendula
Catnip
Celery
Chamomile
Chervil
Chives
Cilantro - Only for completeness. It is truly smelly and awful!
Sage
Dandelion
Dill
Echinacea
Fennel
Feverfew
Flax
Lemon Balm
Lovage
Marjoram
Mullien
Nasturtium
Oregano
Parsley
Pennyroyal
Scullcap
Sorrel
St. John's Wort
Summer Savory
Sweet Cicely
Thyme
Valerian
Mustard
Woad
Yarrow
Rosemary
Peppermint
Alfalfa
Aloe Vera
Clove
Comfrey
Ginger
Ginseng
Lavender
Licorice Root
Marigold
Marsh Mallow
Red Clover
Water Mint
Spearmint
Apple Mint
Pineapple Mint
Yerba Santa

I also grow several grains for my animals, as well as for cover crops for my land. Improving pastures and soil quality is an interest of mine, because land management is important to long term productivity.

 

[baymule]

OK, I just have to ask, most young people your age have absolutely NO interest in what you are doing. What or who is your influence, what or who started you down this path? Again, I congratulate you on this path you have chosen, it took most of us a lot longer time to get started and you seem to be leading the pack with your aspirations. Great job, keep doing what you are doing.

 

[Bluebonnet]

That is quite a list Bluebonnet! How many acres do you have? Do you sell at a Farmer's Market or CSA? I admire what you are doing and wish you every good thing in life and success in your pursuits of what makes you happy.

Acres I have and acres I can use are two different things. I am working to manage some of my land as native Texas Coastal Prairie, with the hope of offering up the land to help save the Texas Prairie Chicken.

Other land is rife with invasive plants and trees and needs to be cleared out and some land is not level, being somewhat hilly and is patiently waiting for me to even it out and improve its quality to put it into use.

What happened is I bought several parcels in the same area, so I am not even sure what my actual acreage is. I got the land dirt cheap, so I could go and develop the land myself.

I no longer sell at farmer's markets, as I am considering opening my own. I'm very much one of those people that likes to work for themselves. If I had one on my property, not only would it eliminate travel costs, but would allow me to offer rare fruits and foods that do not travel well to a larger audience.

I would like to have a full working plantation and to devote some of my land to War Between The States reenactors. I have some of the larger camp gear, like company level kettles, but I think it would be cool to open my property and set up a functioning Confederate camp. I have some land where I want to grow some sugar cane and cotton and I can make this a very picturesque place to enjoy.

Speaking of gardens though, I forgot about my garden plantings too, because I'm something of a collector in that area too.

I want to get some reenactors who would like to make a living reenacting on my land, so I can pay them to help me tend to all of the things I have growing, because it is kind of getting out of hand and between this and all of the animals I am acquiring, this is more than a solo project.

 

[Bluebonnet]

OK, I just have to ask, most young people your age have absolutely NO interest in what you are doing. What or who is your influence, what or who started you down this path? Again, I congratulate you on this path you have chosen, it took most of us a lot longer time to get started and you seem to be leading the pack with your aspirations. Great job, keep doing what you are doing.

My influences are wide. I have so many interests that tie back into my land, that this is just a natural fit.

I like Japanese Bento Boxes, so I grow foods that are impossible to import here in the United States.
I like Confederate reenacting and just happen to love Antebellum Architecture, so I want a plantation home.
I like to cook, so I want the freshest, highest quality ingredients I can get, so I grow my own.
I like historical clothing, so I make my own dyes and cloth and make my own.
I like cruelty free products, so I make my own makeup.

The list just goes on and on and on.

If I had to choose a main influence, I would say it is my ancestors.

 

[baymule]

Here is a link to a short article to Hickory Hill, built by one of my ancestors. It is now out of the family, but is being well cared for by the present owners.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mysouthernfamily/hickoryhill.html

What kind of cloth do you make? With wool or cotton or both? Sounds interesting, you will have to post pictures of the process so we can all enjoy too!

Have you been to Huntsville to the Sam Houston Museum and grounds?
http://samhoustonfolkfestival.blogspot.com/
Their festival is May 2,3,4 this year. The grounds are set up like a village, when they have the festival, there are live demonstrations of old time crafts. I bet you are going to tell me that you go and put on demonstrations of your own! Is something like that what you are thinking about for your own property?

Invasives, do you mean Chinese Tallow? If so, get yourself ready to poison them out. I am as organic as one can get, but when you cut down one of those, 5 more grow in it's place. If you are adverse to wholesale spraying of your land, then cut one down and paint the stump with Remedy. That's what I did, and it really helped get rid of them. I think there is a state program where they will come spray the ^#$%&^ trees for you. You might want to check into it.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Here is a link to a short article to Hickory Hill, built by one of my ancestors. It is now out of the family, but is being well cared for by the present owners.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mysouthernfamily/hickoryhill.html

What kind of cloth do you make? With wool or cotton or both? Sounds interesting, you will have to post pictures of the process so we can all enjoy too!

Have you been to Huntsville to the Sam Houston Museum and grounds?
http://samhoustonfolkfestival.blogspot.com/
Their festival is May 2,3,4 this year. The grounds are set up like a village, when they have the festival, there are live demonstrations of old time crafts. I bet you are going to tell me that you go and put on demonstrations of your own! Is something like that what you are thinking about for your own property?

Invasives, do you mean Chinese Tallow? If so, get yourself ready to poison them out. I am as organic as one can get, but when you cut down one of those, 5 more grow in it's place. If you are adverse to wholesale spraying of your land, then cut one down and paint the stump with Remedy. That's what I did, and it really helped get rid of them. I think there is a state program where they will come spray the ^#$%&^ trees for you. You might want to check into it.

That is amazing! I just love going back and looking at the places where our ancestors lived and how they made due with none of our modern conveniences.

How complete is the plantation? Most people do not realize that plantations were large complexes with many buildings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantation_complexes_in_the_Southeastern_United_States

The more intact the complex is, the more it is worth. Slave quarters in particular, rarely exist, as most were one room shanties and the ones that have held up were generally on the larger plantations and are few and far between.

I buy fleeces, cord them by hand and dye them. Then, I hand spin them into yarn and crochet them into what ever I like.

As for cotton, I am working on it. There are actually several colors of cotton that are grown naturally, not just the white variety that I work with. Those are a work in progress, since turning cotton into cloth the old fashioned way is a long and tedious process.

I have never been to Sam Houston. I do not put on demonstrations, but I do occasionally sell my crafts to raise money for charity. My type of demonstrations involve reenacting. I love the interesting questions I get from school children who see me. The girls usually want to examine my dresses and the boys are always interested in what I serve up to eat and drink, because old fashioned, home brewed root beer is something I love to make. That and all kinds of ciders and I have yet to see a man turn down kettle cooked foods.

One of the funniest looks I got was when a boy who had attended several reenactments and was used to seeing me cook in the kettles, came up and was both shocked and disappointed that I was doing the camp's laundry the traditional way!

I would love to have a year round, functioning camp on my property. Reenactors do not generally get paid, but because I am going to have to hire help anyway for a traditional style property, I want to hire reenactors to work and live on my land.

The Chinese Tallow is indeed the dreaded invasive I face. I am having the trees removed entirely and having any shoots that pop up removed as well until they are all gone. That is why I say that some of my land is currently useable and some is not.

 

[bgreen415]

Bluebonnet do you spin your cotton with a traditional wheel, charkha, or a spindle? I've considered giving spinning a try some time.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Bluebonnet do you spin your cotton with a traditional wheel, charkha, or a spindle? I've considered giving spinning a try some time.

I have a traditional wheel, but I use a spindle because it gives me more control over the fibers.

 

[bgreen415]

Thank you. I'm hoping this summer to talk to some folks I know in south Arkansas and get a pound of ginned cotton. I'd like to try growing some but think it's too cold in NW Arkansas.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Thank you. I'm hoping this summer to talk to some folks I know in south Arkansas and get a pound of ginned cotton. I'd like to try growing some but think it's too cold in NW Arkansas.

It also spreads like wildfire and the pods are sharp.

Get the ginned cotton and you will save yourself a lot of trouble.