Tuesday, April 17, 2012

What is a Dibbler; Dibble; or Dibber?

Welcome Back to the Windmill Farm and Country Design :

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter Weekend with family and friends.  We sure did, we loved having our grandkids over for the week before since they were on spring break.  And then all our family went to a fabulous campground not that far away and camped.  It turned out to be the warmest weekend we have had for a long time and it was so delightful to be able to all be outside and enjoy nature.
During these last raining days, since I cannot be outside working in the gardens, I think about gardening.  A friend of ours has given me some CDs of a gardening show on the BBC network called Gardening World.  It is unbelievable that I have never seen it and the ones he copied for me were from 2011 which turned out to be their 45th season.  I have a note pad next to my chair as each show gives such wonderful suggestions for planting beautiful English Country flower beds; or they talk about trees; vegetables; any subject you can think about.  I am going to have my friend work backwards when I finish this series to season #44 and later. 
Reading blogs are quite fun and each one seems to be unique, you may find them more interesting than you think and they normally are quick readings, nothing like a book, just several minutes of concentrated information if you pick the right blog. I am a busy person, as everyone seems to be these days so my time is valuable.  Blogs are quick ways to be inspired, to learn.  If a blog doesn't do that for me, I have several I check in with several times a week to read what is happening.   I have marked several as my favorites that talk about antiquing; or old houses; or DIY projects or chickens or gardening, of course are my favorites.

I recently taught a class at our farm and also one at the C Bar D Feed Store on Raising Backyard Chickens.  The subject was teaching people the basics of having your own chickens, possibly within the City Limits.  Most communities have a renewed interest by people to have fresh eggs and have been changing their usage codes to allow a certain number of chickens either for a designated size space or within the City limits.  Gridley is a town that does allow chickens, but no roosters for obvious reasons, check with the City for the complete ordinance on keeping chickens.

One of the gardening blogs that I follow myself just happened to mention a tool called a “Dibbler, Dibber, and Dibble”. Definition: A dibber or dibble is a pointed wooden stick for making holes in the ground so that seeds, seedlings or small bulbs can be planted. It referenced that it could be purchased from the new Williams Sonoma catalog.  That company now has a section called “Agrarian”. Several people I have talked to recently mentioned it also, it is such a surprise to see a traditionally kitchenware store/catalog now have gardening; beekeeping; and keeping chickens items for sale.  The love of small farms; or gardening has officially gone BIG TIME to make it to Williams-Sonoma catalogues. So of course, I went out to google and ended up purchasing a Dibble; dibbler; dibber off of Ebay to try it out in my garden.

TIPS for gardening this week:  Roses-to enhance colors in roses-(Read this from a nursery blog) Add about 2 ounces of Epsom Salts (Magnesium sulfate) which you buy at any drug store, on newly established plants; and add 4 ounces on older plants in April and repeat in May.       To stimulate more canes on roses; cane berries, blueberries, etc. apply alfalfa pellets and water into the root zone about 3 times at monthly intervals.

Until next time, from Windmill Farm.


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