An explanation. And some closure.

I would like to take this opportunity to put out a call for volunteers to help me revive my blogs and podcasts and get them back to a weekly release.

Guest blogging:
If you would like to write an article for the blogs, I’d be delighted to share it!

–The Balcony Farm – Any articles pertaining to no-land gardening, container gardening, hydroponics, indoor gardening, etc. These could be reviews, how-to’s, sharing/documenting experiences, among other things.

–Knit Misadventures – Knitting articles of almost any kind would be graciously accepted here. How to fix mistakes, personal stories of knitting perseverance, product reviews, etc. would all be in keeping with the “hard-knock” knitting theme of the site.

–ADDed Personality – Articles about coping strategies, book/product reviews, and any type of self-help/mutual-support group topics are greatly welcomed.

Guest hosting:
If you are feeling ambitious, I could always use material for the podcasts. You could record individual segments (3-5 minutes long is a good ballpark), or offer to guest host an entire episode if I am unable to get a show out. Co-hosting may also be an option if someone can teach me how to record that way.

–The Balcony Farm – As with the guest-blogging suggestions, anything pertaining to no-land gardening is fair game.

–Knit Misadventures – The most important segment I want is the Mishaps and Lessons Learned. If you have any stories to share about something you’ve learned the hard way, I’d love to play it on the show. I can always use material for the Nifty Thrifty and Library Book Review segments, too.

–ADDed Personality – As this is a virtual support group, I’d love to play anything you’d like to share about ADHD.

Technical help:
I can also use help on the technical side of things for all shows/sites.

–Troubleshooting – If anyone can be available to answer questions about rss feeds, itunes, etc., that would be a tremendous help. Alternatively, if anyone can direct me to any tutorials on how to fix problems as they occur, that would also be awesome.

–Show notes – Organizing and posting show notes isn’t hard in and of itself, but it can be taxing after going through the recording process by myself. If anyone would like to help organize links and come up with brief synopses, you would have my undying gratitude.

–Moderating forums – I’m not always able to keep activity going on the forums for the podcasts, so if anyone is interested in the care and maintenance of the message boards, I’d gladly promote you on the respective forums.

Moral support:
Sometimes I just need a kick in the behind to remember to get things done. If anyone would be willing to check in with me every couple days via email, IM, Skype, or whatever, that can help my ADD brain stay on task.

If you are interested in contributing in any way to the production of the podcasts and websites, drop me a line and we can set things up. I try to respond to my messages as soon as possible, but don’t be alarmed if it takes a day or two. If you haven’t heard from me in 3 days, please double-check with me to make sure I got the message, and feel free to bonk me on the head.

The Balcony Farm – elise@thebalconyfarm.com
Knit Misadventures – elise@thebalconyfarm.com
ADDed Personality – elise@addedpersonality.com

Here is the episode 11 video supplement, covering farm updates and showing some of my watering techniques.

Contact info:
elise@thebalconyfarm.com
@betani on Twitter
Betani on Folia
Facebook page

A quick update this week, plus some watering techniques.

Plants mentioned:
Blue Jade corn – Zea mays var. rugosa
Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree – Citrus x meyeri
Fernleaf Dill – Anethum graveolens
Hyssop – Hyssopus officinalis
Round Mauve Eggplant – Solanum melongena

Contact info:
elise@thebalconyfarm.com
@betani on Twitter
Betani on Folia
Facebook page

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Contact info:
elise@thebalconyfarm.com
@betani on Twitter
Betani on Folia
Facebook page

The balcony farm is busting out all over! So are some pests…

Plants mentioned:
Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree – Citrus x meyeri
Blue Jade corn – Zea mays var. rugosa
Fernleaf Dill – Anethum graveolens
Wine Cap mushrooms – Stropharia rugosoannulata
Tom Thumb pea – Pisum sativum

Links:
Natural insecticidal soap recipe from Gardenguides.com

Contact info:
elise@thebalconyfarm.com
@betani on Twitter
Betani on Folia
Facebook page

Join the forum discussion on this post

Do you have any pest problems in your small space garden? Do you have any tried-and-true methods to deal with them?

———————

Besides the usual suspects in the insect world, I have trouble with birds and squirrels. I have an ongoing battle with one particular robin who adamantly insists that his nest should be in my hanging baskets. Squirrels don’t seem to care whether I’m actively planting in a pot or whether it has sat dormant for years. They’ll dig anywhere they please.

So far my main tactic is scare-tape. It is a 1/2″ mylar ribbon that is red on one side and silver on the other. When the wind blows it around, it shimmers and reflects all over the place, and critters seem to bypass my balcony for more peaceful surroundings.

I’ve tried cayenne pepper in the past with moderate luck, but I got tired of re-applying it all the time.

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The balcony before recording:

Plants mentioned:
Dwarf Meyer lemon tree – Citrus x meyeri
Contorted flowering quince – Chaenomeles speciosa
Crimson and gold flowering quince – Chaenomeles x superba
Kiwi – Actinidia kolomikta
Tom Thumb peas – Pisum sativum
Paris market carrots – Daucus carota subsp. sativus
Red fig tomato – Solanum lycopersicum
Fernleaf dill – Anethum graveolens
Toy Choi – Brassica rapa (Chinensis Group)
Lewis flax – Linum perenne var. lewisii
Artichoke – Cynara scolymus

Links:
Seed Saver’s Exchange

Contact info:
elise@thebalconyfarm.com
@betani on Twitter
Betani on Folia
Facebook page

Join the forum discussion on this post