Plants for trade for August, 2016

August is shaping up to be a beautiful month for gardening with plenty of frequent rainfall. IFAS says that here in West Florida we should:
     - Use seeds for beans and squashes of all kinds and southern peas and okra. Onions and shallots can be planted now.
     - Transplant with care - carrots, endive/escarole, tomatoes, and peppers.
 I do have some southern pea seeds for trade, called Cowpea. These are fresh from this spring's harvest, less than 3 months old.
The rains and watering have encouraged Eat Your Sand's many edible plants to bloom and reproduce like nobody's business. Here is a little bit of what we are offering for trade this August. All plants are completely organically grown and propagated with love.

We have four New Zealand kits to trade away. These cute little fluff balls would be a great addition to any garden, make a great pet, or make some good eats. 

I still have a ton of seeds of Hibiscus Sabdariffa to trade away. They can be planted right now to make some great edible greens, possibly to make some flowers and pods before the end of the year. The greens themselves are well worth the trouble. Hibiscus sabdariffa infusion has recently been found to naturally lower blood pressure with no side effects. 

The purple-leaved cannas are growing extremely vigorously right now. I am expecting blooms any day this month.

I trimmed and mulched the lemongrass. The blades were getting too tall for the pots, making weeding completely unmanageable. Needless to say, the rabbits quite enjoyed all those trimmings.

The recent rains have refreshed the perennial sage plants, causing them to bloom again. They have been blooming all summer, except for in July when it was too dry even for them. Butterflies and bees are all over these sages. It is my first choice for an edible to attract bees and butterflies.

The red cannas have put out some strong new growth since the rains resumed. I have mulched them and moved them around to more sheltered areas with more shade now that the heat is really on us.

The 1.5 year old potted Loquats are looking great. If no one wants to adopt these Loquats, I am going to have to make an orchard in my front yard. A tasty orchard!

Plants for Trade July 2016

We just came home from our family trip and I am eager to trade away some rabbits. These little (but soon big) guys would make great pets, garden companions, breading, or meat rabbits.
As New Zealand's, they are white with red eyes (albino), dew flaps, and large ears which help them to tolerate the heat better.
They have been raised on a diet of pellet and plants, and are fully weaned now. I have a complete list of what they eat here.
http://oldescrubland.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-draft-safe-plant-list-for-florida.html
Feel free to share that list and refer back to it often. I wrote it up a while back, and it has been republished on several survival websites, making me a published author! Right now the kits are eating pressed alfalfa and organic, homegrown plants.
I also have many garden plants for trade that are edible for rabbits and people too. One of my gems is a crop of Cowpea that I have been growing and regrowing for several years now, adapting them to our area. The beans are great for people, the rest of the plant is great for rabbits! Two crops a year here in West Florida. Most of the other plants that I offer for trade are beautiful flowering perennials that we edible and also attract pollinators to the yard (ie butterflies and honey bees).
     Cannas are blooming now. I have red, pink, and yellow. The dwarf white seem to struggling and not blooming, they are not for trade at the moment. The purple leaved cannas are red, but haven't formed blossoms yet this season.
     The heat and lack of rain has made my red sage go dormant. It is not for trade at the moment. So here is a list of what I have:
New Zealand whites
Potted Lemongrass
Potted Loquat trees, one year old
Potted Cannas, red, yellow, and pink
Potted cardamom ginger
Potted Spiderwort, now dormant due to the summer heat
Potted red sage, now finished flowering for the summer
Cowpea seeds, ready for planting at the end of September
Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds, for planting next spring.
From last month, this little guy has found a home through trade. I have refreshes mother, and in two months I should hopefully have some more brothers and sisters to trade away to new homes.

The extension service does not recommend a whole lot of transplanting to be done during July.in fact, for the most part it recommends planting only Jerusalem artichoke, and any okra and southern pea seeds that haven't been sown yet. But July is still a good month for trading, for getting rid of excess on my part and hopefully getting to know new people and plants during the summer dormancy period.

Plants for trade for June 2016

This month, June, is the official start of hurricane season for us here in Florida. It can be a trying time for transplanting right now, due to the high temperatures and heavy, windy storms. IFAS is recommending that June is the time to plant Sweet Potatoes, and the seeds of Okra and Southern Peas.
These are all plants with a place in permaculture, the art of growing perennials to meet the needs of people. Most are flowering and attract pollinators and can be used as food for people and animals like rabbits and goats. I am always available to answer questions about the growies, particularly the beautiful ones for the front yard.
Here is what Eat Your Sand is offering for trade this month:

Cowpea, or Black-Eyed Peas, grow quickly and prolifically in Florida and can handle poor soil and heat. Plant in the spring and the fall for two harvests a year. These are from my garden, they have been grown for many years now. A few more years, and they will become heirlooms for West Florida. The other beans are frijoles negro, which also grow well here. Beans of any kind should be planted at the end of February and the end of September. Seeds for trade.

Cranberry hibiscus with cannas.

Hibiscus sabdariffa, also called Jamaican sorrel, or cranberry hibiscus, has green leaves, pictured here from my garden. When it flowers, the blooms are large and pink, about the same size as the single petal Chinese hibiscus, or the size of your hand. Then the blooms form interesting-looking pods, which contain the seeds. The outer petals of the pods can be cooked into an amazing tart drink, which turns bright red and tastes similar to cranberry juice. The sorrel are high in Vitamin C and is one of the main components of red zinger tea. A great plant for survivalists, the pods can be dehydrated or frozen and brewed later. Seeds for trade.

Red sage is a perennial herb that thrives in our weather. The blooms last all spring, and it will draw pollinators to your garden. The leaves can be used in cooking, or dehydrated for burning as an incense. It may self-sow. About 3 feet tall, loves full sun, potted plants for trade.

Lemongrass is a perennial that is used for adding flavor to your cooking. It can also be added to homemade soaps or cosmetics. It thrives in full sun, grows about 2 feet tall, and looks like an ornamental grass. Another beautiful edible for the front yard, potted plants for trade.

Spiderwort is a small perennial that produces night purple flowers all spring long. The stems are edible, if mucilaginous, and it is known as the asparagus of the south. Spiderwort thrives in our hot dry springtime, and looks beautiful in bunches. May self-sow. Potted plants for trade.

Loquat trees are both fool-proof and beautiful. They tolerate poor soil and love full sun. The fuzzy fruits are small, similar in size from a cherry to a golf ball, with a seed or two in the center. They have a unique flavor, not quite peach, not quite apple. I have seen trees more than 30 feet high with a canopy of about 30 feet, but I keep my larger trees trimmed to about 8 feet so the fruits are attainable. The leaves make an excellent tea or addition to a green smoothie. One year old, potted seedlings for trade.

Cannas are an edible perennial that love full sun and plenty of water. Our native yellow cannas dwell in ditches and swamps. I have yellow, pink, and red cannas, and the purple-leaved variety, which has red flowers. The purple ones appreciate shade, but still love water. I have even had success growing them in floating planters in the pond. Potted cannas for trade.

Purple-leaved Cannas

Cardamom ginger is a beautiful dwarf perennial that tolerates shade and dryness well. A member of the ginger family, it has edible tubers and leaves. It is very slow growing if placed in the shade, unlike some other members of the ginger family. Potted plants for trade.

I have many rabbit kits for trade. They are all New Zealand kits, some are white and some are red. I have all different ages of kits, or you can message me and have me contact you when the next set of kits has weaned. Rabbits for trade for plants...they turn weeds into fertilizer.