I have always had a deep love for gardening. Something that had been instilled in me from an early age by my grandmother, Ila Gwen Collins. I wish she had lived to see the garden that I have been building. In any case, my name is Kammie. My boyfriend and I recently moved into my Grandmother Lucy's house, located in Central Indiana. Besides my love for gardening, I adore animals. We live with three crazy cats: Dakota (a Junglebob), Esme (a bengal), and Astrid (a domestic long-hair). In addition I breed Fancy rats and New Caldonian Eyelash Crested Geckos.
I also have a deep love for art, or making it as it were. My art can be found at: I am an avid photographer, painter, jewelry designer, and lampworker.
As for my garden, it consists of two areas: around the house, and the bottom of the hill. At the bottom of the hill our house rests on we have our vegetable garden. We have planted: 3 kinds of cucumbers, 3 kinds of summer squash, cooking pumpkins, spaghetti squash, habenaro pepper, jalapeno peppers, beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, sweet corn, brusselsprouts, carrots, and sunflowers.
There are also 3 blueberry bushes that are bursting with berries, a small apple tree, a decrepit peach tree, rhubarb, mulberries, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, a grapevine, and a surplus of asparagus. All of the above was planted by my Grandfather Dale, my Step-mother's father. He had an amazingly green thumb. Besides the foodstuffs wer are cultivating I have been reviving the flowerbeds around the house. My first project has been the front yard:
The front garden has an Alice in Wonderland theme. Hopefully that will become clearer in time, it is a work in progress after all.
Additionally I plan on having a few stock tank water gardens in the back yard. Hopefully I will be able to get that project on it's way soon. I would like to pick up some plants from www.pondplantsdirect.com in addition to the local suppliers: The Apple House, and Atlantis.
Both are incredible local resources. Altantis has been in operation since the 70's. They specialize in water gerdens. They have a great selection of koi as well. The Apple House on the other hand has a very wide variety of aquatic plants.
Other local resources I may use: Cox's Plant Farm, Yankee Rose Gardens, and Fruitridge Gardens.
I would definately like to stock one tank with koi, perhaps both. I am going to do more research before I come to any decision. I am looking into trapdoor snails, freshwater clams,
Useful links:
http://watergarden.com/
http://www.pondsolutions.com/faq.htm
Caring for Water Garden Fish In Your Pond
How to Buy Water Garden Fish
http://www.webbsonline.com/
Stock tank and kiddie pool watergardens
Garden Djinn
transform stock tank to water garden? help & hints?
Take stock of stock-tank planters
