Red Hawk Ridge

I’m not bringing in a steady income anymore, but what I do have is more time to establish things that I have wanted for years.

In the face of uncertainty, I’m holding on to the hope that what I do now will come to fruition when it’s needed. Since 2019, when we moved out into the woods with acreage, I have plotted and planned garden after garden. Time and time again, I have failed.

The first year, while pregnant, I attempted a garden, but I didn’t have the energy, nor did I want to be out in the Texas summer heat of July and August when I was due at the end of September. I was bummed about having the land, but unable to do anything with it in my state of being. I was a joyful new mother, yes, but I had spent years until this point dreaming of all the things I could do with a few acres of land outside the city limits, and as soon as I had it, I couldn’t handle it.

The next year, with the help of a baby monitor and two to three hour-long naps, I spent an enormous amount of energy getting the largest garden area to date ready and planted. And while I did get some harvest, mainly cucumbers, kale, and chard, I was ravaged by gophers who ate nearly 60 tomato plants in varying stages of growth, and two black beauty zucchini plants (with fruit on them!). Gopher traps worked to an extent, but the colony established here was incessant, with gophers the size of small squirrels. I could stick my entire arm into the tunnels they quickly established under each garden row. Nothing was safe.

The third year here, with the help of my husband and a near heat stroke, we got the shell of a greenhouse (a gift from my dad) put up and a raised bed built by my mom and stepdad established in it. My son no longer took naps, much to my chagrin, and I gave up trying to tend to anything too far from the house since my son never wanted to stay near me. He would much rather take off running into the woods, and I spent most of my time outside making sure he didn’t get himself eaten by the wildlife.

Never underestimate the speed of a determined two-year-old.

The years since then, I have tried to do things here and there, but I never followed through when life got the better of me and I neglected my garden–even with the help of a few raised beds and container plants. I cut way back and brought everything closer to the house, and I thought I had it figured out, even with less time working a corporate job. Then, the rabbits got me. I had a nice little salsa garden going under my kitchen window and they ate every single plant within the span of a week or two and even ate the new foliage off a fig tree I had in a pot. I then attempted to grow mushrooms too late and saw nothing of the $50 I spent because of horrendous storms and ill-timing, but I was distraught over the rabbits, and I couldn’t do nothing.

Last year, I just didn’t care anymore.

I bought a few small herb plants here and there, but a sage, rosemary, lemon balm, and bee balm plant are the only ones who have survived this past winter. I do have a crazy looking thyme plant that has held on way past what I thought it could. I take that as a win, but it’s about three or four years old now and only has two little limbs that grow. I became disheartened, to say the least, until now.

I have had a figurative fire lit under my ass, with the time to do what needs to be done.

Today, I planted onions, turmeric, and ginger outside in previously established beds, and started sage, rosemary, lavender, and thyme seeds inside. This is my first time attempting to start rosemary and lavender from seed, but I’m hoping to be able to offer starter plants for my local peeps and/or start a ‘Thieves Oil’ garden for when flu season comes back around. The only thing I’m missing is garlic.

Yesterday, I started a tray of multiple herbs that I use in the apothecary in an attempt to cut back on supply costs and make some of my remedies, along with a few ‘for fun’ plants for me. I had one Angel Trumpet (sanguinea-the reddish kind) seed left after failing to get the previous four to grow over the last two years, and I love Datura Moonflowers and their cousin Jimson Weed (one of my favorite scents, btw). And yes, I’m aware all three are poisonous. Don’t come at me. I’m well aware of how to handle them.

Last week, I planted a tray of cold weather veggies that can handle the Texas spring heat that pops up unannounced but still live if it freezes. The seedlings that sprouted are currently being acclimated on my freshly cleaned back porch with hopes of cutting back on the food bill each month.

I have another tray waiting for better weather where I will plant tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, and some squashes, but their forever homes will take me more time in the next few weeks to build/establish.

The chickens have started laying again, and with the sacrifice of more than a few opossums, I hopefully won’t be buying anymore eggs from the store. I feel the pain of those wanting to get chickens now that SHTF in that department, but I am glad to be going on nearly a decade of raising chickens, in and out of the city limits. I even managed to get two babies born and raised by accident in the coop last year without me trying. I just went out one day to hear peeping. I hadn’t realized my broody hen had been sitting on any eggs long enough to hatch them, but 2 out of 3 was amazing. The third unfortunately didn’t make it all the way out of their shell, but the two that have survived are both hens, and they took up the slack when I had two older hens die within a week of each other in later months.

I also now have an outdoor cat, a long-haired white and orange male named Broccoli (if you know, you know :D) who decided to grace us with his presence one day last year. He was injured and I nursed him back to health, to the disdain of my husband who hates cats (I think he secretly likes him, but whatever). Broccoli didn’t try to eat the chickens when I let them out of the pen the other day, so that is fantastic. He did try to help plant onions, but hey, maybe the rabbits will stay away this year. I’ll just have to refrain from planting catnip.

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I have a handful of new products in my shop, including tea blends, tinctures, and supplements. Go check them out, and don’t forget that orders over $35 get free shipping! If you want more information on any of my products, check out the Apothecary page here on this site. I refrain from too much info on Etsy because of guidelines. You can also follow me on Facebook, either on my author page, apothecary page, or both. Don’t be shy to comment below if you have any questions, and if you want a book to read, my debut novel is still available on Amazon.

Many blessings,
Emma Lee Joy