Yep, just like the title says. I got a gift. An incredible gift for Christmas. It was a bit of money, so my Husband, kids and a dear friend all pitched in to buy me a Mantis rototiller. Yep. That is what I wanted. Now all people involved in the purchase of the machine all benefit from it. Know how? By the food that is produced from the land that I cultivate. We all benefit, so guess we could call it a communal gift, smiling.
Yep. At the holiday celebration at oldest Daughter’s home, I got a teeny tiny little box. I thought it was going to be a ring, or a necklace, but look what was inside.
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Yep, a picture of a beautiful little machine that will be my pal for the next umpteen dozen years, smiling. Guess that is an embellishment in time, but it will be by me. My partner in crime when I work outside, to create food for our tables and our bellies.
I had a Mantis rototiller for over 15 years. Back in the old life on the rocky, wet coast of BC, I had performed massive cultivation with my little ol’ friend. Years and years of working the land. From land that had already had existing gardens, to recreating beautiful cultivated land from the rough. And I mean rough. The coast is full of rocks. But if you work really hard, you can have land that will eventually become very good and rich and soft. That is what I had in my garden areas. Beautiful soil, for over 20 years that soil had been amended and it was like the soil from the very deltas of the earth itself. Beautiful soil.
That little machine worked so hard for me. Then my Sister came and moved with her big clan to our property. We both worked the land, and guess what? She built new gardens of her own, masses of new gardens, using my little Mantis to help her do the work. It worked hard. We moved away to the Okanagan, that little dude came with us. But getting tired. I have fought to keep (along with my poor Sons-in-Law and Husband that have done everything in their power to make this little fellow happy and do the chores) the machine going strong. But it is tired, the carb kits, the cleaning of parts, blowing out the exhaust, nothing could keep it going this year. So it took me so long to work the earth, much of it done with a pitch fork and when the Mantis could work, it tried. Kept dropping hints all summer that I needed a new baby for the next cultivation year. My only wish for a gift, a new rototiller.
Now you have to understand what a Mantis rototiller is all about. I am sure I have some forum friends that possess this machine. And I would like to hear who does....this is power, all power that you ever imagine for something that weighs about 20 pounds, sounds more quiet than a chainsaw and can bump rocks out of the earth that are larger than a softball. Serious. The machine will encounter a rock, the rock will literally bump out of the soil and be pushed off to the side, to be pitched somewhere by the worker.
This picture below is the rock pile that was near my apiary, back on the coast, about 80% of the rocks in that pile were bumped out of the rocky soil by this machine. The big rocks, well, that is man labour, or should I say woman labour.....look at those thousands upon thousands of rocks, bumped out of the earth or sitting on top of the earth...that rock pile was even bigger by the time we had moved away. And boy, after years of pitching rocks onto that pile, I am accurate with hitting specified areas with rocks, as accurately as I can type, smiling. And that is accurate, let me tell ya.
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Yep, powerful little machine, and I mean little, so lightweight, so powerful. The engine was a good enough size I suppose in the old fellow, but was a two stroke engine, so gas had to be mixed with oil.
My new rototiller that will be coming in January sometime is a four stroke. I think the engine of the old one was a 3 horse power, this one is a five horse power and because of the advance to four stroke, I don’t have to mix the gas anymore. Ya, now doesn’t that fix time itself. The design of the arms and handle of the machine are quite different, but the width of the tines and body I think are similar. Oh, there is a lifetime guarantee on the tines, says alot eh? Haven’t really seen the machine yet, only the picture, but I know well in my heart that this little dude will outperform even what the old dude did in his prime. I am thrilled half to death. But there is nothing to till here in January. Can’t find the earth, it is covered with over 2 feet of snow. Wonder if I could practice in the snow banks from the plowing of our driveway? Hmm....I need to work on something when it comes....Well....we are going to the coast in February for a family reunion, I bet they have some earth down there. Hey, actually, my Sister moved to a new place that has a good many existing gardens to ready for the vegetable planting. I know I can find dark earth. Maybe I will bring it down there and try it out, she would love that.
Oooooh ya. I am a happy woman. Doesn’t take much to thrill me when it comes to things for the gardens, oh happy day.
These are the garden areas that I mostly work for the production of food. There are other gardens, but they are flower gardens and these days, playing in food dirt is more fun. Done with the flower garden growing, I let Daughter take care of that one, and she does a beautiful job. Enjoy the pictures and the narration whilst you take a walk by my side, to the gardens of my life. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.
This is the main garden where I grow the foods that are gathered frequently, like lettuce and such, things that need a little more care. Yes, so this is what this beast will be up to this year with me. Lots of composting stuff and manures to till under, it is going to work hard, and I am going to help it.
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A closer look at this area, yes, that is garlic growing in the back. Oh, oh, oh, and look at the house. Look at the part where you see the door, to the right. That is the room where Daughter told me to bring my incubator into, so there is no problem with trying to keep the incubator area warm in the chicken house. That is a huge room!!
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This is looking from the south to the north. That entire length of garden housed the cucumbers, grown on livestock wire so they go up instead of growing all along the ground. Also had a good sized area alongside the fence for the pole beans. At the end of this garden was the tomato area, the squashes grew in the middle area.
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Looking at the entire length of the above picture. The corn and banana squash grew down by the very end. Of course this year crop rotation of some things. Different ideas on where I will grow stuff. The edamame beans grew all alongside the rock border on the left. Really? Never knew that edamame beans grew so easily, gotta love those beans. Tempted now to get some jicima seed and see if I can start it early if it would come to maturity to gather the root. I believe it takes a good 7 months to get a good sized jicima root, but hey, I do like baby bulbs too!!
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Thought I would throw in a picture of one of the areas where I let dill free seed and grow. May have to control that a bit better this year, I have other plans for that spot.
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Yep. At the holiday celebration at oldest Daughter’s home, I got a teeny tiny little box. I thought it was going to be a ring, or a necklace, but look what was inside.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Yep, a picture of a beautiful little machine that will be my pal for the next umpteen dozen years, smiling. Guess that is an embellishment in time, but it will be by me. My partner in crime when I work outside, to create food for our tables and our bellies.
I had a Mantis rototiller for over 15 years. Back in the old life on the rocky, wet coast of BC, I had performed massive cultivation with my little ol’ friend. Years and years of working the land. From land that had already had existing gardens, to recreating beautiful cultivated land from the rough. And I mean rough. The coast is full of rocks. But if you work really hard, you can have land that will eventually become very good and rich and soft. That is what I had in my garden areas. Beautiful soil, for over 20 years that soil had been amended and it was like the soil from the very deltas of the earth itself. Beautiful soil.
That little machine worked so hard for me. Then my Sister came and moved with her big clan to our property. We both worked the land, and guess what? She built new gardens of her own, masses of new gardens, using my little Mantis to help her do the work. It worked hard. We moved away to the Okanagan, that little dude came with us. But getting tired. I have fought to keep (along with my poor Sons-in-Law and Husband that have done everything in their power to make this little fellow happy and do the chores) the machine going strong. But it is tired, the carb kits, the cleaning of parts, blowing out the exhaust, nothing could keep it going this year. So it took me so long to work the earth, much of it done with a pitch fork and when the Mantis could work, it tried. Kept dropping hints all summer that I needed a new baby for the next cultivation year. My only wish for a gift, a new rototiller.
Now you have to understand what a Mantis rototiller is all about. I am sure I have some forum friends that possess this machine. And I would like to hear who does....this is power, all power that you ever imagine for something that weighs about 20 pounds, sounds more quiet than a chainsaw and can bump rocks out of the earth that are larger than a softball. Serious. The machine will encounter a rock, the rock will literally bump out of the soil and be pushed off to the side, to be pitched somewhere by the worker.
This picture below is the rock pile that was near my apiary, back on the coast, about 80% of the rocks in that pile were bumped out of the rocky soil by this machine. The big rocks, well, that is man labour, or should I say woman labour.....look at those thousands upon thousands of rocks, bumped out of the earth or sitting on top of the earth...that rock pile was even bigger by the time we had moved away. And boy, after years of pitching rocks onto that pile, I am accurate with hitting specified areas with rocks, as accurately as I can type, smiling. And that is accurate, let me tell ya.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Yep, powerful little machine, and I mean little, so lightweight, so powerful. The engine was a good enough size I suppose in the old fellow, but was a two stroke engine, so gas had to be mixed with oil.
My new rototiller that will be coming in January sometime is a four stroke. I think the engine of the old one was a 3 horse power, this one is a five horse power and because of the advance to four stroke, I don’t have to mix the gas anymore. Ya, now doesn’t that fix time itself. The design of the arms and handle of the machine are quite different, but the width of the tines and body I think are similar. Oh, there is a lifetime guarantee on the tines, says alot eh? Haven’t really seen the machine yet, only the picture, but I know well in my heart that this little dude will outperform even what the old dude did in his prime. I am thrilled half to death. But there is nothing to till here in January. Can’t find the earth, it is covered with over 2 feet of snow. Wonder if I could practice in the snow banks from the plowing of our driveway? Hmm....I need to work on something when it comes....Well....we are going to the coast in February for a family reunion, I bet they have some earth down there. Hey, actually, my Sister moved to a new place that has a good many existing gardens to ready for the vegetable planting. I know I can find dark earth. Maybe I will bring it down there and try it out, she would love that.
Oooooh ya. I am a happy woman. Doesn’t take much to thrill me when it comes to things for the gardens, oh happy day.
These are the garden areas that I mostly work for the production of food. There are other gardens, but they are flower gardens and these days, playing in food dirt is more fun. Done with the flower garden growing, I let Daughter take care of that one, and she does a beautiful job. Enjoy the pictures and the narration whilst you take a walk by my side, to the gardens of my life. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.
This is the main garden where I grow the foods that are gathered frequently, like lettuce and such, things that need a little more care. Yes, so this is what this beast will be up to this year with me. Lots of composting stuff and manures to till under, it is going to work hard, and I am going to help it.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
A closer look at this area, yes, that is garlic growing in the back. Oh, oh, oh, and look at the house. Look at the part where you see the door, to the right. That is the room where Daughter told me to bring my incubator into, so there is no problem with trying to keep the incubator area warm in the chicken house. That is a huge room!!
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
This is looking from the south to the north. That entire length of garden housed the cucumbers, grown on livestock wire so they go up instead of growing all along the ground. Also had a good sized area alongside the fence for the pole beans. At the end of this garden was the tomato area, the squashes grew in the middle area.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Looking at the entire length of the above picture. The corn and banana squash grew down by the very end. Of course this year crop rotation of some things. Different ideas on where I will grow stuff. The edamame beans grew all alongside the rock border on the left. Really? Never knew that edamame beans grew so easily, gotta love those beans. Tempted now to get some jicima seed and see if I can start it early if it would come to maturity to gather the root. I believe it takes a good 7 months to get a good sized jicima root, but hey, I do like baby bulbs too!!
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Thought I would throw in a picture of one of the areas where I let dill free seed and grow. May have to control that a bit better this year, I have other plans for that spot.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
The gift pack contains the seed catalogue and a selection of heirloom seed packets. Things I've never grown before such as little yellow melons, Chervena Chujksi Peppers, purple tomatoes and eggplant. So I'm pumped for spring time too! 
. I like how the tines on the Mantis can be changed from one side to the other to do deep tilling or light cultivating. Praise be the Mantis!! If anyone is thinking of purchasing one, almost bet my bottom dollar you would be impressed. I like it also because it is so light, so quiet, and thinkin' the new four stroke may be even more quiet than a two stroke (or is it the other way around, maybe the new one will be nosier 
). also, that little beast is so light it can cultivate in the teeny tiniest places without hauling ya all over the map. Amazing how close you can get to a planted area using the shallow cultivator turned-around-tines. Oh ya, even forgot to mention. This Mantis can dig a deep hole too 
Serious. It really can, just keep it in one spot, pulling out the dirt and pushing it back in the hole. Been there, done that one too. Beautiful days, CynthiaM.
Does yours look like this?
