It's Friday Fotos!
Would ya look at these sweet pansies?
They just don't give up, no matter how chilly it gets.
They have been going strong to greet visitors at the front door for months!
Our rooster, Gandalf, has been part of a little experiment.
He is being separated from the hens for most of the morning.
I had to rig up a makeshift divider between them and him.
We're trying to solve a mystery.
When I last cleaned the coop,
I found this in the nesting boxes.
I have caught him in there,
sometimes alone, sometimes with one of our girls.
I'm not sure if he is eating the eggs,
or simply stepping on them while in the box.
I have no idea how he even fits in there,
he is huge!
So far this week, we've gotten 3 eggs,
and since we hadn't gotten any in three weeks,
I think I might be on the right track.
The experiment continues...
I'm overwintering the turmeric and lemongrass
in the garage. I merely pruned it down to the soil
and left it alone.
I'll be curious to see how the turmeric comes back.
I'm hoping there will be enough to harvest for cooking.
The chipping is going well and I was able to create enough
to finish around the veggie beds and had enough
to add to the pathway behind the house,
which can be slippery if it rains or snows.
With no shortage of twigs in sight,
this should keep me happily busy.
A peek underneath the row covers
surprised me with an array of fine lettuce.
I sampled it just to see if it had turned bitter,
and was thrilled to find it sweet and tasty.
The spinach, kale and broccoli leaves are also dee-lish!
Although overall, I'm a bit disappointed in the crops this winter,
I'll chalk it up to experience and try again next winter.
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| Gandalf and his harem |
We're still enjoying winter temperatures in the 30s, 40s and 50s.
Having lived in Florida for over forty years,
I have to say, that it's a remarkable and welcome change.
The hope for a good snow day remains.
I am so grateful to be able to enjoy time outside,
no matter the weather!
Wow, Daisy - awesome job on the winter greens! We had talked about doing it, but were so worn out from the year (last year), we never set anything up in fall. Kudos to you! And that is AWESOME about growing turmeric! It's one of our favorite spices. Please share photos as it grows and any tips and recommendations on how to grow it successfully. :-)
ReplyDeleteHmm, what are you going to do about Gandalf is he is the reason behind the destroyed eggs? Do you think keeping him away for awhile will break the habit?
And I just love pansies... they are the cheeriest of flowers. :-)
Happy Friday!
We will keep you up to date on the turmeric. It's fairly easy to grow.
ReplyDeleteWe are still at the figuring out phase with Gandalf. Not sure what to do as I've heard once they taste the eggs, they don't stop.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely weekend!
Oh, I hope you're able to solve your egg mystery. I find them broken occasionally too. I guess your chickens don't go in the front yard, which is good for your pansies. When mine were free ranging, I quickly learned they enjoyed my pansies. They're so cheerful. Good for you on the lettuces. Many of ours have sadly rotted in the cold.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, they have left those pansies alone. Good to know for the future that they will eat them.
DeleteOh Gandalf....such a handsome guy. :) It could be that he's accidentally breaking them because he's a bit awkward in the nesting box and eating them once they are broken. If that's the case, I'm not sure how you would keep him out of the nesting boxes but if you could keep him out but not away from the flock it could solve the problem. With the exception of one, our girls don't actually peck open any eggs but if one breaks they can hear it from across the property and will run to the coop to take part in eating it. It's amazing to watch, really. Everything looks great! I'm in awe of your greens and I too would love to hear more about growing turmeric! Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteYes, he is a dashing rooster, isn't he? I will continue to sequester him for the rest of the weekend, and then see what happens when he has access to the boxes again. I would rather him be with his girls, if possible.
DeleteI will plan on doing a post about the tumeric when it has come back in the spring.
Thank you for visiting!