Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings!

We're here to share what's been going on

here on our Piedmont property

over the last couple of weeks.

Here is a well crafted nest found recently,

which had been meticulously created inside an azalea bush.

It wasn't removed until the eggs inside were long gone.

What a work of art!

After some much needed rain,

(over 4 inches in a week!),

the pumpkins sprouted right up.

These were planted in a straw bale

that I had left over from the winter.

The seeds were collected from volunteers

last fall, so we don't really know what we'll get!

The okra also germinated in the other bale,

and two plants is all I need.

I'm the only one in the household who eats okra,

and if I get more than I want,

I'm sure I can find someone who will use it.

If you're not familiar with straw bale gardening,

there is a long process of prepping the bales

before planting, involving heavy watering and 

adding fertilizer periodically.

I skipped all of that because I knew we were

going to be getting a lot of rain.

I simply made a hole in the bale,

added some soil and compost and waited 

for Mother Nature to do the watering.

Voila!

These "new" potatoes were harvested last week.

They had been planted in February,

according to my plant marker in the bed,

but never developed beyond this size.

A bit disappointing, but they sure tasted good!

There is another potato bed growing for a future harvest.

The loofah is coming along.

The past couple of years have been discouraging,

having had germination problems.

This year, I stayed on top of it,

and have several plants growing at the base of

the gazebo frame.

I'm hoping to harvest some young for eating,

and allowing the rest to mature

so that I can give away some to be used as exfoliators.

There are green beans growing inside the chook run.

So far, they seem to love this spot,

getting ample sun and being protected from

the chooks scratching.

I love green beans, and hope for enough to put away in the freezer.

A new bed of lettuce was planted last week,

and because of the generous addition of rain,

it's looking very encouraging.

The other beds where lettuce is growing,

is starting to dwindle, as the plants are beginning

to bolt.

They have given me so many fresh salads this spring!

This border of spider wort has been a bee haven!

Every morning when i come out to free the chooks,

the sound of their buzzing is almost deafening.

Grateful for all the magic they do!

Another pollinator-friendly plant is this milkweed.

We are growing a ton of it in the outside run

for the monarch caterpillars.

We are a Monarch Way Station,

and have been supporting this species for a while now.

This particular variety volunteers every year.

We look forward to watching the transformation

from caterpillar to butterfly that we witness each summer.

Although we've had hydrangea plants on the property

for a couple of years,

this is the first time I remember seeing a blue bloom.

What a stunning display.

I look forward to bringing some of these inside 

and also sharing with neighbors.

The babies have graduated to living outside!

They have their own coop and run,

and will stay put until they reach a similar size

to the older girls.

Then we will begin the process of 

combining the two flocks.

So far, these girls seem to get along fairly well,

as you can tell by the way they all sun bathe together.

I hope it stays that way.

Goodness knows, there can be some drama with chooks!