Garden Friday

 

 

Welcome back to Garden Friday!

We're sharing what's growing on 

in our Zone 7b Piedmont garden.

 

 

Our veggie garden is making progress.

Several leeks were transplanted into raised beds,

but I sure wish I had planted more.

 

The garlic is up!

The entire bed germinated,

so no reseeding was neccessary.

This crop will be harvested in May or June.

 

An additional 20 or so cloves were planted

at the same time

along the border of our front flower bed.

Since I couldn't stop there,

I decided to add a few more to this area yesterday.

Can you ever have enough garlic?

 

Ooooh, the kale is lookin' good!

Having sampled some (just to make sure),

I can assure you that it is crunchy and sweet.

This is another of my favorite things to eat.

There are several varieties planted,

including lacinato, Siberian and Vates kale.

 

A new variety to me, Curly Roja,

finds space in another of the smaller raised beds.

 

Although some of the cabbages have been munched,

this beauty is coming along nicely.

This is the first year I've grown cabbage to this stage.

I think covering the beds when they were small

helped them get a leg up on the growing season.

Snap peas were added to a couple of the beds.

I haven't thus far had much success with this crop,

although it's one of the tastiest snacks in the garden.

Try, try again.

 

 

The cover crops are filling in the beds

that aren't being used this season.

The bonus is that the chooks love the taste!

Some for the bed, some for them.

 

I'm about halfway through the wood chip pile,

which is a good thing, 

because we are planning on having some tree trimming done

at the beginning of the year,

so another load will be added to this spot.

 

Most of the spent perennials have been removed

from the pollinator bed.

A fall cover crop was sown and is popping up.
 

 

Some of our ornamental plants are breezing right through.

The yarrow just doesn't quit.

This will need to be divided in the spring.

I'll find somewhere to put it,

or give some away to other gardeners.

 

The orange mums that kept company with these purple ones 

were removed, as they started petering out.

I'm not sure if they were simply crowded out,

or if it was user error.

These need to be relocated,

as they are spilling over onto the walkway.

 

Coneflowers are still blooming!

I never tire of their cheery perfection.

This bush daisy adds a bit of brightness 

to the front porch bed.

I like the combination of purple and yellow.

The girls are doing well.

Most have gotten all their feathers back

after a molting period.

They enjoy snacks in their Omlet treat caddy,

as well as cabbage or kale that we hang up on a hook.

They are one of the best things about our homestead.

 Life is just better with chickens.

Garden Friday

 

 

Welcome back to Garden Friday,

where we share what's going on in our

Zone 7b Piedmont homestead garden.

Between nursing my injured back

and some technical difficulties,

it's been a while since I've checked in.

Fall is in full swing,

as the colors and temperatures are showing us. 

As I write this, it's 30 degrees outside.

This picture was taken at a nearby park,

where sister and I enjoyed a long hike

before the frosty mornings hit.

 

 

The mums in the front porch bed make it known

that autumn is indeed here to stay.

These are paired with a purple version,

and are spilling over onto the walkway.
 

 

This goldenrod recently came up in our yard,

right over the septic tank area.

It's a bright pop of color in a sea of oregano

that had been planted there by someone else.

Some surprises are a good thing.

 

This clematis had been moved from

the back of the house, which was much too shady,

to the fencing around the chicken run.

It finally decided to grace us with a bloom!

 

Garlic was planted in one of our 3X8 beds

last week.

I bought garlic seed from Sow True Seed this year,

as the last two years,

our heads have been on the small side.

 

We had enough to fill the entire bed, 

with a handful of smaller cloves leftover.

This harvest is always shared with sister.

The leftovers were added to a flower bed as a border.

 

Placing some welded wire stakes across the top of the bed

should deter the squirrels from digging in the soil.

This bed has drip irrigation, which we are still able to use through the colder months. 

Cover crops were also sown in a couple of beds

and germinated within 3 days!

 

The sweet potato harvest was a bit disappointing.

We got about eight and a half pounds.

The foliage was not as abundant as in past years,

so I wasn't that surprised.

I'm thinking maybe I didn't water enough.

 

They are curing in our coat closet for a few weeks.

Then they will be ready for eating!

 

One of the pots of turmeric had cracked open,

so I replanted it in a bigger pot.

I will do the rest in the spring,

as they are all in need of repotting.

For now, they will spend the winter in the garage,

along with the aloe vera.

 

A few of the tubers were removed for use.

It can be used as a tea, or grated right into any dish.

Turmeric is one of the best things to aid with inflammation.

Poor Wilma.

She is molting something fierce,

and with this cold snap,

I pray that she will be okay.

Several of the chooks have already gone through

the molting process, so our egg production

has gone down just a bit.

They are enjoying their greens and cabbage every week.

Sometimes I think I need to grow these things just for them.

They are worth any trouble it might be.

How are things in your fall garden?

Garden Friday

 

 

 

It's time again for Garden Friday!

We are relishing our autumnal weather,

and were even blessed with a smattering of precipitation.

Our pansies are enjoying their time in the rain.

 

The cover crops are filling in 

and will create a warm, cozy blanket for one of our 3X8 beds.

 

The garlic is growing well, especially considering our colder temperatures.

I sowed a few extra cloves from some of last year's garlic,

as we had some bare patches.

 

The cattle panel frames have been placed on some of the beds

for the winter, just in case we need to put row covers on.

These did a great job last year to keep out the cold.

 

The lettuce is still fairly slow growing,

and even the starts that were purchased aren't doing much.

I fertilized them this week with worm compost tea,

so we'll see if it helps them along.

 

I was surprised to find peas growing on the pea vines.

They kind of snuck up on me, 

but I'm so happy they are here.

 

I need to take some time to do a bit more clean up,

like cutting these irises down for the winter.

Once the foliage starts flopping over and turning brown,

it's time to put them to bed.

Some of them will be transplanted to other areas.

 

Some of the lavender didn't do well.

The gap shown here used to be lavender.

It may not be getting enough sun,

as it is planted directly under our crape myrtle.

It will most likely call another place home come spring.

One of its uses is to keep the chicken coop smelling good.

 

Leaves, leaves, leaves!

It's that time again to repopulate my leaf mulch pile,

and we've got plenty of leaves to get started.

Leaf mulch has done a tremendous job

in keeping weeds down in the flower beds.

It also adds nutrients to the soil in the veggie garden.

And best of all, they're free!

 

These nasturtium seeds are drying inside.

They are sown in the corners of our raised beds,

to attract pollinators to our vegetables,

by providing nectar to those who thrive on it.

 

Just by taking this step,

I am assured another season of these beautiful (and edible) flowers.

 

I have yet to plant the bulbs I was recently gifted.

I should still have some time, as our ground never really freezes.

I hope I didn't just jinx myself!

 

For those who were concerned about Gandalf,

he is doing much better and acting more like himself.

He still has a way to go to fully heal,

but it's heartwarming to see him once again strutting around the coop.

We will be starting a project to keep the chooks better protected.

The dog who injured him has not yet been caught,

but he visits our neighborhood almost daily.

 

Autumn has been delightful thus far,

and we are patting ourselves on the back

for our decision to move here a few years ago.

Once again living with the seasons was a great idea.

 

 

Are you enjoying some seasonal living?
 

Garden Friday

milkweed and salvia

 

 Greetings on this Garden Friday!

Autumn has arrived in all of Her splendor!

A few remnants of summer remain,

gracing us with beautiful blooms.

 

 

The garlic we planted last week was up in a matter of days.

We planted out almost this entire bed

with one of the easiest crops to grow.

We use garlic for almost every savory dish,

so it is a staple in our fall/winter garden.

It will grow a bit more before becoming dormant for the winter.

In early spring, it begins to fill out and soar!

 

The cover crops are slowly making progress.

This is a special "raised bed" mix 

that I'm trying for the first time.

We were blessed with some rain this past week,

and nothing helps crops along like Mother Nature's gift.

 

I ended up purchasing lettuce and broccoli starts,

something that felt very strange to me.

With poor germination to blame,

I decided that it was necessary if I want to eat homegrown this winter.

 

There is abundant color popping up all over the area.

Our neighborhood has some glorious trees

peppering the sky with golds, oranges and reds.

It's one of the best things about my daily walk.

 

A bit of clean up was in order,

so I tidied up a few of the flower beds.

I'm amazed that we still have some blooms 

looking untouched by the cooler temperatures.

 

Our local Extension Center gifted some of the Master Gardeners

with free bulbs for planting this fall.

I hope to get these in over the weekend.

It's time for pansy planting!

The cooler temps don't bother these sweet things one bit,

and some were added to the mailbox bed,

as well as the pots on the front porch.

I look forward to many months of color.

 

I'm trying an experiment after watching a few videos

about trapping yellow jackets.

We have some near in our yard waste pile,

and I don't wish to use chemicals to eradicate the problem.

I'll share the results of this homemade trap next week.

 

 

We had a bit of a crisis this week,

when our rooster was attacked by a dog

who roams our neighborhood.

He was injured pretty badly, and shaking like a leaf when we finally found him,

but he survived the night and we hope is on the mend.

 

We now have a trap in our yard

so that the dog can be caught.

It has no collar and is quite skittish,

so it's difficult to get close enough to nab him.

The neighbors I've asked do not know where he lives,

but we're hoping the trap does the trick.

For now, Gandolf is in the garage mending

and the girls are on house arrest in the coop.

 

This life isn't always easy,

but we try to find the silver linings where we can.

 

Enjoy your weekend,

wherever you are!