Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on 

here on our Piedmont, North Carolina homestead.

I recently made a garland out of these harvested

marigold blooms.

It is featured at the end of this post.

It was an easy and fun way to bring a bit of summer inside.

We were fortunate to have had a minor impact

from the recent Hurricane Helene.

Our neighbors to the west were not so fortunate.

Much of Western North Carolina has been

absolutely devastated.

We were inconvenienced with a few hours of pioneer living,

and a few days without internet,

and about 10" of rain over two days.

Feeling so very fortunate.

It's been over a month since my last post,

how did that happen?

There was a pup sitting job that took me away

from the homestead for a good while.

I am playing catch up on all things gardening,

and relishing the time spent with the chooks.

This week, I took the time to sift through our compost.

This is done every 6 months,

and I get enough to fill about five 5-gallon buckets.

This meets my needs for compost,

so there is no need to purchase it.

Our handy neighbor Joe,

made me a screen that just happens

to fit perfectly over this garden cart.

Works like a charm!

Several Seminole pumpkins were picked earlier this week,

and I look forward to roasting one soon.

Seeds will be saved, as I am very impressed

with their lack of pest issues.

There are still a few that are ripening on the vines.

The sweet potatoes were also harvested.

The results were a bit disappointing,

but I am grateful for what we got.

The last two years have not been the best for spuds.

One crop that never disappoints is 

Red Ripper beans.

They are a drying bean and once they get going,

they produce pods for months.

I allow them to dry on the vine,

and shell them for storage once completely dry.

The herb garden is rockin'!

Periodically, herbs are picked for drying

in paper sacks.

The pollinators have been enjoying the basil.

Some cool weather crops have been transplanted.

In this bed we have cabbage and kale,

and in another bed we have broccoli, lettuce and more kale!

(I am a kale junkie!)

Once all the beds have been topped off or constructed,

(I have Birdie's beds to put together and place in the garden),

more brassicas will be planted,

as well as carrots, onions and turnips.

The fall planting season is my absolute favorite!

These girls love roosting!

Our "baby" chooks are doing well

and laying up a storm.

Since they are so young,

they did not have a first molt yet,

and so their eggs have been coming regularly.

They are all so gentle and seem to get along well.

I'm thinking it is because they were hand raised,

and that makes a world of difference.

Matilda!

Baxter and a friend.

May your week be filled with simple gifts.

Homestead Happenings

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on here

on our Piedmont NC property.

Tropical storm Debby made Her way through our area,

bringing over 3 inches of rain, fierce winds

and a short loss of power.

All is fine here,

and the chooks were all kept on lock down

for the event.

 

Speaking of chooks,

our babies are now laying.

We had a full dozen eggs last week,

after months of having to purchase eggs

from other chicken keepers.

The girls are earning their keep!

The gorgeous olive-colored eggs will get bigger with time.

In the veg garden, the sweet potatoes

have been savoring every drop of rain.

The vines are now overflowing from their bed.

Looking forward to having sweet spuds in the fall.

A couple of new Cushaw squash have been spied

on their trellis.  The Seminole pumpkins are growing,

but have not yet ripened to harvest.

These two squashes will be staples in the garden

from now on.

Red ripper beans are coming along on the teepee,

along with some stringless green beans.

I have enjoyed watching the teepee fill in,

and will likely add a few more next spring.

All of the volunteer squash vines are sprawling

in every available spot.  

Thankfully, there is ample space,

and we'll see what we get by season's end.

A volunteer pumpkin near our pollinator bed

is starting to change color.

I have no idea what it is,

or how big it's supposed to get,

so I guess we'll just watch it and take our best guess

for harvest time.

Another volunteer,

near the sweet potato bed,

seems to be some type of melon.

There are quite a few fruit on the vine,

and I fear that the trellis I secured will not be enough

to hold them all.

It's so exciting to see all of this mystery food appear!

Last week, we had temperatures in the 90's,

and we took full advantage of the new

mister fans we picked up.

Here, Betty is getting some much-needed relief,

bless her skinny lil' self.

I've also used them for myself on the front porch,

not only for cooling, but to keep mosquitoes at bay.

The fan can be used without the mister, if desired.

The spiderwort border near the chicken run

had been cut back severely a couple of months ago,

as they were looking mighty raggedy.

With the ample rain we've had,

they are coming back strong.

It's so nice to have fresh blooms

when other things are looking so tired and worn out.

Speaking of fresh blooms,

the zinnias are popping up

in every shade imaginable.

The combination colors are one of my favorites.

This display is just under my bedroom window,

and it brings me such joy

when I open up my curtains in the morning

and am greeted with this beautiful sight.

It reminds me at the beginning of my day

just how blessed we are.

The cactus zinnias are another favorite

and grace our garden every summer.

The milkweed plants must be 6 feet tall,

but so far, no monarchs have been spotted.

We'll keep an eye out though,

as it should be within the next few weeks

that they will start devouring these plants.

This year, there were many volunteer milkweed,

so we have an abundant supply for the caterpillars to enjoy.

What wonderous things are happening on your homestead?

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings!

To be truthful, there isn't a whole lot going on here,

with summer heat taking its toll.

The beautiful blooms are one of the best things

about my least favorite season.

Beets were harvested and enjoyed this week.

These were purchased as seedlings

from our friends at Piedmont Farmstead,

where I buy some of my fabulous organic produce.

The Cushaw squash is still growing well,

with absolutely no signs of pest interference.

Seeds will be saved from this crop,

so that it can be grown again next year.

This is one of two new squash varieties 

that I am trying this season,

and they were chosen for their resistance to 

the dreaded squash vine borers.

So far, so good!

The sweet potatoes have finally decided 

to do something.

We did have a bit of rain over the last week,

and I guess it was just enough to get things moving.

I also added some rabbit fertilizer to the bed.

I'm happy with the way the herb bed is coming along.

We have basil, chamomile, lemon balm, 

parsley and thyme planted here.

I'd love to put some pesto in the freezer for winter.

These random pumpkin/squash plants

are taking up a lot of real estate.

No worries, we are blessed with ample room.

So far, I am hard pressed to find any fruit.

The beans have been resown a second time,

and a few varieties are growing.

These are drying beans,

which will be used in the cooler months

for soups and stews.

Scapes were found on some of the leeks.

They can be used just as a scallion would be used,

so I'll be snipping these off and cooking with them.

Love me some leeks!

Some of the lettuce has bolted,

and purposely left so that seed may be gathered.

This is the Amish Speckled Butter lettuce

that was grown for the first time this year.

Everyone that I shared seedlings with 

seemed to enjoy it immensely.

It's a keeper.

Matilda

The transition of the new chooks to the coop

is still a work in progress.

The barrier I constructed with cardboard and a screen

is keeping them separated at night for now.

Each morning, these are removed so that the nesting boxes

can be accessed.

We only have one hen laying at the moment,

but the babies should be starting very soon.

Hopefully, two more weeks of separation

will help to get them used to sharing the space.

Our summertime Lego camper display

is nearly complete.

We have one more large set to construct

and make room for on the mantle.

Big K has collected so many campers,

that we now have an overflow area in the office.

I love this tradition.

I hope that you are enjoying summer

however you see fit.

The blessings are many,

and we appreciate each and every day.

Bee well.

Homestead Happenings

Big changes are happening on our homestead,

as signs of spring emerge.

These sweet lil’ crocus blooms are a sure predictor

of the changes ahead.

The winter sowing continues to give us ample opportunity 

to celebrate the abundance in the garden.

These lettuce starts were ready for more space,

so they were transplanted into small (repurposed) pots.

The roots were fairly strong,

so they were planted in a light potting soil,

mixed with vermiculite and perlite.

As you can see, we have no shortage of transplants.

This batch includes chamomile, kale, 

leeks, and lettuces.

More starts will be transferred this weekend.

The sweet potato slips are starting

to take off.

A bit of light from this east facing window

and topping off the water in the can

is all that is required.

Several cans line the windowsill.

Two new Birdie beds are being added to the garden this season,

although their final placement is not yet secure.

They've been assembled, so they will soon be ready to grow.

These are the first tall beds I’m trying.

The bottom 2/3 will be filled with logs,

branches, twigs and leaves, before the soil is added.

The potatoes we planted in cages a few weeks ago

are finally sprouting.

We used some spuds from last fall's harvest.

We will be adding hardware cloth underneath the potato cages, 

as well as under beds and plantings, 

due to a recently discovered pesky problem.

I’m fairly certain these are vole holes.

They are covering most of the area around our drain field.

We’ve had a few holes from time to time,

but it looks like they are moving in!

Still researching organic ways to discourage them,

but we’re starting with garlic or coffee grounds in the holes.

The scent is supposed to repel them. 

We’ll see.

Last week, two elderberry trees got moved.

They had been on the northeast side of the property,

and were leaning to reach the sun.

Hopefully, they’ll enjoy their new spot.

We sowed alyssum seeds as a border

all along the front flower bed,

and I noticed yesterday that they are emerging.

Thank you rain!

Nasturtiums were also placed here.

The freshly harvested broccoli has been relished.

The side shoots are so tender and barely need steaming.

Daffodils are popping up all over the neighborhood,

including in our pollinator bed.

I also see tulips coming up,

and the candytuft just rocks on!

The other morning,

Big K noticed this squirrel on the back deck.

It is consuming a camellia flower.

Who knew?

A friend recently wanted to make room 

in her gorgeous garden for some new plants,

and asked me if I wanted her hydrangeas.

Uh...yeah!

They've been living in our landscape for

nearly a month now,

and the new growth has started!

I'm so excited, because when I lived in Florida,

I always envied folks who had these plants.

Further south, they don't grow well

because there is not enough cold through the winter.

What a blessing!

A batch of vanilla was put together.

It was overdo,

as I try to make it at the start of the new year.

It’s so simple,

and the bonus is that I was able to add the vanilla bean trimmings 

to the basket of my percolator.

It adds a mellow flavor to my morning Joe.

There are other new developments to report,

but I think those will have to wait for another post.

Wishing you peace and prosperity on your homestead.