Garden Friday

 

 

 

Welcome to Garden Friday.

Isn't this cactus zinnia amazing?  

They are one of my favorite summer blooms.

 

*(Just wanted to let y'all know that I may not be posting much,

as I am having major difficulties 

uploading pictures onto the computer,

Updates have been done,

and it takes much longer to upload.

Honestly, why can't things be left alone?

I am not skilled in these types of areas,

and don't have the desire or patience to learn.)

 

We were gifted with a load of wood chips last week,

as one of our neighbors was having tree work done.

Some has been spread in the chook run,

and the bulk of it will be used to refresh the garden walkways

and a few new areas that are being cardboarded.

 

We also bit the bullet and ordered a yard of compost

for the garden beds.

I'm not sure I'll do this again,

as I've recently learned about a much more affordable option.

 

Our old compost bin, (which the previous owners left here),

was given to our neighbors.

We purchased a new, smaller version.

The idea is to create mini-compost piles in different areas,

which makes it a bit more manageable for me.

This one has ventilation all around, 

a lid that closes, and a trap door on the front bottom

to help make it easier to collect the finished compost.

 

Queenie is slowing down,

and although I can find nothing ailing her,

she may not be with us much longer.

She is the dominant hen in our flock,

so it's tough to see her acting differently.

We don't know how old she is,

but we will watch her carefully

and try to make her as comfortable as possible.

We've lost two chooks in the past month,

and it is so heart wrenching every time.

 With the cooler weather here to stay,

it's been a pleasure working outside.

The flower beds are getting tweaked 

and seeds are still being saved,

while the cool weather crops slowly grow.

I hope I can continue to post at least once a month,

but my tolerance for technical mysteries is limited.

 

I hope your garden is still blessing you well. 

 

(Thank you for the comments below.

Unfortunately, now I can't reply to the comments,

but rest assured, I appreciate your contributions.)

Garden Friday

 

 

Season's Greetings on this Garden Friday!

Today we celebrate our fifth year in North Carolina!

We moved here 5 years ago on December 31st,

so that we could start the new year in our dream state.

 

We have a few things to report this week,

and I'm happy to say, it's all good news.

 

We got our first load of free wood chips dropped off,

just before Christmas day.

I've been on the list for Chip Drop for almost 3 years,

and this was the first time we have been graced with a load.

 

This mountain of mulch was put to work

as soon as it cooled down enough to move.

It's also been offered to several neighbors,

should they need them for projects.

 

The trees will savor the extra insulation

and utilize the nutrients to enrich the soil below.

I'd like to eventually plant some bulbs 

around the base of some of the trees,

but at the moment, the ground is heavy clay and 

nearly impossible to penetrate.

 

Some of the chips were added around the two raised beds

from the former garden location.

These beds didn't have to be moved,

and they are in their permanent spot.

The mulch will help to keep weeds down.

 

Another area near the old garden area

is dotted with birdhouses.

This may become an ornamental area in the future,

so adding the mulch helps me visualize the parameters.

 

Great news on the chook front!

Gandalf is feeling more himself

and has even started crowing again on a regular basis.

Of course, this means that he is back to "bothering" the ladies,

but I guess it all goes with the territory.

So grateful that he has healed well from the dog attack

a few months ago.

 

One thing recently discovered was that the chooks

love turnip greens!

We will have to make a point of buying them regularly

to add to their mix of cabbage, kale and lettuce greens.

 

I finally got the bulbs planted this past week.

These were gifted us by the local Extension Center,

and I just couldn't get to them until now.

 

New tulips and crocus will be a welcome addition come spring.

 

Piedmont Farmstead is a local farm that sells their produce and personal care products

at the farmers' market during the season.

On the off-season, they sell from the farm directly,

so I paid them a visit to purchase some Christmas gifts.

I'm hoping that I can pick up some of their lettuce and kale

on a regular basis.

They are good folks, doing what they love.

 

Back at home, I've covered most of the raised beds

for protection from the winter chill,

(although there hasn't been much of it),

and found that using t-posts works well to weigh down the sides.

 

The lettuce has been doing well under the covers,

and is finally big enough to pick for salads.

 

It feels fantastic to be able to harvest during the winter months.

 

The chooks go through quite a bit of water each week,

so I decided to fashion a 5-gallon waterer

out of an old bucket I had laying around,

 

and these poultry nipples purchased at our local hardware store.

 

So far, so good.

It saves me from having to fill it so often

and keeps debris out of the water as well.

Several other improvement projects are lurking

to make the chicken run a bit better.

Hopefully, the weather will continue to cooperate

and I can find the time to get it done.

Wishing you a multitude of blessings in the New Year!

~daisy
 

 

Garden Friday

 

 

Welcome back to Garden Friday!

With the weather showing its "spring-i-ness",

we've been working diligently at getting projects done.

 

 

Melons were started from seed 

and added to our cardboard tube pots.

Some of these are first time crops for me,

and I'm hoping we have enough room for them to sprawl.

What's better than ice cold melon on a hot, sticky summer day?

 

A quick check on the garden found the onions still doing fine.

This bed is shared with parsley and newly planted

broccoli and beets.

 

Some of the lettuce is finally starting to pop up.

For some reason, this has been a slow starting season

and the germination rate hasn't been great.

Many crops will need to be reseeded before the planting window closes.

 

Good news on the berry front though!

Many of the blueberry plants have berries on them.

 

 

 

They are all in place and tucked in

under a thick layer of homemade leaf mulch.

The irrigation has been hooked up

so they are getting plenty of hydration.

 

The strawberries are flowering and bearing fruit as well.

We have strawberries planted in three different places,

and hopefully, they will help us get our fill.

 

On the ornamental side,

the clematis that was transplanted to a sunnier spot

seems to be quite content.

This plant will cover the archway in the chicken yard.

 

 

Our neighbor had some trees trimmed and 

didn't want the wood chips.

I was happy to give them a home.

I've been registered with "ChipDrop" for a couple of years,

and never once received a load of chips.

This was such a gift.

 

They were put to good use.

I had enough to remulch the entire garden area

and enough left over to do most of the chicken run.

 

 

When Big K was mowing,

he discovered this surprise asparagus from last year.

If you've been reading the blog for a while,

you know that the entire veg garden had to be moved last year.

The asparagus was dug up and removed,

but I guess it's there for the duration.

 

 Earlier in the week, loofah seeds were planted 

around the gazebo structure to shade the chooks,

especially in the heat of summer.

These take a while to get started,

but once they get going, there is no stopping them.

They absolutely love the humidity!

We have been blessed with new life all around the homestead.

Just look at these bluebird tweeters.

 

And on the front porch birdhouse,

these wren tweeters are busy eating 24 hours a day.

The parents must be exhausted!

 We made room for more by fixing a couple of bird houses

that were going to be thrown out by a friend.

 

 

On my daily walk,

there were such lovely sights to see throughout the neighborhood.

I texted this neighbor and told him I think we need to do a swap.

He is totally on board.

 

This sweet planting surprised me

with all of the vibrant colors.

It just screams spring, don't you think?

 

The blackberries are in bloom!

Another neighbor pointed these out to me a few years ago,

and he's been having to share them ever since.

We both walk each morning and snack along the way.

 

Is this fringe tree amazing?

This belongs to a friend and I am always so glad when it comes into bloom.

What a showpiece!

It's one of the most unique trees I've ever seen.

Our Fabulous Flock

It feels great getting all of these little projects caught up.

With all of the irrigation in for now,

that's a big load off of my to-do list.

Now we will make a few more trips to the local IGA

and pick up some bargain ornamentals

so that we can work on the flowerbeds.

I hope to see a big difference by the end of summer.

What are you working on in your garden?

Friday Fotos

 

 

 

 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.

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!