Garden Friday

It's Garden Friday once again
and we have been busy in the garden this week.
Last weekend, the trailer was emptied of its mulch.
Clearly, we will need at least one more yard
to fill in the rest of the veggie garden.
Good thing it's one of my favorite chores!

The bad news this week is this.

Something started to eat the kale in the hugelkultur bed.

A little detective work found these critters on many leaves.

The cabbage worms like the kale as much as I do.

The secret for bug-checking is to  

follow 

       the 

                poop.

Where there's poop, there's a critter.

They were hand-picked and placed in the compost pile.

It is hard for me to squish them, even though I know

they are eating my food.

Thankfully, that particular kale was bolting anyway.

Here's an article about options for dealing with these pests.

A "bug jar" is always kept in the garden,
so that while I am out there watering or weeding,
it's easy to check for bugs and have a place to put them.

 The buttercrunch and oakleaf lettuces have been enjoyed over the last couple of weeks.
It is so tender, sweet and delicious,
without the least hint of bitterness.

The Red Planet lettuce mix
will be picked as micro-greens.
This is the first time I've tried this variety.

 A few things were transplanted from our "greenhouse",
including this red cabbage.
Another new crop for me,
I look forward to eating this favorite.

The thyme I had growing in several containers
surprised me to no end
by sailing right on through the winter with no special care.
It's even happier now that the temperatures are warmer.

 The flower buds were removed from half of the shallots this week.
A little experiment is underway to see if it makes any difference to production.

 With the other half left intact, 
the flowers should yield seeds that I can save for next season.
We shall see.

 The raspberry plants we got from Extension
are filling out quite nicely.
I'm thinking we will need to add more next year.

The blueberries made me jump for joy when I spied them on our plants.
It just amazes me to see all of this food growing before my eyes.

 Our apples are forming,
although I am fairly discouraged,
knowing that without spraying the trees,
there is not much likelihood that they will ever develop fully.
At least the deer might have something to eat.

 The butterfly bed is starting to come alive.
I noticed the gaillardia beginning to bloom this week.
This pollinator-friendly flower puts on a show for six months or longer.

 The lavender is getting ready to flower.
I'm hoping to harvest and dry some of it
to use for personal care products like salves and lotions.



 This two-year old beautyberry is showing signs of life.
It was relocated, as it will be too big for the butterfly bed.
With several on the property,
we should have a lot of happy birds!

The redbud trees that I planted in March are all leafing out.
With rain in tomorrow's forecast,
they will surely grow a bit fuller.

Last year I had planted three hostas near our back steps.
They all disappeared and are now coming back.
Not sure what happened to them.

The clematis is slowly gaining foliage and climbing the railing.
I think it needs to be moved,
as there is not too much sun on the back of the house.

 A lot of clearing out has been started just under the lorapetalum.
This will most likely end up being a second pathway to the veggie garden beyond.
It would be a great spot for a bench or chairs.

The photo doesn't capture it,
but this maple tree is truly stunning.
The layers and layers of bright green leaves are simply luxurious.
I could watch them sway in the breeze all day.

 It's time I learn a lot more about the trees on the property.
This is one of the trees out front,
but for the life of me,
I can't identify it.
I'd say a trip to the library might be in order.
Any good suggestions on books to aid in identifying trees?

A generous fellow Master Garden distributed extra plants she had,
free of charge,
to several of us at our last meeting.
I've got some more potting to do,
but it will be nice to be able to dress up the porch with some spring color.

What's happening in your spring garden?

Wordless Wednesday

2019 Home Project List

Our 2019 Home Project List is getting off to a slow start.
Here it is, almost May, and we have just begun.

We have several ambitious projects to complete this year.
A few things we can tackle ourselves,
but some more complex ventures will be hired out.
We have put money aside for several things,
including new kitchen countertops.
The bathrooms may not get done until next year,
when we can use our tax refund to fund the projects.
Whatever we do, we always try to pay cash,
so that we are not getting into debt just to improve our home.

One of the things I've been wanting to change out
was the front door.
Our home faces south, but very little light was coming through this door.
The style was a little busier than I liked as well,
so we made a switch.

This shaker-style door fits in better with the design of the house.

Simple, clean lines that better suit the character of the home.

The window at the top is high enough

that we maintain our privacy.

I like how the panes on the window echo the windows on the porch.

This weekend, Big K dressed it up with a beautiful periwinkle color.
It just happens to be my favorite color,
and it adds a little life to the front facade.
We've already picked out the storm door that we want,
which includes a screen so that we can enjoy cross ventilation
and a lot more light!



 This project wasn't even on our list,
but we had talked about a swap out on the porch.
This fishing basket was purchased at a flea market
over 4 years ago.
I remember seeing it on the table for sale
and thinking it was so cool,
but I don't fish, so what could I use it for?
I went back and bought it and held onto it
knowing that I would figure out some way to use it.
We did.

The porch light that was on the house was much too small
and lacking in any type of personality.
I think we kind of turned that upside-down!
We added a ginormous Edison-type amber bulb to the inside
and replaced the diminutive fixture.
I love finding new uses for unusual items.
I can imagine putting in some party lights at different times of the year.

It's coming together.

I'd like to repaint the porch and perhaps add a painted rug design.

Of course, as the season continues, I hope to have some potted flowers to adorn the entrance.

We are thinking of painting the shutters to match the door

and then moving on to the next item on our project list.

There is always something to do when you are a homeowner.

What a blessing to be able to put your personal stamp on your homestead.

One down.

Next!

Garden Friday

 
Welcome back to Garden Friday!
Spring is runnin' wild, here
and we are so ready for it!
It's been a busy week here in the Piedmont.
Here are a few things we've been up to. 

 We've got potatoes, folks!
Last Thursday, we showed you how we planted our
Yukon Gold potatoes in our homemade towers.
They must be cozy in that straw because they are popping up already!
Not only was I happy to find spuds underneath,
there was a special visitor nestled in there.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture before it slithered away.
Forewarned!

The hugelkultur bed is teeming with greens
(and reds).
The chard, kale, and lettuce keeps on coming!
I picked two gallon-sized bags at the beginning of the week,
and even with my snacking during the day,
it is ready to be harvested by mid-week.
Blessings abound!  



 Something else is making itself a home in the same bed.
I'm not sure if this is caused by squirrels burying something
or some other critter digging for bugs.

 The one Vates kale that I got to germinate during winter
is going to seed.
There are transplants ready to be put in the spot.

 The leek I planted around the perimeter of the hk bed
is doing well.
Nasturtiums were added as a companion plant.
The snap peas are growing taller,
but seem to be having a hard time clinging to the trellis.
I'm thinking it's due to some windy conditions.
No flowers yet on the peas, but we're gettin' closer!

 The shallots are gigantic compared to the last time I grew them.
I can hardly wait to dig them up in a couple of more weeks.
Slurp!

 Last week I talked about the shallots forming flower buds.
After consulting with a couple of experts,
I decided to leave a few flowers in tact to save seeds,
and cut off the remaining buds.

 The garlic will soon be ready to harvest and I can hardly wait.
Next season, I plan to make a lot more room for this crop.
It stores well and we use it nearly every day.

I didn't get a good shot of it,
but our blueberry plants have fruit!
SQUEEEEE!!!
Love me some blueberries!

 I managed to finish driving the stakes for the wattle fence.
Hopefully, Sunday will be conducive to beginning my weaving.
My friend Jannah  
gave me a mess 
of grapevine,
so we shall see if it is enough to complete the project.

 I seeded the pollinator bed with
an array of bee-lovin' flowers.
Daisies, echinacea, nasturtiums, and zinnias
are but a few of the seeds sown here.
The tipi will support morning glories and moonflowers.
Can you see the holes in this bed too?
Ugh.
The two flower beds on the other side of the property 
were sown yesterday.
We are forecasted to get a good dousing all day,
so I'm hoping for good germination.

 Our neighbors have been happily providing us with cardboard
to add to our pathway project.
More free mulch will be collected,
as soon as our trailer is free.

This pathway will wind around the lorapetalum
and end up by the arches.
I'm hoping to plant flowers on either side of the walk.

 I got the mulch added to the area under the arches.
It will be so exciting to be able to walk under the melons
and beans that will be growing on them.

 The three beautyberry bushes acquired at the Farmers' Market
a couple of weeks ago have been planted.
They were placed with lots of space around,
so they have room to spread out.
Another area under the lorapetalum is beginning to take shape,
with a few new transplants added to what I hope becomes a seating area.
Thanks to a lot of inspiration from fellow gardeners
and a few YouTube channels,
garden design is something I am starting to enjoy exploring.

With daily goodies from the garden,
I feel blessed beyond measure.
My basket runneth over.

Are you harvesting any goodies yet?

Makeshift Greenhouse

There's a little nagging voice inside of me
telling me that a greenhouse would be a great next step.
Remembering that this past winter I had virtually nothing growing outside
encourages that voice to get louder.
What an amazing feat to be able to grow year-round
and feed your family from seed to table.
Alas, it seems so daunting,
that it most likely won't happen this year.
So, we make do with our circumstances.

This weird room off of the master bath
contains only a jacuzzi tub and two fabulous windows
that let in the most beautiful morning light.

I cut some boards to size so that they fit over the bathtub
and fashioned my own "spa nursery" for seedlings
that I could no longer wait to plant.

These green bean plants grew like wildfire!
In less than a week, they were 8 inches tall!

I started cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, tat soi, 
and a mixture of herbs well before planting time,

not expecting everything to germinate and grow so well.
So, I'm in a kind of holding pattern until it's safe to transplant
some of these outdoors.
We're getting close,
with nighttime temperatures closer to 60 than 40 degrees.

This room is soon to be converted into a laundry room,
so next year I will have to figure something else out.
I'm thinking maybe we could just have some open shelving
so that I have room for flats.
Time will tell.

The sweet potato slips are coming along,
although I'm not sure they will be ready for planting next month.
I may end up having to purchase them,
as I did last year.

What a blessing though, 
to have this space to get seedlings started,
when the desire for sowing overwhelmed me.
So much of what we do is a wait and see game.
Good thing God made me a patient woman.
It comes in handy when you're a gardener.