Garden Friday

 

 

 

Welcome to Garden Friday,

where we share what's going on in our

Piedmont garden.

This week's featured guest is SNOW! 

 

I think our magnolia was taken by surprise.

It looked lovely covered in soft snowflakes.

 

 

All of the raised beds have been topped off with snow,

but most crops are tucked underneath row covers,

so they are not affected by the bitter cold.

 

A few days after this photo was taken,

I took some time to tidy up some of the garden equipment.

This bed houses our parsley and garlic.

It'll be curious to see how they fared

once the snow is all gone.

The cattle panel frames worked well

to keep the snow from accumulating.

The broccoli and lettuce inside is insulated and toasty.

 

Each morning I had the task of identifying footprints.

It was fun to see what had been visiting the garden overnight.

The birds have been going bonkers over the birdseed and suet feeders.

Here, we have tracks from bluebirds, cardinals, chickadees, doves, juncos,

 mockingbirds, sparrows, tufted titmice and wrens.

 

The bunnies have been busy scampering about!

 

 

There is no shortage of squirrels in our yard.

 

The chooks were not at all happy with the weather.

They stayed inside the coop for the first two days.

Upon some coaxing from me,

they ventured out and I was able to shovel them out

so that they had a walking path.

 

I also worked on their run area around the coop.

The sun cover that came with our Eglu had worn out,

so I used it as a template and cut up a vinyl tarp

to fit around the top and sides.

This will shield them from the wind and snow all winter long.

I'm working on a better way to attach it,

so that it can be easily removed on sunny or warmer days.

The side pieces will be removed in the summer. 

 

 

After the first of the snow arrived,

the underside of the metal run was full of snow, 

as the wind blew in from the sides.

I added fresh shavings and the new cover.

Doesn't it look cozy in there?

The chooks will be getting a new and improved long run

once the weather warms up a bit.

I'll be using welded wire fencing and conduit 

to improve the look of the run and add security from predators.

 

We've been using our fireplace quite a bit over the last two weeks.

It sure is nice to be bundled up on the couch with the fire going.

And I can channel my inner Laura Ingalls and dry my jeans!

 

 

 

 The snow is melting, but we may get more this weekend.

I can't complain one bit

'cause there's no place I'd rather be.

 

Let It Snow!

 

Garden Friday

 

 

Welcome to the first Garden Friday of the New Year!

After weeks of mild weather,

'Ole Man Winter has come back and it looks like

He's here to stay! 

Amazingly, the other day we got 3" of rain overnight!

Sure hoping that helps our deficit.

It also snowed for exactly five minutes one day this week.

Who can predict the weather anymore?

 

With the temperature fluctuations,

it's no wonder the asparagus is confused.

I sampled several stalks that popped up 

and they were delicious!

Looking forward to a spring harvest.

 

The mint behind the chicken run is waking up.

I'd love to get into the habit of picking it and drying it for tea.

This crop was already here when we bought the house five years ago.

 

The carrots don't seem to mind the changes in the weather.

They keep company with beets in this bed

and just keep rolling right along.

I've decided I need to grow more carrots

since I discovered how good fermented carrots taste.

 

Nothing affects the garlic and parsley.

I was able to harvest quite a bit of parsley,

so it was washed, chopped and added to a freezer container

for use in all kinds of dishes.

The garlic is due for picking in May. 

It will grow substantially once spring comes around.

 

The blueberry plants are budding,

so I'm not sure if that will affect production.

This will be our first year with these plants,

as they were installed last spring.

Hopin' for bowls o' berries!

 

 Our sweet next door neighbor gifted us with two varieties of azaleas.

They both get quite tall, 

so I'll have to be careful about where they are transplanted.

 

 

 It's unbelievable, but the California poppies

are still looking gorgeous all through these cold snaps.

They have really filled out since they were seeded here in the spring.

 

The yarrow, as well, seems so cold tolerant.

This is one of the best plants for pollinators,

and I think more will be added to the property.

 

I worked on a new and improved version of our suet feeders,

by adding two side pieces of scrap wood,

to keep the suet from falling out.

They are working like a charm,

except that the one hung in front of the kitchen window

was knocked down and half of it was hauled away, 

no doubt by some rascally squirrels.

Ah well, back to the drawing board!

We are still getting no eggs, 

so I think that means that these girls

are just freeloading from now on.

Whatchagonnado?

They are part of the family now,

so they'll be here until their time comes.

 

How's your winter garden coming along?

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
 

 

Christmas Wishes

 

 

 From our home to yours,

wishing you the most wonderful holiday season!

Be Blissed!

-daisy & crew

Garden Friday

 

 

 

Welcome to Garden Friday,

where we share what's growing in our Zone 7 Piedmont garden.

This fall has been an amazing display of color,

with plenty of interest just outside of our kitchen window.

This is the pathway I take each morning

when I let the chooks out of the coop.

We are so blessed to live here.

 

The strawberries have turned a brilliant shade of red,

as if to greet the Christmas season.

This fruit does well over the colder months,

just awaiting the spring thaw to work their magic.

 

The blueberries also turn a variety of colors,

as they enjoy their winter slumber.

I'm  hopeful that this coming spring we will be awash in berries!

 

Our raised beds are just starting to get a foothold 

on producing broccoli, lettuce, 

 

and leek.

I've been a bit disappointed in the germination rate,

and not having as many things growing as I'd like.

We'll enjoy what we can and think toward springtime planting.

 

The cover crops are filling out one of our beds nicely.

Each fall, a different raised bed is sown 

with a cover crop to add nutrients to the soil.

A thick coat of shredded leaves has been added here.

 

We have a couple of parsley plants growing,

one in a raised bed (see below),

and this one planted in a pot.

They both do just fine over the winter,

and it's a real treat to be able to harvest something

on a regular basis.

You've gotta love crops that need no coddling!

garlic and parsley

 

The garlic is doing well

and will be well worth the 9-month wait to harvest time.

Garlic is the best hands-off crop ever!

Just plant it and forget it!

 

I was so perplexed about the asparagus.

It's a new to me crop,

and I wasn't sure what I had done wrong

to make it turn this harsh amber hue.

A fellow gardener told me that this happens to hers every year.

She simply adds a bit of magnesium sulfate to it,

cuts it back and mulches over the top.

What a relief to know it wasn't me!

I will be putting this task on my list.

Our leaf mulch pile has grown leaps and bounds!

Our sweet neighbor allowed us to use her riding mower to mulch and bag up

the leaves on our property, so we did hers as well.

I still have bags and bags to go,

but no doubt we'll be set for leaf mulch until next fall. 

It really is the best mulch to use,

and best of all, it's free!

snack time in the chicken yard

Excuse my absence from the blog of late.

I am struggling with the motivation I need to write.

Although I do my best to focus on the blessings in my life,

so many folks I know are having a difficult time right now,

and I'm afraid I am more sensitive to that than most.

I can't promise that I will be here every week with a garden post,

but I will make an effort to at least post some photos from the week.

It's so beautiful here, especially this time of year.

Maybe it will even help me get out of my funk.

Blessings...daisy