Going Local-The Bradford Market

 

A couple of weeks ago,

sister and I ventured to a new

"off-the-beaten path" place.

Another friend had mentioned it in passing,

but it sounded right up our alley,

so we decided to visit.

It turned out to be only minutes

from sister's home in Concord.

The Bradford Market has been in business

for over 100 years.

They proudly carry only local products

of the highest quality.

This includes homemade items from local artisans,

farmers and small businesses.

This building, which houses the bookstore,

is a cabin that surely must have seen many changes.

Shelves of books,

as well as locally made soaps, lotions and

other toiletry items were found

in this quaint little lodge.

On the day we visited,

the weather was quite lovely,

but couldn't you just imagine a roaring fire

warming customers as they perused titles?

The grounds are also home to a beautiful

garden, where one can stroll,

or enjoy a meal at one of the picnic tables.

A plan has been made to return when spring flowers

will be bursting forth with fresh blossoms.

We picked up a few plants from the nursery section

of the market.

There were so many unique items on display,

and sister and I both agree that we want

to return again and again

to support this local business.

The produce looked amazingly fresh 

and the bread and sweets had us drooling.

Another fabulous find

here in Central North Carolina.

It was wonderful to be able to venture out again

after several years of restricted outings.

And getting to spend the day with one of my favorite people,

what a blessing.

Garden Friday

 

Welcome back to Garden Friday.

The weather this week has traversed

from summer to winter temperatures,

but by the weekend, things should settle down.

Our first wicked freeze happened on Wednesday night,

with temps dipping down to 24 degrees.

The Romaine lettuce has been looking delectable,

and here's hoping that the covers placed over the bed

have saved them from any harm.

The brassicas in two other beds should be fine.

Not sure if it's easy to see here,

but the garlic has popped up in the grow bags.

This is the first time I'm using this tool for this crop,

although we have an entire 3X8 bed planted elsewhere with this staple.

before

Earlier this week,

we did away with the center crepe myrtle in this bed.

The dogwood to the left and the other crepe myrtle

to the right will be much happier to have some space.

The center of the bed can be filled with perennials

that love an abundance of sunshine.

after

The rue that was planted just under this tree

has been left intact and is showing signs of growing.

This is one of the host plants for the

black swallowtail caterpillars.

This tower of black-eyed susan vine

will be history after the freeze yesterday morning.

Ah well, it gave us many weeks of beauty

and seed was saved for next year's blooms.

The cotton fields are becoming engorged with

this miraculous crop.

It's just fascinating to me that we can grow the makings of the fabric

that fills up so many rooms and closets in our homes.

I'm a thrift shopper,

and have focused on purchasing only natural fibers for my wardrobe.

Cotton, linen and wool are always my first choices.

A little while back,

I entered a photo contest sponsored by our

local electric co-op.

One of my pictures was chosen to be published

in their monthly magazine,

and they paid me $25 to boot!

This month they are looking for shots

that capture the essence of North Carolina.

This is the photo I will most likely enter.

The intention for me is to connect with my subject,

and hopefully bring joy to others.

I enjoy taking pictures and feel

that it helps me engage more fully

in my surroundings.

(Well, I made it through my first post 

with the new computer.

Thankfully, some of the issues I was having

with the blog have been resolved.

Bear with me as I get the hang of this thing.

Me and technical tools don't always see eye to eye.)

Hope your weekend

is just how you like it.

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

Garden Friday

 

Welcome Autumn!

 

Welcome to Garden Friday,

where we (occasionally) share what's happening on

 our zone 7b Piedmont homestead.

Just popping in with an update,

as I am still dealing with difficulties uploading my photos.

A plan is in the works to acquire my own laptop,

to see if that resolves the issues. 

If so, I hope to get back to weekly posts.

 

The garlic has been planted for the season,

although we haven't yet had any pop up.

This bed has over 60 cloves planted,

and two grow bags have another twenty or so. 

I've never grown this crop in bags before,

so it'll be interesting to see how they do.

Nearby, broccoli, cabbage and kale

seem to be enjoying our near-perfect fall weather.

 

A couple of trays of Romaine lettuce

were picked up at the big box store

and they are doing well.

This week, kale and lettuce were sown in containers,

utilizing the winter sowing method.

This technique was used successfully last winter,

but I wanted to try it at this time of the year,

just to see if it would help hasten germination.

Our nights are cool,

but we've been blessed with temperate, sunny days.

 

Our fall display is made up of several pumpkins,

a straw bale, mums, pansies and a few violas. 

I'm pleased with the results and enjoyed putting it together

in our pollinator bed, which would otherwise sit empty.

I'll plan to do a winter presentation as well.

 

Forgotten bulbs were added to the pollinator bed before

beginning the autumnal display.

This bed should be bursting in blooms come springtime.

 

The whole flock recently got the spa treatment

right in our front yard.

Having found lice nits on one of the girls,

we wanted to ensure that no one else had an issue.

They still have access to dust bathing,

(which usually keeps parasites in check,)

but as we needed to check everyone for lice,

we decided to employ the beautiful sunny weather

to get them squeaky clean and offer a bit of pampering.

 Believe it or not,

Queenie is still hanging in there,

and dare I say,

seems improved.

Grateful for more time with her and her

elderly sisters.

Life is Better with Chickens!

 

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.)