Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings.

Spring has indeed sprung here in the Piedmont of North Carolina!

We have all kinds of color popping up..

Let's see what's going on in our Zone 8A garden.

The strawberry bed is filling in nicely,

and flaunting a bevy of blossoms.

The goal is to transplant these to a tower planter

to hoodwink the squirrels!

Last year, we got only a handful of fruit,

despite my effort to thwart them.

This week, both the strawberries and

the blueberries were fertilized,

along with all of the trees and bushes on site.

The asparagus was sampled this week in salads,

as well as eaten fresh while working outside.

I prefer the narrow, thin stalks.

The spears are coming up faster now,

and I hope to have some to share.

The front bed is sporting many shades of purple,

with the ajuga, irises, nepeta, and phlox dancing together.

The pops of golden color belong to abelia and ligustrum.

I have come to really enjoy this color combination.

I'm not the only one who is enjoying the blooms.

The purple iris adds a dramatic flair to this corner of the bed.

The lamb's ear had all but taken over the front porch bed.

Some of it was dug up in order to help with our erosion problem.

Along the west side of our driveway the soil washes down,

as the property is sloped toward the back of the house.

Although we have lots of leaves and a few hydrangea planted there,

it didn't seem to keep the soil from running down the slope.

This lamb's ear is very low maintenance, and grows quickly,

so I'm hoping it will fill in here and keep the soil in place.

The candytuft is such a gift to the garden.

It shares space with some johnny jump-ups here

in the pollinator bed.

It comes back readily in the spring 

and brings a brightness to the surrounding green foliage.

So, I was looking to start my winter sowing

and I needed topsoil as one of the components.

I mix topsoil with a couple of different elements

to create a wonderful planting medium,

used for starting seeds as well as for filling beds.

I decided to try a new resource, as last year

I was not pleased with the quality at my usual place.

This is what I got.

The stuff is like cement once dried.

After filling holes in the yard with the first batch,

(that's really all it was good for),

I went back to my original source to see if 

maybe they had a better option.

This is just some of the material that was sifted out of my haul.

Really?

This looks more like mulch than topsoil.

Not sure what I'll do next spring,

but I'll have to make the best with what I've got.

So disappointing.

It was so exciting to see this first ever (for me)

columbine bursting into bloom!

There are a couple more coming up

and I think it will be worth saving seeds to increase the collection!

The fact that it's purple doesn't hurt my feelings one bit!

After visiting the doctor last week,

(the office is right next to the hospital), 

I decided to check out the walking trail 

that surrounds the hospital.

What a great place to put in a couple of miles.

It was a crisp, clear morning, and the views were lovely.

When the scenery is so appealing,

you forget that you are exercising!

I can imagine those who work there

are happy to get outside into the fresh air

and take a stroll during their lunch hour.

The bonus for me during this visit was that I really liked

the practitioner, and I finally got some answers 

to the health issues that I've been dealing with 

since late last year.

It seems that I am on the right track with healing.

Grateful.

This is what spring looks like here.

Pollen, pollen, everywhere!

Hopefully, the rain will wash some of it away.

I'm just wondering if it's like this everywhere?

So much to love about spring,

I won't complain about the pollen too much.

Even the sweet dandelions are welcome here,

to help bolster the food sources for our invaluable pollinators.

How's spring shaping up where you are?

Homestead Happenings

Buttercup in her loungewear

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's been going on 

here on our Piedmont homestead.

The girls are enjoying the warm up

and spending ample hours under the shade of the trees

taking their frequent siestas together. 

The young girls (they'll be a year old next week!),

are cranking out eggs like nobody's business!

These eggs are an absolute masterpiece,

each and every one different and beautiful.

Even Henrietta, who is our only remaining hen

from the original flock,

started laying again.

The blue eggs are hers.

I guess she's never heard of "hen-o-pause".

We know spring is upon us

when the infamous Bradford pear trees

start to put on their display.

While glorious to look at,

these trees are notorious for splitting

and causing property damage.

Builders continue to plant them nonetheless.

The first strawberry flowers were spied this week.

This bed needs to be topped off with soil,

and I am hoping to add some new starts,

as strawberries must be refreshed every few years.

Hoping we get some of these sweet delights

before the squirrels steal us blind!

The asparagus started popping up this week as well.

You can see Henrietta there, patrolling the grounds.

After sampling a stalk or two,

I found it to be less tasty than last year's crop.

I'm thinking that perhaps I neglected to fertilize.

It's still early, so we'll see how it goes.

The daffs are in full vigor in the pollinator bed.

They share space with johnny jump-ups,

nigella and tulips (which haven't shown up yet).

I like the color combination of yellows and purples,

so this should turn out to be quite a colorful display.

Buttercup makes  her way past the phlox,

which has begun to fill in one of  the front flower beds.

The chooks have taken up scratching in these beds

when they are free roaming.

It may be necessary to put up some short border fencing.

front flower bed coming to life!

The parsley sailed right through the winter,

with absolutely no problem.

This is an herb that is used often,

so it gets pruned, chopped and placed in the freezer.

One of many beds of garlic are putting on some size.

The harvest isn't until June,

but it's something I look forward to every year.

I'm a bit behind in my winter sowing.

A handful of these have crops germinating,

but the majority have yet to be sown.

That's something I'll make time for this weekend.

This year the focus is on greens and Seminole pumpkin.

A few odds and ends just for fun like leek, turnips and zucchini will also be planted.

These onions are germinating in a friend's greenhouse.

It was irresistible to take a shot of these amazing seedlings,

and how the seed heads cling to the tops of the stalks.

Just another example of the miracle of nature.

sedum

Do you see the blessing in these dishes?

It means that we have been given the gift of

clean, homemade food to enjoy.

So much for which to be thankful.

"Houston, we have a problem."

Well, it's a little closer to home than that.

We have a vole problem.

Over the last two years, more vole holes

were noticed around the yard.

Fortunately, we do have a few neighborhood cats

that venture over into our yard.

I guess they haven't been able to keep up with them.

They are inside the chook runs, 

even though the chooks chase after them and catch them.

I'm not sure they eat them,

but I have seen the girls running with them in their mouths 

to all corners of the yard.

So C decided to install these vibrating stakes.

Time will tell if they deter the little buggers.

And this character, oh my, does he put on a show.

He is enamored with the flowerpot sitting on the deck.

He digs in the soil and uses it as a dust bath.

He looks as if he's having a spa day.

These squirrels are pesky critters,

but I can't help but be amused by their antics.

May your Spring be filled with 

family, flowers and good memories.

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings.

It's been a bit wild and wooly these last few weeks,

but things are slowly progressing toward spring.

No matter the weather,

it's so amazing to watch the changes all around us.

This honeysuckle is planted on the far end of our property,

and it was rather shocking to see it in full bloom.

Knowing that more cold temperatures were ahead,

we will see just how resilient it is.

This is a great plant to use as a hedge,

or clustered together, to provide a bit of privacy.

The spider wort is growing well,

despite the frigid temps and snow

we've had in the past few weeks.

This is used as a border along our

wood chip walkway alongside the chook run area.

I'm not sure why some folks don't care for it,

it's very low maintenance and will flush back easily

to provide even more blossoms later in the season.

It will be exciting to see these tulips blooming

in another few weeks.

These are the double bloom variety

and they are planted around our dogwood tree.

In the fall, a mix of allium bulbs were planted

in various beds.

Every year, I try to add a few more bulbs.

Many of the sedums have either continued to grow right through the winter,

or are coming back without hesitation.

Sedums have become one of my favorite plants,

as they are so easy going.

They don't require much in the way of water,

adapt to different sun exposures and don't need fertilization.

The garlic is looking mighty happy these days.

The abundant rainfall we've had this month

has boosted their growth.

Hoping for a bumper crop this year,

with almost 200 cloves planted.

In the month of February so far,

we've topped six inches of rain,

not including melted snow.

Mother Nature must be breathing a sigh of relief,

knowing she'll start off the spring

with ample stores of water.

Winter sowing has begun

and it feels good to have seeds started again.

Because I am using a new source for the topsoil

in my soil mix, only a handful of containers were sown.

If these do well with germination,

we will keep sowing each week.

This season, the focus will be on the crops eaten daily,

like kale and lettuces.

It makes sense to me to grow the things I enjoy most often.

So far, in this batch,

kale, leeks, lettuce and turnips (grown for greens) have been started.

I am working toward growing for myself,

as well as the chooks, who enjoy greens of all kinds.

If you want to learn more about winter sowing,

read this.

As I write this, I am pup sitting

and this morning's snow is just about completely melted.

It's such a beautiful sight on the bare tree branches and shrubs,

(although I'm not sure my Element, Ginger thinks much of it).

I never tire of its magical quality.

The rest of the week is warming up

and we may not see any more snow until next winter.

I'm grateful for the peace it brings me.

There is something to look forward to in each season.

The task is ours to find the blessing in the everyday.

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to our Friday feature,

Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on 

here on our Piedmont homestead.

It's been a rough couple of months,

and I am working toward resolution

to so many things.

Among other things,

I've been dealing with some surprising health issues,

and without the ability to get outside due to the weather,

it has taken its toll on my spirit.

Oftentimes, just being outside hearing the birds

or seeing that glorious blue sky

is enough to bring me back to a good place.

I'm working on it.

Believe it or not,

although we've had a long lasting cold spell,

with lows sometimes in the teens,

spring is beginning to pop up.

These irises aren't afraid to peek out of their cozy nest

in order to start the awakening that will continue for months.

I imagine the heavy blanket of leaves is keeping them

well insulated.

One of the tasks I usually have done by now

is the mulching of the fall leaves.

It just hasn't happened yet.

The blueberry bushes are budding out already,

and I'm hoping that this year our harvest 

will be an improvement from years past.

This will be the second season they have spent

in this same location next to the chook run.

Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits,

and oh-so good for you.

 

Something seems to be overwintering on this leaf.

It's fascinating to see things in nature

that often are hidden because of the abundance of leaves.

When the bushes and trees are bare,

it's so much easier to notice things.

Raven

The chooks have fared well through these frigid weeks.

With ample feathers to keep themselves warm,

they stay active scratching leaves and pecking the ground.

They are also given cracked corn to help them keep warm

during the coldest days and nights.

Straw has been used over the coldest part of the season,

and it's done a great job of keeping them toasty.

Yesterday, I decided to swap it out for shredded paper,

from our end-of-the-year file cabinet purge.

It should work similarly to the straw,

and it can be composted when it is no longer needed.

The bonus is that it keeps the coops cleaner.

Going through difficult periods in life

is certainly not easy.

I'm comforted by knowing that it won't be like this forever.

Things will get better and I am in God's hands.

It helps to remember to count each and every blessing

in the day-to-day.

This jar of sprouts on my kitchen windowsill

helps me keep in mind that my life is abundant.

Even though it's 14 degrees outside,

these seeds have decided to grow and give me food.

What a miracle.

May peace and comfort fill your heart.