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.

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share the news about our

Piedmont homesteading adventures.

Not much to share this week,

as we are having a chilly winter, 

just like most of the country.

With snow predicted (yippee!) for the next two days,

I'll be hunkering down and enjoying the snowfall.

Amazingly, the kale is still growing,

despite some frigid temps overnight.

The row covers give us a few extra degrees of warmth,

and kale is one hearty crop.

What a treat to be able to enjoy kale

as I am working outside.

In another bed we have one Napa cabbage 

still hanging on,

and broccoli, which has been

oh-so sweet, thanks to the cold snap.

Some of the broccoli will be harvested

to make a vegan broccoli-cheddar soup.

The garlic seems to be oblivious to the weather.

It keeps growing, despite what the thermometer says,

and I'm hoping for a bumper crop this year.

Still a long way to go though,

with harvest time in May or June.

It looks like the welded wire around the bed

is keeping the chooks from scratching up the soil.

One of the tasks I enjoy doing in the winter

is clearing out the woods surrounding our home.

We have trees on three sides,

though not very deep,

but I've managed to do some serious tidying this season.

It's easier for me to catch rogue chooks when the woods are clear.

We have color even on the dreariest of days.

This nandina has a beautiful spray of red berries

and red tinted leaves as well.

The berries last well after the holidays

and provide food for the wildlife here.

There is a large holly bush that is 

absolutely loaded in berries this year!

I have trimmed a few of the branches

to bring some of the outdoors in.

The rest will be left for our feathered friends.

It's so nice to have a pop of color out there.

The girls are enjoying the pulled broccoli stalks.

They pick apart whatever is left in no time.

*Note to self-plant more food for the chooks!

Site supervisor Buttercup makes sure that I am 

doing a good job spreading wood chips.

We were gifted a load via Chip Drop this week,

so I will have plenty to do to keep me warm outside.

This was an especially good load,

as the chips are quite small and they even threw in

a substantial log that I can use as a perch for the girls.

If you can use woodchips for your garden, animals or

pathways around your yard, Chip Drop is a great free resource.

Since we signed up with them online,

we've gotten 5 or 6 nice loads.

I made some tortillas with the chickpea flour 

I had in the cupboard.

They are so good with cheese, beans and sprouts.

The recipe is simple, quick and requires only a few ingredients.

I got the recipe here.

Last year, I made a batch of vanilla

using the simple combination of vodka and vanilla beans.

Can I just tell you how amazing it turned out?

I left it in a dark cabinet for a full year,

and it has the most wonderful smell and taste.

I decided to start another batch for next year.

So easy, and much better than what you can find in the store.

Here's where I plan to spend the next couple of days.

I tend to do indoor projects during these times

when the great outdoors is inaccessible.

If we get snow, I'll be out in it, for sure,

but eventually, I'll have to come inside to warm up.

Counting my blessings 

every

             single 

                     day.

New Year's Day 2025

"Learn from yesterday, 

live for today, 

hope for tomorrow."

~Albert Einstein

 

May peace and good fortune follow you

throughout the new year.

God bless and keep us, everyone.

~daisy