Friday, December 6, 2024

Homestead Happenings

 


Welcome to Homestead Happenings,
where we share what's been going on in our world.
This week has been cold, but clear and sunny,
lending itself to daily walks in the neighborhood.
I've been working on pushing myself a bit more,
venturing out in colder temperatures. 
For someone who spent over 40 years in Florida,
this is no small feat.
I have also committed to completing
between 6,000 and 8,000 steps every day.


One of the projects we continue to work on this fall,
is creating a large stash of leaf mulch,
to be used in the garden beds all year long.
This backpack mulcher takes time,
but gets the job done.


We've had our first frost (and second, and third),
and so far the garden has done well.
The row covers need to be replaced,
as there are tears which let the cold in,
but they are being held together with clothespins,
which is something that this homestead could not live without.


While the garden beds were watered yesterday,
these lovely broccoli heads were found.
I am looking forward to eating this treat,
as well as all of the shoots that will follow.
If the cold gets any worse,
I may just harvest them early, so that I don't miss out.
The chooks have been enjoying a few of the leaves.

garlic, strawberry and cover crops

We got a dusting of snow this week!
It was unexpected, but very welcome.
We have been lacking winter precipitation
for the past few years,
so I'll take what I can get.


The doves don't seem to mind the snow one bit,
as every morning they gather underneath 
the birdfeeder to see what scraps they can find.
We recently decided to feed the birds only in the colder months,
and provide birdseed and homemade suet to them.


Our chooks are still laying fairly well,
gifting us with over a dozen eggs each week.
It's enough for our needs,
but it would be nice to be able to share them with neighbors.
We may have to consider adding to the flock in the spring,
so that we can provide for others.

Saffron

Preparations have been made for the chooks,
so that they can be as comfortable as possible 
during this cold spell.
Our Omlet coops are insulated, which helps a lot,
but I've also added straw inside,
so that they will be toasty as they sleep.
We've also moved the tarps on the tops of the runs,
so that the sun shines on the coops all day,
warming them before bedtime.
 Cracked Corn is made available in the colder months
so that their body heat is maintained a little easier.

Living with four, distinct seasons is such a blessing.
How's the weather where you are?

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Happy Birthday!

 


Happy Birthday C!
Nothin' but love on your special day!
May God bless and keep you
all the days of your life.

Friday, November 15, 2024

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings,
where we share what's going on in our world.
The leaves are changing and creating
a colorful carpet all over the landscape.
The phenomenon never ceases to amaze me.
After living in Florida for most of my life,
(where things are mostly green year-round),
I truly appreciate the wonder of Mother Nature
at this time of the year.



The cover crop bed is filling in nicely.
This raised bed is a new one this year,
and I wanted to give it a jump start for spring.
The seeds in this mix will help to charge the soil
and ready it for planting next season.


The first broccoli head was spotted this week!
It's so exciting to watch this plant grow.
After the initial head is harvested,
we should get many shoots that will be equally delicious.
The leaves can also be added to salads or sauteed.


Lettuce and kale (not shown)
have been harvested regularly this week
to use in salads.
The chooks have been enjoying some of the
Red Russian kale we are growing
and follow me from bed to bed
until I relent and give them a treat.


Alliums were found on clearance,
so I picked up a few bags.
These bulbs were planted in various flower beds,
and under deciduous trees.
Come springtime, we should have a beautiful display
of purple and pink blooms.
Bulbs are one of the most economical ways to
add drama and life to the garden,
especially if you pick them up on sale!



Speaking of bulbs,
a few weeks ago, the garlic was planted
for a May/June harvest.
In a few places, I noticed that there were 2 plants emerging.
I dug them up to replant them elsewhere,
and couldn't believe the root system I found.
If you remember, this year the garlic was soaked
in a fish emulsion fertilizer before planting.
It seems to have made a difference,
wouldn't you say?


Some time was taken to tidy up the storage rack
that holds all of the pots that are used in the spring.
I'm hoping to make the transition to soil blocks,
so that I can recycle or give away most of this material.


This storage rack was recently acquired,
and it seems that it would make a great drying rack
for my herbs.
I'd need to add screening to the baskets,
as the holes are too large as is.
What would you repurpose this for?


It seems our wayward Matilda
has taught her friend Raven how to escape
from the chook run.
These two can be found most days
wandering the property and scratching
every leaf and blade of grass they find.


As time permits,
I head out into the woods behind our home
to work on creating a natural wall,
separating our property from our neighbors’.
This is being done to discourage the chooks
from wandering too far over onto their property.
They don't mind,
but it will be easier to keep them in sight
when we are in the house.
There are no shortage of sticks, twigs and branches,
so I look forward to working on this 
all winter long.

enjoying cornbread


As our spa room (off the bathroom) project is now complete,
we are trying to determine exactly what we want
to do with the space.
In the meantime, we reorganized the closet
that is in the master bathroom.
It's possible that some of this will end up in the new room,
as it will most likely be used for storage.
I'm hoping to find space to house my 
ever-growing collection of seeds.



Here are a few shots of the before and after of that spa room.
We called it that because the only thing in it
was the jacuzzi tub, which was never used,
except as a brooder last spring.
The vanity shown has been installed for a while,
but we hadn't ever added the backsplash.
It now looks finished,
and we are so grateful to have this extra space.
The light in this small room is fantastic,
as it faces east.
I'd love to hear your ideas about how you would use it.

Monday, November 11, 2024

Veteran's Day

 



Thank you, Veterans all,
for your service and sacrifice to our country.
May God bless and keep you.

Friday, November 1, 2024

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,
where we share what's happening on our
Piedmont NC homestead.
The garden is humming along, with all beds planted.
Broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce,
and a ton of garlic are going to spend some time with us this fall and winter.


The Red Russian kale has been impressive,
with the leaves raising up the row cover.
The bonus is that because of cooler temperatures,
the trouble of bug damage has been zero.
I love the fall garden!


The garlic planting took two days.
Having ordered a pound and a half of soft neck,
the end result was over 150 cloves planted.
No worries about vampires here!
This was the first time I used a new technique
to soak and then plant the cloves.
Here's a great video about the method.


Garlic in several beds (and some assorted places),
was planted 2 inches deep and four inches apart.
About 20 cloves of the hard neck variety 
were also planted, as I've never grown it before.
If successful, this should be plenty of garlic
to get both sister and I through the year.
We may even have some to donate.


A few red onions were planted in a nearby bed,
and we'll see how they do over winter.
They sure look like they were dying to get into the ground!


The second set of Seminole pumpkins were harvested,
which ended up giving us another 14.25 pounds of food.
I've used it for soup and muffins,
and am quite pleased with the results.
It keeps well in a dark place,
but can also be cut up and frozen until it is used.


The Red Ripper beans are continuing to bear,
although are taking longer to dry on the vine,
most likely due to the cooler weather.


We're still being blessed with summer flowers,
including Tithonia, zinnias,


and celosia.
I'll be on the lookout for dried branches
and evergreens to bring inside,
now that consistent fall temperatures are here.

sweet sleeping bee


The big soil bags acquired from a friend
have been emptied and are ready for a fresh
serving of shredded leaves.
The leaves are collected with a mower
and are placed into these bags to spend time
composting until springtime.
We also have a large leaf pile for the overflow.
Leaves are used as mulch and as a soil amendment
all through the year.
Mother Nature always provides,
if we just pay attention.



Seeds continue to be harvested,
including these nasturtiums.
This little seed provides a powerhouse
of color and texture in the garden.
We've had the most glorious nasturtiums this season.

the bullies

All of the girls are doing well,
and are giving us at least a dozen eggs a week.
(Although the three seen here no longer lay.)
They relish their time free ranging,
scratching and foraging,
and the dark orange yolks in the eggs are the result.
What a blessing the chooks are for so many reasons.


This is sweet Matilda,
"She who will not be contained".
At every opportunity,
she scales the fencing and strolls the property.
She is a free spirit and quick as a wink.


This week I enjoyed some homemade
carrot-ginger soup with this
polenta based cornbread.
There was no cornmeal to be found in the kitchen,
so I subbed with what I had
and it turned out better than expected.
Isn't that always a welcome surprise!


Here's hoping you have some wonderful surprises 
awaiting you this weekend.