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where we share what's going on here on our Zone 8 Piedmont property.
Although I'm still having difficulty loading pictures easily,
I managed to figure out a new way to get them onto the blog.
It's time consuming, but it works.
The hyacinth bean vines are doing a fine job
of covering the southern end of the chook run.
This gives the girls ample shade and
the bonus is, that they enjoy munching on the blooms.
In my last written post,
I told you about our dear Saffron,
who was quite poorly.
The vet had been called and she didn't give us much hope.
After two days of giving her the prescribed pain medication,
and a lot of TLC, she is back to her old self.
You would never know she was on death's door just weeks ago.
Bless her lil' ole chicken heart.
One of the projects started this week,
is the fencing off of our woods.
Three of our chooks like to wander,
and when I found them recently all the way on the other side
our our neighbors' yard, I knew this task couldn't wait.
I'm reusing the nylon fencing that we used to have for our
chicken runs, and simply stapling it to the trees.
This should keep them on their own territory,
and it's barely noticeable.
About half of the area is completed,
and I will work on it as I have the time.
C and I have been slowly working on the woodchip pile,
and we've gotten it down to a fraction of its original size.
It's always nice to have help with these type
of chores, and I enjoy seeing him outside for a change.
The garden is in full swing.
These cucumber plants are an experiment,
as I've never grown them at this time of year.
Our weather has been spectacular of late,
and I'll be curious to see if we are able to get a harvest or two.
In one of the raised beds, we have turnips, lettuce and kale growing.
Everything will continue to be covered with netting,
as I have some very agile chooks
who like to jump up and eat the goodies.
In another raised bed, there is a leftover basil plant,
some lettuce, kale and more cucumbers.
It feels great to see the beds filling up
with cool weather crops.
Some volunteer pumpkins were nibbled on by something,
and so I used this wire cage to cover them
until they are large enough to recover.
This also keeps the chooks from scratching and digging around the roots.
We've had visits from rabbits, groundhogs and skunks this season.
they will be transplanted into awaiting beds.
There is broccoli, cabbage, kale, and a variety of lettuce
to be added to what is already growing.
I hope you saw the photo I published yesterday.
These monarch caterpillars have been
absolutely magical this year.
We have been totally inundated with them,
and I couldn't be more pleased.
We are overrun with chrysalises everywhere
from clay pots, to rocking chairs, to plants.
We are hoping to have an explosion of color
once they start hatching out.
It is an exciting time indeed!
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| Two chrysalises under our bird bath. |
Yesterday I checked to see if we still had cats eating the milkweed.
Yup, sure enough, there are at least a handful of them
still devouring what is left.
This multitude of magical milkweed munchers
has done my soul good this summer.
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| nasturtiums and coreopsis |
Although our temperatures have been quite mild,
we haven't had rain since earlier this month.
Watering has been done a couple of times a week,
just to keep everything from looking like a hot mess.
Incidentally, the Florida ligustrum seen here under the left window
has many monarch chrysalises dangling on its leaves.
I will be able to watch them from inside!
I have to say, that I really like the color combination
of the chartreuse and purple elements here.
The dome asters, ajuga and butterfly bush
all serve as a beautiful backdrop for the pops
of bright abelia.
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| Thank you for keeping your distance! |
On a recent neighborhood walk,
an unexpected guest appeared.
S/he was there in broad daylight,
and waddling across the street
like nobody's business.
(If you click on the picture, it will be easier to see.)
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| Esmerelda eating the blooms! |
It feels good to be able to write again,
and share the photos of the homestead.
I'm hoping I can find an answer as to why
I can't get pictures from my phone to my laptop,
but until I do, at least I've found a way around the problem.
The next time I post it will be autumn, my favorite season,
even without all the pumpkin-spiced goodies.
I hope you have savored your summer
and have something to look forward to
in the coming season.
God Bless.
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