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

Hey there!

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on 

here on our Piedmont homestead.

It's been a busy couple of weeks.

Our first rudbeckia of the season has bloomed!

One of the bigger projects this week,

was to get our tall Birdie's beds filled for planting.

As with the hugelkultur method,

logs, branches and twigs are added to the bed,

to reduce the amount of soil needed to fill it.

Everything added will decompose over time.

Shredded leaves from our autumn collecting

makes up the next layer of the bed.

These deep beds take a lot of material,

and it's great having everything on hand.

 

Woodchips make up the last layer before soil.

It fills up any gaps in the bed,

and will break down over time

to enrich the planting medium.

A variety of beets, kale, leeks, 

lettuce and onions fill this bed.

A topping of shredded leaves allows for

moisture retention and weed supression.

It's so gratifying to see veg out there,

knowing it will feed me well.

Succession seedlings await their turn.

We are still harvesting asparagus once or twice a week.

The lettuce that I've been eating off of for the last few months

is starting to bolt, so the new starts will be stepping in.

Since they are still small,

I'll enjoy some baby greens in my salads for a while.

The succession planting idea keeps food coming in

throughout the season.

The irrigation was completed this week,

so the veg garden can be put on a timer

and water itself.

There is still some work needed on our southmost beds,

which contain pollinator plants and garlic.

The flower beds will also get a thorough testing,

to make sure that the drip is working well.

Might as well do everything now,

while the weather is still cool.

The update on the skunk

is that s/he seems to have found somewhere else 

to look for food.

Since adding the hardware cloth around the perimeter

of both runs, there haven't been any signs of digging under.

I did find this lil' guy when I was spreading woodchips.

I added a couple of impromptu fences to areas of the garden.

This area next to our A/C unit has what looks like

cover crops that have come up.

It's been so long, I'm not sure what I planted there!

I like the kind of wild, carefree way it's growing,

but I wanted to keep it off of the pathway in front of the bed,

so I added this brick we had laying around.

Then, next to the two chook runs,

there is a strip of canna lilies coming up.

For some reason, our naughty girls like to eat the leaves.

I decided to add another length of hardware cloth

bordered by more of that brick.

Let's hope they make it!

Speaking of chooks,

our little girls seem to be doing fine.

Here they are enjoying some supervised outdoor time,

getting used to grass, the sunshine

and the strange noises all around them.

They are 4 weeks old this week.

If the weather stays warm,

they should be heading out into their own coop

in about 2 or 3 weeks.

After their size matches the gals we have,

they will be introduced to the flock.

The rest of the birdhouses were hung on trees

instead of using the conduit as in past years.

Another job that will make it easier for me in the future.

Our next-door neighbor's holly 

is loaded with berries!

No doubt the birds will have a feast,

and I'll have some beautiful branches to bring inside.

The loofah has been planted at the base of the gazebo frame.

This will add some shade to the chook run,

as well as provide loofah for anyone who would like some.

Once harvested, it is offered up on a local trading site for free.

Loofah support

The canna lilies are starting to shoot up 

in the front porch bed.

The flower beds are really starting to fill in.

This week, I noticed how the daisies, coneflowers,

rudbeckia and this rue have taken off.

Rue is one of the host plants for the

black swallowtail caterpillars,

so we hope to have many visitors.

Let me know if you want seeds.

With the irrigation project under control,

it's nice to be able to focus on adding to the flowerbeds,

seed sowing and enjoying our flock.

What's going on at your place?

Garden Friday

 

Welcome to Garden Friday!

Our weather has been absolutely spectacular,

with daytime temperatures in the 60's and 70's.

We're hoping for a bit of rain early next week,

we sure could use it.

We have a burn ban in over 30 counties in NC,

and some folks are having trouble with wells being dry.

I think one of the reasons we've had such brilliant autumn color

is because of the lack of precipitation.

As much as I love the seasonal palette,

I'd rather have the rain!

The garden has been bundled up for a while,

and the brassicas have been safe from the coldest nights,

as well as wandering chooks.

The pansies that grow in the washtub

add a bit of color to the landscape.

The raised beds will be rearranged this winter,

creating a more cohesive design (hopefully).

After a Master Gardener session on propagation,

cuttings were taken from Autumn Sedum

for next spring's plant sale.

We are trying a new technique

to raise money for the Master Gardener program.

The members will be growing seedlings

or taking cuttings from their own gardens

to sell at the event.

Also started a few weeks ago,

were kale and lettuce seedlings using the winter sowing method.

Some were recently transplanted to garden beds.

That'll keep me in greens for a few months.

Seeds continue to be saved.

This is the seed pod from the black-eyed Susan vine.

They were left to dry out on the stems before harvesting.

Seeds will be one of the items for sale

at the fundraiser.

I enjoy this vine every summer,

and will continue to harvest seed to ensure

that it's always in my garden.

Some progress was made on the woodchip pile.

C helped me by driving the trailer behind

the lawnmower to move the chips where

they were needed.

There should still be enough to spread

throughout the winter in order to establish 

a few new planting areas.

Thankfully, the lettuce that was purchased as seedlings

is still coming in,

and we are able to enjoy their fresh, crisp leaves

right from the raised beds.

Earlier this week, the asparagus was cut back

 and I will be adding compost for next season.

It's always such a treat to be able to sample

fresh asparagus in the springtime.

Our mild autumn weather has given me the luxury

of spending ample time in the garden.

What a blessing.

How's your autumn garden doing?

Garden Friday

 

rudbeckia

 

Welcome back to Garden Friday!

Our buds are bloomin' and the heat is comin' on strong!

 

We're still getting a few strawberries here and there.

Whatever the squirrels decide to leave us.

 

On my daily walk, I pass along an empty lot

where raspberries grow.

They're getting close!

I may bring a bucket with me next week.

 

The third set of cukes I planted are looking like they might make it.

The first batch was eaten, when I had planted them in the ground,

then the second batch (planted in pots) succumbed to the heat.

 

I think we're on the right track!

I fertilized anything in the garden that developed flowers this week.

The netting is used to deter squirrels from digging in the pots.

 It looks like the pumpkins are getting close to setting flowers.

So far, these are the most promising pumpkins I've grown,

but we still have a long way to go.

 

Oh my stars!

We have beans!

One of my favorite veg is moving right along.

I had to get over the idea that it was necessary to grow

everything from seed.

I'd rather have something to eat than bragging rights.

 

This volunteer squash will be a mystery fruit.

I have no idea how it got here, but I'm glad it will have

a trellis to climb next to the straw bale.

Love me some squash soup!

Unfortunately, none of the Candy Roasters germinated.

 

The garlic will be harvested this weekend

to make room for sweet potato slips.

This is a motley looking mess of garlic.

Not sure what happened,

but my garlic usually looks a lot better than this.

Ah well, it should be enough to keep us fed all year.

Instead of saving the largest heads to replant in the fall,

I decided to go ahead and order new seed from Sow True.

 

Two varieties of lettuce seeds are being saved.

This is the green oakleaf variety,

and I also have buttercrunch bolting.

A new salad blend will be added to another bed

for harvesting through the summer and early fall.

 

Surprisingly, the kale is making progress next to the newer carrot crop.

I had just about given up on the two varieties of kale I had in this bed,

but lo and behold, it decided it wanted to grow.

Speaking of carrots, 

I decided to let some of it go to seed.

The flowers are amazing

and it will allow me to save seed

while fostering the pollinators in the garden.

 

The asparagus is one hot mess.

I'm not sure why it lays down like this, 

I've always seen it standing upright.

Harvesting has slowed down,

but we are still getting spears months after it started growing.

What a valuable food source!

 

For the first time in years,

I bought some brand new pots.

This fountain grass had been purchased a couple of weeks ago,

and I knew they would be perfect in pots on the front porch,

but I didn't have anything I could use.

These pots are not only made in the USA,

but they are made from 100% recycled plastic.

Win-win-win!

 

The daisies are still going strong,

and most likely will continue through the long, summer months.

They are deadheaded a few times a week.

 

Our butterfly bed out front is filling in

with lots of additions like echinacea, zinnias,

lantana, gerbera daisies, shasta daisies and some herbs.

 

This pile of branches and twigs has been sitting next to the driveway

for months, and the dry weather lent itself to tackling this project.

After all, we can always use more wood chips.

 

 With the three of us working,

it took a few hours to mulch up the pile.

The chips were added to various areas of the chook run.

Nothin' like fresh wood chips!

 

What didn't get shredded was burned,

so we have a bit of ash to use in the garden as well.

It's amazing to see how all of that "rubbish" burns down to nothing.

 

Sprouting has begun again.

While organizing a cabinet the other day,

I spied these alfalfa seeds and decided to give it a go.

I figured whatever I couldn't eat could go to the chooks.

Turns out, they didn't even try them.

 

Ah well, more for me!

I love them in salads, on sandwiches or added to cheese and crackers.

So good for you, and you've grown them yourself in just a few days!

Our days will soon be heating up,

but thankfully, some of our garden friends enjoy it.

As for me, I'll do what I can outside,

taking breaks as needed

and keeping the coconut water flowing!

What's your spring/summer garden up to?