Homestead Happenings

Big changes are happening on our homestead,

as signs of spring emerge.

These sweet lil’ crocus blooms are a sure predictor

of the changes ahead.

The winter sowing continues to give us ample opportunity 

to celebrate the abundance in the garden.

These lettuce starts were ready for more space,

so they were transplanted into small (repurposed) pots.

The roots were fairly strong,

so they were planted in a light potting soil,

mixed with vermiculite and perlite.

As you can see, we have no shortage of transplants.

This batch includes chamomile, kale, 

leeks, and lettuces.

More starts will be transferred this weekend.

The sweet potato slips are starting

to take off.

A bit of light from this east facing window

and topping off the water in the can

is all that is required.

Several cans line the windowsill.

Two new Birdie beds are being added to the garden this season,

although their final placement is not yet secure.

They've been assembled, so they will soon be ready to grow.

These are the first tall beds I’m trying.

The bottom 2/3 will be filled with logs,

branches, twigs and leaves, before the soil is added.

The potatoes we planted in cages a few weeks ago

are finally sprouting.

We used some spuds from last fall's harvest.

We will be adding hardware cloth underneath the potato cages, 

as well as under beds and plantings, 

due to a recently discovered pesky problem.

I’m fairly certain these are vole holes.

They are covering most of the area around our drain field.

We’ve had a few holes from time to time,

but it looks like they are moving in!

Still researching organic ways to discourage them,

but we’re starting with garlic or coffee grounds in the holes.

The scent is supposed to repel them. 

We’ll see.

Last week, two elderberry trees got moved.

They had been on the northeast side of the property,

and were leaning to reach the sun.

Hopefully, they’ll enjoy their new spot.

We sowed alyssum seeds as a border

all along the front flower bed,

and I noticed yesterday that they are emerging.

Thank you rain!

Nasturtiums were also placed here.

The freshly harvested broccoli has been relished.

The side shoots are so tender and barely need steaming.

Daffodils are popping up all over the neighborhood,

including in our pollinator bed.

I also see tulips coming up,

and the candytuft just rocks on!

The other morning,

Big K noticed this squirrel on the back deck.

It is consuming a camellia flower.

Who knew?

A friend recently wanted to make room 

in her gorgeous garden for some new plants,

and asked me if I wanted her hydrangeas.

Uh...yeah!

They've been living in our landscape for

nearly a month now,

and the new growth has started!

I'm so excited, because when I lived in Florida,

I always envied folks who had these plants.

Further south, they don't grow well

because there is not enough cold through the winter.

What a blessing!

A batch of vanilla was put together.

It was overdo,

as I try to make it at the start of the new year.

It’s so simple,

and the bonus is that I was able to add the vanilla bean trimmings 

to the basket of my percolator.

It adds a mellow flavor to my morning Joe.

There are other new developments to report,

but I think those will have to wait for another post.

Wishing you peace and prosperity on your homestead.

Garden Friday

 

 

 

candytuft and tulips

 

Welcome to Garden Friday!

Spring is still weeks away, 

but you'd never know it by what's popping up!

 

The sweet potatoes leftover from last season

were added to a baking tray filled with soil.

This is the new way I'm creating slips to plant 

out in the garden later on.

For now, they reside in our funky space

we affectionately deem "the spa room".

Once the slips start forming,

they will be pinched off and added to a jar with water to form roots.

 

These pots were found at the big box store

and are being saved to transplant our blueberry bushes.

Although I've amended the soil two years in a row,

our pH was still much too high for them to thrive.

The containers will buy me at least a year,

so that I can try to remediate the problem and test again.

These pots are not only made in the USA,

but they are fashioned from ocean plastic!

 

Our first Birdie bed has been assembled.

Big K helped with this project,

as he is a master of all things nuts-n-bolts.

Truth be told, I could have easily done the job myself,

it was that easy.

 

The bed will be used strictly for strawberries,

which I've ordered from our local Cooperative Extension office.

I still have some fairly healthy plants that I will transplant as well.

The bottom of the bed was filled with twigs and dried leaf mulch.

 

The potting soil was added and there will be room at the top

for homemade compost and more shredded leaves.

I love the look and plan to replace the existing beds with Birdie's

as the budget allows.

The washtub (behind and to the right),

will be repurposed as a dust bathing vessel for the chooks.

They can use another place to primp and preen themselves.

 

 

Lettuce has been transplanted into the Mr. Stacky pots.

There are two more tiers to this system,

but I just wanted to start with a few to see

how well they do on the back deck.

After they grow a bit more,

the wire (used to deter squirrels from digging)

will be removed and the pots will be stacked.

 

One of our tasks this week was cleaning out

all of the birdhouses on the property.

C enjoys helping with this

and the weather couldn't have been better!

We're ready for all of our feathered friends to join the family!

 Spring is almost here,

and all of the gardeners I know are SO excited!

What a blessing this season is for so many.

Enjoy your week!