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?

Garden Friday

 

 

 

Welcome to Garden Friday,

where we share what's growing in our Zone 7 Piedmont garden.

This fall has been an amazing display of color,

with plenty of interest just outside of our kitchen window.

This is the pathway I take each morning

when I let the chooks out of the coop.

We are so blessed to live here.

 

The strawberries have turned a brilliant shade of red,

as if to greet the Christmas season.

This fruit does well over the colder months,

just awaiting the spring thaw to work their magic.

 

The blueberries also turn a variety of colors,

as they enjoy their winter slumber.

I'm  hopeful that this coming spring we will be awash in berries!

 

Our raised beds are just starting to get a foothold 

on producing broccoli, lettuce, 

 

and leek.

I've been a bit disappointed in the germination rate,

and not having as many things growing as I'd like.

We'll enjoy what we can and think toward springtime planting.

 

The cover crops are filling out one of our beds nicely.

Each fall, a different raised bed is sown 

with a cover crop to add nutrients to the soil.

A thick coat of shredded leaves has been added here.

 

We have a couple of parsley plants growing,

one in a raised bed (see below),

and this one planted in a pot.

They both do just fine over the winter,

and it's a real treat to be able to harvest something

on a regular basis.

You've gotta love crops that need no coddling!

garlic and parsley

 

The garlic is doing well

and will be well worth the 9-month wait to harvest time.

Garlic is the best hands-off crop ever!

Just plant it and forget it!

 

I was so perplexed about the asparagus.

It's a new to me crop,

and I wasn't sure what I had done wrong

to make it turn this harsh amber hue.

A fellow gardener told me that this happens to hers every year.

She simply adds a bit of magnesium sulfate to it,

cuts it back and mulches over the top.

What a relief to know it wasn't me!

I will be putting this task on my list.

Our leaf mulch pile has grown leaps and bounds!

Our sweet neighbor allowed us to use her riding mower to mulch and bag up

the leaves on our property, so we did hers as well.

I still have bags and bags to go,

but no doubt we'll be set for leaf mulch until next fall. 

It really is the best mulch to use,

and best of all, it's free!

snack time in the chicken yard

Excuse my absence from the blog of late.

I am struggling with the motivation I need to write.

Although I do my best to focus on the blessings in my life,

so many folks I know are having a difficult time right now,

and I'm afraid I am more sensitive to that than most.

I can't promise that I will be here every week with a garden post,

but I will make an effort to at least post some photos from the week.

It's so beautiful here, especially this time of year.

Maybe it will even help me get out of my funk.

Blessings...daisy

Garden Friday

milkweed and salvia

 

 Greetings on this Garden Friday!

Autumn has arrived in all of Her splendor!

A few remnants of summer remain,

gracing us with beautiful blooms.

 

 

The garlic we planted last week was up in a matter of days.

We planted out almost this entire bed

with one of the easiest crops to grow.

We use garlic for almost every savory dish,

so it is a staple in our fall/winter garden.

It will grow a bit more before becoming dormant for the winter.

In early spring, it begins to fill out and soar!

 

The cover crops are slowly making progress.

This is a special "raised bed" mix 

that I'm trying for the first time.

We were blessed with some rain this past week,

and nothing helps crops along like Mother Nature's gift.

 

I ended up purchasing lettuce and broccoli starts,

something that felt very strange to me.

With poor germination to blame,

I decided that it was necessary if I want to eat homegrown this winter.

 

There is abundant color popping up all over the area.

Our neighborhood has some glorious trees

peppering the sky with golds, oranges and reds.

It's one of the best things about my daily walk.

 

A bit of clean up was in order,

so I tidied up a few of the flower beds.

I'm amazed that we still have some blooms 

looking untouched by the cooler temperatures.

 

Our local Extension Center gifted some of the Master Gardeners

with free bulbs for planting this fall.

I hope to get these in over the weekend.

It's time for pansy planting!

The cooler temps don't bother these sweet things one bit,

and some were added to the mailbox bed,

as well as the pots on the front porch.

I look forward to many months of color.

 

I'm trying an experiment after watching a few videos

about trapping yellow jackets.

We have some near in our yard waste pile,

and I don't wish to use chemicals to eradicate the problem.

I'll share the results of this homemade trap next week.

 

 

We had a bit of a crisis this week,

when our rooster was attacked by a dog

who roams our neighborhood.

He was injured pretty badly, and shaking like a leaf when we finally found him,

but he survived the night and we hope is on the mend.

 

We now have a trap in our yard

so that the dog can be caught.

It has no collar and is quite skittish,

so it's difficult to get close enough to nab him.

The neighbors I've asked do not know where he lives,

but we're hoping the trap does the trick.

For now, Gandolf is in the garage mending

and the girls are on house arrest in the coop.

 

This life isn't always easy,

but we try to find the silver linings where we can.

 

Enjoy your weekend,

wherever you are!

Garden Friday

 

 

It's a balmy Garden Friday!

The summer heat is cranking out bodacious blooms 

and kitchen goodies around the homestead.

 

These moonflowers grew from seeds gifted me by a neighbor.

I always thought moonflowers were all white,

but this variety obviously has other ideas.

As soon as the sun comes out, they retire for the day.

 

On the other hand, I discovered these unique morning glories

near the oregano patch.

I've never seen this pattern before and it took me by surprise.

 

Our sweet next door neighbor had given me a cutting

from her hydrangea bush.

I simply stuck it in a glass of water and waited about 3 weeks.

It looks like I'll have a new ornamental bush in the garden soon!

 

Our first Mammoth Sunflower has bloomed

in the pollinator bed.

I'm estimating that it's at least 12 feet tall,

and I hope to be able to get the head off to save seeds

before the squirrels climb up the stalk and steal them.

 

The bees seem to be loving the blossoms on the loofah.

 

The first fruit has formed and I can't wait to see this plant take off!

 

Several more squash have formed on the cattle panel trellis.

Last week I was reporting that I had very few female flowers

and only one fruit on the vine.

I may even resow more seeds for a fall harvest.

The bug pressure should be reduced.

 

This lone broccoli plant is making a comeback!

Although it didn't give me a head last season,

it's decided to replenish its leaves and try again.

Fresh seed will be sown for fall planting,

but this one will be left in place.

 

The pumpkins continue to flourish without much intervention from me.

The drip irrigation is a game changer,

and I can see that they really benefit from the consistent watering.

 

The sweet potatoes are starting to arch over the piece of cattle panel

that I placed next to the bed.

I can imagine that soon the panel will be covered with vines.

The leaves of this plant can be eaten raw in salads,

or wilted like spinach.

 

Oh my goodness!

It doesn't take much to thrill me,

but this lil' watermelon did the trick!

 

And when I spotted a few more,

I was beside myself!

With multiple flowers on the vines,

it's a good time to feed this plant.

 

The turmeric resides in a shady spot

near the compost pile.

I'm also keeping about a dozen pots of aloe,

which I have repotted for a local giveaway.

Our homestead is abuzz with activity!

We have so many bees and other pollinators

and I couldn't bee more pleased!

One new task I've taken to doing each day,

is combing through our crape myrtle blossoms for Japanese beetles

and feeding them to the chooks.

They come running when they see the tin can in my hand,

for they know the treasures that abound!

Betty and Wilma chowing down

 

 

I hope your weekend is filled with what means the most to you.

As for me, I'll be right here

with everything I hold dear.

Garden Friday

 

 

Welcome to Garden Friday.

We had a taste of the storm Elsa yesterday,

but thankfully, nothing major to report.

We don't miss our hurricane days in Florida.

 

 

Our potato harvest was disappointingly small,

and I haven't quite figured out why.

They were planted in April, 

so they should have had plenty of time to size up and multiply.

We used organic potatoes from our Misfits order,

so I'm not sure if the fact that we didn't use "seed" potatoes made the difference.

Here's where we planted them.

 

After a few days of spotty rain,

the newly planted pumpkins decided to pop up.

We have two varieties started,

Cider Jack and Sugar Pie.

We haven't yet grown pumpkins successfully,

so we are hoping this is the year we reach our goal.

pumpkins

 

 

 

 The sweet potatoes are taking their time

sprawling on the cattle panel support.

By this time last year, we were crawling in vines,

but as any gardener knows, every year is different.

 

The melons seem to be getting a late start.

We at last have some flowers, although I haven't yet seen

any female flowers.

I'll keep a watch on them.

 

 

There are a few beets that could be harvested,

but since there's no rush, I'm leaving 'em be.

I'm actually surprised that they are growing in this heat.

Another round of beets will be sown in the fall.

 

 One of the treats awaiting me in the garden

are our delicious and juicy strawberries,

gifted us by a friend.

Her plants offer up the most scrumptious fruit

that are red all the way through.

It looks like there will be more on the way,

as many more flowers are appearing.

 

 

Several more volunteer butternut squash plants

have shown up around the chicken run.

Must be all that fabulous fertilizer around there.

 

 The loofah is blooming!  The loofah is blooming!

We'll soon have some to eat and some to let grow

for use in scrubbing ourselves silly!

I can't wait to see if the chooks will enjoy snacking on the fruit.

It tastes similar to zucchini.

 

 

Well, there are things out there 

that are eating our food.

This broccoli plant is peppered with holes.

Someone is certainly enjoying the greens.

Unfortunately, it's not us.

 

 

We know the culprit here-squirrels.

Last year, they climbed up our 14 foot sunflowers

and managed to scarf down every seed they could find.

Slowly but surely, all the sunflowers around the chicken run

are being chewed or knocked down for the same purpose.

 

 

When I manage to find a head that still has some seeds,

I bring it inside to dry,

so that the seeds can be saved for next year's planting.

 

Would you look at what I discovered yesterday on one of the milkweed plants?

I don't think they are monarch caterpillars,

but I won't know for sure until they get a bit bigger.

Monarchs usually bite the edges of the leaves,

and leave a cleaner cut, not this lacy effect.

This is the front of the leaf,

and this is the back.

We have plenty of milkweed planted,

so I have no idea why they all chose this one plant.

I should be able to identify them within the next couple of days.

 

The first California poppies are in bloom!

This is a first time plant for me,

and I think I will enjoy adding them to various parts of the garden.

They love full sun and don't require much in the way of steady watering,

as far as I can tell.

It's been fun adding a few new flowers to the garden beds.

Here's hoping that you are discovering new things in your garden every day!