Wordless Wednesday

 

Homestead Happenings

Greetings and welcome back to Homestead Happenings,

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.

You'll never guess what happened!

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.

Once these starts get a little more size to them,

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! 

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.

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.

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.)

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.

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings.

It's been a while, thanks to some technical difficulties.

Summer is winding down here in the Piedmont,

with next week's temperatures becoming 

more moderate and less humid.

I'm all for it!

Look at this gorgeous striped cosmos that is coming up.

The shed was recently cleaned out and organized.

I was able to find a friend who could use many

of the things I no longer needed.

It's such a blessing to have a place

for the gardening and chook materials.

To my astonishment,

the loofah is starting to flower.

I had all but given up on getting any loofah this year,

as the vines were so slow to get started.

But here we are.

It's doubtful that we will have enough warm weather

to enable a full harvest, but ya never know.

This ginger plant (that I basically forgot was planted),

has blooms so fragrant,

even I could smell them.

This plant lends a tropical vibe to any landscape,

and requires very little attention.

I look forward to digging up the tubers

to share with fellow gardeners.

Another small project was refashioning this workbench.

The old, rotted wood was removed and

the hardware cloth was added.

I had just enough to cover the two tiers.

This picture reminds me that I need to dig up

that turmeric plant to give away.

Dust bathing beauties

All of the chooks are still doing well,

and no broodiness has returned.

These three girls are having quite a molt though.

Better now than when the cold winds blow.

Egg production has amped up big time!

We are getting about 20 eggs a week

from our four younger chooks.

Our egg basket runneth over!

The raised beds are gradually being filled

with soil.  I've had a difficult time finding 

quality top soil to complete my personal mix,

so I am resigned to using the bagged stuff.

We have a local organic resource here called

Wallace Farms,

so at least I can feel good about supporting a local business.

Several crops were started in cell trays

in the past few weeks.

It's time to get the fall garden started.

A variety of kale, cabbage, broccoli,

snap peas and cucumbers were sown.

Germination for the most part was spectacular,

with seedlings showing up after only 3 or 4 days.

In fact, the cucumbers were just potted up

yesterday.  They already have their second set of leaves,

and it will be fun to share the extras with friends.

I've never tried growing cucumbers in the fall,

but with less bug pressure and mild days ahead,

I think it's worth a try.

What's happening in your garden 

during this transitional season?

For those of you wondering,

C is still awaiting his surgery,

but we've finally found the right doctor

and it will be scheduled soon.

I'll keep you posted

and thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

Looking for the best possible outcome!

Garden Friday

 

 

 

Welcome to Garden Friday!

It's been a while and we are well into winter weather,

regardless of what the calendar says.

We've already enjoyed the first fire of the season.

Here's what's going on around the homestead.

 

Composting can be done in a number of ways.

We have a weekly compost bucket that we empty into a closed bin.

It contains whatever food scraps our chooks or worms don't eat.

Another area holds our yard waste and is an open-air system.

I wanted to try to make compost right in the chicken run,

as I've seen it done on "The Hollar Homestead" YouTube channel.

Welded wire was used to make a ring,

and wood chips, leaves and some food scraps were placed inside.

 

The chooks showed interest at first,

but wouldn't scale the wire mesh to explore,

so I took it off.

Since then, they've been digging, scratching

and pooping up a storm!

I occasionally add treats in the pile to keep them interested.

We'll see how it goes.

 

The yard waste area has been cleaned up for fall,

and we are starting over.

One side is for the debris that is accumulated

from fall to spring,

and the other side is what accumulates from spring to fall.

The "sifted" finished compost was added to this bin

and two 5-gallon buckets for use throughout the year.

 

 Top dressing with compost is one of the ways

we feed the garden.

It also encourages worms to work their magic.

 

 

Help was garnered for creating this massive leaf pile.

The boys mulched the neighbor's leaves,

then ours, and transported them to the designated area on our property.

It made such a difference having assistance.

These mulched leaves will be added to 

all veggie and flower beds to keep the soil covered.

This will not only feed the soil, but

deter weeds as well.

 

The cover crops are helping in that area as well.

This is a cover crop of winter wheat

that not only covers one of the beds,

but doubles as a treat for the chooks!

They enjoy it when it is tossed into their run.

The other cover crop being used this season

is a fall/winter mix.

This was sown in the pollinator bed.

 

 

A few things are still growing out there,

despite the cold temps we've seen.

This parsley is a real trooper

and seems unfazed by the dip in the thermometer.

 

For the life of me, I can't remember what I've planted here.

The leaves are almost spiny,

but the chooks seem to enjoy it.

 

 

A few cold-hearty crops are making it through,

although seem to be growing v-e-r-y slowly.

We'll take anything we can get.

 

I'm happy to report that the wood chip pile

is almost completely gone.

It's been used to cover the chook run as well as the garden paths.

And just in time, as we are to have our trees in back

trimmed and another wood chip pile will fill this space.

Such a blessing!

 

The flower beds look a bit barren,

as some time was taken this week to tidy them up.

As you can see, the yarrow is still going strong.

 

Our blueberry bushes have a wonderful blush of color.

I'm awaiting soil test results for this area,

as we did not have a great harvest last year.

 

The chooks continue to produce eggs,

amuse and delight us with their antics.

We've recently learned how much they adore

cauliflower, so we've been adding it to their diet weekly,

along with turnip greens and any leftover kale or lettuce.

Here's hoping that December is finding you well,

at peace and enjoying the spirit of the season.

Garden Friday

 

 

 

Welcome back to Garden Friday!

Summer has come back to visit

and we are feeling every bit of the heat and humidity

we are usually accustomed to.

The only positive thing I can say about it

is that it does foster abundant blooms like these beauties.

 

 

A load of compost was unloaded from our trailer,

to be used to fill up the raised beds

which have settled since last being filled.

This will need to sit for at least another week

before being added to the beds,

as it may still be too hot to plant in.

I will plan to add some Daddy Pete's to it and mix it in well.

 

Some plastic scraps were placed underneath

the melons to keep them healthier. 

I just cut up some distilled water jugs.

It keeps them off the ground to avoid fungal problems

and promotes better air circulation.

The sweet potatoes, planted at the onset of summer,

are vining out onto the grass.

No flowers have yet been spotted,

so they still have a ways to go.

 

 

It's sad to see even the drought tolerant plants

struggling in the heat.

With no rain to speak of in weeks,

supplemental watering has been helping them along.

 Even the bees are trying to find what they need.

These watermelon rinds were placed in the run,

and the chooks couldn't even get close to them.

I've been feeding the chooks melon rinds all summer,

and I've never seen the bees go so ga-ga for them.

 

The chooks got a layer of organic straw added to their run.

It gives them something to scratch and they seem to enjoy

peeking underneath for new bugs that might be hiding there.

 

 

I'm working on a plan to redesign the chicken run,

including lots of cottage-style plants along the fencing. 

I got this photo from my research online

(sorry, I didn't write down the source),

to help me visualize what I want to add.

I have a very hard time designing garden areas,

and need to find clear examples of what I hope to accomplish.

It might be worthwhile for me to hire someone to make a plan,

but it seems so difficult here to find folks to follow through on jobs.

 

 

This is one of the beds at one of my client's home,

(one I weed quite often),

and it is a good jumping off point to help me with ideas.

This fascinating web was found yesterday,

and it makes me wonder what type of critter created it.

It's a work of art.

 

A few weeks ago, these caterpillars were found on the milkweed.

At the time, I didn't know what they were,

except that I knew they weren't Monarchs,

as the coloring is quite different.

After some research, I found out that they are tussock moth caterpillars,

which, as far as I know, are not native to North Carolina.

One caution with this particular caterpillar

is that their fuzzy outer covering can cause a skin rash.

Here's more about this fascinating creature. 

They have since disappeared, and the milkweed

is awaiting the arrival of the monarch caterpillars.

 

These hot and sticky days don't find me out in the garden much.

I am looking forward to fall planting,

which will occur in the last days of August,

after beds are prepped.

This season, I will not be following a plan,

but simply adding to beds with the crops I know I can grow.

I'm also planning to grow some cover crops

in the 3X8 bed that usually houses our garlic.

Once the sweet potatoes and melons are harvested,

the cover crops will go in for the season.

The garlic will be planted in another bed in October.

What's happening in your summer garden?