Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's been going on 

here in the Piedmont of North Carolina.

Yes, folks, we have pumpkins.

Don't ask me why.

This volunteer just popped up

and is apparently enjoying the summer weather.

Doesn't it know it's supposed to be a fall crop?

Although the weather has been scorching,

(mid to high 90's),

a few maintenance tasks were completed

in the early morning hours.

The border in the front beds was redefined,

as grass had started to encroach the beds.

The summer blooms are relishing every ray of sunshine.

The combination of the purple and yellow

in the pollinator bed is a favorite.

This bed has admittedly gone a bit rogue,

because it's just been too dang hot 

to get out there and get it under control.

There are so many coneflowers that have multiplied

here in this side of the bed.

It's such a treat having fresh flowers to bring inside.

This ajuga is a new favorite.

Once the heat subsides a bit

and we will be expecting rain,

I plan to transplant some of this plant

to use as a front border.

Its undemanding demeanor makes it a breeze to grow.

Something I noticed about the yarrow

that I have heard happens is that

the pink variety seems to be reverting back to white.

I'm not sure if it is simply white yarrow

mixed in with the pink,

or if it is indeed changing.

Have you ever had this happen with a plant?

The elderberries are beginning to show some color.

The white blossoms fall off and

the berries start off green,

and then turn a rich, magenta.

Shortly after, they can be harvested

to make syrup.

There are a few scattered okra plants

that are finally starting to grow.

As I'm the only one who eats it,

just a few plants are needed.

Any surplus that I can't consume,

will be offered to neighbors.

Red ripper beans surround a tomato cage

repurposed for this crop.

These are my favorite drying beans,

as they are prolific and keep well.

The garlic is finished curing,

has been trimmed and is ready to use.

There is more than enough for sister and I,

so we will find a home for the rest of it.

The largest bulbs were put aside

for planting in the fall.

Yet another symbol of the abundance

in our lives.

This click beetle was found this week.

Though these creatures look a bit menacing,

they are perfectly harmless.

You can learn more about them here.

Matilda is having a tough time.

She has been broody for almost 3 weeks.

I've tried all the tricks I know to break her

of her broodiness, to no avail.

She is sequestered in this wire cage,

so that she doesn't overheat in the coop.

(Broody hens stay in the nesting box

because they want to hatch eggs.)

With the temps we've been having,

I didn't feel comfortable letting her stay

inside the coop all day.

I've also tried giving her a cool bath,

without success.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Saffron and Buttercup

These two have the right idea.

We have woods on three sides of our property,

so there are ample expanses of shade 

for the girls to rest in during these dog days of summer.

Things seem to be cooling down a bit

here toward the weekend,

and we'll do our best to keep everyone safe.

*I'm asking for prayers, good thoughts

and positive energy for our young man, C,

who will be having surgery next week.

It's a very challenging experience for us,

as his autism makes it difficult to deal with

anything out of the ordinary.

Thank you from this momma's heart.

~daisy

Homestead Happenings

sedum

Welcome to Homestead Happenings!

It's been a while, but we are back on track

and have a few updates on what's growing on!

 

The flower beds are bursting with color!

Even this coneflower in the shade is showing off.

With an abundance of rain throughout spring,

the blooms have needed very little coaxing to shine.

Our two pollinator beds near the driveway are filling in.

With Joe Pye weed, parsley and rue planted here,

we hope to have a steady supply of black swallowtail caterpillars visiting.

It's always mesmerizing to watch them make their transformation.

The front beds have been an ongoing project 

over the past year.

Adding evergreens really helped to anchor the space,

and adding more perennials keeps the color changing.

The chamomile in another pollinator bed

is so cheery.

For the first time, I am growing enough to make tea!

Can I just tell you how much I adore having these hydrangeas?

I could not grow them in Florida,

and always admired them in gardening magazines.

A fellow master gardener needed to make room in her garden

for something new, and she gifted me with these,

just for helping her dig them out!

They now line the area all along our driveway

and back in this corner of our lot.

Hydrangea envy no more!

One of the things I like best about them,

is the four season interest they offer us outside,

and the added bonus of being able to include them in 

flower arrangements all summer long.

They also make lovely wintertime displays after they have dried.

What a blessing to be able to have fresh cut arrangements

once again in the house.

The plan is to provide a Friday bouquet for neighbors

all summer long.

Won't that be fun?

Lest you think only the flowers are getting attention,

rest assured that the veg garden is humming right along.

Beets, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions

and a few new additions are enjoying the consistent watering

and ample sunshine.

Our Birdie beds are working out just fine,

and three more were just delivered this week.

That should be all we need for the foreseeable future,

and we look forward to filling them up with goodies.

I swore off of growing squash a few years ago,

as I didn't want to deal with the vine borers anymore.

Well, this cushaw squash is supposed to be

very hearty and I will say that it has taken off without much assistance.

On the opposite side of this bed,

there is one Seminole Pumpkin that germinated.

This variety is heralded as resistant to the squash vine borers,

so I am hoping for good things.

My farmer friend Lynn used to grow it in Florida,

and swears by its reputation.

Good enough for me.

We have so many volunteer squash

(I think it's squash) plants growing.

In the compost pile,

near the chicken run,

and in several other random areas.

A few Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins

in a raised row were planted intentionally.

These seeds were given to me by a fellow gardener

who had come to pick up chamomile plants.

(I took these photos in the heat of the day,

so they look a bit bedraggled.  They will recover.)

It's time to replant some of this washtub.

The curly lettuce has bolted,

and is too bitter for my liking.

The chooks will enjoy it though,

so nothing goes to waste.

A combination of kale, beet greens and lettuce

fills my daily salad bowl.

Can't get fresher than that!

We have green beans, folks!

I spied these tiny beans the other day,

and it made me smile.

A couple of these plants will feed me well.

The garlic was harvested this week,

the latest I've ever done so.

I kept hoping that it would size up,

but it just never happened.

I need to rethink my fertilizing strategy for next season.

Hopefully, this harvest will last us the year.

It will cure in the garage for a couple of weeks,

then be trimmed for storage.

A hefty bunch will be going to sister's house.

That gal can eat some garlic!

I think I need to plant some in her backyard.

What's happening at your place?

Garden Friday

(Not sure why, but the spacing is off on this post

and I couldn't fix it.  Ah well...)

Happy Day Before Summer!

We hope you enjoy this garden tour on this last day of spring 2020.

The Yukon Gold potatoes are getting ready for harvest.

We have a 3X8 bed half filled with these buttery spuds.

Although they haven't yet flowered,

they seem to be ready for picking,

as the green stems are falling over,

as is common when harvest time draws near.

The first one picked will be cooked up this weekend.

The garden expanded a bit this week.

A trench was dug from the straw bales

so that we could bury the drip irrigation

out to this island bed I'm calling The Pumpkin Patch.

There were some crepe myrtle trees planted here

once upon a time,

but they were taken down because they shaded the garden too much.

The plant you see in the background is a beautyberry,

which will help to feed our feathered friends.

Our first pumpkin popped up this week.

The snap peas are still doing well on the arches.

Each day I pick a handful for snacking or adding to a salad,

and this promotes more pea production.

For the first time since I've been growing peas,

I noticed some funky shapes among them.

As long as they still taste good, it really doesn't matter

what they look like.

beet greens

I spied a few green beans growing in the straw bales.

This is one harvest I really look forward to.

I never get tired of eating green beans.

The cantaloupe being grown in a container

shows the first signs of fruit.

The melons develop next to the female flowers.

Looks like we've had no trouble with pollination.

leek collecting rain

rain barrels overflow

So far this week,

we've gotten a full three inches of rain.

No need for the irrigation, which is just fine with me.

Let Mother Nature do Her magic!

I'll have to get a photo with me standing next to these monsters.

They are the Mammoth sunflowers

and they really live up to their name.

These giants dwarf everything around them.

I really need to get a measurement on these,

they are simply amazing!

In this area where I sometimes place seedling trays,

a few ornamental plants have taken hold.

More mulch needs to be added to cover the cardboard.

coneflower

lavender

The first black swallowtail was spotted on the milkweed

in the front porch bed.

I'm not sure if you can tell here,

but, this one has a defect on the right wing.

It didn't seem to affect its flight.

Although I planted dill (one of this butterfly's host plants),

it hasn't yet come up.

It also lives on parsley, rue and fennel.

I better get to planting some more herbs!

On Tuesday, we woke up to 53 degrees.

Quite a surprise for us,

but for the plants as well.

Things will start warming up now,

as summer officially starts up.

We will no doubt be blessed with more color in the ornamental beds

and bounty from the veggie garden. 

Grateful for it all.