Wordless Wednesday

 

Homestead Happenings

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on here

on our Piedmont NC property.

Tropical storm Debby made Her way through our area,

bringing over 3 inches of rain, fierce winds

and a short loss of power.

All is fine here,

and the chooks were all kept on lock down

for the event.

 

Speaking of chooks,

our babies are now laying.

We had a full dozen eggs last week,

after months of having to purchase eggs

from other chicken keepers.

The girls are earning their keep!

The gorgeous olive-colored eggs will get bigger with time.

In the veg garden, the sweet potatoes

have been savoring every drop of rain.

The vines are now overflowing from their bed.

Looking forward to having sweet spuds in the fall.

A couple of new Cushaw squash have been spied

on their trellis.  The Seminole pumpkins are growing,

but have not yet ripened to harvest.

These two squashes will be staples in the garden

from now on.

Red ripper beans are coming along on the teepee,

along with some stringless green beans.

I have enjoyed watching the teepee fill in,

and will likely add a few more next spring.

All of the volunteer squash vines are sprawling

in every available spot.  

Thankfully, there is ample space,

and we'll see what we get by season's end.

A volunteer pumpkin near our pollinator bed

is starting to change color.

I have no idea what it is,

or how big it's supposed to get,

so I guess we'll just watch it and take our best guess

for harvest time.

Another volunteer,

near the sweet potato bed,

seems to be some type of melon.

There are quite a few fruit on the vine,

and I fear that the trellis I secured will not be enough

to hold them all.

It's so exciting to see all of this mystery food appear!

Last week, we had temperatures in the 90's,

and we took full advantage of the new

mister fans we picked up.

Here, Betty is getting some much-needed relief,

bless her skinny lil' self.

I've also used them for myself on the front porch,

not only for cooling, but to keep mosquitoes at bay.

The fan can be used without the mister, if desired.

The spiderwort border near the chicken run

had been cut back severely a couple of months ago,

as they were looking mighty raggedy.

With the ample rain we've had,

they are coming back strong.

It's so nice to have fresh blooms

when other things are looking so tired and worn out.

Speaking of fresh blooms,

the zinnias are popping up

in every shade imaginable.

The combination colors are one of my favorites.

This display is just under my bedroom window,

and it brings me such joy

when I open up my curtains in the morning

and am greeted with this beautiful sight.

It reminds me at the beginning of my day

just how blessed we are.

The cactus zinnias are another favorite

and grace our garden every summer.

The milkweed plants must be 6 feet tall,

but so far, no monarchs have been spotted.

We'll keep an eye out though,

as it should be within the next few weeks

that they will start devouring these plants.

This year, there were many volunteer milkweed,

so we have an abundant supply for the caterpillars to enjoy.

What wonderous things are happening on your homestead?

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome back to Homestead Happenings,

where we share what's going on 

around our Piedmont property.

We have been blessed with fairly steady rainfall,

and the garden and I are mighty greatful.

The cattle panel arch is being taken over

by the Cushaw squash vine.

This is a first time plant for me,

and I have to say that

I appreciate its exuberance!

Although I have only found 3 squash on the vine,

they are quite large.

The one I harvested this week weighed in at eight pounds.

Soup is on the menu this weekend,

and I should have enough to make some other goodies as well.

A good friend told me that they store up to 9 months in her cellar.

The Seminole pumpkin had a growth spurt this week.

The two squash varieties I'm sharing with you are showing promise,

as I have had no pest issues with either one.

What a blessing, as I don't use even organic methods of pest control.

The green beans had been replanted

when my climbing beans failed to germinate.

There are also drying beans on this teepee.

The gift of rain has made all the difference.

A volunteer squash was found growing in the chook run.

Here's another that was harvested and cooked.

It tasted like a baked potato, for some reason.

My friend Jannah gave me some of her

amazing yellow zucchini.

I sauteed some of it and made fritters with the rest.

Such simple food that tastes so good.

sea oats

The seed pods on the native milkweed are huge!

I will be saving some of these for future planting,

although they seem to readily volunteer.

This is the host plant for the

tussock moth caterpillar.

You can read more about it here.

canna lilies

Almost ready to start laying!

A bit of shuffling has been done with regard to the chooks.

My efforts to integrate the two flocks

didn't work out too well,

so I separated them.

The bonus is that since the new girls (seen here),

are so congenial, Betty has a friendly place to hang out.

After Queenie's unexpected passing,

she has seemed a bit blue.

She and the new girls seem to get along fine,

even sharing the coop and run without issue.

The bullies have been moved to the "eldercare" coop and run.

I hope your summer is going just the way you like it.

Be Blissed!

Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings!

To be truthful, there isn't a whole lot going on here,

with summer heat taking its toll.

The beautiful blooms are one of the best things

about my least favorite season.

Beets were harvested and enjoyed this week.

These were purchased as seedlings

from our friends at Piedmont Farmstead,

where I buy some of my fabulous organic produce.

The Cushaw squash is still growing well,

with absolutely no signs of pest interference.

Seeds will be saved from this crop,

so that it can be grown again next year.

This is one of two new squash varieties 

that I am trying this season,

and they were chosen for their resistance to 

the dreaded squash vine borers.

So far, so good!

The sweet potatoes have finally decided 

to do something.

We did have a bit of rain over the last week,

and I guess it was just enough to get things moving.

I also added some rabbit fertilizer to the bed.

I'm happy with the way the herb bed is coming along.

We have basil, chamomile, lemon balm, 

parsley and thyme planted here.

I'd love to put some pesto in the freezer for winter.

These random pumpkin/squash plants

are taking up a lot of real estate.

No worries, we are blessed with ample room.

So far, I am hard pressed to find any fruit.

The beans have been resown a second time,

and a few varieties are growing.

These are drying beans,

which will be used in the cooler months

for soups and stews.

Scapes were found on some of the leeks.

They can be used just as a scallion would be used,

so I'll be snipping these off and cooking with them.

Love me some leeks!

Some of the lettuce has bolted,

and purposely left so that seed may be gathered.

This is the Amish Speckled Butter lettuce

that was grown for the first time this year.

Everyone that I shared seedlings with 

seemed to enjoy it immensely.

It's a keeper.

Matilda

The transition of the new chooks to the coop

is still a work in progress.

The barrier I constructed with cardboard and a screen

is keeping them separated at night for now.

Each morning, these are removed so that the nesting boxes

can be accessed.

We only have one hen laying at the moment,

but the babies should be starting very soon.

Hopefully, two more weeks of separation

will help to get them used to sharing the space.

Our summertime Lego camper display

is nearly complete.

We have one more large set to construct

and make room for on the mantle.

Big K has collected so many campers,

that we now have an overflow area in the office.

I love this tradition.

I hope that you are enjoying summer

however you see fit.

The blessings are many,

and we appreciate each and every day.

Bee well.

Happy Independence Day!

 

Happy Birthday,

my beloved America!

May you forever be free!