Garden Friday

Our first daisy of the season

 

 It's Garden Friday!

Welcome to our garden.

Due to ample rain, work came to a crawl outside,

but we did manage to get a few things done.

No matter, there will be another sunny day soon enough.

 

 

Using bamboo to create trellises and other climbing structures is so easy.

It's just a matter of tying them together with twine.

I'm in search of a resource for bamboo,

as I prefer patronizing smaller businesses whenever possible.

 

A triad of teepees were fashioned in a matter of minutes.

The intention was to grow beans on them,

but they are a bit too short for that,

so I am planning on making an A-frame in their place.

 

The teepees instead will be used to grow hyacinth bean,

a gorgeous, vibrant (sometimes out of control) climbing vine.

It's strictly ornamental, but it adds so much color to the garden.

 

In the veggie beds, things are coming along slowly,

but the snap peas have exploded with the inch and a half rain

we got over a few days.

 

With blossoms showing up this week,

the peas aren't far behind.

They rarely make it into the house,

as I cannot resist their sweet and tender pods.

 

So far, the strawberries are forming fruit,

but haven't yet got any color to them.

I need to do some research to find out how often 

I should be feeding them.

What a treat to have both strawberries and blueberries growing!

 

One of the easiest summer plants to grow, loofah,

got started this week.

I've grown this a couple of times,

but never remember it germinating so quickly before.

The vines will be used to create shade for the chooks

during our scorching summer days.

 

The melons and watermelons were sown this week,

as well as some eggplant, peppers and a few herbs.

 Another nest of bluebirds looks like

they are soon getting ready to take flight.

Last week, I was working when the wrens fledged,

so I missed it,

but C got to see it, so for that I am grateful.

 

Who knows?

We may get another family to move into that birdhouse on the porch.

Comes fully furnished.

Who could pass that up?

 

To all you Mommas and Mother Figures out there,

Happy Mother's Day!

 

 

 

Abundance

 

Abundance:

an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply.

 

 

 

 With all of the tragedy going on in the world these days,

it would seem to be difficult to find positivity.

This is the challenge for every one of us

to find the abundance in our lives.

It's in the simplest of things,

like having a full pantry, rain watering our gardens,

or merely having good company.

 We all have a choice on a daily basis,

to focus on what is wrong, or on what brings us hope.

In the springtime, it is so rewarding to notice

the burgeoning  beauty all around us.

New life bursts onto the scene at every turn.

It is our decision to be a witness to it,

or to utterly ignore the gifts in front of our eyes.

 

Abundance does not only exist in the material world,

although it is a real treat to reward oneself with new things

that give us comfort, pleasure and leave us with a feeling of contentment.

Rather than be consumed by commercialism,

it's best to concentrate on a few quality or sentimental items

that truly add to one's surroundings

as well as one's inner well-being.

 

 God is always surprising us with unexpected treasures.

It is up to our discretion to find these unforeseen tokens of abundance.

Each time we do, it's an opportunity for gratitude.

Beginning every day with a thankful heart

motivates us to live up to our potential.

With each rising sun, another chance to do better

is offered.

The feeling that we are connected and 

living our lives on purpose makes all the difference.

I know this to be true.

"Doing what you love 

is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.”

- Wayne Dyer

Garden Friday

 

 

Welcome back to Garden Friday!

With the weather showing its "spring-i-ness",

we've been working diligently at getting projects done.

 

 

Melons were started from seed 

and added to our cardboard tube pots.

Some of these are first time crops for me,

and I'm hoping we have enough room for them to sprawl.

What's better than ice cold melon on a hot, sticky summer day?

 

A quick check on the garden found the onions still doing fine.

This bed is shared with parsley and newly planted

broccoli and beets.

 

Some of the lettuce is finally starting to pop up.

For some reason, this has been a slow starting season

and the germination rate hasn't been great.

Many crops will need to be reseeded before the planting window closes.

 

Good news on the berry front though!

Many of the blueberry plants have berries on them.

 

 

 

They are all in place and tucked in

under a thick layer of homemade leaf mulch.

The irrigation has been hooked up

so they are getting plenty of hydration.

 

The strawberries are flowering and bearing fruit as well.

We have strawberries planted in three different places,

and hopefully, they will help us get our fill.

 

On the ornamental side,

the clematis that was transplanted to a sunnier spot

seems to be quite content.

This plant will cover the archway in the chicken yard.

 

 

Our neighbor had some trees trimmed and 

didn't want the wood chips.

I was happy to give them a home.

I've been registered with "ChipDrop" for a couple of years,

and never once received a load of chips.

This was such a gift.

 

They were put to good use.

I had enough to remulch the entire garden area

and enough left over to do most of the chicken run.

 

 

When Big K was mowing,

he discovered this surprise asparagus from last year.

If you've been reading the blog for a while,

you know that the entire veg garden had to be moved last year.

The asparagus was dug up and removed,

but I guess it's there for the duration.

 

 Earlier in the week, loofah seeds were planted 

around the gazebo structure to shade the chooks,

especially in the heat of summer.

These take a while to get started,

but once they get going, there is no stopping them.

They absolutely love the humidity!

We have been blessed with new life all around the homestead.

Just look at these bluebird tweeters.

 

And on the front porch birdhouse,

these wren tweeters are busy eating 24 hours a day.

The parents must be exhausted!

 We made room for more by fixing a couple of bird houses

that were going to be thrown out by a friend.

 

 

On my daily walk,

there were such lovely sights to see throughout the neighborhood.

I texted this neighbor and told him I think we need to do a swap.

He is totally on board.

 

This sweet planting surprised me

with all of the vibrant colors.

It just screams spring, don't you think?

 

The blackberries are in bloom!

Another neighbor pointed these out to me a few years ago,

and he's been having to share them ever since.

We both walk each morning and snack along the way.

 

Is this fringe tree amazing?

This belongs to a friend and I am always so glad when it comes into bloom.

What a showpiece!

It's one of the most unique trees I've ever seen.

Our Fabulous Flock

It feels great getting all of these little projects caught up.

With all of the irrigation in for now,

that's a big load off of my to-do list.

Now we will make a few more trips to the local IGA

and pick up some bargain ornamentals

so that we can work on the flowerbeds.

I hope to see a big difference by the end of summer.

What are you working on in your garden?

Garden Friday

 Hey there!

It's Garden Friday,

where we share what's happening seasonally in our Piedmont garden.

 

 

The soil samples were brought into our local Extension office,

so that we can get a reading on the quality of the soil in our beds.

Samples were taken out of several beds,

as well as the blueberry patch area.

The office sends in the samples once a month,

and the results are sent directly to the inquirer via e-mail.

This is a free service offered by most Extension offices.

In a few weeks, we should know if any amendments are needed.

 

These Slenderette green bean seeds were given to me several years ago

by my dear friends, Faye & Lynn,

the farmers in Lake Wales, Florida, with whom I volunteered.

I put ten seeds in a bag with a wet paper towel,

just to see if they were still viable.

 

Well, I got a 90% germination rate, so I thought they were worth a shot.

These beans are so tender and tasty, with no strings to annoy you.

It's by far the best green bean I've ever eaten.

 

They were potted up and so far, they are doing fine.

No doubt, with winter's last grip on us gone,

they will thrive in the sunshine.

 

The hostas that were planted in the backyard are really lovin' their spot.

These were gifted me by a sweet friend

and I think I just might have picked the ideal location for them.

A feeling of accomplishment, for sure.

 

There are a few more on the other side of the gravel walkway,

and I can see filling in this whole, long path with many varieties.

Can you ever really have too many hostas?

I think not.

 

The blueberry patch was worked on a bit this week.

I started laying out the drip system,

so that it will be watered at the same time as the raised beds.

 

As I got the poly tubing set up,

I was again reminded of how easy it is to work with this system.

It saves a whole lotta time and worry

and only requires checking on it once a week

to ensure that everything is working correctly.

Before I set up my own system,

I thought installing drip irrigation was difficult.

Here's where we posted about our original install.
 

With a day of rain predicted for tomorrow,

all of the garden should be mighty satisfied.

And so will this gardener.

 

How's your garden growing?

Earth Day 2021

 

Happy Earth Day, 

my Dear Mother!

 

 

"When we heal the earth,

we heal ourselves."

~David Orr