When Pigs Fly

Why does this saying make me smile.. Maybe because this is what I imagine.

A winged porcine in a state of bliss.

That I have created.

December

Gosh, Where did the summer go??
It's December already?? Seems like yesterday that I was lamenting the coming off spring.
 I never got a chance to comment on any of the progress made in the garden.
It was a fairly successful year. We harvested quite a bit,  and I have found a new love for greens.
I have become a huge fan of the hay bale gardens. Everything, except the beans, grew really well in them. I think there might have been too much nitrogen for them from the composting bales.
I did have some problems with slugs. I found them easy to find and pick off being at more eye level. The chickens have enjoyed all the extra snacks. There was also a small rodent. It was either a field mouse or a mole, but it made a nuisance in the beets. It would nibble around each root, so that when I would pull it, the beet looked like an apple core.We did enjoy the beet greens though.

The acorn squash that I planted on the furthest side of the garden made it's way all the way to the other side.

The potatoes, a new crop for me was a total success. I will totally step it up next year.  I planted 2 pounds and harvested about 15 delicious pounds of fingerling.

The tomatoes were everywhere. I dried them, canned them, fried them still green( another new fave) chopped them for salsa and piccalilli, and ate them as is.
There were also tomatillos another new crop that I will be add next year too.

I was having so much fun I forgot to write.
I'll have to work on that as well.

Backyard Meadow

I am not opposed to mowing. In certain areas mowing serves a purpose. The wooded area around out house is mowed of any underbrush to serve a a buffer in the event of fire. But the backyard the mowing is kept to a minimum. We have mown several paths to help us get from one area to another, but the rest is left to do what it may. I love this. I am not the only one. The meadow is host to birds, bees, dragonflies, butterflies, as well as a host of many other critters.

I love to watch the grasses move in the breeze. I love to see what new flowers are starting to bloom.

I would like to think that I am helping the environment by giving birds and insects a place to live and be happy.

Many people ask if I ever mow.

We do.. We mow the front yard and the sides..
But the back is for the birds.

I'm back.

After a very long time without my computer, I am now back.
I missed all of spring. The busy time.

The Hay bales have been planted.The middle areas filled with composted hay and chicken manure, are planted with carrots,3 varieties of beet, and parsnips. The actual bales have; beans,mustard greens,cucumber,squash,peppers,Swiss chard,tomatoes,and zucchini.

The hay bales are planted and growing like gangbusters.

We have been eating lots of beet, and mustard greens. Salads of lettuce,herbs and greens.

The potatoes started blooming. Soon we'll have new potatoes.

Sunken Garden

I have always wanted a sunken garden. As a little girl my grandmother would take me to the Hornblower estate where there were terraced gardens with sunken"rooms" and goldfish pools. It all seemed so magical to me. This year I have decided to create a potager, or kitchen garden, in the corner next to the woodshed.
I started by digging out a walkway in the center of the garden area, and lined this with stones. I then spread crushed paving gravel in the center and placed paving stones over the top.

I added lots of organic matter to the planting area. So far I have planted cabbage(red and white), beans( an heirloom with pretty blossoms called painted lady) and herbs(chives,dill,tarragon and cilantro)
Once the weather improves I will add more vegetables, herbs and some edible flowers.
I have also added my fountain to the corner.

It will add a nice sound to that corner of the yard. It will be nice to hear the sound of tinkling water as I tend to my Sunken Garden

Straw bale garden

This year the plan is to expand the garden. The soil here is beach sand and rocks... Lots of rocks. I have made stone walls everywhere with all the rocks that have been dug up.

We read about planting a garden in a hay bale and decided to give it a try.

We had 30 bales delivered and set them out. Thbe open spaces have been filled with composted chicken hay( hay form the chicken yard) and will be topped off with compost. Here we will plant root crops. Carrots, parsnips and beets

In the tires we will plant pumpkins and squash. Potatoes and onions will go in the beds of the old garden

We are now in the process of conditioning the bales.  Keep them very wet, and fertilized.

I am using Garden Tone  fertilizer, which is organic.

 Once the bales are conditioned, and it is warm enough to plant, we should have a good garden.

Is it spring yet??

Although the calendar says spring, and mother nature teased us with a few days in the 50s way back at the begining of the month. It has been in the 20s at night,and barely getting into the 40s during the day.

 After such a long snowy winter,I crave something green,something alive.

 I bring the outside in. Forcing narcissus bulbd and azalea branches.

 Patiently waiting for springs first blooms.

backyard chicken flock

We got 10 eggs today from our little backyard flock. That's not a bad take from 12 chickens. We got our chickens  a couple years ago, and will be supplimenting them soon with 4 more in the next few weekThere aren't many more things in life that are more satisfiying than a backyard flock of chickens.
They will eat most anything,so we don't have much food that we throw out. It's fun to watch them scratch for hidden treasures about the yard(ie bugs,grubs,and worms). And they reward us with the most beautiful, delicious,fabulous eggs.....

What's better than that??

Seeds

Is there a 12 step program for people who collect seeds???? I may need one.Even though I have quite a collection, I still find myself perusing catalogues and internet sights looking at plants and thinking Oh, I really need that.

I have started several sets of seeds in the basement. Chris has set up a great grow trable in front of the windows. There is plenty of natural light, but we have added grow lights and heat mats to give the little seeds a boost.

Some things have been started in peat pellets and some in containers that prepaired salads come in. I have saved these from my lunch from work.

I also found a pot maker from Burpee.  This handy dandy little thing makes little pots out of newspaper. We save our Metros everyday( as well as scooping up extas at the end of the day) They are probably not organic but they are free.Just cut the paper into 3in strips, roll around the pot maker, fold up and tamp the bottom, and Voila little pots! I amazes me that all you have to do is put these little seeds in the ground and up grows food.  So far everything I have planted has come up. I have had a few near misses. The eggplant that I started got a little too dry. I came home from work and the poor little things were laying flat on the dirt. Thank goodnes that a little water revived them and they are growing like gangbusters now. 

A year in the garden

February.
The winter seems endless this part of the year. The snow has been on the ground for what seems like forever, the days still bitter cold.
I survive by planning the garden.
This will be an attempt to try some new plants, as well as some new garden techniques, and keep track of what works and what doesn't.
I set out this weekend to plan out the garden,order seeds,and get organized. A trip to the farm and garden store to pick out a few things that I thought should be started early. Eggplant ( Black Beauty and Chinese Long) and peppers (Purple Beauty and Chines Giant). I also got 3 types of heirloom tomatoes,2 carrots,3 beets,3 beans, radishes, greens,and assorted edible flowers.This,added to what I have orderd online from Burpee's, and Renee's garden.I am afraid I may have gone a little overboard with my seed selection.
 I never have been really sucessful with starting seeds. Most years I throw a few seeds in some dirt and put them on a windowsill and see what happens. This year I have done some research and may have figured out a good system.
We set up a grow light in the basement,and a heat mat. Eggplant and peppers on the heat mat, Artemisia,Celosia,Lavender,and Catmint under the grow light.
We'll see........