June 21, 2019
Happy First Day of Summer...
I woke up to unexpected frost :(
It has been chilly the last couple days but I did not see a frost warning. I should have checked specifically for it or thought about it more, but did not.
I think 2 tomato plants by the house, a couple patty pan squashes and two Loofah plants, a couple peppers all by the house seem ok,
Most the squashes, peppers and tomatoes were in raised beds or the main garden and they may not survive. If they come back are likely severely stunted. I ran water on them as soon as I noticed but I think it was too late.
Happy First Day of Summer
(First frost of the year happened the Night of September 29th, many of our plants came back but not fast enough. We harvested some squashes and a few tomatoes, but most were still just solid green. I guess we could have done friend green tomatoes or green tomato salsa but I didn't. I was busy getting others stuff done and had to let it go.)
Friday, June 21, 2019
Monday, June 17, 2019
Note from our daughter
While I am
at camp please:
1. Check the
bunny bed for eggs.
2. Check
Bunny food and give her fresh water
3. Let her
out in the morning
4. Check for eggs
again.
5. Tuck her in
at night and give her a treat (raddish or lettuce are her favorites).
Our chickens share about 1/2 an acre with our daughters bunny. We have learned the bunny will stay in the fenced area so during the day she lets her run around and just props open a door for her to go in and out. Apparently the chickens have discovered and claimed it.
Sunday, June 9, 2019
Scare
June 9, 2019
Last night one of our chickens was laying on the ground refusing to move, it seemed almost like she could not move. We put her in the extra coop and thought we would have to bury her by morning. This morning we went out and she seems fine. She is up, moving around, eating and drinking. We are so grateful!
Last night we also had a frost warning. We covered all the plants with buckets and sheets. We are not sure if it really frosted or not, but everything seems fine this morning. Double blessings this morning!
Last night one of our chickens was laying on the ground refusing to move, it seemed almost like she could not move. We put her in the extra coop and thought we would have to bury her by morning. This morning we went out and she seems fine. She is up, moving around, eating and drinking. We are so grateful!
Last night we also had a frost warning. We covered all the plants with buckets and sheets. We are not sure if it really frosted or not, but everything seems fine this morning. Double blessings this morning!
Saturday, June 8, 2019
June
June 8, 2019
This month has held new adventures.
Sadly one of our chickens died. It was moving slow and seemed to just want to sleep. We separated her from the flock and put her in the smaller coop/run area. We put her near food and water. The rest of the flock would come by the fence to check on her. At times she seemed to perk up but mostly she slept. The first night she put herself in the coop, the second night my husband moved her in. The next morning she had passed on. My husband buried her. She was one of the KFC's that our children really liked because she was friendlier and seemed smarter. Our son was at work and somehow we failed to tell him. Several days later he asked about her, if she was doing better. Oops. Sorry.
Our son built, filled and planted a 4*4 raised bed with trellis for his Senior project. Our daughter is caring for one as a goal for her Personal Progress. I have 3 others I am caring for and we have a "main" garden area for corn, pumpkins, big squashes and extra tomatoes. The back bed is mostly planted with strawberries and we have two raised raspberry beds and others planted on the north side of the house. I am working on a herb bed in front of the house and just added some Lavender. I started Basil, parsley and sage inside. My Rosemary and Lavender did not do well from seeds so I bought some. I plan to add some garlic and garlic chives to the onion chives, mint and other herbs already out there. I love all the green coming up :)
Today a Western Tanager flew into our window so hard it left some orange and yellow feathers smeared on the window. Odd because I have not cleaned the windows yet this year. They are kind of dirty. Poor bird sat stunned on the near by bush for quire a while. So long our 4 year old was out talking to it and getting pretty close and it didn't fly away.
Our poor mower was abused last year then I made a few mistakes with it and hastened its demise. We think long term we want a big riding mower, but in the mean time we bought a self-propelled mower and a lighter weight one to work together to keep the property reasonable mowed. I called my Dad to ask about mower advice. I love that he gave me the advice to research it. He suggested going to a lawn equipment store to talk to knowledgeable employees. We looked into that and decided to research online. We learned a lot and feel good about our purchases fitting our current needs and resources. I am so grateful for my Dad's wise advice.
Sadly we killed our weed eater too, but it was corded and really a gas or battery one would better meet our needs here. We are currently investigating them....
We have been working on a 100-200 foot long "flood bed" along our creek. It is a 2-3 foot tall raised bed to help keep spring water in the creek and also provide a place to plant perennial foods. We felt it would provide multiple uses in one, and hopefully be more attractive then a giant berm of dirt and weeds or un-kept grass. It is kind of hard to balance allowing for natural beauty and controlling the chaos/weeds... it is fun trying though :)
This month has held new adventures.
Sadly one of our chickens died. It was moving slow and seemed to just want to sleep. We separated her from the flock and put her in the smaller coop/run area. We put her near food and water. The rest of the flock would come by the fence to check on her. At times she seemed to perk up but mostly she slept. The first night she put herself in the coop, the second night my husband moved her in. The next morning she had passed on. My husband buried her. She was one of the KFC's that our children really liked because she was friendlier and seemed smarter. Our son was at work and somehow we failed to tell him. Several days later he asked about her, if she was doing better. Oops. Sorry.
Our son built, filled and planted a 4*4 raised bed with trellis for his Senior project. Our daughter is caring for one as a goal for her Personal Progress. I have 3 others I am caring for and we have a "main" garden area for corn, pumpkins, big squashes and extra tomatoes. The back bed is mostly planted with strawberries and we have two raised raspberry beds and others planted on the north side of the house. I am working on a herb bed in front of the house and just added some Lavender. I started Basil, parsley and sage inside. My Rosemary and Lavender did not do well from seeds so I bought some. I plan to add some garlic and garlic chives to the onion chives, mint and other herbs already out there. I love all the green coming up :)
Today a Western Tanager flew into our window so hard it left some orange and yellow feathers smeared on the window. Odd because I have not cleaned the windows yet this year. They are kind of dirty. Poor bird sat stunned on the near by bush for quire a while. So long our 4 year old was out talking to it and getting pretty close and it didn't fly away.
Our poor mower was abused last year then I made a few mistakes with it and hastened its demise. We think long term we want a big riding mower, but in the mean time we bought a self-propelled mower and a lighter weight one to work together to keep the property reasonable mowed. I called my Dad to ask about mower advice. I love that he gave me the advice to research it. He suggested going to a lawn equipment store to talk to knowledgeable employees. We looked into that and decided to research online. We learned a lot and feel good about our purchases fitting our current needs and resources. I am so grateful for my Dad's wise advice.
Sadly we killed our weed eater too, but it was corded and really a gas or battery one would better meet our needs here. We are currently investigating them....
We have been working on a 100-200 foot long "flood bed" along our creek. It is a 2-3 foot tall raised bed to help keep spring water in the creek and also provide a place to plant perennial foods. We felt it would provide multiple uses in one, and hopefully be more attractive then a giant berm of dirt and weeds or un-kept grass. It is kind of hard to balance allowing for natural beauty and controlling the chaos/weeds... it is fun trying though :)
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Raspberries
May 16, 2019
I tried 3 times last year to start some raspberries here.
Attempt one: I bought some discount raspberries, at a not great time of year to start them. They seemed to die :(
Two: A friend let me get starts from her bed. I think the chicken manure was still to hot in the bed and they fried.
Three: They seemed ok and I had high hopes, but when a friend offered me other starts I realized hers had leaves all over and mine did not and figured I had killed the third one, so we got more to try again. A few have leaves so I thought I would get just some. I had left the old ones from last year, not sure why. This week I was prepping the beds by the house for strawberries and herbs and realized that one of the raspberries I had planted on the North side of the house (yes I know not a great place for Raspberries) had leaves on it. Today I was working on the beds again and pulled up one of the canes I thought was dead and was shocked to see new growth on it. Yeah! I realized that the canes from last years third try were actually alive and well. I moved more over to the North side and now have 18 plant starts there. And about 20 in the main garden area (I need to re-work the raspberries there to give them more room). I am so excited!!!!!
Next year we should have a great crop of Raspberries!!!!
I tried 3 times last year to start some raspberries here.
Attempt one: I bought some discount raspberries, at a not great time of year to start them. They seemed to die :(
Two: A friend let me get starts from her bed. I think the chicken manure was still to hot in the bed and they fried.
Three: They seemed ok and I had high hopes, but when a friend offered me other starts I realized hers had leaves all over and mine did not and figured I had killed the third one, so we got more to try again. A few have leaves so I thought I would get just some. I had left the old ones from last year, not sure why. This week I was prepping the beds by the house for strawberries and herbs and realized that one of the raspberries I had planted on the North side of the house (yes I know not a great place for Raspberries) had leaves on it. Today I was working on the beds again and pulled up one of the canes I thought was dead and was shocked to see new growth on it. Yeah! I realized that the canes from last years third try were actually alive and well. I moved more over to the North side and now have 18 plant starts there. And about 20 in the main garden area (I need to re-work the raspberries there to give them more room). I am so excited!!!!!
Next year we should have a great crop of Raspberries!!!!
Sunday, May 12, 2019
War of the Thistles
Last year we discovered many thistles on our land. We worked to remove them from the yard area. We dug up some on other parts of the land but focused on the yard. This year we have worked to remove them from the middle yard, chicken yard, and area by the creek. Yesterday we finished by the creek and earlier in the week we finished in the chicken yard. Some regrow and some may have been missed, but for the most part they are gone there. Next we need to work on the perimeter by the trees and on the other side of the creek. It is nice to walk the land and only see an occasional thistle, rather than having them over take the land.
We can enjoy the flowers they make on other peoples land without having to worry about stepping on them on ours.
We can enjoy the flowers they make on other peoples land without having to worry about stepping on them on ours.
Friday, May 10, 2019
Black sex link
Not sure -- coloring is like a Colombine Wyadotte, but I am not sure Might be a white leg horn but she is calm and that breed is typically high strung
Looks like a Golden Wyandotte, with Brahma feathers on her feet and smaller like a Brahma
Not sure Best guess White Rock
I have been calling this one Red Sex Link but I think I was wrong and it is a Rhode Island Red, and I think ours that we named Buffalo is also a Rhode Island Red.
We also got a Buff Orphington, but I did not get a picture of her.
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