4/29/2018 0 Comments In the GardenI come to the garden alone, while the dew is still om the roses, Boy, it's been quite some time since I posted! Life gets a bit chaotic with 4 young children, homeschooling, a self-employed husband of multiple professions, and what has become a small farm in our suburban backyard! There seems to be little time devoted to writing anything about what is going on. Maybe that will change slowly as the younguns get a bit older and more self-sufficient. For now, we seem to be finally finding spring for good... maybe. This sure has been a crazy weather year. Yet, God is good, and has been blessing us. Not only in the garden at home, but He has also blessed me with a second garden to work for my father's business associate, very close by! We now have a flock of 7 chickens! 4 just were not providing the amount of eggs we go through in a week, so this year we added 3 more. It would have been 6 total, but an unfortunate occurrence brought us to one more. We seem to finally have a fully integrated flock now, who reasonably well get along, and we should begin to see full egg production from all birds within a couple of months! I introduce to you, from oldest to youngest, our hens: Clucky -or- The Home Depot Special She joined our family in a bizarre way, which deserves a telling in a post all its own. It is filled with hilarity and chaos. She started off our chicken-keeping adventure! Mo, Chickie, and Teddy Rhode Island Red hens that we bought as chicks at the beginning of last year, once we had determined what Clucky was, and we were fairly sure she would accept them. She did! Goldie The lone survivor of the pair of Silver Laced Wyandotte chicks that we bought at the first of this year. Unfortunately, chickens are omnivores and scavengers, and Sylvie, her buddy, did not survive their escape from their enclosure. Goldie did not take well to being alone, and so... Gretel and Pudge Australorp chicks bought as a pair in hopes Goldie would not attack them as she might a lone chick, as they were 4 weeks younger. Amusingly, she took them under her wings, quite literally! She seemed to adopt them as her babies, and I got to witness her covering them with her wings under the heat lamp on a few of the cooler nights. Goldie also put up with their chick antics as a mother hen would, even with them climbing on top of and around her! Yes, I have pictures! What about where you are? Are you able to play in the dirt yet? Do you keep backyard chickens? Or are you still dreaming of one or the other?
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8/1/2014 0 Comments Movin' on up!Well, now! I have finally come around and realized it's been quite some time since I've updated this blog. A little over 2 months of silence. Been wondering where I'm at? Well, if you follow my homeschool blog, you already know it's been quite a busy and hectic summer for us. We have a new baby on the way, due in October. So, we've been preparing for another child, as well as preparing for an early start to our studies this year to allow time off around when the baby comes. In the midst of it all, we've decided to switch two rooms in our house to make a schoolroom a part of our study/office and have a designated study space for each of the youngsters. And on top of all of that, we have had a couple of trips to take for family events! This has left the garden pretty well neglected this summer. The okra was half-gone, and mostly gone to seed when I finally got back to unearthing it from the massive weeds and towering cosmos that had taken over. A few tomatoes clung to living - I'll be planting those hardy ones again next year! I know there are some peanut plants that have sprung up and I can see glimpses of. Even a random beet plant has made it so far! A few green bean vines are still trying to produce, even though I can't even get to them right now. I still have more unearthing to do. I can also see the kale growing back there, without my being able to get to it, either! All the while, the lime tree has been drooping lower... and lower... and lower, weighed down by the limes it put on this spring! And underneath it, the Concord grape vine has been quite happy, and my hubby has enjoyed going out to pick the grapes as they ripen. Even the munchkins are getting in on harvesting those! =) So far this year, we've harvested at least 2/3 of a bushel of small limes (the picture is just one of the two pickings). We've just started to harvest, too! I've been taking those up to the farmer's market to sell on Saturdays. I've also been enjoying them myself a good bit. They're great to add to water for a little zest and flavor! Now here it is, the first of August, and I realize the summer has slipped away, and it's time to prepare for fall!! Seeds have begun to arrive - new rounds of things I don't have from my own plants. Yesterday brought spinach, kale (mine won't go to seed!), and some new corn I want to try for the fall. This year I'm going to go a little more standard in my seed-starting, and I've ordered trays to start my seeds in! I'm movin' on up in the garden world over here! =) Speaking of movin' on up - even the old truck I use for market (and play) has gotten a much-needed upgrade of new tires!! Poor hubby was having to air them up nearly every time we wanted to drive the truck. I guess after about 17 years, they need to be replaced. ;) Well, here goes the start of August... my "threshing floor" has been cleaned out and set out to dry this morning. What's my threshing floor? Well, it's our old little 36" kiddie pool. =) It should be completely dry by now! I need to have seeds threshed and ready for planting when those new trays arrive! I also need to get some seeds packaged up and ready for sale both online and at market. It would also be nice to go ahead and plant some of my direct-sow things for fall and see if they'll survive the rest of our summer. I'm hoping for a reasonable next couple of months, with no major spikes in temperatures! We're already on our second cool front, so there's hope!
I also plan to rearrange how I plant my garden this year, now that I know my brassicas can last over a year!!! They will now be planted in the back part of the garden, with the rotational plants going into the front, where I can pick and harvest those more easily, as well as replace them more quickly as spring approaches and it's time to put in THOSE rotational crops! =) How does your garden grow? It only took until May! How did your garden fare in that last arctic blast? I showed pictures of mine all covered, and soon thereafter the covers were thrown off, and the hoping that everything wasn't dormant began! I did find a little bit of damage on some of my green beans that were less protected by other plants, but that seems to be all that was affected in this last bout - HOORAY!!!!! But what's this talk about snow into June in Colorado?? It seems that nothing went dormant - hooray! Tomatoes have been growing a good bit, and now I'm seeing some already formed and growing on my Rutgers plants! My San Marzanos also have a few on the vine, as do my Blondchopfkens, and I'm hoping the rest begin to follow suit quickly! =) My squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe have come through just fine, and are finally really taking off. My squash is starting to put on blooms daily now, and the first squash is growing! I hope the others get the hint and come along as well. Unfortunately, between morning sickness, cold snaps, and a head cold passed on by my kiddos, my transplants that I sell have suffered terribly, and I've lost a good lot of them! =( I think slugs may have been involved as well, given the shiny sheen left behind in a number of little peat pots.... Thankfully, I can regrow the better part of these, and still within planting time here! =) So, it looks like in the next few days I will be reseeding squash, cantaloupe, and watermelon, and this time keeping better care and a closer eye on things! Peanuts are also going in, too!
How about in your garden? What's growing? What are you sowing? Are you still harvesting cold-weather crops there, and dreaming of warmth, or are you where the summers are just plain too hot for growing, and you're looking at the last couple of months of your gardening season before a few months' rest? Oooh... and a heads up! I'll soon be starting to post about the growing and production cycle of various plants that I grow, trying to answer questions I never did seem to find an answer to before growing them myself! I'll be providing pictures of the various stages of growth for them, as well. Keep an eye out - I'm still deciding on what order they'll come out! =) 4/16/2014 0 Comments Well, I THOUGHT Spring Had Come...I don't know about in your neck of the woods, but here on the Gulf Coast near Houston, we've been having downright decent spring weather... until a couple of days ago. I was excited, and I have been setting out my overgrown tomato plants from the greenhouse, enjoying watching the growth and the blooms as they've settled nicely into their places in the garden. See? Things were going quite well! Then, well, then Monday came. This is mid-April, y'all. You know, where we are usually hitting closer to 90 than to 40. Not this week! This week the weather decided to see if it could break some record cold levels. Monday started off quite nice and decently warm. The kids and I enjoyed some morning outside time, soaking up the warmth. We went to lunch with my father-in-law, our usual Monday custom. Going in, all was still well. Coming out was a whole different story. We watched it blow in through the windows. The clouds came in heavy and the trees were hanging on for dear life against that wind. Then we had to go out in it. There was no avoiding it - we had to go home sometime! Yep. It had dropped at least 15 degrees, and kept falling through the afternoon. So much for spring weather! I cringed each time I read or heard a weather report... and then that evening, I had to face the inevitable: It was mid-April, with plants growing great... and I had to cover these good-sized tomato plants against temperatures in the THIRTIES!!! I also had to move about a dozen trays of seedlings into the garage, and a couple of avocado trees in pots into the greenhouse! Here's what things were like for the next couple of days: Ahh... but here's the part I adore about this area: It may have hit 30s again last night, but today we're soaring up into the mid 70s, and 80s by the weekend! The covers will come off shortly, the seedlings will come out of the garage, and all will be well. At least for the foreseeable future.
How are things going in your part of the world? Easter is this weekend, and we're quite excited about it here! I have laughed at the memes going around Facebook, talking about not dying the white eggs, and just putting them out in the snow. Hopefully that's not a valid option for you! Happy Easter to all!! I'm sure it's not just me. In fact, I KNOW it's not! This country has been through one rough winter, all the way down even into Florida, who usually gets to escape the cold. Here on the Gulf Coast, it seems like we could count on one hand how many days we've seen the sun so far this year, and we're 1 1/2 months in! So, needless to say, I'm downright giddy over the sunshine that came out yesterday and today, and is forecast for a few more before disappearing behind rain clouds. Even then, we're supposed to stay in the 70s for highs! YIPEEE!!!!! What do things look like in your neck o' the woods? Here, the grass has completely died back. The garden (thankfully!) has survived with the winter crops - I can't believe they've made it through so many hard freezes! Thankfully, we finally roofed the greenhouse and covered the open sides with thick plastic about a month ago. Now my tomatoes are beginning to grow again! A heater in there is definitely helping things along!! Here - I'll throw in some greenery to help reset your sanity: What's inside the greenhouse, you ask? Well, not a whole lot to brag about right now, but it's finally getting somewhere! Here - I'll let you see there, too: Hopefully this coming week of MUCH warmer weather will help send the greenhouse and seedlings into overdrive. I'll try to get a new post up with updated pictures in a few weeks. There should be a massive change! =) What about you? Do you have any seeds started yet? Do you have a greenhouse, or start them indoors? What do you grow, and what are you starting so far? I'd love to hear! =) A few weeks ago (June 21), I noticed a caterpillar munching away on my fennel. I got very curious as to what it was, and grabbed the critter keeper (wishing I had a butterfly box like my neighbor!); I proceeded to cut the branch of fennel, put in water, and try to figure out what in the world I had! Just a note: apparently caterpillars are not the best documented, so it's pretty hard to ID from pictures just of caterpillars! Well, we were pretty sure it was a black swallowtail, judging from the pictures in our butterfly book. It was time to feed it and wait! And, boy did that thing eat and grow - FAST!! Oh, and did I mention we saw some eggs on the fennel, too? They hatched!! But only one survived... out of two we saw... The next day: June 22 Two days later (June 24), this thing was REALLY getting big! The next day (June 25th), the larger one seemed a lot less interested in food... well, I'll let you see what happened! Now came the wait and wondering (and watching the other one grow). Did we figure it out correctly, or would we be surprised with another caterpillar?? Meanwhile, on the same day, here's what the other one now looked like: And a size comparison of the second one with the chrysalis, also June 25th: I got a little lazy in the picture taking department, but watched daily as the other caterpillar became what the first one was. Days went by, and then on July 3rd, I find this (just before 9 am)!! The next thirty minutes were quite fun, with lots of studying this beauty up close, and reveling in the fact that we were right - we had a black swallowtail BUTTERFLY!!! Oh, and the second caterpillar decided that day was a good day to become a chrysalis, too! This time, we knew what we were getting out of the deal. Fast forward to today, just 7 days later!! And I was going to go out to move the car for my hubby, happened to glance outside, and lo and behold -- another butterfly waiting!!! More excitement, this time the baby was involved! :) I had noticed a few days ago that there were new eggs on the fennel in the garden (is our other butterfly already reproducing???), and while waiting for our butterfly today to dry its wings, I find these! Well, folks, that's all it took. More baby caterpillars - I need a butterfly box! Time for some gourd baking!!! I made a preliminary plan, found the wood I wanted out of the discard stash in the garage, and hubby dropped off power tools... what was he thinking?!?!? ;) I started the day finding 4 caterpillars (while holding the butterfly), found out the hard way that red wasps eat them (strengthening my disdain for them), found 2 more caterpillars while rescuing the remaining two of the first four, and then found two more caterpillars just before dark! We have SIX caterpillars now!!!
I also found what I think is an egg just about to hatch, producing one more! Thank goodness we have a nice, roomy box now for them - they can really eat a lot once they get bigger, and I"ll have to pack it out with fennel to keep them all fed! I guess this goes alongside my gourd-baking, but 2 days ago, while watering, I saw the first blossoms of my favorite yard "weed." At first glance, they were just buds. Then I looked again, and noticed a change. Grab the camera, plop down, and let's go! I give you a pictorial account of what happened next. My son that I homeschool got to watch about half of the morning's event. So very exciting, and it all took place in about 30 minutes! I don't know about you, but I found it simply amazing to watch those flowers unfurl! Sadly, six hours later, their time was up! I had never realized they lasted so short a time. The morning's pictures ended just after 9 am. These were taken just after 3 pm. We checked back just an hour after that, and found one last, sad sight of the flowers spent.
3/19/2013 0 Comments Baking GourdsOK. So, some years ago, my husband discovered just how oddly "creative" I could be. I found these adorable little bitty yellow gourd-looking things growing wild in our apartment's garden area. I'd been thinking of growing gourds for the fun of it, and wondered just how they got them so dry! I decided the trick must be in drying them. So, I proceeded to proudly pick a number of them, take them to our apartment, cut them open, and see if I could dry them on a low setting in my oven. During this, my hubby came home and was VERY amused to say the least. Boy, have I come a LONG way from those days!! Yes, like many of you, I had absolutely no knowledge of much of anything that had to do with gardening! I knew you put seeds in the ground, watered them, maybe gave a bit of fertilizer, and they produced food, right? RIGHT?!? Well, I was a miserable failure at it past the sprouting stage for quite some time, and really only in recent years have I gotten the hang of actually getting produce from those plants in any reasonable amount. All of this to say, the code words around our house for my going off on a wild creative tangent is now "baking gourds." We have noticed the trend peaks in spring and fall. It's spring. Guess what??! Yep. I've been gourd baking away! For starters, what happens when I severely trim back the apple tree? I decide that it would be fun to try and make my own basket from the branches! Note to self: while the apple branches are great for the basket shaping, they are NOT great for the weaving aspect of things. So, that got shelved for a few weeks until... The grapevine needed trimming back! You know, grape vines fresh-cut really are quite bendable. They weave a LOT better than apple branches! So, TADA!! Yep, I did it, handle and all! It may not hold small things very well, but I look forward to putting the tomatoes in it once they start ripening!!
As if THAT weren't enough gourd baking, my lime tree has suddenly burst into bloom. And by burst, I mean completely coated itself with blossoms this year. It. Smells. HEAVENLY!! If you're not familiar with citrus blossoms, imagine something along the lines of honeysuckle or gardenia. Just wonderful! As this blooming season has gone on the past few days, I've noticed the petals dropping off from the blossoms. You know, those petals smell an awful like that blossom smell! Enter Baking Gourds tangent #2! I've been making lotion bars for sale and for personal use for the better part of the last year, and so I have coconut oil readily available, as one of the 3 ingredients. Somewhere in a magazine, I had read an article about scenting coconut oil being popular in some tropical island locale. Put it all together, and for the past couple of days, I've been slowly rotating out lime blossom petals to scent the coconut oil in order to make a new batch of lotion bars, and I'm hoping the scent comes through!! Through this, I've discovered that there's some kind of freakish bee that just hangs around my lime tree. Seriously. It hovers in the air and "guards" the tree. He stares me down. And creeps me out a bit. He doesn't like me collecting the petals from the ground under the tree. From what I can find on the internet, I think it may be a male carpenter bee. He's strange. Oh, the things you can discover in the garden!! |
Carmen's Space to WriteI love to garden and craft, which becomes quite interesting with 3 little ones underfoot, and homeschooling the oldest! Archives
April 2018
CategoriesAll April Backyard Carpentry Caterpillars Chrysalis Cold Cold Front Cool Front Dormancy Easter Fall Fennel Gardening Gourd Baking Grapes Growing Cycle Limes Okra Plant Cycle Seedlings Seeds Seed Saving Spring Squash Summer Threshing Tomatoes Winter |