We have had much needed rain here on the farm this past week. You can water with the hose, but it sure doesn't have the same effect as good old rain.
The garden is doing beautifully! We have had our first good sized picking of strawberries and blackberries. They are both very sweet and delicious, but best of all WE grew them and they were grown without any pesticides!
The raised bed gardens are doing very well. I do have to admit though it has taken some relearning on my part to go from a huge 40 x 70 row crop type garden to square foot gardens. It has been amazing how much less work it is...once you get the beds installed! Here's the view of our gardens and our hives.
 |
| This bed has 16 "Sparky" Marigolds, 16 Swiss Chard...just replanted and not up yet, 36 "Cherokee" Wax Beans, 72 "Blue Lake" Bush Beans, 4 "Black Beauty" Eggplant, 4 "California Wonder" Green Peppers, and 4 "Roma" tomatoes....all in a 4 x 8 bed! |
|
 |
| "Sunburst" Patty Pan type Squash...almost ready |
 |
| One of MANY "Black Beauty" Zucchini growing |
 |
| Beautiful "Roma" Tomatoes...going to be making our own spaghetti sauce soon! |
 |
| Winter Squash...either a "Spaghetti" or a "Waltham's Butternut"...with a few visiting insects |
|
|
We are very pleased with the progress of the gardens so far. Even the potted citrus trees are producing.
 |
| We will have Navel Oranges this year! |
I love having some flowers around the gardens too for several reasons. One they are pretty and add color to the garden and two, many of them are great companion plants and three, they bring in pollinators!
 |
| Dwarf Petunias |
 |
| We supply a watering hole for our visitors and our resident bees too. |
 |
| A wagon full of petunias....and they listened...they are really growing! |
 |
| A "Sweet" Seat....Strawberries :0) |
 |
| A gift from my sweet farmer man <3 |
This past weekend we planted 4 blueberry bushes and two butterfly bushes. We have been clearing the area around the greenhouse to make room to install a grape arbor as well as some thornless blackberries. My poor farmer man was in the process of cutting down an old pine stump while I was working in the greenhouse. He was using the chainsaw when all of a sudden I hear, "Oh No! Oh No!...not something you wish to hear when the man you love it using a chainsaw! I bolted out of the greenhouse thinking, he has hurt himself, he cut into the stump and their were wasp or hornets in the stump, among other terrible things, to find him gently holding a Scarlet King snake. Just a little fellow, maybe 8 inches long. My Farmer was heartbroken! He didn't see the little guy until the chainsaw has cut through the bark where he was hiding. He tried to stop the saw, but was unable to. He is quite the herpetologist and has spent much of his life searching out different hard to find snakes, amphibians and reptiles. Bless his heart, he had never found a live Scarlet King snake. We quietly look at the beautiful fellow and said we were sorry. What a beautiful snake who lives it's life tucked in between the bark of old, dead pine trees eating termites and other small insects. I hope that my farmer man will find a live one....it would make his day.
We are so excited that one pair of the Canadian Geese that we had staying at our pond have returned. This pair is a "Wild" pair, but it is very apparent that they are used to people and being fed. We call him/her "Hissy Goose" and His girl.
 |
| "Hissy Goose" in the back and his girl in the front |
We are hoping that maybe the four others that were released here at The Old Five Notch Farm are off with new babies and doing well. We have seen pairs of geese in the area with little ones at various ponds and lakes. I would LOVE for them to return and even bring the rest of the family home.
The warmer weather has us preparing to keep the flock as cool as we can. We already have two box fans and a misting system to help keep everyone cool. I have just purchased the items needed to make a swamp cooler for our sweet "Tommy". We have added more shade cloth and a "new" used umbrella to install a dusting area and additional shade. We'll be posting as we add new ways to keep everyone comfortable. Frozen treats and frozen water bottles are always welcomed by the flock!
 |
| Treat time brings everyone running! |
The Guineas that "Broodie" hatched are doing well and growing fast. It has been interesting to see the little buff guinea, "Buffy" go figure, grow and change. We can't wait to see what color he/she turns out to be.
 |
| Our "Buffy" growing up fast! |
 |
| Our little "Buffy" <3 |
 |
| "Broodie"and her keets. She is one SERIOUS Foster Mom.....you don't mess with her babies or be prepared to be bitten and kicked...repeatedly! She is FINALLY getting some of her feathers back in. |
 |
| "Momma Broodie" showing the keets that the green stuff IS good to eat. |
 |
| "Momma" found a treat |
We have been so very blessed with good hatches with the guineas and the chickens too. We didn't think we would set any more eggs, but due to phone calls and requests we now have a WAITING LIST for guinea keets and for Golden Laced Wyandotte chicks. We currently have 37 good guinea eggs in the incubator due to hatch June 17-19, 34 good Golden Laced Wyandotte eggs in another incubator due to hatch June 10-12 AND we have just purchased another incubator to set 41 more guinea eggs for one gentleman! We are thrilled to have such a good response to our little ones and look forward to sharing pictures of the new babies as they arrive.
Here's the line up...Keets in the first incubator, Chicks in the middle
and we will be loading the last incubator today with guinea eggs. Stay
tuned for our Hatch-A-Mania!
No comments:
Post a Comment