Cabbage Loopers - oh my

A picture is worth a thousand words and I'll still probably add a few.

See those sticks.  A week ago, those were my lovely kale, collards, broccoli, lettuce and radishes.  (Okay, so the lettuce was getting bitter and needed to go but.....)  I have another raised bed that looks just the same.  My precious brussel sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage look just like this. 

Can we say "NOT A HAPPY CAMPER"?  All together now. 

 Apparently, my choices are to spray pesticides or completely cover the ground with broken eggs shells.  My vote, broken eggs shells.  We did do that but not unbroken lines around each plant.  Second big lesson for next year.

Lesson One - don't plant things too close.  There are spacing suggestions in my seed books for a reason.  I guess I was just a little too over anxious - don't you think?

If the actual baby cabbages aren't damaged, I can save those.  I'll try and replant the rest, just not as many. 

See, I said I was going to add more words.

Now off to rip those puppies out of the ground and send'm to the composter. 

P.S. - on the upside, my potatoes couldn't be lovelier.  (it's funny if you say it with the My Fair Lady accent.)

Oh NOOOOOOOOOO....... tomato blight.

I was going to rename this "Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow" but alas, my name isn't Mary. 

We have suffered the slings and arrows that Mother Nature has thrown at us over the past few weeks, tomato blight, cabbage worms, torrential downpours, high wind and hungry puppies.  We have also had some great moments:

.

Potatoes growing taller than me (5'3") and
the Yukon Gems are about ready to harvest..... that's

the potting shed (old greenhouse) in the background.

Corn about 3 ft tall (not pictured because I take lousy pictures).  Because it is such a small patch of corn, I will have to hand pollinate them when the time comes.  If everything goes right, we should have 25-30 ears of corn for the family.  Yippee. 

Squash blossoms that Shiner hasn't eaten (he uprooted and ate 3 whole plants)......  Who knew dogs could be vegetarians.  He has also demolished most of the spinach and one container of sweet potatoes.  I promise I do really feed him. 

There are the cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.  The individual plants are about 2 feet across and I've learned that next year, I need to space them out.  Unlike what Chef Michael Simon says, some things can't be smushed together. 

The Golden Sun Sweet tomatoes are about

ready to eat and they are naturally yellow.

I don't know if my husband will really

eat a tomato that  isn't red. 

Here are the newest additions to Chateau Willow.  Silkie hens.  The pretty one is Silkie and the not-so-pretty one is Sweetems.  She pretties up a little every day.  (You did know "pretties up" is a verb in Texas, didn't you?)




Again, I feel like the woman in the old Mervyn's commercial ("open, open, open") and kids when you travel ("are we there yet").  I didn't realize that a couple of months really meant A COUPLE OF MONTHS.  You cannot rush or mess with Mother Nature.  A lesson that Monsanto should take to heart.  (I shouldn't complain about Monsanto, they gave my son a small scholarship for college.) 

In our instant gratification world, slowing down to nature's speed is calming to the heart and spirit.  Something we should learn to appreciate and embrace.

SO...... I'm off to "watch my garden grow".

Things you encounter.

As promised, here is my salad and everything is either from our garden or our chickens.

They mowed the horse pasture this past week end and the copperheads are heading to higher ground.  While this isn't the one Jonathan and Lowell encountered, this is what they look like.  Our's is now "deader than a doornail" and they threw it over the fence before I could get a picture.

Another thing I learned this weekend,  Shiner, our Blue Heeler, loves fresh spinach.  He eats it right off the plant.  I wondered who/what had been eating it - now I know.   

It's been a while.....but things are going nicely.

Well, it has been over a month since I posted last.  Sorry for the delay but I got a new piece of technology (an iPad) and my brain doesn't exactly wrap about Apple's thinking.)  :)   

We actually have 288 sq ft under cultivation (sounds better than 24 x 12 patio, doesn't it?).  We'll make the move off the patio next season.

If you recall a month ago, we didn't have much to show for our work but what a difference a month can make.  We have collards above, lettuce and radishes to the right and Jonathan's Golden Sweet Tomatoes, below.  (I don't do tomatoes, I'm allergic to them.)  The Yukon Gold potatoes are at the very bottom.  Those are the ones that I thought I killed.  

It turned out, the only thing I've killed so far is the Florida Cranberry (a/k/a Red Hibiscus Tea).  I've replanted twice and not much luck.  I think the weather changes (we have a cold spell - lower 40s - about every other week) is getting to them.  I'll try again in mid-May because I love Red Hibiscus Tea and it's too expensive to buy. 

I think is it cool how the potato sacks are about 2 feet tall now and getting taller everyday.  It was interesting to find that sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are grown differently.  You mound regular potatoes but not sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes don't like any kind of cold weather so we planted them in 5 gallon buckets in order to move them in the greenhouse when it gets too cold.

The beans are finally coming up.  I got impatient waiting for the first ones so I planted another crop.  Now I have twice as many beans as I intended.  I'm going to need to learn to can and/or freeze our produce.  If you know of anybody, message me.  

The corn, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli and squash are still at the small stage but they are getting them.  I'm still waiting for the okra to sprout. 

We have started cutting lettuce and spinach for salads.  You harvest different parts of the patch on different days and you continually have fresh lettuce to eat.

Puppy (a/k/a Shiner) is still our major culprit that gets into everything but he is getting better.  We just have to keep him busy and out of the garden.   

Lastly and I'll take a picture tonight, it was such a great feeling to know that everything (except the cheese and I'm working on that) is from our garden.

Eventually, we'll have the whole yard as a veggie/fruit garden and when maybe Chateau Willow will come to fruition (get it?).

More later.........        

What a difference a day can make!

I was so excited to have transplanted all the seedlings to their respective raised beds.  I was trying to work in the moment.  The sun on my face, the cool breeze, the soil falling between my fingers.   

Excitement can quickly turn into trepidation.  Did I break any stems..... are they going to live.... did I water them enough..... are they getting too much sun?

The kitchen herbs have been the only casualties so far.  Quinn and Shiner didn't like the way they were planted and upended them.  Replanted the basil, thyme, oregano and fennel.

An hour after I finished working in the back yard, there was a crash that shook the whole house.  It sounded like a car wreck on the street but the dogs ran to the back.  Looking out over the pasture below, there was nothing out of place yet something was missing.  The oak tree was gone and so were our parts of our fence.  We are blessed that the 100 ft. tall 6 ft around tree didn't hit the house, the chicken coop, the dogs or the neighbor's house although their deck didn't survive.

What a difference a day makes?  The tree is gone and nice piles of firewood remain.  Just two holes in the fence and a broken deck.  All fixable.

Plus all the plants perked back up after being transplanted.

I was just thinking.......

I'm reading this book called The Clear Light of Day that seems to speak to my soul.  The following is the author's synopsis of how to live a peaceful life:

"Simplify; small is beautiful; cherish the living earth; bless the community where you live; think globally, act locally; watch your boundaries; choose what is handmade with love; don't eat food you don't like; don't be deprived of firelight; don't take anything seriously; and don't let people get you down."

I think it is quite well said and alludes to my sudden, as some would say, interest in urban homesteading/farming.  Being a wife, mother, daughter and employee, I am continually pulled in opposing directions.  Some - not fair to me.  While God calls us to be there for others, he also understands that we need to be there for ourselves.  This is not a selfish attitude because if you take care of yourself, you will be more to give others.  We work all the time so we can have "things" but when we get home, we are too tired to enjoy them.  I, personally, am trying to incorporate the small things, homegrown, handmade and cherished so my soul is recharged and my counternance will shine brighter.

I was just thinking........ now off to contemplate the transplanting of all my seedlings to the garden.  Yippee. 

Let's just hope they all live.

Really!?!

Okay, grammar usage note for the day.  "Really" is an adverb.  It's not supposed to be used as a one word comeback.  I didn't notice that I used this as my go to comment when somebody cuts me off while driving until it was pointed out that it's not meant to be a one word statement.  See http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57532010/faith-salie-is-really-worked-up-over-really/ for the full commentary on the use of "Really".  Funny how when brought to your attention, your subconscious brings it out more.

Just throwing that out there.  Enough philosophizing for now. 

People who know me know that I'm basically a couch potato.  Okay, my hands are usually really busy, but I'm a couch potato just the same.  This gardening thing (which is what we're really doing at the moment, urban farming will come later) is a lot of hard work.  No wonder our grandparents were usually pretty thin.  I get home and spend time checking on all the seedlings and transplants, then go turn the compost pile and check on the onions and potatoes.  (This photo of me as couch potato is payback for putting Jonathan's picture in a previous post.  He was not amused.)

 There are also times when you get to say "THIS IS FREAKING AWESOME!"   After a not so quick trip (with a stop at Whataburger and Roach's Feed & Seed) to Northhaven to find out why my peas were wilting.  Who knew they would get overheated when it is just 53 degrees outside?  I do now.  Got home and started "hardening them off" by transplanting them in their new home.  BTW, hardening off is when you get them used to outside by putting them out for a little bit every day and then finally leaving them outside all the time.  Just so you know, fact finding missions to any store will normally cost you money.  This little trip with all its stops cost us $100!

This is where the "freaking awesome" comes in.  It looks like I'm finally doing something right.  See all those beautiful roots.  Every single one I turned out looked great.  

Its kind of entertaining to watch peas (or any other climber, for that matter) when you put a tomato cage near them.  They have these little feelers (kind of like curly antenna on bugs) that weave around in the air (albeit very slowly) until they find something to grab on to.  They then curl around the wire like a little baby grabbing a finger and handling on for dear life. 

Remember a post or so again I mentioned that I thought I'd killed my potatoes.  While, I checked and the Yukon Golds, Yukon Gems and German Butters all have some good sprouts on them.  I covered them back up and hopefully, as it starts to warm up, they will actually get some leaves on them. 

I love my roasted potatoes and I can't wait to try roasting my own.

Last but not least, DOG STORIES.  After spending 5 minutes in puppy time out for chasing chickens, Shiner decides it his time to help in the garden.  He is trying to dig up my newly transplanted peas.  Gotta love'm.

Open, open, open

Remember that old Mervyn's commercial with the lady standing at the door saying "open, open, open, ....."  Well, that it me when it comes to turning our back yard into a garden.  I want it all done and NOW.

This past week has been frustrating - you have to cover the seedlings at night so they don't freeze, then uncover them during the day so they don't burn.  It's worse than being cold with your sweater off and hot with it on.  Who knew Mother Nature gets menopause? When we left for work the other morning, we had to drive back to the house to take the frost covers off. This week is supposed to be more of the same.  Freezing at night and in the 50s-60s during the day.  No wonder everybody has a cold.  If our bodies can't figure it out, how does Mother Nature.

I planted the yukon potatoes according to the almanac and instructions.  They had good growing eyes on them but I think I killed them.  In small print on one of the articles I read said to not use soil amended with cow manure.  Well, I'll blame it on the cows.  Could have been the weather too.  I won't toss the baby out with the bathwater yet.  Maybe we'll all be surprised. 

I'm trying not to push them but I "stepped up" (moved from germination station to individual pots) the cabbage, collards, leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce and and cauliflower.  I needed space to plant some Roselle (Red Hibiscus a/k/a Florida cranberry).  This is the plant that Hibiscus tea is made out of. 

I'm also proving what a nerd I am - I'm really enjoying reading up on growing things.  Did you know that in Texas, by alternating halves of your patch,  you can cut the top 1.5" of your lettuce one day and do the same to the other half the next day and be able to eat salad almost every day?  It goes that FAST.  Can't wait to try this out.  Also enjoying playing with garden plan programs.  I put one on Jonathan's iPad that I found through Mother Earth and it actually interacts with the one for my laptop that I found on GrowVeg.  I think I just got lucky on that one. 

As I said earlier....... OPEN, OPEN, OPEN

I'm doing what?

I don't remember it being this time consuming when spending the summers with my grandmother and working (aka playing) in her garden. It was so much fun walking between the potato rows feeling the soft sand between my toes.  Of course, we always used her best kitchen spoon to dig them up with.  I'm surprised she never got mad at us. During the week, I just tend the seedlings but come the weekend, the list is very, very long and unfortunately cleaning the house and finishing the laundry aren't on the top of the list.

Off and running...... both Quinn and Shiner had vet appointments for checkups and shots.  Shiner is going great and is learning to be well-mannered like Quinn.  Quinn unfortunately tested positive for heartworms.  I feel like such a bad parent.  $308 later and we have more appointments in 2 weeks.  That is one dog that will be very, very hard to keep contained while he is being treated. 

Got the oil changed in the car, picked up dog food and made a run to pick up dirt.  You can't use just any dirt.  You have to use a RECIPE:  2 bags organic top soil, 2 bags organic compost, 1 bag organic food soil and 1 bag cow manure.  (Of course, it doesn't call for chicken poop - that I've got a bunch of.)

About half of our red onions died so we planted another set (about 50) of onions so we'll have red onions and Texas Super Sweets.   Onions make just about everything taste so much better.  My dad used to saute onions with butter and pepper on the grill when he cooked steaks.  He has been gone 15 years and I can still smell those onions.  

Finally got potato sacks started. Jonathan mixed the soil for me.  You put a couple of inches of soil in the sack and then plant your seed potatoes and add about 4 more inches soil.  By the time the season is over, the sacks should be about 3-4 feet tall.  We have Yukon Golds, Yukon Gems and two German Butterballs.

Jonathan

My first experience with potatoes did not go well.  Great foliage but no potatoes.



When we finished potato sacks, Shiner decided it would be fun to dig everything up.  Who knew puppies like to eat raw potatoes?  He now has a bad case of the hickups and the sacks now have a fence around then. I bet he still finds a way to dig up those potatoes.

Transplants

After finishing the potatoes, we started 2 retaining walls to terrace the backyard.  The back fence is about 20 feet lower than the house.  Some 10 foot privacy fence when it only keeps the chicken coop from being seen.  Speaking of chicken coop, we turned the chicken poop compost and used it to back fill the retaining walls.  That will be come healthful soil when we actually start cultivating it.

I got most of the tomato seedling transplanted and then sowed kale, red spinach and green spinach.  I think I have one more delivery of seeds from my favorite seed company.  Why are they my favorite you ask....... because I love the watercolor pictures in their catalog.   www.southernexposure.com 

Baby seedlings

This week's Eggs

 


















Here are this week's eggs from our chickens.  We are getting about 2 dozen a week.  My favorites are the green ones.  You save the shells to put back in the garden to keep snails and slugs out - plus great source of calcium.

Oh, did I mention the plumbing backed up on Valentines' night and flooded the 2 bathrooms downstairs.  Met with an awesome plumber on Friday afternoon.  Fixed in 30 minutes and I didn't have to rob a bank to pay him. 

I probably should have entitled this blog "MISadventures"

Well, I did promise pictures and here they are:

Chickens in their coop.  That coop took me a month
to build and I'm quite proud of it.





First on the weekend to do list was taking the leaf cover off the very green pool.   It will take probably 2 weeks for the green to become crystal clear.


Here is the rolling composter.  The barrel standing up with be our rain barrel. 



Here are the seedlings which
need to be transplanted.







    This is the new raised bed.






And finally, here are the "Murderers".  Quinn is the border collie/corgi mix and Shiner is the Blue Heeler.











I did not, however, get the laundry finished (still have 1 load in dryer), clean the house (need to dust and mop.  Heck - need to do everything except vac, hubby did that) or get any weaving done.   Groceries - who needs groceries?

Weekend To Do List

This weekend's To Do list includes making a rain barrel composter, setting up another raised bed, transferring seeds from germination station to individual pots, taking leaf cover off very, very green swimming pool (Quinn, the big dog, has already been swimming several times with the cover on!), and starting up the pool cleaner.

Is it too late to go back to bed?  I'll supply pictures as things get completed. 

Oh, did I forget?  Laundry, weaving and cleaning house needs to go in there somewhere. 

Actually - this was the first venture into Urban Farming - CHICKENS

We started in 2009 with chickens.  Lowell went to high school and joined FFA.  Of course, we had to raise farm animals, right?  Actually, we didn't.  Since Naaman Forest HS isn't a rural high school, FFA didn't require animals.

That didn't stop us - we got chickens.  Our first two were named PeeWee and Kitness.  An Americana and a Barred Rock - how could we go wrong?  Let me count the ways.  In 4 years, we've had I think 10 chickens.  We've lost them to coyotes, hawks, racoons, the mysterious FLAT chicken and being egg bound.

We currently have 5, Hattie (my favorite), FA a/k/a Fluffy, Betsy, Pocahontas and Sacajawea. Had I been thinking when we got Hattie, I would have named her "Phyllis Diller".  She is the funniest.  At night, we have to carry her to the coop because she is too pretty to mess up her "do" to fly/walk down there. Scratch that, Shiner the puppy killed Hattie today.

Sad.... tears..... need a hug. 

Where to start.....

Well, I thought about blogging as a way to learn to write better and more creatively.  I'm envious of my friends, +Kimberly Parker and Amanda because they have a wonderful way with the English language.  

Our family has had a small vegetable garden at the side of the house for the past few years.  We start with good intentions and then life gets in the way.  It was at the side of the house where we rarely go.  There are a few windows and it seemed we only looked out when the neighbor kids were screaming and using our yard as their playground or our dog went ballistic when the DOG (which shall not be named) was out.  Needless to say, the first year we did okay.  We paid attention and remembered to water.  Lots of lettuce and tomatoes.  The next two years, not so much.  Last year - nothing.

We (meaning me) vow to do better.  The grand scheme of my husband is to turn the whole back yard of our half acre lot into a vegetable garden.  Where will the chickens play?  More on them later.

So, we started with a trip to North Haven Gardens on one of their Wine nights.  Big mistake.....where did our money go and why did we buy that.  Did we really need $128 worth of garden soil?  We're starting with a 100 gal. water trough for a raised bed.  The guy from Tractor Supply didn't think we could get it in a Prius - showed him!  I've had a full size dryer and a chest style freezer in that thing albeit not at the same time.  We'll add more water troughs and big planters when the seeds are ready to go outside.  If this grand adventure works this year, we'll start terracing the yard and go all out. 

On January 5th, we started with 2 kinds of tomatoes and collards.  

Now, we have 3 kinds of tomatoes, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, ghost peppers, serrano peppers, jalapeno peppers, spinach, and sweet peas.

It's like Christmas when a package comes to the front door.  This time - German Butter Potatoes and two kinds of Yukon Golds.  Can't wait for them to "awaken" so I can plant them in burlap sacks.  Yes, I did say sacks.  

Well - on to impatiently waiting for more seed packets through the mail.