Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[oldhen2345]

It has been beautiful weather last few days, but before that we had a few nights with good frost. Down to about 28°F. I'm close to the lake, (Michigan) so others like my DD , had frost well before me. I'm like less then 15 miles as the crow flies. DD is about 40+ miles.
Many of my flowers have had it, but a few are still trying. My sorrel is surprisingly more tolerant, until a deep freeze. Knockout roses are still blooming.
All the pots that belong inside for over-wintering are inside.
Just wanted to share these 2 pix. of beautiful color. Took these late near dusk, so not the best focus.
Fire bush turned a nice red.
View attachment 2402199
This below is a Japanese Maple. It is growing for 2 summers here. Definitely a SLOW GROWER. Turned a really nice red autumn color.
View attachment 2402200
Saturday, I will be mulching the flower beds with shredded leaves, and grass clippings, for the winter. I first mulch the leaves, and then I run over a second time and bag them. This gives me a fine mixture, that does not act like straight leaves that don't absorb water, but somewhat run it off. This works really well in spring time, as the plants that sprout, do with less effort.

Beautiful pics

 

[jvls1942]

busy people..
I have been gone longer than I thought. In Sept I had a hip replaced. I am about all healed up now. going to have the other one done in Jan.
A couple down the way were selling organically grown garlic. I bought a pound for $14.oo.
actually had more like 1 1/2 pounds. 54 cloves
I never planted garlic before. the ground is still not frozen. We amended the soil and made a bed. planted the cloves 8" x 8" apart.
covered the bed with a foot deep of straw.
Now I guess all we do is wait for spring.
today is our last day of really unseasonal warm weather. 4 days in a row of 70F temps.
in November ?? in Wisconsin ??
We also planted 28 rhubarb . made one double row patch and then one single row patch with 12 plants. We didn't plan on that many, but a few people donated plants to us when they found out that we were looking for some.. I might have to build a roadside stand and start selling garlic and rhubarb..
we also made a 50 foot grape arbor. planted six grapes. concord..
that's about it.
Oh yeah, a friend gave me four roosters and four hens. He didn't have the heart to butcher them. We will wait until it gets good and cold out to butcher them. I think we will give some of them away as gifts . we have no room in any of the freezers for that many chickens........
....jiminwisc........

 

[sharron]

busy people..
I have been gone longer than I thought. In Sept I had a hip replaced. I am about all healed up now. going to have the other one done in Jan.
A couple down the way were selling organically grown garlic. I bought a pound for $14.oo.
actually had more like 1 1/2 pounds. 54 cloves
I never planted garlic before. the ground is still not frozen. We amended the soil and made a bed. planted the cloves 8" x 8" apart.
covered the bed with a foot deep of straw.
Now I guess all we do is wait for spring.
today is our last day of really unseasonal warm weather. 4 days in a row of 70F temps.
in November ?? in Wisconsin ??
We also planted 28 rhubarb . made one double row patch and then one single row patch with 12 plants. We didn't plan on that many, but a few people donated plants to us when they found out that we were looking for some.. I might have to build a roadside stand and start selling garlic and rhubarb..
we also made a 50 foot grape arbor. planted six grapes. concord..
that's about it.
Oh yeah, a friend gave me four roosters and four hens. He didn't have the heart to butcher them. We will wait until it gets good and cold out to butcher them. I think we will give some of them away as gifts . we have no room in any of the freezers for that many chickens........
....jiminwisc........

glad to see you back and that things went well for you. have a nice day

 

[Molpet]

busy people..
I have been gone longer than I thought. In Sept I had a hip replaced. I am about all healed up now. going to have the other one done in Jan.
A couple down the way were selling organically grown garlic. I bought a pound for $14.oo.
actually had more like 1 1/2 pounds. 54 cloves
I never planted garlic before. the ground is still not frozen. We amended the soil and made a bed. planted the cloves 8" x 8" apart.
covered the bed with a foot deep of straw.
Now I guess all we do is wait for spring.
today is our last day of really unseasonal warm weather. 4 days in a row of 70F temps.
in November ?? in Wisconsin ??
We also planted 28 rhubarb . made one double row patch and then one single row patch with 12 plants. We didn't plan on that many, but a few people donated plants to us when they found out that we were looking for some.. I might have to build a roadside stand and start selling garlic and rhubarb..
we also made a 50 foot grape arbor. planted six grapes. concord..
that's about it.
Oh yeah, a friend gave me four roosters and four hens. He didn't have the heart to butcher them. We will wait until it gets good and cold out to butcher them. I think we will give some of them away as gifts . we have no room in any of the freezers for that many chickens........
....jiminwisc........

I see a lot of rhubarb pie in your future
Parting the birds out saves a lot of space In the freezer.

 

[jvls1942]

yep, we part the birds, but our freezers are level full.. we have a few bags of blackberries that we want to make wine with. that should free up space for the chickens.
we ran out of the nice days of indiian summer. today it looks like rain, but it is still in the mid 60F's..

yesterday I back bladed the driveway. that is always a relaxing way to spend a little time.
.......jiminwisc.......

 

[jvls1942]

good early days of winter.
raining here and the temps are dropping. No snow ... yet.
Nephew who stays with us asked if he could turn the new chickens loose. I said , go ahead.
this was the first time those chickens went free ranging. they stayed in a bunch and wandered through the black walnut grove. There was not a bit of squabble among the 4 roosters.
Now with any luck at all, a bobcat will come and thin the flock.. I really am not in the butchering mood..
.......jiminwisc......

 

[oldhen2345]

good early days of winter.
raining here and the temps are dropping. No snow ... yet.
Nephew who stays with us asked if he could turn the new chickens loose. I said , go ahead.
this was the first time those chickens went free ranging. they stayed in a bunch and wandered through the black walnut grove. There was not a bit of squabble among the 4 roosters.
Now with any luck at all, a bobcat will come and thin the flock.. I really am not in the butchering mood..
.......jiminwisc......

With my luck, the cat would cull my favorite fat hen. Twice now, I have had a very special favorite in the flock and a predator got them.
I turned my littles out to free range and they are the most shy chickens I have had. They hang around the baby barn and do not stray far from it. Several times during the day, they go back in to rest and put themselves to bed every night in there. I was hoping by now, they would kinda join the others and put themselves to bed in the big coop. Well, tomorow IS another day.

 

[jvls1942]

those chicks might never go to the other coop on their own.
a long time ago I had a 8ft x 8ft coop. One day I decided to relocate it. I hooked up the tractor to it and dragged it about 50 feet to where I established my permanent chicken yard. that night, all of the chickens went and laid down where the coop used to be..
...jiminwisc.....

 

[bruceha2000]

Congrats on the hip replacement, I suspect that has improved your life a fair bit. You'll be a new man in Feb/Mar!

That is a LOT of rhubarb!

 

[jvls1942]

Yeppers, it is a lot. if it all grows. Next summer I will not be able to harvest it yet. gotta let it get established.
If the garlic quadruples, I should have 200 cloves next spring. I will use the smaller ones and save the larger ones for fall planting.
maybe I should build a roadside stand and sell rhubarb and garlic .LOL
Yes , the hip is a great improvement in my life. can't wait for the other one to get done.
.....jiminwisc.....