What did you do in the garden today?

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I have a stainless steel work table in my kitchen ( too small for an island). I use that for kneading bread dough and rolling out pie crust and pizza dough, but use parchment for baking cookies and separating meat before freezing. I’ve thought about getting a silicone mat but I wonder what the life of one is. Is it more cost effective than parchment?

 

[WthrLady]

Ok, so I have this low spot near the coop and water from the yard would flow through and when we moved in you could tell that several years of water flowing downhill was going to eventually cut a deep channel.
So for the past 6 years we've been dumping in scrapings from the hen house and run until it was mounded a little, now we're starting to cover it with alpaca manure and stall/corral sweepings. Then we'll toss in some grass seed and be back to a normal yard.

This morning I saw that we had many, many ink berry bushes, which you don't want. So I went out to weed those out. I kid you not, there must be a dozen LARGE, STRONG, rogue tomato plants out there too ! (The girls get tomatoes to eat a LOT) LOL. I'll mark them so DH doesn't squish them and any tomatoes grown there will be for the birds. LOL.

We bust our butts to get them to grown in neat rows and up ladders, and poof, they pop up on their own, healthier than ever.

Nature, am I right?!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Anytime I get volunteer tomato seems they flower but never get a tomato on them

 

[WthrLady]

We have 'maters!

 

[pennyJo1960]

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I helped a squirrel out of my garden. We just put up fencing around it, thinking it was a rabbit eating my vegetables. Came out in the morning to let the chickens out and guess who I see? A squirrel that can’t get out.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Today we pulled at least five tomato hornworms off the tomatoes. We also had at least five yesterday. Big ones, too. We fed them to the chickens -- they adore them.

The peach tree is getting some new growth.

The figs have tiny baby figs. The pumpkins are taking over the backyard.

The spaghetti squash, cantaloupe, and zucchini are just taking off.

The watermelons are still tiny and are not yet producing fruit.

One sunflower finally opened, and the roses are coming back after being devastated by escaped chickens.

The sage is spreading out, not up, and one of the pinks sprouted neon purple flowers.

The delphinium is getting new growth.

The butterfly bushes are getting some flowers.

We finally have a baby jalapeño.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I know something ate my one tire I just put 4 brussle sprout starts in Agian

 

[Sueby]

I have a stainless steel work table in my kitchen ( too small for an island). I use that for kneading bread dough and rolling out pie crust and pizza dough, but use parchment for baking cookies and separating meat before freezing. I’ve thought about getting a silicone mat but I wonder what the life of one is. Is it more cost effective than parchment?

I have a 14x20 & an 11x17 in this from Amazon.

.

 

[NewBoots]

but the bone meal sure gave a boost to the rose bush.

Pics of the roses please!

but I had NO idea I should be wearing a mask when cleaning the coop until my sisters boss got so sick & ended up in the hospital with parrot pneumonia. Not a common thing, but a thing nonetheless.

Many years ago I caught parrot fever (what they called it then) and was hospitalized for a week maybe two. But I caught that from handling dead parrots.

next will be onions, then some hamburger jerky.

I am going to have to look into that.

Does anyone use a drip irrigation system?

Not yet, but that is my big plan for next year for the raised beds at least. I'm pondering doing the fence line this year.

Yes, the chickens "helped" with the pile of corn husks.

Oh so helpful. Of all the vegetation I gave our birds yesterday, the big hit was a flake of straw that they scattered far and wide.

Just got back from the grocery pick up run and got everything put away. I seem to think I need supplies to feed an army. But lunch will be bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and chives. Got to get out and do the watering, I just had time to feed and water the critters before going out. I should do some feeding for the potted stuff too.

The nursery that sold and delivered the grafted crab-apple delivered a beautiful vine maple and picked up the crab so we need to dig a huge hole on the bluff for it. It's a better idea than another crab anyway and it already makes a little shade. I'll post a picture later. We'd like to be able to plant more of the native shrubs but we get full sun all day. Not complaining mind you, we love our property, but the salal and Oregon grape really need some shade. I've been hoping to plant foxglove, columbine, native bleeding heart and others but have put it off till our shrubs along the fence get big enough to provide some cover. We have two small wax myrtle and they'll try to become huge tree/bushes if they get the chance so there will be plenty of shade eventually. Less than a year ago this was an empty lot, in fact, the google maps pictures still shows it that way. Big green square with a couple pieces of heavy equipment sitting on it. Dang, now I have to see if we saved any picks of the place then.