What did you do in the garden today?

[Eagle343]

I lost Angus, the baby of the lot only 8.5 years old, the mischievous one, who would drive all the others and us insane, bucking, fighting, chasing, un-tying my shoes and stealing my hats.
And Cosmo, my favorite, at 11 years old, who followed me around like a 220 pound puppy always looking for treats and scratches, or hanging out sunbathing and snoring.

Not that I don't enjoy the others, as they're ALL different, it's just not quite the same in the barn at the moment.

I think it's a type of nightshade and unripe berries have the same toxin as green potato

Something like that. I wanted to see if anyone has grown them before? I got the seed, and before I open pandoras box. From what I found they came to the US via German immigrants that left Russa in the 1800s.

 

[WthrLady]

Something like that. I wanted to see if anyone has grown them before? I got the seed, and before I open pandoras box. From what I found they came to the US via German immigrants that left Russa in the 1800s.

How'd I miss this?? You mean bush huckleberries?! Delicious

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

@TJAnonymous I don't know why your daughters dog is acting up but both of those breeds have a very thick undercoat. I know Arkansas gets really hot in the summer such as it is but do you think it may be too hot inside for it? My Pyrenees Kipper has a really nice doghouse but loves laying in the snow most days.

 

[chickengr]

We have coyotes, coons, Hawks, etc... I currently have a heavy duty tarp over the top. In the spring, I will attach tin sheeting for a more long-term protection. I also need to finish adding some fencing up to the roof. It currently stops about 4 - 6 ft off the ground. I also want to add some electric netting around the base to act as a predator (and goat) deterrent. But for now, it's good enough to get me through. Unless it's something that can climb the fencing, nothing is getting through. I've got wire under the dirt too...to keep them from digging out or something digging in.

what about rats? in my previous place I used raised pallet chicken coop for rabbits. rats killed half of the babies, I could not do anything about it.

 

[chickengr]

we had almost 24 h rain. good for our thirsty soil but bad for me (I am off grid). I had to turn fridge and freezer off.

 

[Eagle343]

How'd I miss this?? You mean bush huckleberries?! Delicious

They are a type of edible black nightshade (Solanum nigrum)

• Schwartzbeeren (Solanum nigrum variant): Small, dark purplish-black berries growing in loose clusters on herbaceous or semi-woody plants. Leaves are simple, ovate, and resemble tomato foliage.
• Bush Huckleberries (Vaccinium or Gaylussacia spp.): Berries are blue, purple, or black with a characteristic "crown" at the tip. They grow on woody shrubs with smooth, oval leaves. The underside of Gaylussacia leaves often has tiny resin dots.

 

[jerryse]

They are a type of edible black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) View attachment 4287199

• Schwartzbeeren (Solanum nigrum variant): Small, dark purplish-black berries growing in loose clusters on herbaceous or semi-woody plants. Leaves are simple, ovate, and resemble tomato foliage.
• Bush Huckleberries (Vaccinium or Gaylussacia spp.): Berries are blue, purple, or black with a characteristic "crown" at the tip. They grow on woody shrubs with smooth, oval leaves. The underside of Gaylussacia leaves often has tiny resin dots.

I think she may have meant garden huckleberry. A solanum species.

 

[jerryse]

Rough weather weekend coming. I processed 3 rabbits yesterday.

 

[TJAnonymous]

@TJAnonymous I don't know why your daughters dog is acting up but both of those breeds have a very thick undercoat. I know Arkansas gets really hot in the summer such as it is but do you think it may be too hot inside for it? My Pyrenees Kipper has a really nice doghouse but loves laying in the snow most days.

I don't think she is too warm. Ever since we brought her home at 8 weeks old, she has almost always had a human around because I worked from home or the kids would be home. Rarely was she ever left by herself... But the few times she was, as a puppy, she would destroy things. We got her a friend (our other dog, Odin) and the destruction stopped. Years have passed. Now all the kids are away in college and I'm working in our HQ 4 days per week so no one is here all day for most of the week. I've been hesitant to put her outside because the weather has been bad (sleet, storming, etc). She has never had a problem inside her years until the past week. So I can't help but think it's because she is upset (or maybe ecstatic) about being left alone.

 

[TJAnonymous]

what about rats? in my previous place I used raised pallet chicken coop for rabbits. rats killed half of the babies, I could not do anything about it.

I've actually been worried about rats, but I haven't seen any around the barn with the cats out there. They tend to live the high life around my chicken coops which are far from the rabbits. However, that's one of the reasons I'm opting for electric poultry netting around the outside perimeter... It's to deter rats too. The entire bottom 4 ft of the pen on 3 sides is welded wire wrapped with chicken wire to keep bunnies in and rats out. But they could still climb over until I finish the rest of the fencing up high.

Speaking of bunnies, our doe has kindled! I don't know yet how many babies she had. It was 25 degrees outside so I didn't want to leave the lid off the nesting box too long. I just saw lots of fur and stuff moving under it. I checked to make sure it wasn't a rat... And found one naked little buns. I covered it back up and shut the lid.

With the temperature expected to drop below zero this weekend, I'm really worried about whether they will freeze to death.