Filed under: Backyard farming, sustainability | Tags: backyard chickens, backyard farming, sustainability
How did I know several weeks ago when I bought a new young chicken from the chicken man at the local farmer’s market that this little chicken would bond with me and follow me everywhere? I have been letting her run anywhere she wants to every day but I fear she may get eaten by a pack of dogs that roam through here from time to time, or a fox (there are plenty around here) so starting tomorrow she will have to stay within a safe chicken yard.
Here she is tonight – she knows the sound of the trash can lid coming off where her food is tightly kept so she anxiously hopped up on the trash can, jumped down into the bucket of scratch and started stuffing herself (no pun intended). I just had to run and get the camera. She would barely look up long enough for me to get a picture of her cute little beady eyes.
She is jealous of the snake who got his own twitter account and has requested a blog of her own. I told her she can share this one with me.
By the way, her name is Henny Penny
Filed under: Backyard farming, Garden calendar | Tags: backyard farming, garden calendar
On Mother’s day, mother nature gave US a gift with the annual “blooming of the roses”. Every year when conditions are just right the wild roses bloom and fill the air with an intense rose aroma. In fact it is so strong that when working outside it almost is too much! After a while I swear I can taste the roses!
I am not complaining though. Every year I look forward to this event. When the roses bloom it is time to get the corn, tomatoes, beans etc. in the ground.
Over the years I occasionally find a wild rose-bush growing where she oughtn’t be. I have tried digging it up, even pulling the roots. However it is so hardy in this area that no matter what I do it just keeps springing up naturally. So I decided, “when you can’t beat it, join it”. I just allow the wild rose to live just about wherever she wants and the rewards have been plenty. She treats me every year to perfumed air.
I think this is probably what heaven smells like; just perfume in the air from the naturally growing flowers.
Filed under: Backyard farming, organic gardening, Photo Calendar, Uncategorized | Tags: backyard farming, organic gardening, photo-garden calendar
Here in the Ozarks there is something we all know as Blackberry Winter. Every year right when the blackberries start blooming we swing back into a very cold rainy spell. After being spoiled with 60 and even 70 degree temps, we are now (yesterday for sure, let’s see what today has in store) in a COLD spell. Yesterday at times I would swear it was winter again. So I went out to check the blackberries and sure enough, they are starting to bloom! It’s easy to get carried away with the warm weather but don’t put out the tender crops until AFTER we have had the Blackberry Winter!
Filed under: Backyard farming, container gardening, greenhouse gardening, organic lettuce | Tags: backyard farming, container gardening, greenhouse gardening, organic lettuce
April 28, 2011. Above is the lettuce in my greenhouse. It is a loose-leaf lettuce which is great because you pick the lower large leaves while the plant continues to grow. You can see 3 of the $1.77 Wally World coolers that I filled with good soil last fall. Around the beginning of January I planted the lettuce seed. It did sprout and start slowly but didn’t get really active until March. Then it sprang into action long before anything was really growing outside at that time. I have been picking lettuce for weeks now.
If you want to play the “Where’s Waldo” game, you can probably identify: a) the 2 outdoor solar lights (I have stuck into the containers for night-light), b) curled parsley and the ph meter in the foreground, and c) do you see the pea plant growing out of the lettuce? I planted peas at the same time I planted the lettuce, just to see if it would still germinate because it was an old package of seed. To my surprise I did have some peas that made it! Yesterday I harvested peas to put on the salad I take to work each day.
I have all this lettuce and still Lots of lettuce seed left. I paid less than $2 for the package of lettuce at Hirsch. Now there is a bargain.
Also, Last night was the Fun Run sponsored by the local hospital and folks, it was fun; the weather was awesome! I debated which to carry; a camera or a bottle of water. In the end, the water won so I don’t have photos. But, I will post some as soon as the PR dept. releases them. It was just 5K which is 3.1 miles, and I walk that on my treadmill all the time but you know what? It is different when you are going up hills, and doing a run-walk.
greenapple2012 