Aidenbaby
Lovin' The Homestead
Our lot is approximately 60 feet by 100 feet. The backyard is 60 feet by 27 feet. I'm not sure what the front yard is but I have the lion's share for a garden bed. I'm trying to slowly but sure get rid of all grass. I'm allergic to it and DH likes to think that he'll mow it but never actually does. We're in Colorado and it is hot and insatiably dry in summer with useless afternoon monsoons. Okay, maybe useless is a little harsh but sometimes it only feels like just enough to perk the grass up before it dries out again. I'm planning on posting a couple of pictures later. As far as self-sufficiency, I have (illegal) chickens and I'm working on getting my veggies in the ground. I have a daycare so getting anything done is a miracle in and of itself. This year, I planted 4 native plums (2 of which may not survive), 1 red maple and 2 downy serviceberry trees. I've read that serviceberries taste similar to blueberries and are easier to grow. I also have a pear tree in the front yard but with no others nearby, I am not expecting any fruit.
Today, I mulched the bed where the raspberries (Heritage and Anne), strawberries and sunflowers are. I should have done so earlier but wanted to give the sunflowers a chance to sprout first. HUGE MISTAKE as now everyone is trying to call it quits. This group of berries are planted on the outside of the chicken run. I, also, cleaned out the miscellaneous stuff from the run and got 4 small bucket-fulls of compost/chicken manure/dried grass. I put 1 around each of the red maple and serviceberries and the first bucket went to the compost pile.
My compost pile is ENORMOUS. I have my neighbor drop his grass clipping over the fence into it and also anything the chickens don't/won't eat (banana peels) goes into it. It has the pine shavings from previous coop cleanouts in it along with God only know what else. I feel like I'm fumbling and failing at just about everything. Good news is that I am learning. I learned last year that orange peels will kill redworms (good bye worm composting).
Today, I mulched the bed where the raspberries (Heritage and Anne), strawberries and sunflowers are. I should have done so earlier but wanted to give the sunflowers a chance to sprout first. HUGE MISTAKE as now everyone is trying to call it quits. This group of berries are planted on the outside of the chicken run. I, also, cleaned out the miscellaneous stuff from the run and got 4 small bucket-fulls of compost/chicken manure/dried grass. I put 1 around each of the red maple and serviceberries and the first bucket went to the compost pile.
My compost pile is ENORMOUS. I have my neighbor drop his grass clipping over the fence into it and also anything the chickens don't/won't eat (banana peels) goes into it. It has the pine shavings from previous coop cleanouts in it along with God only know what else. I feel like I'm fumbling and failing at just about everything. Good news is that I am learning. I learned last year that orange peels will kill redworms (good bye worm composting).
If it helps at all...we all feel like we are fumbling and failing sometimes at this whole SS thing. Seems like I make a new mistake every day and feel kind of stupid for not thinking of the solution or for having read up on the subject. 
