Lazy Gardener's Little Town Farm

[TexasLisa]

In Texas, we have to have a 'No Trespassing' sign. It doesn't matter if you buy it or make it, it must be put in a prominent place.

We can also put purple marks on trees, fence posts, etc. Purple paint trespass warnings carry the same weight as traditional "no tespassing" signs. They must be vertical lines at least 8 inches long and 1 inch wide and situated at about eye level, between 3 and 5 feet off the ground. This comes in handy for rural farmers.

 

[Beekissed]

I have no choice. Strangers are about all that ring the door bell. They usually leave money in my pocket and take poultry with them.

Well, there's your solution.....tell them they have to buy a chicken if they knock on your door!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I am posting this video because, I am deeply passionate about the sanctity of human life at all stages. Please take the time to view this video.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1196782320489424

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Today, I got out and dug a few potatoes. 5 ducks "helped". Ducks are much more polite when it comes to "helping" than chickens are. Went out at dusk to gather them up b/c heavy frost predicted tonight. Note to self: When picking potatoes in the dark... it's super easy to end up with some potato-rocks!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I am thankful for my church family. A couple I just met a few weeks ago, and an other couple that don't even attend our church got together and processed 20 birds for me. Hubby. BIL and I rounded the birds up, carted them to the farm in Frankfort. BIL stayed to help until I got done with Hospice nurse, then I went to help finish up. So, tonight, I have a fridge full of expertly cleaned chicken carcasses + 2 drakes. My little duck flock is now thinned down to where I want it. I have 4 ducks (1 black, 2 blue runners, and one Welshie) and 1 Khaki Campbell drake. Bonus: the ducks put themselves to bed tonight. Apparently, with the 2 extra drakes removed from the flock, they felt more vulnerable... or perhaps felt that they weren't out-manned, so went in their tractor without being herded in! I have about 12 more cockerels/roo to finish. I should be able to process them a few at a time when this current batch is moved out of the fridge.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Tonight, we got away for a few hours to go out to eat (second time in 8 months!) As dark was falling, I realized that I still had cockerels shut in the garden, and there was nothing I could do about it, b/c the HHA could not leave Dad to go open up gates, turn off electric to let the boys back in their night time pen. So, when we got home, hubby and I played flash light round up. I was able to snag all 11 of those bad boys and get them safely closed up.

 

[farmerjan]

My social life is going to the stockyards to a weekly auction sale. Or the twice a year poultry swap/sale ....or one of our purebred poultry shows..... Or to a Goodwill to look over the books.....or find some more bargains in decent jeans.....
USED and OLDER IS BETTER !!!!!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

African Marigolds can be massive, growing up to 3' tall. The French Marigolds are smaller, but, even then, some of those varieties can be quite large. I much prefer the smaller ones' B/C I want the benefit of marigolds, w/o dedicating a lot of space to them. I love to put nasturtiums throughout my garden. And, @Beekissed has forced me to grow zinnias for the pop of color they add to a garden. I also try to keep a Citronella plant growing year round, bringing cuttings in in the fall, then taking more cuttings as spring approaches. I love to have citronella planted here and there throughout the garden. And, MUST have rosemary, and sage in the garden. Mint... and Lemon Balm. I just love the sensory experience of all these plants!!!!

 

[wyoDreamer]

I found some 5 year old Stevia seeds. I figured what the heck and planted them in my starter tray. I now have 5 Stevia plants started. They are the only thing that has popped up yet, but spinach is slow to germinate and I don't expect the alpine strawberry seeds to even be viable.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Hubby helped me to muscle a huge rock out of the garden. This thing was massive. If I was "trying to hug it, my arms wouldn't be able to circle it at it's smallest diameter. Perhaps I'd come up 8" shy of being able to touch my fingertips together around it! It was buried just deep enough that I hit it every time I pushed the spade into the soil in that area. So, I decided it must come out. It took all of the strength that both of us had to offer, along with a 4' iron bar, and a 10' plank. I intend to roll it up against the front fence line, then... eventually remove a CP section to roll it out of the garden. Hopefully, Hubby can snag it with a chain, and drag it to the edge of the lawn. You wanna hear a funny? After he helped me get it out of the ground, he stood there and looked at the hole.

Him: "Now, you got a hole to fill."
Me: "Yeah."
Him: (looks around a bit more, and spies my pile of smaller rocks that have not yet been hauled out of the garden.) "you could back fill with those!"

Maggie has been sick for the past 2 days. Puking, black poop, off her feed, and most unlikely unrelated: a sore left front leg. She's eating tonight, so... hoping she's getting over what ever her issue was.

My last customer took the last batch of chickens. I believe I'm now down to 18 birds + a roo. I think 4 of the hens are older. So... that's not a bad ratio.