What did you do in the garden today?

[Mini Horses]

Better late than never! Got working in my new garden area today -- a no longer used round pen. It's fenced, convenient to house, barn, electric & water. With some board replacement and a layer of chicken wire all around, it will be "mostly" protected from chickens & goats. Our grow season is long, Fall garden will be ready and next Spring I can get in early with already established beds.

HOWEVER -- it is work!! I did fence board repairs, tiller in shop, so pitchfork & shovels today. Have ample goat, chicken, horse fertilizer, beddings, etc. Thought about buying some soil (easier & ready) then said to self -- you have 15 acres of soil!!! What are you thinking?! So, tractor & shovels and dump trailer on mower. Do you see the WORK I'm seeing??????? Once done, will seem better. LOL.

My previous garden area was turned into chicken runs. So, I was searching for a close area that I would use, once begun. The ground is good, fence 99% done & tiller in shop!
I can say I feel MUCH better this AM than I did filthy, hot & tired yesterday. Calling shop on tiller today!

Began by removing some other items....

Some improvement is seen....

Some volunteer help arrived...

A stop work command was issued ...

Overnight temp protection had to be used ...

Volunteer tomato plants from the old hog pen ...

Here's my challenge.... 50 ft across...

My tiller will be quite welcome! Make things easier and allow planting to continue. Have some cattle panels & stores of old wood boards in my "treasure pile". Gotta walk the talk at some point and this year my garden has to work for me again. After all it is part of my "3 yr to be able to stay home FT" plan. Garden & preserving needs to be in place. This will be a permanent area, large enough for me, for sure!!

 

[Mini Horses]

Picked 28 lbs of butternut today. That is over 60# from only 3 vines!! They are still setting & growing fruits! Talk about overproducers...wow. Oddly, 2 vines produce large squash for the most part -- 3.5-5 lb -- other produces only smaller fruits that are 1.5-2.5 lb. Taste the same. Yummy! The vines are taking over & have consumed the tomato plants.

Looking at a feast.

Limas doing well. Many pods are full sized now & starting to fill. I'd say my first batch will be 2-3 weeks. Vines are full of pods and blooms. Should have plenty.

May go to produce auction & get a few tomatoes to can. May not. LOL

 

[CrealCritter]

Hauled 7 loads of manure in the gator. Many more to go. I'm pooped...

Literally -:lol

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with the seed fantasies:

I need that. I want that.

I don't have room for that.

I can make room for that.

Who am I trying to kid?

In my fantasies: My garden is perfectly manicured. There are no bugs. There are no diseases, either mystery or well known.

The plants maintain a diminutive form, each one only taking as much room as their description on the seed packet states. All plants are thinned or planted according to precise measurements to match their size as stated on the seed packets. No plant wanders into territory that belongs to an other plant. Walking paths are magically kept clear of weeds and sprawling plants throughout the growing season. (because my fantasy plants are too well behaved to sprawl)

And, I have time to lovingly tend every plant, every row, every bed. Destroy every weed.

And... I have time and ENERGY to harvest and process every vegetable and herb at it's peak of flavor and maturity. And, all of my canning jars are sparkling clean, and ready. The kitchen counters look like the Better Homes and Garden's displays. All the necessary pots, pans, bowls, colanders, and other equipment are ready, but not in the way, because I have miles of pristine counters. And there are never any conflicts between family activities and processing needs or energy levels.

Who am I trying to kid?

 

[Britesea]

Son and hubby spent some time digging a path to the garden gate. We have about 2 feet of snow, and vague humps where the raised beds are.

Hubby read this and said "Frost? Oh how cute!"

 

[more_frosting]

I took delivery of a new shed yesterday and spent yesterday afternoon and this morning building and painting it. The garden is almost finished, I just need to finish off a couple of paths and it'll be ready for summer.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Watered, weeded, and planted more corn and a few more peppers.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I HATE changing implements on the tractor. DH had a wonderful idea, lol. We should just buy a separate tractor for every implement and we'd never have to change them out!

 

[BarredBuff]

Refurbished an old bed, and added new soil to it. I covered it in plastic and then planted my Hoodoo melons in it. The main garden is still too wet to do anything with it. However, it looks well considering all of the rain.

 

[Mini Horses]

I have Cherokee Purple and Black Krim. Anyone tried each & any difference? First for me for those.

Also Mortgage Lifter, Big Boys....plus some cherry types...all types I've used before.

Started some Italian paste. Ready to order Amish Paste & Cow Tit......LG how do you feel about your various paste varieties?

Very light misty rain about 6....more coming. This got the soil moist so rest won't crush & run but, soak in. 3 days of scattered.