What did you do in the garden today?

[Hinotori]

I've been planning and working towards a new garden this year. I'm putting raised beds in the courtyard of the new silkie palace. It's fully fenced and silkies are pretty good as far as chickens go about destructive tendencies. They'll eventually kill all the grass and I plan on putting down bark.

I've kept pots of plants in with them for years and all they did was rest in the pots for the most part. They will eat some of the lower leaves on some plants, but the pea experiment went over fine and I got a few peas on the couple seeds I planted. Just taller varieties work best.

 

[Daisy]

I saw my first ever hawk here yesterday! I had seen them on mountain hikes before but never IN town. It was eyeing off my hatchlings. It swooped down just as I rounded the corner. Not a big one to threaten the chooks (isa browns) but definitely big enough to take the ducklings. Mumma duck honked and all the babies took shelter under the hedge. Their pen has chicken wire and shade cloth over the top so they should be safe from aerial attack but I will have to move them to a bigger pen later in the week so its good to know a few other options for the top of their pen as they grow. I may just house them in the old woodshed for a while, it is covered but with enough sunlight and shade and is plenty big enough to fit them all.

It is 40C (104F?) by 10am here today. The roads melted and the trucks are dumping blue metal dust on them all around my house. Not a great day to be in the garden. I did a little bit of watering this morning. Yesterday I picked some limes from the tree and will probably trade them at the pub later. I dont need quite that many all to myself. I picked some herbs for the bunnies, picked a few dill seeds and planted a couple. I am not very good at looking after seedlings/baby things. There are so many species of plant here it has been a challenge to learn how to care for them all individually.

 

[Daisy]

Sunflowers are coming up all over the place. The ducklings are big enough to go into the open paddock now and I chucked the chooks out the front. I advertised the ducklings for sale online cos this property isnt big enough for 12 full grown pekins! Jenshen and Crowly the chickens are really getting on in age so I will be able to keep 2 of the ducklings to replace them.

I picked most of the apples, only a couple littleies left on the tree now. The pears will be ready very soon. I took a bag of fruit and limes to the pub last night but still have a lot of apples and nashis to deal with. I had to cut a little new holland honey eater out of the fruit nets. It flew away to nearby shelter so I hope it is ok. There is certainly plenty of feed in the garden for them.

I repotted some apple chamomile which was looking sad and chopped another section of the hedge. Im trying to destroy the marshmellow root and thistle seedlings as they appear. That rain brought everything up!

Later tonight I will pick some parsley and sunflower shoots for the bunnies dinner.

 

[Beekissed]

Been putting up free 10 ft skids around the garden to reinforce the old fencing as well as extending the space a bit to encompass apple tree saplings. That extended space will be devoted to things that look good and provide bee food....perennial flowers and shrubs, as well as a small water reservoir for the ducks and bees.

Will continue to work on that fencing so I can get a cover crop sowed there asap.

 

[Daisy]

I started filling the tin garden bed. I LOVE where I have moved it to. I can see it from the kitchen window now so it will remind me to look out there for noms. I raked all the mess the ducks made into it and then dug it in a little on the back. Dug up a baby potato I must have missed last season! I am not sure about growing potatoes again as they are so cheap from the shops, my neighbours said not to bother with growing stuff like potatoes and onions here, although I have grown both before. I still have the top soil to tip in and then put the greenhouse back over it.

It was hot again today so I watered the seedlings. The radish, carrots and some more dill have poked up their heads. Kale looks close to coming up, just a little sliver of green in that pot. Nothing I put in the ground has come up, or if it has, something has eaten it. The watermellon in the hydroponic container has turned the water green... so I think that is a no go and I will have to start it again elsewhere.

I have some bulbs starting, but they may not go so well this year with the amount of mulch cover I have put out and the extra burden of ducks that are having a go at everything. Its really still a bit too hot for them to be coming up now, and I think the same for a few other flowers, they came up after the heavy rain but now are dying off with the heat.

I picked some chicory for the bunnies dinner. They love the stuff and so do I as it doesn't need much tending to! I definitely want to grow more of that.

I am wondering if I should start a journal to keep on track but I can get overwhelmed with advice or just overwhelmed with life and might get OFF track.

 

[Mini Horses]

Watered the pots I put seeds into a few days ago. I WATCHED my DS till the garden area that I had already disc with the tractor. It was needed and when the huge tiller he borrowed cuts off, I can't pull the thing to restart. So he said he'd till. Works for me! Ground has set for almost a week since I disc, so good day to till. And, those tines wrap the roots cut earlier....DS stops and pulls off, I bag and one less issue for me. Oh, there will be plenty to pull out as I rake & hill but, nor near as much. This is some pretty ground!

I work tomorrow but he should be done so I can get in there Sat & Sun to pound posts, set CPs and probably even get some seeds in the ground!!! Plus weather is supposed to be good. It's unbelievable.....it's exciting. Oh, yeah, I will need to run the chicken wire at the bottom of the CP fence on one area, plus bottom of the gate. I'll get more wire/fence at TSC tomorrow on way home, along with a new lawn mower battery. Right now all is good.

I'll be social distancing in the garden all weekend.

 

[Wannabefree]

I just watered plants and composted more chicken poo today. Yesterday I set out 32 leggy tomato plants. Dig holes a foot deep with post hole diggers and covered them really well. I still wound up laying over half of them sideways in the holes to get them in without too much top side. I was explaining to the kid that all the bottom leaves and stalk that is underground will grow more roots and become the root ball of the plant making them healthier and sturdier as the get bigger and begin to fruit. Some days she’s like a sponge, other days she wants to lay in bed all day and goof off on Instagram or SnapChat...I was glad for the company and willingness to hold the string line back yesterday lol!! We had some great conversation while I worked. Today she poked her head outside once and hollered she loved me for no obvious reason other than she just does and I told her I love her too. Kids 🤷‍♀️ Who knows where their minds are half the time 😂

 

[CrealCritter]

I ordered seeds last night and took a picture of it today - does that count for anything?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Weeding and mulching, weeding and mulching. Zucchini has buds and is about to bloom, have lots of little 'maters starting too. They're so darn cute! I'm about pea'd out. Will remove those in a while and replant in those beds.

 

[Britesea]

Got my peas planted. Almost ran out- I just barely had enough seed for the whole bed, but I managed to find seed saved over the last 5 years; hopefully they will all sprout and I'll have enough for us and to share. I think I will forego favas this year as they just don't give me enough of a crop for the land I can give them. Maybe I will set aside that space for more turnips... or more winter squash.

I'm trying to decide whether to let the overwintered kale and chard stay where they are long enough to set seed. One of the kale plants looks like it's getting ready to send out some flowers, but I'm not sure since I've never had any of either plant survive over the winter. Hopefully since these did, their seed will yield me some plants that are a teensy bit hardier.