Completing Some Projects, Garden Work and Tour

As usual, Sunday is our work day - and work we did!  It feels so good, even though the body says, "oof", afterward.  I am especially pleased that despite the little "completed" checkmarks on my list, I also made sure the family ate well today. (Though, I do wish we actually ate some veggies!) 

Through out the day, Al and I worked together to get things done in between individual jobs we wanted to get completed.  

Strange how I can't remember the specific order of the morning, but we ate Dutch baby pancakes with apple and cherry pie fillings on top.  I milked the goats and watered the garden, and chores were completed by whoever has them for this week. Al mowed parts of the lawn, and I hilled the potatoes, raked the sunflower bed, and removed some rocks and sticks in preparation for planting some Damaun KS Super Sweet Corn.  

When I knew Al was done and ready to work in the goat pasture, I headed over to help out.  We had already run electric for the rotating pastures last year, but the northern most section still hadn't been divided in half.  So we put in a few t-posts and ran four strands of electric polywire to split the section. Then the goats followed me up and immediately went to town on the delicious selection of weeds.  (Believe it or not, goats actually aren't huge fans of grass, and will go for the weeds first!) 

Next, Al and I worked on chicken cage clean up.  It was well overdue, but the job requires a forklift and a very strong board.  I wish I had pictures of the process, but he lifted the back end upward so I could shove a 10 foot 4x4 under the back half of the cage.  Then we use ratchet straps to tie the whole cage to the fork lift.  After it was fastened, he moved it over and mowed the area the chickens would be moved to.  The cage was set in place.  (Forgot to mention we needed to remove the exhisting electric poultry pen before starting the process.) 

I ran into the house to check on lunch, chili cheese dogs, which were already in the oven.  As soon as we finished eating, we headed to the back yard to do the same process with the cage we had back there.  It wasn't near as full of composting manure and bedding, but it still has the same process of moving it.  When we got down there, I was VERY surprised to see dozens of volunteer tomatoes throughout the cage area and around.  That cage was lifted and taken all the way over next to the first cage.  

Following that move, we had to set up two separate pens for the birds that would be moved into them.  One particular fence is destined to be thrown away.  The forks were thrashed and hammering them into the rocky ground was insane.  But it was done!  

So, here is the set-up.  Two side by side cages and pens. 

I built a quick roost for the turkey poults and moved them into the first one.  They were scared at first, but eventually they started digging into the pile of lawn trimmings I fed them. 

Then the twelve Black Australorp chicks were moved to the second cage .  For now, they will stay locked in.  We have twelve more chicks coming from a friend.  They are completely free ranged, but for now, they will need to stay locked in as well in order to figure out where their safe place is. 

Once the poultry pens were set up, I went back to work in the garden.  I planted the corn in the sunflower bed.  Why?  Because as you will see in a bit, the sunflowers just didn't do well despite the number I put in the ground.  

I also decided to plant some black popping corn.  I am not sure what the name is, because I think the seed company stopped selling it.  The seed kernels were so beautiful!  

So, here are some pictures of the main garden so far. I am not really showing what isn't growing yet.  

First is the picture taken from the south end of the garden, looking in from outside.  These are the peas.  There are two rows, the farther row is not vigorous like the front row.  The front row is a shelling pea, where as the back row is a snap pea.  We call them snack peas. 

  

When you go around to the west end of the garden, there is a gate.  As soon as you walk in, you see the first bed which has garlic and potatoes.  And that in front is one of many volunteer sunflowers.

Here is a more centered view.

This is a small summer squash bed, but one seed never germinated. 

The sweet potatoes...

Comfrey...

This side of the big garden is the sunflower patch.  You can see how few actually germinated.  So, I decided corn would go in! 

The purple pole beans are on this trellis, with two other varieties at the other end.  I believe I have Chinese noodle beans and Rattlesnake beans. 

Under that arch is an experiment: watermelon.  We shall see how it works out since the bean vines could cause too much shade. 

The next arch is where the winter squash, cucumbers, and cantaloupe are planted.  The plan is to have it all vine up the trellis, keeping it off the ground. I have never done this before with squash and cantaloupe, but there is a first time for everything.

A few of the new black berry bushes...

Volunteer Zinnias, I believe.  They are everywhere!  

After working in the main garden, I decided to fill in the gaps in the front garden.  So the bed with beets, got more beets planted.  Some spinach and bok choy were planted next to the chard.  I put another half bed of Half Danvers Carrots. Then I planted some nasturtium seeds along the tomatoes and the Red Chinese Noodle beans.  I also planted some Persian Carpet Zinnias, Calendula, and Feverfew.  

I think the hardest part about gardening isn't the work it takes, but the waiting to see what will come up.  When I as in the main garden, I was very disappointed to see that my peppers just aren't doing well and neither are my tomatoes.  Most of the seedlings, only an inch or so tall, are covered with tiny holes, and not looking good at all.  It may be all I have this year are the volunteer tomatoes from the chicken yard.  I need to decide what I will be doing about this poor outcome.  

Well, I guess that sums it up.  It is late.  I need some shut eye before I wake up before 6.  

Blessings,

Rachel

~ Please forgive the grammar and spelling errors (if there are some).  I am too tired to care...for now.