Move Along Tree Rats, There's Nothing to Eat Here!

We took this peach tree down a few weeks ago.  It was a hard decision because that tree has seen the full transition of my yard to a farm.  It's a symbol of my origins as a gardener, really one of the first things I planted when we moved here.  I remember thinking how cool it was that we would be growing and enjoying our own peaches.  I mean, after all, we live in Georgia, the Peach State, and I grew up stopping at roadside peach stands each summer to buy the juicy sweet fruit.  I even worked at a peach farm one summer in high school.  For years this tree produced magnificently, but the only creatures enjoying the bounty were the tree rats, a.k.a. squirrels.  They even have their own squirrel highway, down the limb of a huge oak tree, across the branches of the loropetalum, and straight into the peach tree.  Well, they are in for a rude awakening come next summer.  I can hardly wait to see their looks of disappointment.  Of all the years we had the tree, we only got one decent harvest, which was during the Year of the Squirrel Slayer.  You can read about him here.

Then, the next year, the peach borers moved in.  If the peaches managed to make it to a ripe stage before the squirrels got them, the peach borers were ready and waiting for their chance. If you don't know it already, it's REALLY hard to grow peaches organically.  I live just across the state line from South Carolina, which is the 2nd largest producer of peaches after California.  One would think if there were organic peaches to be found, they would be found 30 minutes or so from my house.  But, I only know of one organic peach farm in these parts. 

I finally thought to myself, "Why am I sacrificing prime real estate in my yard to a fruit tree that is giving me no return?"  With limited space, I am constantly accessing what works for me and what doesn't, and the peach tree just wasn't working for me anymore.  So what did I replace it with?  I replaced it with a fruit that the squirrels don't bother, figs!  Brown Turkey fig trees are probably the most prevalent variety found in older southern yards.  My neighbor has probably a 40 year old tree hanging over the fence of his yard, the main trunk of it being in his neighbor's yard.  And while I have access to that part of the tree for picking each year, it's not the same as having my own full size fig tree.  Because if you ask me, figs are the best fruit on the planet, and each year I gorge myself on them.  And, when I'm done gorging, I can spiced figs and fig jam.  I make fig pizzas and upside down fig cakes.  Fig ice cream is on my list as well.  Figs, figs, figs, I love you figs. So, here is my little fig tree.

Grow little one.  I expect great things from you! 

Happy homesteading,


Candace

Take That, ---uckers!

I don't think there is a garden pest I hate worse than the squash vine borer.  For years I've battled them, and I've done everything imaginable to beat them.  But apparently the vine borers at my house aren't reading the same literature I'm reading because they seem immune to every trick in the book.  I was determined to win though, so this year I decided to experiment with row covers and hand pollination.  My plan was to use the row covers and at the first sign of eggs, pull all of the summer squash plants to keep the eggs from hatching and feeding.  At the least, I could break the reproduction cycle and possibly start fresh next year.  No one surrounding me had a garden so I felt safe with this approach.  Each morning I marched myself out to the garden, uncovered everything, hand pollinated, and then covered it again. You may think to yourself, "Why go to so much trouble?  It's just squash."  Well, I'm a sore loser and very stubborn.  And, it is so disheartening to see beautifully healthy squash plants die before they can even produce any squash. 

My row covers worked, and I was victorious!  I grew zucchinis organically for the first time ever.  Had I known I would succeed, I would have planted yellow squash as well.  Unfortunately the row cover was a cheap Ikea window panel I had on hand.  Eventually the plants outgrew the area the panel could cover and I managed to rip quite a few holes in it, so I had to discard them after a few months.  And, I saw a few borers on the plants after I removed the covers, so I wasn't 100% successful.  But, I got squash for two months or so and I consider that a win.  I'll have to do something better for next year in terms of a row cover, but I'm encouraged.     

And, not only did I get zucchini, but just last week I noticed these sweet babies interspersed in my butternut squash bed.  It must be a volunteer from last year.  It's a zucchino rampicante, also know as a trombone squash.  It's supposed to be vine borer resistant, but it isn't in my garden.  I'm thinking maybe a seed I planted didn't germinate until now.  Who knows?  I'm hoping to harvest a few of these before it gets too cold, and I think I've passed the vine borer season at this point in the year.

Happy that we were getting squash daily, I was crowing about my victory one day on Facebook.  A friend of mine who produces an Earth-friendly video series for the local magazine asked if he could film a video on my battle.  And, being the introvert I am, I agreed.  I actually am an introvert, so this was incredibly out of character for me.  Regardless, here I am in all of my glory!   

Happy homesteading,

Candace

Manure, Manure, Manure, Mulch, Mulch, Mulch

That's been my mantra lately, it seems.

Two truckloads of manure later, and I'm finally finished spreading manure for the season.

It's a necessity, because this is my reality.  Red Georgia clay.  Do you see any good loamy soil in there?  Yeah, me neither.  It's a gooey mess when wet and rock hard when dry, and it's only about two inches below my soil line.  Raised beds are a must so I need material to fill those beds.  Enter, truckloads of manure.

And, just when I've had enough shoveling mulch, I get to tackle this.

I've been complaining about needing mulch for months.  I've called every tree service in town who will deliver mulch for free if they are in your neighborhood.  It saves them a trip to the dump and a dump fee.  They put me on a list, and I never get called.  I had just mentioned to Nate that we were going to have to go to a place I know of where the mulch is free but you have to load it yourself.  Neither of us were looking forward to that because it means touching it twice, to load and unload.  Thankfully the utility company was taking down some trees in an easement up the street from my house that same week, and Nate asked them to drop a load in the driveway.  He thought he was being really cute though and asked them to drop two loads, so double the pile in this picture and you see into my future.  "I'll get her.  She won't ask for any mulch for a long time."  He's right!

Anyway, happy pitchforking,

Candace  

Can An Onion Do Math?

Well, the I'itoi Onion can multiply.  Does that count?

Last fall I decided I wanted to try some type of multiplier or walking onion.  I did some research and finally decided on the I'itoi Multiplier and the Fleener's Top Set Walking Onions.  I was particularly attracted to the I'itoi because it is on the Slow Food Ark of Taste, which has this to say about the I'itoi:

Not only is the taste of the I'itoi Onion bold and complex, but also is its ambiguous history. The original US harvest of the wild I'Itoi Onion took place on I'Itoi Mountain, which is also known as Baboquivari Mountain. This mountain is regarded by the O'odham nation as the navel of the world – a place where the earth opened and people emerged. The name I'Itoi signifies the Elder Brother, who is the creator deity in Tohono O'odham legends; consequently the onion is a sacred reminder of the O'odham creation story. Botanical studies place the I'Itoi onion among a very old line of clumping onions brought to the US by Jesuit missionaries in the late 17th century, concluding that the onion is not necessarily a US native. Regardless of the contradicting histories, the I'Itoi Onion has a special place among Sonoran Desert culinary culture.

The sharp, peppery flavor of the I'Itoi is well suited to southwestern stews and sauces, which often have robust, piquant flavors. The I'Itoi plant grows easily and prolifically in the deserts of the American southwest. Left in the ground during its summer dormancy, the onion re-sprouts toward the end of the season at which point it is harvested and replanted. The flavor of the I'Itoi Onion is garnering interest at a small, but highly visible, commercial scale throughout the arid southwest. The onion may provide one of the best examples of crop survival due to the stewardship of backyard gardeners.

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark-item/i-itoi-onion

Sometimes the little things are what excite me, like this I'itoi Onion bulb.

One bulb multiplies to this.

And, from the 10 bulbs I planted, this is my harvest.

I would say there are approximately 20 bulbs in each clump.  I think that's a pretty good return on my investment, don't you?  I plan to reserve the biggest and best for replanting in the fall.  I love that, if managed well, these onions will provide a sustainable way to enjoy onions year after year.

I also planted the Fleener's Top Set Walking Onions, but that's another post for another day.


Happy homesteading,


Candace

Trellises, Trellises, I Need More Trellises!

As my garden grows, so does my need for trellises.  I only have so much ground space so going vertical as much as possible is the best solution for me.

Over the years I've amassed quite a collection of old windows.  My original intent was to have Nate build me a window greenhouse out of them, but as time passed, it just didn't happen.  Nate finally got so tired of my begging for a window greenhouse that he said he would just buy me one.  Okay, I didn't get the window greenhouse I dreamed of, but I did get a greenhouse.  I choose my battles, and he does so many projects for me anyway, that I can't complain if he doesn't really want to build me a window greenhouse. 

The fallout is that I now have a large collection of windows without a purpose.  I'm not naming any names, but someone says this to me from time to time:  "Either do something with these windows or get rid of them."  "Either do something with these windows or get rid of them."  "Either do something with these windows or get rid of them."  Okay, okay!

Recently I was contemplating the windows and better use of the vertical space along my privacy fence when an idea popped in my head.  Why not use them to make a trellis?  So, after more sanding and painting than I really ever care to do again in the near future, stapling 2x4 hardware cloth to the back and having them mounted to the fence with 10" lengths of scrap 2x4s, I have this lovely window trellis.  I realized after they were hung that I probably should have given myself more space between them to reach behind the middle ones, but I wasn't about to request that they be taken down and rehung.  I'll see how they work this year and possibly separate them a little more next year.  I managed to use six of my windows, and I have room for two more trellises like this along the fence, meaning 12 more windows can eventually be taken from the stash.  I'm not naming any names, but he will be very happy I'm chipping away at my collection!

Happy homesteading,

Candace
 

Progress

Well, we started working on the new section of the yard yesterday.  Nate built the first four beds, and since our yard slopes, he had to move quite a bit of dirt to get them level.  I worked on moving the flowers that were in the way.  Of course, every place I wanted to put a bed had a stand of flowers.  I gave some to friends and transplanted others.  I still have some to relocate but the bulk of the plants that were sitting in the middle of a bed have been moved, so I can work around the others for now. 

I had been trying to work out a plan for this area on paper, but because I don't have a perfect rectangle, it was difficult for me.  I decided to make the bottle tree the focal point of the garden and work off of that as far as bed placement and future projects.  So with a tentative plan in my head, I decided to build the first set of beds and go from there.  Now, I can see where I have more space and in other places not as much.  The next task is filling them with dirt.  I hope to have at least one or two full by the time I plant my summer garden so I can take advantage of this growing space. 

It seems like lately all I've been doing is shoveling dirt to fill beds.  These beds are the most recent ones.  We built these along the fence to help combat the neighbor's weeds that creep over and take over the veggies growing on and in front of the fence.  Hopefully that will solve that problem.

After yesterday, I am one tired girl today!

Happy homesteading,

Candace 

Trees Down

Boy have we had so much going on around here lately!  First off, I had seven trees taken down this week, one in my yard and six in my neighbor's yard to the east along our fence line.  They have been on my list for nine years, and I finally had the guts and money to take them down.  It is going to make a huge difference in my backyard and my front one as well.  Of the seven, six were hardwoods, so we kept those for fire wood.  I am happy we can recoup some of the cost back in firewood.  And I'm hoping this will eventually pay dividends in the veggie/fruit growing arena.  Needless to say, we have alot of cutting and clean up to do. 

This is how shady the east side of my backyard was before we took down trees even with no leaves on the trees.  In the summer, the canopy from this oak tree along with the pine tree to the immediate left kept this part of the yard in shade until early afternoon.

Now that the trees are gone we are already noticing a big difference in light in this area.

 












I know my neighbors are hating me.  They probably call me the crazy tree lady, and even one of the tree guys asked, "You don't like trees, do you?"  I love trees, just not ones that keep me from gardening.  Believe me, there are plenty more around my house.  There is no danger of running out of trees in my neighborhood. 

Now, I have a 14'x60' section to plan.  I would love to line the fence with espalier fruit trees, but my worry is when I put raised beds down the section, what I grow in the raised beds may grow too tall and block sun off the trees in the afternoon.  Because of the fence, the trees would not get morning sun immediately, so I would need to depend on the afternoon sun to provide enough sunlight.  Or I can still plant fruit trees along the fence but limit their height by multiple prunings each year.  This method takes more space horizontally, so I eat up some of my 14' when planning out my raised beds.  I definitely need raised beds because I am dealing with solid clay for the most part.  It is rock hard.  I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how to tackle this area.  I have a blank slate, and I want to plan it right. 

Shockingly, Nate has also offered to rework our sprinkler system in this area.  This whole area is one zone on our system, so I can configure it in any way I want and only use it when I think most necessary.  I generally water my raised beds from the rain barrels, but on occasion, I would like to have the sprinkler system as a backup.  I know I would like to have a connection to each raised bed and to each tree.  I need to research drip irrigation and sprinkler systems.  Any ideas from you on this?

This is definitely a long term project, but the biggest hurdle was the trees in my opinion.

Happy homesteading,

Candace  

Upcoming Projects and Fall Planting

My apologies for not posting more often lately, but the hot and humid weather has kept me indoors and from having too much to say.  It's so hard to motivate oneself to go outside when it's 100 degrees and 60% humidity.  I am impatiently waiting for the weather to break, but the heat wave seems to continue with no significant rainfall to call our own.  Regardless, I have projects to tackle and fall plants to get in the ground.  This weekend I planted some collard greens, swiss chard, broccoli, brussels sprouts and garlic. I have some lettuce starts in the greenhouse and I hope to get some more started for succession planting.  Everything was planted in the front yard to protect it from the chickens, but hopefully soon I won't have to worry about the birds getting into my back yard plantings anymore.  And, as I was cleaning up one of the beds yesterday, I found this cutie giving me the eye.  This is a good sign, for sure!

I have two projects in the hopper, and we bought the materials for both this weekend, so hopefully they will be completed soon.  The first one involves the chickens and rabbits.  This is what we call the bottom half of our backyard.  A retaining wall runs across the yard, separating it into an upper and lower portion. 

Aside from a few hours of morning sun, it is pretty much shaded the rest of the day by huge overhanging oak trees.  You can see the rabbit shed to the left.  The rabbit shed did not work out like I had hoped, and we realistically can only fit four cages in it, and that's if I stack them.  So what we've decided to do is fence off this section of yard and confine the chickens to this level.  They will have plenty of space to wander, and it will hopefully keep them out of my vegetables up top.  Plus with the tree coverage, they will be more proected from hawks.  We are going to turn the rabbit shed into the chicken coop and the current chicken coop into the rabbit shed.  The current chicken coop will house probably six rabbit cages stacked, so it gives me slightly more flexibility with the rabbits, and it has an attached run that I hope to plant with grass to give the rabbits a space to get some exercise and fresh greens.  This project requires a good rainfall to soften the ground, because it is rock hard right now, but at least we have the supplies on hand and can tackle it when the time comes.   

The next project is a hindsight is 20/20 project.  In the spring we built these terraced beds off our deck for asparagus and strawberries.  By the way, the asparagus is looking awesome, so it must really like this spot.

We also transplanted some raspberry canes to the left of these beds, but I didn't think about how much lower the raspberries are to the terraced bed and how they would be blocked of sunlight by the asparagus ferns.  We need to bring them up to an even level with the asparagus bed, and the soil is so poor by the deck, a good raised bed is really needed anyway.  Building a rasied bed for the raspberries to the left of the asparagus ferns is our second pending project. 

I'll keep you posted on the progress and thanks for the kind words regarding Louise.   

Happy homesteading,

Candace

    

Heat Delusions and Ramblings

This post is going to ramble.

I believe I'm melting!  It is SO hot and humid.  I've been trying to take care of outside chores in the morning or late in the evening, but major projects are on hold for now.  This morning I walked across the street to pick some figs, and I have to outfit myself to keep the mosquitos at bay.  Long pants, shoes and socks, long-sleeved shirt and gloves.  Otherwise, they converge on me like white on rice.  My neighbor was home, and he helped me pick figs.  Bless his heart!  He had the ladder out and was up in the tree picking figs that I could only gawk at from below.  I've managed to can 14 pints of pickled figs, a favorite of my fellow book club members.  As a matter of fact, I decided to offer them for sale this year to the ladies, and I've received several orders so far.  I've been dehydrating them as well, and I have enough in the refrigerator to make a batch of fig preserves.  I hope to get those done tomorrow. 

Yesterday, I canned some vegetable relish and tomato salsa.  I've been pretty pleased with my tomatoes this year.  The Black Krims and the Cherokee Purples are my favorite.  They are beautiful when sliced and are so delicious.  I'm not harvesting enough quantity to really brag about, but if I save them for a few days, I can make a small batch of salsa or tomato sauce.  Last year, we really only got enough for fresh eating, so that fact that I am able to can some this year is progress.  They are getting so much more sun where they are this year compared to last.  It's my goal to take down more trees in my neighbor's yard again this fall/winter.  The increase in my tomato yield is proof that the trees we took down this past winter have made a difference in my yard.  I want to build on that, so I'll keep saving my pennies for that project.

The rabbits seem to be doing okay with the heat.  They are in deep shade with good air circulation, and I usually switch out their frozen bottles at least once a day so they have a source of cool when they need it.  My dream is to have a mini-barn with electricity where I can house all of the animals and be able to run fans in the summer for the rabbits.  Plus, I was just talking with Nate today about really wanting some meat rabbits.  We don't have any place to put them at the moment, so that goal is on hold for now.

Surprisingly, the chickens are still giving us 3-5 eggs a day.  We've talked to other local backyard chicken keepers, and their hens have pretty much stopped laying due to the heat.  We have some really hard working good girls.  They lay in the stifling heat of summer and the brutal cold of winter.

Despite my best efforts, the vine borers destroyed all of my squash plants, even the ones I planted late.  I finally just ripped them out of the ground and threw them away a few days ago.  It's almost August, and the the vines were still covered with eggs.  I've started doing some research for borer resistant varieties for next year.  I'm just sick about it!           

Feedback on recent comments:

From http://theweekendhomesteader.blogspot.com/2011/07/pickin-and-cannin-and-backyard-garden.html

Homesteading Chic: You really don't have to have alot of land to make a big impact. We've made it a policy not to plant anything in our yard that doesn't either produce something edible or provide forage for our honeybees. Even thought I rarely see the little buggers in my yard. They go elsewhere!


Leigh: You will notice the photos of the backyard are not close-ups, and I only showed you a portion of the yard. LOL! We've waited many years for such a peach harvest.

TGL: I sang that song the WHOLE time I was harvesting peaches. It was on a continuous loop through my brain!  Millions of peaches peaches for me, Millions of peaches peaches for free, Millions of peaches peaches for me, Millions of peaches peaches for free.

Warm Dirt: I'm sure you grow something on your farm that I can't grow in GA, so I would be envious of that.
 
That's it for now.
 
Happy homesteading,
 
Candace

I'm a Negative Nellie

I am seriously trying not to be a negative Nellie, so I have literally sat down four times to write this post and have ditched every version so far.  But, I decided I just have to vent.  The garden pests are driving me to my limits, and the chickens aren't helping.  Not only have I been dealing with flea beetles and aphids and vine borers, but I've added grasshoppers to the list.

Something has been wreaking havoc on my pepper plants in the backyard.  I've come out in the mornings and found pepper plants lying on the ground, the stalk chewed through at the base.  And the ones that aren't chewed through have had the growing tips, leaves and developing peppers eaten.  Whatever it is has been eating my eggplant leaves as well.  Like I don't have enough trouble with flea beetles.  I suspected grasshoppers but haven't seen any.  I have been spraying them with neem oil, but that hasn't helped.  I have some pepper plants up front, which aren't getting the same damage, but they aren't the bells that I depend on daily for cooking.  All of those are in the backyard.  At the rate I was going in the backyard, I wasn't getting any bells anyway, so I decided to take my chances and  move the backyard peppers to the front yard in 100 degree heat.  They have been suffering some serious transplant shock the past several days, and I wouldn't be surprised to see every blossom fall off, which sets me back even more.  So far, so good though.  They haven't died, and I've been watering them like a maniac. 

So, I was hanging laundry this morning and looked down at one of my daylillies and found about 40 baby grasshoppers on one of the flower stalks.  Further investigation led me to my eggplants, where I found more.  I killed what I could but most of them hopped away.  Now I get to patrol the garden for grasshoppers.  Yipee!  I'm so excited!

Did I say something about the chickens?  Yes, I did.  Today, they went through the backyard and managed to destroy every green tomato they could reach, including breaking a good sized branch off one plant that had several tomatoes on it.  I swear I could have strangled each and every chicken, but I didn't.  Deep down, I know they are just being chickens, and I can't fault them for that.  Plus, it's my fault for letting them have free reign of the yard unsupervised.  I did lock them back in the run though. 

If you've read this far and haven't moved on to another blog, thanks for reading my vent.  I promise a more postive post next time.  I feel slightly better now. 

Candace 
    

SVB, Round 3

I keep writing about squash vine borers because they won't go away, and being a somewhat newbie gardener, I wish I had someone to make me aware of them last year.  I lost all of my squash last year, and I'm fighting desparately to keep the ones I have this year.  In the past few days, I've picked probably 30-40 eggs off my squash plants.  I came home today mid afternoon during a break in appointments, and I saw her on my cucumbers.  My cucumbers did not get hit last year, so I haven't been concerned about them, even though I knew there was a possibility she may lay on them.  I've had a pretty stressful day, so seeing her just put me over the edge.  I tried to sneak up on her, but she kept flying to either side of the fence through the welded wire.  Finally she made her way over to my squash plants, and as slowly as I could, I worked my way over.  I knelt down and tried to grab her, but missed.  She travelled to the next plant, and I was able to cup her in both hands, and the rest is history.  She will lay no more eggs on my plants.  Of course, there are probably others so the fight continues.  Once she was out of the picture, I did my daily sweep of the squash plants and probably removed about 10 eggs, and then I, with a huge sigh, made my way back to my cukes.  I found eggs on my cucumber plants, probably about 6.  I have some beautiful Delikatesse cukes just forming, and I'm going to be heartbroken if I lose them. My lemon cukes haven't started blooming yet, so I found no eggs on them.  Now, I can only hope she just started laying on them today, and I haven't  underestimated her territory.

I've lost a few eggs in the mulch as I've tried to pick them off the plants, so I'm wondering if the eggs have to be on the plant when they hatch to give the borer the best opportunity to bore or can a just hatched borer travel?  I know once they decimate a plant, they can migrate to others, but do they have the power when they are first hatched to travel to find a host vine?  That's probably a hard question to answer, but if anyone has any insight, please let me know.

My back-up plan is to start a succession round of squash and cukes just in case the current ones get destroyed.

Candace

  

Things That Make Me Happy

First blueberries of the season

Not having to buy onions at the store

Gifts from a friend, loquat jelly and vidalia onion relish

Spotting the first tomato, a Green Zebra

Trying new things, garden huckleberries and ground cherries

The scent of a gardenia

Happy homesteading,


Candace

Oh Yeah, It's On Like Donkey Kong

This little -ucker is on my most wanted list right now!  The flea beetle has moved to #2.

This, my friends, is a squash vine borer.  It was the cause of my lack of zucchini or any squash for that matter last year.  This time last year, I saw evidence of my first zucchini and shortly after it started developing, I would come home from work, and the plant leaves would be wilted.  I thought the plants just needed more water, and my lack of knowledge did me in.  Not this year.  I have been on the lookout for it this year.  I have been faithfully checking my squash for signs each day.  A few of my plants are just starting to bloom.  Today, as I was checking each plant, something caught my eye.  I looked up, and then surprise, recognition, and shock flooded over me.  She was hovering over the squash plants in the bed next to me and looking me dead in the eye!  The nerve of this -itch!  I know she knows I know what she is and what she plans to do to my squash plants.  Before I could react, she flitted away.  Last year I was too late, and she had already laid her eggs and they had already bored into the vine.  This year I plan to be as proactive as possible.  I doused every plant with neem oil and then dusted them with diatomaceous earth.  I found every container in my house that had yellow in it and filled them with water and put them in the beds.  Of course, they are attracted to yellow, the color of squash blossoms, so these are supposed to work as traps.  I've read mixed reviews about wrapping tin foil around the vines, so I haven't done that yet.  I've already been battling flea beetles on my eggplants, so I'm trained and ready to fight.  It's on!

Happy homesteading,

Candace           

Weekend Recap

Lately it seems my posts have been full of bad and sad news, but sometimes, that's life I guess.  The good news is the baby I saved is fine.  I'm so thankful!  The bad news is we lost the runt Sunday morning.  After my scare Saturday morning, I brought the babies into the house for the day, so I could keep a close eye on them.  Olivia only feeds them once a day, so they weren't missing out on meal times.  I took them back out at dusk and left them there for a few hours and then brought them back in for the night.  I checked on them during the night, sleeping fitfully myself.  At 4:45, I took them back out to Olivia.  Apparently I waited too long to check on them again, because when I returned, the runt was on the floor of the cage dead.  Once again, I think it was still attached to Olivia's teat when she jumped out of the nest box.  So, last night we went through the same routine.  They were taken out at dusk and returned to the house for the night.  I took them out at 4:30 this morning, and Olivia immediately jumped in the nest box.  This time, I only waited 30 minutes and went back out.  Olivia had finished, and the three remaining kits were snuggled together as they should be.  I brought them back in the house anyway because it was pretty cold last night.  This morning I have three kits who seem to be thriving and growing each day.  Christine, my breeder friend, told me three out of six isn't bad.  She has lost whole litters.  Apparently, the survival rate of rabbits is not great.  I guess that's why they breed like rabbits to ensure good numbers.  They are just so vulnerable for the first week, and it doesn't take much to end a life.  I've been feeling really down about this, and I told Nate I'm a terrible pet owner.  He reminded me that for over two years, I've been making cat food from scratch for our cat, Lucy, who has CRF.  We know it has made a huge difference in her life, so I felt better after he said that.

On a brighter note, the three remaining kits are getting cuter everyday, and they celebrated their one week birthday last night.  Their eyes are still closed, but should be open by Wednesday.  This baby looks like it's going to be blue, like Mama and Daddy.  Looking at it in my hand makes me realize how much it has grown in a week.   

           












Yesterday was also eventful in that we started round two of our beekeeping adventure.  I think my mind was on the rabbits when we went to install the bees, because I did not put on my veil and neither did Nate.  We ALWAYS wear our veil and gloves.  It was cold and wet yesterday, so not the best conditions to be installing bees, and when the bees were shaken out of the box into the brood box, several of them swarmed up into the air and some of them landed on Nate's face.  Normally he is very calm around the bees, but he reacted in surprise and one stung him on the lip.We immediately went to the house and he took some antihistamine.  His lip started swelling, and I spent the whole morning asking him every five minutes if his breathing was normal, if his throat was itching, if he felt okay.  The car keys were on standby.  By the end of the evening, his lip had returned to normal size. 

I did get together with a friend and trade some seedlings and transplants yesterday.  I now have asparagus bean, european melon, amaranth, and jelly melon seedlings, and oregano, marjaram and creeping jenny divisions.  Most of these are new to me, and she got some varieties that are new to her.  I love bartering!  No money changed hands, and we got to hang out and talk about gardening and share ideas.   

I've had some harsh lessons this past week.  Sunday was a no good, horrible, very bad day with a slight silver lining!  I was asleep by 9:00 last night.   

Here's hoping for a better week,

Candace

Community Gardens

Having lived in Atlanta for a few years, I really enjoyed this video on some of its community gardens.  My neighborhood doesn't have a community garden, but I've become acquainted with a lady who helps run one in a neighborhood very near to mine.  I hope to volunteer some time and maybe resources this year to that garden.  It is a somewhat depressed neighborhood, so I'm interested to see how the garden has helped, much like the one discussed near the end of this video, in its few years of existence. 

Urban Agriculture in Atlanta

Do you have a community garden near you?  If so, how do you participate?

Happy homesteading,

Candace

Weekend Recap

The temperature topped out over 80 yesterday, and should hit around 80 today as well.  I'm afraid of what the summer will bring!  After today, it's back to the 60s during the day though.  It's so nice to be outside on a beautiful day, but the pollen is starting to fly, so being outside is a double edged sword for me. 

Our Pearl has been molting, so we haven't received an egg from her in a while, but she's back on her game.  Yesterday she laid, and she rejoiced all through the yard, loudly and proudly I might add.  She's a Black Star and is a wonderful layer.  I was reading a publication on chickens that stated all chickens stop laying during the winter unless you put lights in their coops.  We don't have lights, and ours laid through the winter.  We didn't get as many eggs as we do during the summer, but we did get 1-2 eggs a day.  I know the breed contributes, and we have a RIR, a Buff Orpington, a Black Star, a Barred Rock and a cross breed Brahma.  What is your experience with winter eggs? 

In addition to routine chores around the place, yesterday we started our spring yard redo.  We seem to do this every year as we decide certain plants may do better in another area of the yard.  Yesterday we relocated two lantanas, a rosemary bush, a Japanese maple, a pomegranate, some perennials and we potted a fig tree.  This fig tree was a rooting from some friends, and it just hasn't prospered where we planted it, so in an effort to rescue it from certain death, I decided to pot it for a while.  It's pretty small, and I've read that figs really like their roots kept confined to produce fruit.  I don't know if that's necessarily true, because I'm certain the fig tree across the street has not been confined in any way.  It's huge.  Potting the fig tree will help me keep a closer eye on it and give it some extra attention. 

A few weeks ago, I had a few tree services come over and give me estimates on taking down some of the trees in my neighbor's yard.  I've been going back and forth about spending that money, but we can get it done alot cheaper if they just drop the trees and leave them for us to cut up and dispose of.  It's ALOT of work on our end, but think of the money we save on gym membership.  Plus, one of them is an oak, and we can save it for firewood.  So, this weekend we really watched the sun to see how taking down three trees would benefit us.  I've been complaining about those trees for years, and now given the opportunity to take them down, I think I need to step up to the plate or stop complaining.  Plus, I think it will open up enough yard to start a small espaliered orchard.  If we go this route, we will have to sacrifice our current peach tree, which is another dilemma.  It really is a great tree, but I can espalier so many more fruit trees in the area it takes up.     

We checked on our bee supplies to make sure they were in good shape for our nuc delivery in a week or two.  We didn't find any evidence of wax moths, so I think we're in good shape. 

My ginger ale didn't really carbonate, but I think it's because I had it in the wrong-sized container.  I really need to get a 2-liter bottle and try again.  Either way, it tastes pretty good.  A nice change up from tea and water, for sure.  I think next time I may add a little more sugar because it has a bite to it that we didn't find enjoyable.  A little honey in my glass seemed to take the bite out though.

What did you accomplish over the weekend?

Happy homesteading,

Candace


   

Odds and Ends

It feels ages since I last posted.  Sometimes I get really busy with work and projects and sitting down to write gets pushed to the back burner.  So here's a recap of recent stuff:

I discovered a kindred spirit at work last week.  She isn't about to run out and get any chickens, but she has dramatically changed the way she eats thanks in part to Food, Inc. and other like-minded publications.  I knew she was a reader of my blog, but I thought it was just out of curiosity.  We saw each other at a work function, and she mentioned wanting to grow some vegetables this summer and even do some canning.  She just baked no knead bread for the first time this weekend too.  I really congratulate her on making a change against the tide.  When more people jump on this bandwagon, perhaps we can get the food industry to sit up and take notice.  B:  Whatever I can do to help, just let me know!

Up until last week, I had a blender I really hated.  It's apparently a pretty nice blender.  It has a glass jar, which I love, but the level of control over the speeds really frustrated me.  Whenever I would try to add the oil to salad dressing, I would spray the ingredients everywhere because I had no control over the speed!  I tried holding a towel over the hole, but I would end up pouring oil on the towel and making an even bigger mess.  Eventually I just stopped using it and started using just oil and vinegar.  Well, last week, I really wanted to make honey mustard dressing, so I pulled out the blender and decided to accept the consequences of my actions.  Then, it dawned on me!  You may know this already, but I'm slow on the uptake sometimes.  I pulled out a funnel, and stuck it on the hole.  It is so perfect!  It covers the hole and allows me to add the oil slowly and evenly without splatter.  Necessity is the mother of invention, right? 

Sundays seem to be the busiest day for me.  Because it gets dark so early, it's the only day I can get Nate to help with some projects that are just out of my league.  Yesterday, he made some self-watering containers for me.  I've never used them, but I'm excited to see how they do.  I'm hoping I can put them at the back end of my neighbor's yard that gets good sun, but for now, they are on the back end of my yard.  They will get some sun there, but not like they would in his yard.  I just need to discuss it with him before I plop them on his property.  In them, I've planted shelling peas, snap peas, lettuce seeds and transplants, and broccoli transplants.  Things are coming along nicely with my first set of dwarf pak choy and lettuce seedlings.  I'm hoping to harvest some really soon!  With the new ones I planted yesterday, I'm working on my succession planting.  I also transplanted some brussels sprouts in large regular pots, and along the border of one of my front yard beds, I planted onion sets.  One of my raised beds received radish and carrot seeds.  Each day, as I have time, I've tried to get some seeds going in the greenhouse as well.  This is the first year I've really tried to extend my harvest and I'm learning as I go.  The greenhouse has been wonderful in that regard.

I'm experimenting alot with different areas of my yard, timing, and growing techniques.  Sun exposure is a large stumbling block for me.  So, as I gain more experience about when to plant things and what I can successfully grow, I know I will work on producing more food.  I've started small and am growing from there. 

What are some of your gardening successes and failures?  What have you learned recently that will make you a better gardener?

Happy homesteading,

Candace     

   

Greenhouse Installation, Part Two, a Comedy of Errors

The greenhouse assembly was really more comedy than errors. Prior to purchasing this kit, I had read alot online about the assembly process of this particular greenhouse and already knew the instructions would be vague and hard to follow. There are whole discussion threads on the subject on various websites where people post pictures and clarification of the instructions and how they improved the basic plan. I literally spent over an hour one morning just reading through the various threads to prepare. So, we approached the project warily and with the great tools provided. Just joking.



Luckily, Nate is very handy and can assemble anything. He did a few things backwards, but fortunately they were easily remedied. The biggest problem he had was with the window assembly, and we didn't get quite enough bolts. Luckily Nate had some that would work in his workshop.







Now we just need to make sure this is the best location for it. Since it's small, it won't be hard to move. Once we decide it's permanent, we'll run electricity, build some shelving, and modify it a bit more for good cross ventilation. I'm so happy with it and look forward to a stable, permanent place to start seeds.

Happy homesteading,


Candace

Greenhouse Installation, Disappointment and a Silver Lining

Today is oh so chilly and overcast, and Nate has been out in the cold starting the ressurection of my greehouse. Normally I would have suited up with my long johns and wellies and been out in the middle of it, but I've had several work appointments today and have been coming and going, so this phase has been totally up to him. First he started by leveling out the ground, then made the base to which the greenhouse will be connected, and then continued building up the ground until the base was level. The next phase will be to start assembling the frame. Seeing this activity makes me want to pull out my seeds and start planning for 2011. I received my favorite seed catalog a few days ago, so the wheels are already turning.







Yeah, progress! Now the disappointment. This location is not were we wanted to permanently leave the greenhouse. The problem with our lot is we are completely surrounded by trees. Our neighbors on all sides have trees galore! Not ornamental trees, but tall 30-60 year old oaks and pines. Our neighbor to the east has probably 6-8 trees in his front yard and even more in his backyard. I have always wanted to take down trees in both his front and back yards but have been too chicken to ask. It dawned on me a few weeks ago that the back half of his back yard, which is not as densely populated with trees as the front half of his back yard, would be a great location for gardening if a few trees, rather than many, were taken down. And it would give me a perfect place for the greenhouse. We approached him about selling, negotiated a price, and I went down to the courthouse and pulled our neighborhood covenants from the 1940s. Here's the disappointment. The covenants do not allow subdivision of lots, so he can't divide his lot and sell us a portion of it. Through this process we discovered he has been wanting to take down trees but hasn't had the money to do so. He has agreed to let us take down whatever trees we want, at our expense, of course, but the benefit to us is that it will open our yard to more sunlight and a larger gardening arena, which is what I have been craving for years. Of course, the negative is we would be paying money to improve someone else's property even thought it would benefit us to some degree. I still think he would let us use his back portion for gardening free of charge, or at the least, rent it to us. Either way, I would probably start with container gardening instead of spending the time and expense of clearing the undergrowth and tree roots that abound. To really maximize the space, there are some trees that could come down but, once again, spending money on someone else's property is not ideal. Whatever we decide to do, whether it's take down some trees or container garden where the sun hits the best, it's nice to know we now have options that we didn't have a month ago, and that's my silver lining.

Green Tomatoes

When the summer comes to a close and fall starts creeping in, a gardener's dilemma is what to do with green tomatoes. Some tomatoes store very well and can be ripened over the winter for fresh eating. While they are not as good fresh summer tomatoes, they are usually better than store bought ones or so I've read. I didn't really have the quantity I needed to attempt this and most of the tomatoes I had left on the vine were very tiny. So, with the few I had, I decided to experiment with some recipes. Fried green tomatoes immediately come to mind, but I really wanted to see what else was out there.

The first recipe was a Green Tomato Pie (aka Fake Apple Pie). It was decent and did resemble apple pie in texture and flavor. I would probably make it again, but it's not on the top of my list. I told Nate it was an apple pie, and he ate it well enough.

My next recipe is being much better received and is quickly becoming a favorite relish of mine. I made this green tomato relish, http://www.food.com/36487. The only modification I made was to use ground spices and put them directly in the mix as I didn't have whole spices to use. I'm so happy I tried this recipe, and it will become one of my staple relish recipes for next year. I only made one batch since I didn't know if I would like it, but now I wish I had made more. By the way, www.food.com is an excellent resource for canning recipes.

Finally, I had just enough tomatoes to try this last dish, and it is delicious. It's a very moist spice cake, and while some of the reviewers topped it was a cream cheese icing, I left mine plain. It is plenty sweet enough. This recipe I will also keep for next year. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Green-Tomato-Cake/

Now I wish I had more green tomatoes!

Happy homesteading,


Candace