Welcome February and some much needed sun! January was the third cloudiest on record! Clouds covered that shiny white thing in the sky 83.6% of the month. Rain was relentless and then a polar vortex hit. Argh it was month of saying; it's gotta get better!
The finches have been at the bird feeder more than any other bird and clean it out daily. The squirrel baffel went up a couple weeks ago and I have not had one squirrel butt picture! Yay!
However on the tree pig front, we are over run! Not only do we have 5 fat fox squirrels but a couple cute little red squirrels have moved into the locust and conifer trees. The red squirrels are so territorial they have kept the fox squirrels out of the chicken coop. I'll have more time to monitor the squirrel fights as garden season has begun!
We have had two days of sun! I woke up to a serenade of birds, before the sun was above the horizon. It was wonderful. Thinking hard about cracking my bedroom window tonight. The red shoulder hawks have been soaring and loud; counted 3 in the sky yesterday, the chickens seemed undeterred by all the hawk activity. This morning on my walk out to chicken central, the red bellied woodpecker was in a yelling contest with the titmice, nut hatch, carolina wren and pileated woodpecker; it was awesome and I have missed the morning cacophony.
After deciding on no more art shows and seeds showing up daily in the mailbox, it is time to get to work! The way back gardens were somewhat neglected at the end of last year and I knew I wanted to make changes, big changes! I did what every burned out gardener does at the end of the season...... walk away and deal with it next year.
Seeds are started and sprouting.
This year is another year of fiddling around to find what does best on this small piece of ground.
On the very last day of January seed trays were sterilized and the potting mix was dragged out.
Kale (blue dazzle), Lettuce (winter destiny & blk seeded simpson), Kohlrabi (kossack & quick silver), Turnip (white hakurie), Chinese Cabbage (china star & minuette), Spinach (dash). I also couldn't stop myself and foolishly planted cabbage (tiara, fomosa, purple & Jersey wakefield), cauliflower (skywalker), broccoli (purple) and brussels sprouts (jade cross & long island) The onions are doing well. The leeks have not germinated but they do take longer so my fingers are still crossed!
Oh and use those old blinds for plant tags!
Peppers, eggplant, more lettuce and parsley will start this week. Oh the list is long.......
Where to put it all? The clearing has begun in the way back! Raspberries and old asparagus plants cut down too. The chipping begins today.
I planted the way back area in my estate gardening days so many years ago. Lilacs, sweet bay, magnolia, exchorda etc. Well they are gone, to be replaced with espalier apples and pears. I am positive the deer will just love it! The fence is coming down, temporarily and all the cement block is coming out. No more raised beds. Blueberries are being transplanted today and the sunny areas will be more productive, I hope. I have the cattle panels ready to go for a green house and it is pedal to the metal, game on gardening! and it's February! I am hoping if I get the back taken care of now, the other parts of the garden will go much quicker. Keep telling yourself those garden lies!
Last year I used strawberry plants as ground cover around the blueberries and wow did that work well! Those will need to be transplanted as well some time this week. Break out the headlamp for gardening in the dark!
Some type of deer protection needs to go around my blackberries. About the time the plants are looking good or start to bloom the deer eat them to the ground. This is the third year and I'm kind of over it. Thinking hard on installing the water squirting system when the cross the barrier.... works great on a cranky neighbor too. He mowed my blackberries one too many times a few years ago but after the survey crew established the property lines it's game on.
New chicken runways this year.
And about the time I can't lug one more wheelbarrow..... canning season starts!
Buckle up 2024!
and I have had time to work on new designs.........
It is certainly all systems go!!
ReplyDeleteBut where is the new shiny wagon???!?!?
ReplyDelete