Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Luffa!
I'm very fond of gourds of all types. Ask my husband and he'll tell you just how much I like them. All of the dried snake gourds, bushel gourds, bottle gourds, birdhouse gourds, egg gourds, dipper gourds, etc..are taking over our house. They're the result of several years of growing. They've been dried and crammed in every nook and cranny. I have high hopes of using each and every one for some grand craft purpose one day. He probably hopes that day will come verrrry soon.
But I digress.
This year, among a few other types, I did a sophomore try of growing luffa gourds. My first attempt was mildly successful but I dropped the ball at the end of the season and failed to prepare them properly for their next incarnation as a sponge. Yes, I said sponge. For those of you unfamiliar, luffa gourds can become luffa sponges. You may even have one in your shower right at this moment. Since this plant is not very mainstream outside of the geeky horticultural world, you may have thought these sponges came from the sea. Not true! They're growing on a vine in my yard, right now and I assure you, we are no ocean. It's an interesting plant with cute flowers and resulting fruit that look like gigantic zucchini:
When the temperatures dip a bit further, I will assist said gourds with their transformation into sponges and will detail those efforts here!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
On the road, etc...
Been off exploring for the last month - I'll spare you the typical blog writer's 'lack of posts' apologies.
I've been here visiting nature's gardens:
I've been here visiting nature's gardens:
In other news, fall is coming to Gap Mountain. The official equinox arrived last week and the trees definitely got the memo. Soon our mountain view will be fully dappled with shades of autumn. The gardens are slowing down. Not much left except the anticipation of the Great Sweet Potato Dig and lingering Anaheim peppers. I do appreciate the attempts of the strawberry patch to put the last little bits of sweetness into the season. Thank you strawberries. And we musn't forget to thank the new raspberries as well. I counted 12 of 'em on my granola and yogurt breakfast last week. It's the little things in life.....
Oh and....brown hen is molting. She's a sorry looking thing at the moment. As this is our first foray into chickens, we had no idea!! A molting chicken is not a pretty sight I tell you.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Chicken Chat
Earlier this summer, we adopted a pair of 1 year old laying hens from a co-worker/friend. We were initially apprehensive about taking on additional 'work' on our property. Between full-time jobs, occasional part-time gardening gigs, a fur-family, house issues, our own garden that needs tending, etc, we have PLENTY on our plate. I had heard from many different sources that chickens didn't add a lot of additional items for the to-do list. Apparently, they were pretty low maintenance. We had considered them for years - me more so than my husband - and when this great opportunity arose, I felt like I had to take the plunge. The husband wasn't nearly as convinced, so I took it on as my project with constant assurance to him that he would not need to be involved other than by enjoying the resulting proteins (a pretty sweet deal I think!). After a little over a month of chicken tending, I'm happy to report that much of what I've heard about these feathered friends, is indeed, true.
For about $45, I created a cozy living space for these two ladies and in return, I get roughly 2 eggs per day. Every few days, someone (not sure which one) takes a day off, but hey, I respect that. I'd need a day off from time-to-time too - especially if I was shooting one of those things out of my nether-regions! My main expense was the fencing. We had plenty of other types of fencing already on hand, including chicken wire, but we happen to live in a pretty rural area where a hawk family lives up the hill, owls reside down the street, raccoons appear nightly on the back deck and coyotes often cruise by. This thing needed to be secure and chicken wire was not enough. Did I mention we have a hungry sighthound in the family?
The actual coop is a hand-me-down, modified, dog house from said co-worker/friend. She acquired it for free from Craigslist and made a few alterations (roosts, vents) to make it suitable for chicks. Although it's a bit weathered, it'll do. I slapped on a coat of exterior purple paint to give it that cute, country, chicken house flare and we were good to go.
The 'run' took a bit more effort. After a lot of thinking and planning and pondering and failed attempts and swearing, I finally found the right set-up. Materials included; 3pkgs wire fencing, rebar, pressure treated 2x4's, irrigation tubing and lots of patience. I got well acquainted with the awesome power of my husbands air nailer and stapler. Perhaps I had a little too much fun with those. I may have over-stapled a few things. Here we are in progress:
Fencing was laid on the ground as a deterrent for digging predators. It was later covered with a layer of mulch for aesthetic value. 2x4's were anchored with rebar and irrigation tubing was placed onto the rebar to act as framework for the fence to rest upon. The fencing was secured to the tubing using the wire that held the fence together in the packaging. Free!
Future upgrades will need to be made, because, as of now, there's no way for me to enter the run. I capped the end with fencing and wired it very securely. There's no way in unless you have a pair of wire cutters. This has posed a few problems, but so far it's worked out pretty well. Someday we'll have a door at the end, but that was too much for my little brain to handle all at once. This was my project after all and I'm no architect. As it was, I had already smashed my thumb, been stung on the ass 7 times, scratched my arms and legs with pointy fence edges. Blood, sweat and tears were shed.
So far, we've been free from any security breaches and the husband now readily admits that these girls are pretty darn cute AND useful. We let them out the back coop door several times a week to free-range around the yard and they love it. Skinny sighthound also loves eating chicken poop so it's a good deal for all of us. Ha!
For about $45, I created a cozy living space for these two ladies and in return, I get roughly 2 eggs per day. Every few days, someone (not sure which one) takes a day off, but hey, I respect that. I'd need a day off from time-to-time too - especially if I was shooting one of those things out of my nether-regions! My main expense was the fencing. We had plenty of other types of fencing already on hand, including chicken wire, but we happen to live in a pretty rural area where a hawk family lives up the hill, owls reside down the street, raccoons appear nightly on the back deck and coyotes often cruise by. This thing needed to be secure and chicken wire was not enough. Did I mention we have a hungry sighthound in the family?
The actual coop is a hand-me-down, modified, dog house from said co-worker/friend. She acquired it for free from Craigslist and made a few alterations (roosts, vents) to make it suitable for chicks. Although it's a bit weathered, it'll do. I slapped on a coat of exterior purple paint to give it that cute, country, chicken house flare and we were good to go.
The 'run' took a bit more effort. After a lot of thinking and planning and pondering and failed attempts and swearing, I finally found the right set-up. Materials included; 3pkgs wire fencing, rebar, pressure treated 2x4's, irrigation tubing and lots of patience. I got well acquainted with the awesome power of my husbands air nailer and stapler. Perhaps I had a little too much fun with those. I may have over-stapled a few things. Here we are in progress:
 |
| Skinny whippet and air guns, oh my! |
Fencing was laid on the ground as a deterrent for digging predators. It was later covered with a layer of mulch for aesthetic value. 2x4's were anchored with rebar and irrigation tubing was placed onto the rebar to act as framework for the fence to rest upon. The fencing was secured to the tubing using the wire that held the fence together in the packaging. Free!
Future upgrades will need to be made, because, as of now, there's no way for me to enter the run. I capped the end with fencing and wired it very securely. There's no way in unless you have a pair of wire cutters. This has posed a few problems, but so far it's worked out pretty well. Someday we'll have a door at the end, but that was too much for my little brain to handle all at once. This was my project after all and I'm no architect. As it was, I had already smashed my thumb, been stung on the ass 7 times, scratched my arms and legs with pointy fence edges. Blood, sweat and tears were shed.
So far, we've been free from any security breaches and the husband now readily admits that these girls are pretty darn cute AND useful. We let them out the back coop door several times a week to free-range around the yard and they love it. Skinny sighthound also loves eating chicken poop so it's a good deal for all of us. Ha!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
War on Beetles
If you're a seasoned vegetable gardener, your hackles are likely fully raised in the summer months. There's ALWAYS a battle to be fought in the garden. Be it rabbits climbing under fences to munch on greens or raccoons climbing over fences to nibble on sweet corn. We won't even mention the deer. No, no, we won't. It's the pests of a smaller variety that seem to cause the most trouble (funny how that works). I'm surprised and pleased to report that my latest battle with the Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB) has made me a 'winner', and I ain't talking about the Charlie Sheen kind of 'winning', people.
I observed these little dudes making swiss cheese out of my Kennebec potato foliage one happy summer day in late June.
This is the destructive larval stage of the CPB. Thankfully, these guys are slow and mostly stationary. Rather than fight them with chemicals, I opted for hand-removal. This is one of the benefits of having a smaller home garden. I filled a bucket with soapy water, put on my gardening gloves (the foliage was covered with CPB larvae droppings) and plucked these suckers into water.
Poof. Job done - and quite easily accomplished at that. Perhaps I should have offered them to the chickens and helped make some more edible proteins out of these guys?! I assure you I'm not some maniacal killer. All living things need to 'eat' and are just trying to make it in this world, but don't mess with my spuds, son! I will retaliate!
I observed these little dudes making swiss cheese out of my Kennebec potato foliage one happy summer day in late June.
This is the destructive larval stage of the CPB. Thankfully, these guys are slow and mostly stationary. Rather than fight them with chemicals, I opted for hand-removal. This is one of the benefits of having a smaller home garden. I filled a bucket with soapy water, put on my gardening gloves (the foliage was covered with CPB larvae droppings) and plucked these suckers into water.
Poof. Job done - and quite easily accomplished at that. Perhaps I should have offered them to the chickens and helped make some more edible proteins out of these guys?! I assure you I'm not some maniacal killer. All living things need to 'eat' and are just trying to make it in this world, but don't mess with my spuds, son! I will retaliate!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Herb Sled
It's herb harvesting time at the Gap Mountain Garden. With temperatures deep into the 90's it was nice to have this little remind of 'cooler' times. Although it did not make me feel any less like a dripping, muggy, stinky mess of a human, it was quite useful for toting herbs around the property. ; )
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
More hauls and new hens!
Summer is officially heating up. Indicies are climbing to uncomfortable levels and the cold tolerant crops are pissed and have had enough. Lettuce has long since bolted and broccoli heads don't feel like growing uniformly any more. Luckily, we had a nice haul during prime temperatures.
In other news, our little garden on the hill has some new residents! Two hens from a friend/co-worker who was thinning her flock. I sustained several injuries while constructing this coop, including but not limited to 7 stings on my butt from an unknown offender, however I was left with a good sense of accomplishment.
These two ladies are both a year old and laying daily for the most part. A perfect size flock for our tiny family of two adult humans. To my extreme delight, I've discovered that they have a solid appreciation for all the excess squash and zucchini that ultimately takes over our lives in July. It's a win-win-win situation for everone. I'm looking forward to setting these ladies loose in our vegetable plot after the growing season. Chicken compost!
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| Salad fixins |
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| Our very own Speckled Sussex and Light Brahama girls. |
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Peas Please!
When my husband I bought our house, one of our first tasks upon settling in, was to install a vegetable garden. We didn't have a lot of space to work with on our acreage. Most of it is a giant, rocky, slope which was once pasture land - not ideal for maneuvering a tiller. We settled on a small patch in the existing turf adjacent to our house. Knowing we were going to be battling our furry deer neighbors, we got to work creating our own 'Fort Knox'. Tall field fencing was wrapped around concrete anchored posts. This thing was going nowhere and no one was getting in unless they had opposable thumbs. It also meant that the size of our garden would pretty much be a finite situation. It didn't take one growing season for me to realize that this space wasn't going to be big enough for my horticultural desires. $#@^!!!!!
In an effort to increase our veggie haul without increasing the garden space, we've gradually been integrating the vegetables with the flowers. First it was the asparagus patch which joined the herbs. This year, I decided to plant a row of snap peas at the back of our front flower bed where we have a bit of chicken wire fencing.
Oddly enough, this is my first foray into the pea realm. I've never been a pea lover but have always tolerated the snap pea.
I decided to give it a whirl - more spring veggies are always a welcome thing. I planted seeds in late March and waited patiently for them to make an appearance. The long, wet, chilly spring made everything move slowly but they eventually got busy growing and we had our first harvest over the Memorial Day holiday. Baby birds and peas all in one weekend, oh my! Although temps have been unseasonably high, the peas seem to be handling it like a champ. This is a cultivar I will try again. Great for salads, stir fry and many don't even make it inside the house.
In an effort to increase our veggie haul without increasing the garden space, we've gradually been integrating the vegetables with the flowers. First it was the asparagus patch which joined the herbs. This year, I decided to plant a row of snap peas at the back of our front flower bed where we have a bit of chicken wire fencing.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Butterfly Bush - Not just for Lepidoptera....
In amongst a butterfly bush in our front flower bed, what I believe to be a song sparrow, has made a home with her mate and sprouted 5 babies! We've been keeping tabs on this growing family since we discovered the nest accidentally while harvesting sugar snap peas which are behind the shrub. We took a closer peek while mama was away gathering food and snapped this shot.
The babies hatched sometime between May 29th and May 30th. Memorial Day Kids. All 5 seem happy and healthy. Mama and papa have been so patient with all the activity around the nest. We can hear them nearby, calling out the distinct 'chip' note as an alarm. It shouldn't be long before these little ones fly the coop. It's been fun watching them grow.
The babies hatched sometime between May 29th and May 30th. Memorial Day Kids. All 5 seem happy and healthy. Mama and papa have been so patient with all the activity around the nest. We can hear them nearby, calling out the distinct 'chip' note as an alarm. It shouldn't be long before these little ones fly the coop. It's been fun watching them grow.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Forgiveness from a Spiraea
In early May, I made a colorful discovery in a dumpster that I walk by nearly every day at my place of employment.
I won't tell you where, since, the information that follows is surely admittance of trespassing guilt. Inside of this particular dumpster were 3 lovely spirea shrubs which were plucked from their homes to make way for construction equipment. I walked by them several times that day but could do so no more without action. Having a bleeding horticulturist heart is a tough burden to bear. We end up doing ridiculous things like diving in dumpsters at 9am on Saturday mornings (with assistance from strong husbands) and hoisting heavy shrubs with gigantic root balls out of harms way and into safe, loving care.
These lovely spiraea were about to burst into flower when they were rushed to safety. Because of a long string of rainy days weeks, they had to sit, heeled into a pile of hardwood mulch while they waited for their permanent home. I sheared them back to prevent flowering so the plants could focus on root growth. To my great surprise, these shrubs were incredibly forgiving. They showed no signs of stress during their stay in that temporary home and are beginning to flourish in their new location. New sprouts have sprung forth from lower branches and soon they won't look like they were once 'trash' turned into one woman's treasure!
I won't tell you where, since, the information that follows is surely admittance of trespassing guilt. Inside of this particular dumpster were 3 lovely spirea shrubs which were plucked from their homes to make way for construction equipment. I walked by them several times that day but could do so no more without action. Having a bleeding horticulturist heart is a tough burden to bear. We end up doing ridiculous things like diving in dumpsters at 9am on Saturday mornings (with assistance from strong husbands) and hoisting heavy shrubs with gigantic root balls out of harms way and into safe, loving care.
These lovely spiraea were about to burst into flower when they were rushed to safety. Because of a long string of rainy days weeks, they had to sit, heeled into a pile of hardwood mulch while they waited for their permanent home. I sheared them back to prevent flowering so the plants could focus on root growth. To my great surprise, these shrubs were incredibly forgiving. They showed no signs of stress during their stay in that temporary home and are beginning to flourish in their new location. New sprouts have sprung forth from lower branches and soon they won't look like they were once 'trash' turned into one woman's treasure!
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