Greenhouse Planning 2015

Greenhouse plans are all mapped out.

Due to the super crop of cucumbers last year, I don't need to plant for pickles this year.  I'm planning to put watermelons on the wire in greenhouse #1, and Far North Melons in greenhouse #2.  I have some space left here around the watermelons, which I'm sure to be able to fill with whatever seedlings I plant too much of.  The Dill remains against the back wall in all three greenhouses, as it does tend to self seed, and last year was a good year for it.

Greenhouse #2 gets the brassicas.  I am considering adding cauliflower back into the mix, since #4 has been asking for it lately.  It's too expensive to buy, but it also drew in those green worms a couple of years ago.  I wasn't companion planting then though, so it may be worth trying it again.

Greenhouse #3 will need wire added to the main beam for the cucumbers to climb, as well as plastic adjustments on the sides.  If you recall, I left the plastic up about a foot on each side last year for the vines to crawl under.  Since this will be the home of the tomatoes and peppers this year, I'll need to close it off to maintain heat.  A proper door also needs to be built.

Dreaming of Spring.

Yellow Flowers

Eight years in and I still haven't identified these flowers.  If anyone has an idea, please let me know.

They are perennial.  Each stem has its own root.  The roots are kind of thin hairy taproots.  Leaves are single all the way up the stem.

They get 4-5' tall and bloom around the beginning of August.  They don't really smell like anything.  The bees like them.  The chickens do not.  The cows and goats have nipped at them, but never devoured them.

Any ideas?

Gardening 2015

The weather is starting to warm up - 4 days in a row are forecast to be above 0°!We are definitely getting more sunshine, but sadly, also more snow.  One of the downfalls of rising temperatures is always more snow, and I have definitely had enough of it already.  We have approximately 3' in the open areas, 8' in the ditches.

Tomatoes started Feb 20th

Most have germinated.  :)  The bit in front was asparagus that I started from seed, never planted, and didn't water all winter.  I don't expect anything to happen, but you never know, so I left it in.

Garden planning is done, including plans for new fencing to go in around the perennials.  Plans in green, current in black.

13 weeks until our 'frost free' date.

Harvest 2014

Happy New Year!

Time to clear the gadget and start fresh for 2015.  Hopefully I didn't forget too much this year.  I'm fairly happy with this year's production/preservation.

Harvest 2014

• Cond.- Horse Radish- Roots dug- 3
• Cond.- Relish- pints- 6
• Cond.- Salsa- pints- 36
• Doggy Stew Meat - 53
• Eggs (approximate)- 441
• Fat- Tallow- Jars Rendered- 6
• Fruit- Blueberries- Fresh- meals- 12
• Fruit- Melon- Fresh- 7
• Fruit- Raspberries- fresh- meals- 1
• Fruit- Rhubarb pulp- bags frozen- 9
• Herbs- Chives- Jars Dried- .5
• Herbs- Dill- Fresh- enough for pickles
• Herbs- Nasturtium- Jars Dried- .1
• Herbs- Oregano- Jars Dried- .5
• Herbs- Peppers- Jars Dried- .1
• Herbs- Thyme- Jars Dried- .1
• Juice- Berry Punch Concentrate- Fresh- 3
• Juice- Berry Punch Concentrate- Quarts- 6
• Juice- Blueberry- 4L jugs- 2
• Juice- Blueberry- Quarts- 2
• Juice- Rhubarb- 4L jugs- 9
• Meat- Beef Ground- Bags Frozen- 30.5
• Meat- Beef Jerky- 32 lbs
• Meat- Beef Ribs- Meals Frozen- 8
• Meat- Beef Roasts- Frozen- 42
• Meat- Beef Steak- Frozen- 72
• Meat- Beef Stew- Bags Frozen- 17
• Meat- Chicken- Frozen- 1
• Meat- Partridge- Frozen- 4
• Tea- Clover- Jars Dried- .5
• Tea- Dandelion Root- Jars Dried- .25
• Tea- Fireweed- Jars Dried- .25
• Tea- Mint- Jars Dried- 1
• Tea- Mixed- Jars Dried- 1
• Tea- Wild Bergamot- Jars Dried- 5
• Veg.- Broccoli- Frozen- Heads- 1
• Veg.- Cabbage- Quarts- 3
• Veg.- Carrots- 1 gallon
• Veg.- Cucumber- Fresh- 246
• Veg.- Cucumber- Given away- 32
• Veg.- Cucumber- Pickled- Quarts- 40
• Veg.- Dandelion Buds- bags frozen- 3
• Veg.- Green Beans- bags frozen- 4
• Veg.- Lettuce- meals- 32
• Veg.- Mangels- Bird Feed- 22
• Veg.- Peas- Dehydrated- Jars- 1
• Veg.- Peas- Fresh- meals- 24
• Veg.- Peppers- Fresh- 9
• Veg.- Peppers- Pickled- 1/2 pints- 1
• Veg.- Peppers- snack bags- frozen- 1
• Veg.- Potatoes- 10 gallons
• Veg.- Pumpkin- 21
• Veg.- Purslane- fresh- meals- 1
• Veg.- Radish Pods- 17
• Veg.- Radish- meals- 9
• Veg.- Spinach/Swiss Chard- Fresh- meals- 6
• Veg.- Summer Sauce- Quarts- 46
• Veg.- Tomato- Fresh- 52
• Veg.- Yellow Beans- bags frozen- 2
• Wine- Dandelion- bottles- 27
• Wine- Dandelion-Rhubarb- bottles- 28
• Wine- Rhubarb Mint- bottles- 25

Preserves (from Purchases)

• Juice- Grape- Quarts- 10
• Legumes- Beans- Quarts- 6
• Legumes- Lentils- Pints- 14
• Veg.- Broccoli- bags frozen - 8
• Veg.- Corn- bags frozen- 12
• Veg.- Garlic- Pickled- pints- 1
• Veg.- Mushrooms- jars dehydrated - 4
• Veg.- Peppers- snack bags frozen- 5
• Veg.- Tomatoes- bags frozen- 1

Medicine Chest

• Salve- Plantain-Comfrey
• Salve- Plantain-Comfrey-Calendula- 8 (2014)
• Tincture- Pennyroyal
• Tincture- Speedwell
• Tincture- Thyme
• Tincture- Yarrow

Wines Started

• Choke Cherry- 1 Gallon
• Crab Apple- 1 Gallon
• Pin Cherry- 2 X 1 Gallon
• Rosehip- 1 Gallon
• Watermelon- 1 Gallon
• Lime- 1 Gallon

Harvest 2011
Harvest 2012
Harvest 2013

The Girls

Moved in for winter.

The reds and barred rocks- the only ones laying right now.

The whites- Chanteclers and crosses.

Each with a chantecler cross rooster.  I know, I know, inbreeding...  But they aren't big enough to butcher just yet.

 The third batch of chicks.  Sexable, but too small to do anything with yet.  I figure another month before I'll have to separate them, by which time, hopefully, the boys from the first batch will be ready to move into the freezer.

And the babies.  I think they'll have enough room to stay together until spring.

I still have four roosters outside.  One of the older roosters, and three from the first batch.  I'm hoping to put them in the freezer before it really snows, but I may have to move them to the old coop, depending on weather.

The geese are also waiting outside, though I do have a pen for them in the new coop.  They're just enjoying the last of the garden eats before they have to survive off grain and fodder for winter.

We've had a few snows now, but nothing sticking, and temperatures still fluctuating.  A lot of rain, too.  Roads are flooding all over the place.  I could have left the birds outside for a bit yet, but I didn't want to have to move them all by myself in the snow one morning.