Saturday, 30 July, 2016

Harvested courgettes...again. 

Harvested quite a lot of green beans which I processed and they are all now in the freezer. Yellow beans tomorrow.

Spent some time with the chickens. The Australorps are getting braver and will eat crumbles right out of my hand. They will also nibble at lettuce leaves. So far they are the only ones who are that brave. The four huge Jersey Giants are still mostly hiding in corners but if I sit still they will come out and wander all around. They do not get too close to me but at least they are a microscopic bit less afraid.

Friday, 29 July, 2016

Another day with not much done that was not related to the chickens. 

Pretty much all of them are picking on the little Hamburg. She is by far the cutest and certainly my favourite. She runs under my dress when I go into the coop for safety. Poor little munchkin.

Thursday, 28 July, 2016

At long last....picked up the chickens. Beyond excitement. Nothing else done all day that was not chicken related.

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Have finished bundling up all the garlic. It needs to be hung up somehow.

Went to feed store and purchased waterer, feeder and grower feed for the chickens which we will pick up Thursday.

Picked all the beans. Green beans were fine but the Dragon's Tongue and the yellow beans were very disappointing. Tossed most of it into the compost heap. This is a new variety of both the green and the yellow and I do not like them. Will go back to my old variety. Have had an issue this year with some of the seed from Early's. May rethink for next season.

Sunday, 24 July, 2016

Out in the garden at 5:30 to water.

With a bit of help, cleared all the weeds along the south fence so that can now be covered with landscape fabric and pea stone. Looks SO much better.

Frank has been cleaning up the garlic and I have been making bundles. Not braided since it is Hardneck but nice looking bundles.

Picked a good size bowl of blueberries today. Delicious.

Garden is doing well. Need to plant out the last few tiny broccoli plants and then cover up the bed once again against the cabbage white butterflies. The wee plants in there look very sad and weak. Next year will set out larger transplants.

As soon as the last of the garlic has been cleaned, will sow buckwheat in the garlic beds. Same for the broccoli bed but waiting for the chipper to arrive so I can send those big broccoli stalks through it before I compost it.

Friday, 22 July, 2016

Brutal heat and humidity today. It is 97 degrees out there, plus humidex. For me anyway, completely unbearable.

Ran errands.

Helped Frank to install the second half of the chicken coop ceiling. It looks amazing.

Been in touch with Danielle and we will be picking up the chicken pullets on Thursday. So excited.

Thursday, 21 July, 2016

Very hot today.

Re-planted carrot and beet seeds in the gaps in Bed 1 - Row 3.

Thoroughly watered entire garden.

Planted assorted lettuce behind the cucumbers beside the fava beans.

Dug up ALL the garlic, laid it out on the beds to dry. Fantastic harvest. Probably the best garlic we have ever grown. My gloves smell like garlic. Brilliant.

Helped Frank to begin to install the ceiling in the chicken coop. Got half done and he also built and installed the ceiling hatch to open it up to vent out the heat. Fantastic job.

Laid tarps on remaining center area of row 5 up to the squash plants. They are struggling in the poor soil, especially compared to the plants in the raised beds.

Tuesday, 19 July, 2016

Frank went fishing so it is fish for dinner and a couple more to put in the smoker.

We had a nice long gentle rain last night so no need to water today.

Weeded whole of garden. Spent a good bit of time completely cleaning out under the old raspberries, front and back of bed.

Planted out Bed 1-Row 2 with a crop of late brassicas. Two savoy cabbage, 6 green cabbage and purple kohlrabi interplanted with them. Have left room for about 6 broccoli as soon as the seedlings are big enough to transplant. Watered in well and covered with row cover to protect from cabbage white butterflies.

Picked huge amount of some kind of bug off one of the beds of potatoes. They are very sluggish so easy to gather by hand and dispose of them. They are NOT potato beetles but have no idea what they are.

Cleaned out weeds at the bottom of row 3 as they had begun to sprout again since have run out of gravel so it is all bare soil at the moment.

Recommenced working along the inside of the south fence to clear the weeds. Slow work, hard graft but will get it done in a couple of days hopefully. As soon as it is finished will get a load or two of pea stone in the truck and cover.

Monday, 18 July, 2016

Have harvested all the remaining side shoots from all the broccoli plants. Not a great deal but certainly enough for a meal or two.

Only a few kohlrabi left and they are all getting huge. Using them in coleslaw where I can grate them so they are not going to waste.

Seedlings are appearing in Bed 1-Row 3 but germination is spotty. Will seed again in the blank spaces.

Frank has suckered and tied in the tomatoes again.

Picked lots of small bugs off the potatoes.

Cucumber beetles are still with us but appear to be posing to problem to the maturing plants. We are now harvesting lots of courgettes.

Went through and weeded out the strawberry beds. Likely missed a few but got most of them.

Noah came to help me for a couple of hours and we cleared another large area of weeds in Row 5 and covered with tarps. Looks SO much better.

Raspberries are showing lots of fruit but it looks small to me. No doubt on account of our drought conditions. We have been watering them and we have received a bit of rain in the last week but clearly not enough. They will still be delicious but small.

Have picked quite a few blueberries before the birds figure out how to get under the nets to get them. Will design proper fruit cage for next year to be built.

The natural rain that we have had has made a great deal of rich lush growth in the garden. Watering keeps them alive but rain makes them thrive.

Friday, 15 July, 2016

Have done virtually no work at all in the garden. Company here for 5 days, weather was brutally hot and humid and finally in the last two days, we have had a substantial amount of rain. So thankful.

Have harvested all the broccoli main heads from the plants. Just got them in the nick of time before they burst into flower. Blanched and frozen.

It is amazing what the natural rain does for the garden. I have been watering constantly and everything is growing but a good blast of natural rain and everything seems to surge to life with renewed vigor. Amazing.

Have sown a few more broccoli seeds into a pot. The first lot sown had poor germination with only two seedlings. Not really happy with the quality of the seed I purchased this year. Germination has been poor all around.

Bed 1 in Row 3 is germinating reasonably well. Lots of misses in the beets and carrots and also a few in the beans. Most of all of this is brand new seed so this should not be happening. Will need to replant tomorrow in the vacant spots to fill in the gaps.

The weather has broken finally tonight and it is deliciously cold. Will need extra blankies on the bed. Frank says it is absurd that we have more quilts on the bed now than we do in the winter. Great, I say.

Monday, 11 July, 2016

The heat has returned.

We did manage to get a day of rain on Saturday. Still not nearly enough.

Have begun to harvest the broccoli today. Cut one huge head. Beautiful. Have also cut some courgettes, radish and a very large kohlrabi.

Checked out the trees and there are quite a few apples on various trees so we should actually get to eat a few of them this year which will be a treat.

It looks like all the iris and daylilies that I transplanted have taken. They all look nice and healthy.

Garden doing amazingly well. Lush after the rain. Bed 1 in Row 3 is germinating. Even saw evidence of a couple of carrots that are up.

The pots of brassicas that I seeded are up as well and I will transplant in a few days.

Friday, 8 July, 2016

Very overcast morning. Watered the entire veg patch thoroughly. 

A couple of the broccoli look like they are getting ready to bolt. The heads are a pretty good size so will need to cut them in the next day or so.

Still millions of cucumber beetles. Despite that, all the cucumber and squash seem to be putting on some decent growth, again despite the lack of rain.

The weather forecast is calling for rain tomorrow. We shall see.

Need to get some straw around the potatoes very soon.

Need to pick the last of the peas.

Only a few kohlrabi left and they are getting pretty large. Need to be picked and used.

Some really decent size chard all ready to use. Same goes for the beets. Some just lovely ones out there, even the golden ones.

First sign of germination in Bed 1 - Row 3. I do believe that it is radish, arugula and beets that are starting. Still have the carrots covered. Nothing yet.

Need to cut off the runners from the pineberries.

This latest heat wave is to break to some extent by tomorrow night. If we do get rain tomorrow and it is NOT a thunderstorm, I will work in the garden anyway. Even if it is hot, a nice bit of rain will not melt me away.

Thursday, 7 July, 2016

I set up some line and aluminium pie plates in the strawberry patch to attempt to keep the birds away. We will see if it makes any difference.

Still brutally hot here. Humidex was over 100 today. Spent as little time out of doors as possible.

Frank has completed exterior work on the shed and almost finished the coop. Just needs to install the pop hole doors and he is ready to start on the ceiling in the coop as well.

I started more seed of broccoli, kohlrabi and two cabbages a couple days ago but nothing from them yet.

We have had quite a few birds visiting the bird bath for a drink and also quite a few have been taking baths. Love to see that.  :)

Garden is doing well. I have been watering every second day as still bone dry here. They say rain in the forecast for Saturday but will believe it when I see it.

Monday, 4 July, 2016

Finished up the last of the pea stone yesterday. Have run out and will need to get a load in the pick up to complete the last area.

Have started seed for purple kohlrabi, broccoli and two varieties of cabbage in pots.

Planted out Bed 1 in Row 3 today with Scarlet Runner beans, Chard, Beets, Beans, Carrots, Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula and a few Radishes. It is a big bed so I got a lot in there. All seeds, no transplants.

Need to get to the triangles around the pea support to replant.

Cucumber beetles are still with us. They are doing some damage but all the plants seem to be holding their own against them. Next year will start everything under row cover.

Tomatoes are doing great. Lots of growth. They love this God awful heat that we are having... again. Third heat wave of temperatures/humidex close to 100F and it is only the first week of July. 

Chicken coop almost finished. Emailing back and forth with hatchery to see what they have available.

Was out at 6:00 to water the garden. Hope the well hold up.

Saturday, 2 July, 2016

Frank has busted up enough of the HUGE rock that we were able to install a bed at the bottom of row 2. It is already filled with garden loam.

All the other beds that we are building for this year have been built and filled with garden loam. I have done almost all of the pea stone pathways but will run out of stone before I finish. Will likely be able to get just enough in the pick up.

Garden doing very well. We have been harvesting lots of lettuce, peas, kohlrabi and some small courgettes. Have sown more spinach and lettuce.

Now that the last three beds are in place and filled, I will sow seed in them tomorrow.

We have received a wee bit of rain, not nearly enough though. Temperatures not too bad. Cooler and VERY windy today but a nice break from the heat.

Birds have eaten almost all of our remaining strawberries. Not happy.