Showing posts with label starting seeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label starting seeds. Show all posts

Saturday, April 24, 2010

You’ll never guess what…

…but hang with me to the end and I’ll tell you. In the meantime, here are 1,001 random things that are going on around here. It has been a very busy week!

First, I spent an hour on a post this morning and Windows Live Writer went nuts and lost it. I really have a love/hate relationship with that program. And with computers in general.

Mr. W has been in and out of Osage Bluff Blacksmith & Quilter’s neck of the woods lately. Patti and I have been exchanging plants. This week I see I have received from her: Spiderwort, Bluebells, a cute little Osage Bluff fern, and some Live Forever. Awesome… can’t wait to plant them! Also, the Osage Bluff Blacksmith sent me this really cool, wicked-looking hoe. Won’t that be heck on weeds? I think so! Thanks, you two!

hoe1

I took a quick walk around the very wet yard this morning and got a few pictures.

Purple Martin – please, oh please stay this time! I’ve been trying to lure you for three long years. I’ve resorted to everything during those years, including playing very loudly a CD of purple martin songs into a speaker directed into the front yard. Every morning. Hubby still hasn’t forgiven me for that one.

PM1

Giant Allium… ready to bloom.

allium1

Irises, between showers.

iris1

Here is one of my projects, awaiting my attention. 150+ heirloom tomato plants bursting at the seams in the jiffy pot container.

tomatoes1

Our first hummingbirds of the season arrived at the feeders this morning.  Thank goodness I had them ready! Moments after that, I heard the first oriole. Now I need to get that grape jelly out. No rest, I tell ya! :)

Ok, for my big news. I am building a small chicken coop. Yes, I am amazed too, especially that I still have all 10 blogging fingers so far :) I have absolutely no building experience, except as a lowly assistant on projects in the past. Who knew this would be so much fun? This building stuff could be addictive. I really hope to inspire someone else to try something they never thought they could do all by themselves. Best confidence-builder ever!

So far, I’ve devoted two afternoons. The first afternoon was spent cutting my pieces and parts, labeling them accordingly, and stacking in little organized piles.  Well, that and hanging several loads of laundry on the line, and many other unrelated things. The second afternoon I completed the base (on four 2- foot legs), the floor, the nest box frame, the upper frame, and windows & doors framed in.

coop1

It isn’t perfect, but I am so proud of myself! I’ll keep posting updates, then one big post on the entire project in the end. My deadline is mid-May when 15 Ameraucana (Easter Egger) pullets plus one little rooster will arrive from Cackle Hatchery. I can’t wait! It’s been years since I had chickens and I’ve missed them ever since.

Oh, and lest you think this small coop is a permanent home for 16 chickens… nope! So, yes, a larger coop for when the chicks are bigger is already in the planning stage.  Then this “starter” coop will turn into a portable coop with wheels and the addition of a portable run.

That’s all the news from Flat Creek Farm for now. Hope everyone is doing well!

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Spring Updates ~ moving right along…

Here is a tomato plant update – side-by-side comparison from almost a week ago… and today. They’re doing well, but growing a little too fast. Today I introduced the little sprouts to the great outdoors for awhile. I hope they ‘fatten up’ a bit as they are getting too tall and skinny staying inside all the time.

C’mon li’l mater plants, sturdy up!

3-27 and 4-1 toms
I took a short walk around the yard just a few minutes ago and here is what I noticed:

Lilacs are going to burst soon. If you really take a good sniff of these buds, they’re even starting to smell like Lilacs… Mmmm.

Lilacs 4-1-09

Here is our Bradford Pear right now. I don’t know if I love that tree more in the Spring, or in the Fall. Would be a tough choice.

bradford pear april 1
bradford pear blossoms

Happy Spring, Y’all!

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Friday, March 27, 2009

Snow Weekend…. Really???

We have a winter storm watch in our area for the weekend. Yes, indeed, a winter storm watch in Spring. What?! Up to six inches of SNOW for our neck of the woods, and some cooler temps than we’ve been used to the past few days. Just last weekend I was planting our early garden. And speaking of which…

The garden is really coming along nicely. I planted another partial raised bed last Saturday. Lettuce and radishes are sprouting in the bed #1, which was planted one week ago today. The straw bales are lookin’ great…. hoping for some lettuce and kale from the mini bale gardens within a few short weeks. I was also excited to see that the heirloom tomatoes are sprouting today in the little “greenhouses.” They don’t look too impressive yet, but I have high hopes!

heirloom_tomatoes_3-27-09

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Friday, March 20, 2009

First Day of Spring

Today we celebrated the first day of Spring by planting the first raised bed of the vegetable garden. Rain is in our forecast beginning tonight, and lasting throughout the weekend. This is the earliest we’ve managed to start the garden in years! Hope it’s a great year!

raised_bed1

Donkey Helpers a/k/a
“Little Poopers” (Fertilizers) :-)
muddy_girls

First attempt at a Straw Bale
Mini Garden, Planted 3-16
straw_bale_garden1

Lookie… some sprouts today!
Can you see them??
sprouts1


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