Triple Creek Farm, May 12, 2012

I plant a number of flowers and herbs to bring the butterflies and bees.  This year we have had a lot of birds.  Cardinals have made a nest in the blackberry plant.  Bluebirds are nesting in the knot holes in the trees.  Flight school is going on everywhere.  The carpenter bees have returned to drill holes in all of the treated wood.  Wild flowers are showing there true colors.  Ferns are coming up everywhere.

The passion flower is blooming, this past year we put in an arbor for it to climb on and it is rewarding us.  It is loaded with blooms and this is one of the first to open.

IN THE KITCHEN

Fresh spinach from the garden means salad.  The chives are loaded with blooms and I am making chive vinegar, the color is so pretty, I start the vinegar now and when the garlic is harvested I will add garlic.  Sage is ready to pick and dry.  

ON THE FARM

Mr. Bootsie is busy trimming wild blackberry vines and cutting brush.  I heard the lawn mower fire up Thursday evening and I know that means a new job for us every week until the fall frost.  We had a damp and wet week so some afternoons were not as productive as I would have liked for them to be.  

IN THE COOP

Harmony has arrived!  The girls and the ducks are getting along very good.  The girls like the duck food so they visit the duck run and see what is left.  I have been picking the wild strawberries for the ducks.  Chickweed is being enjoyed by all.  

The little peeps are in the house, growing and getting feathers.  They are eating chickweed, eggs and oatmeal.  This week we had flight school and they are flying up on things.  Aurora seems content staying with the peeps and I am not going to push her out.  She can stay with them for as long as she wants to.

The girls laid 42 eggs this week.  I will be making more boiled eggs.  They do enjoy having eggs for their morning meal. 

IN THE GARDEN

These are the blackberry vines and they are loaded with blooms.  Mr. Bootsie informed me the other evening he would be needing the 6 foot ladder to pick the berries at the top of the vines.  

Started picking strawberries this week.  Pulling spring onions and drying the green onion tops.  We use these to make dressing and dips. The biggest chore was installing all of the plants and that is finished.  Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and herbs were planted and the rains came, everything is looking good.  I put most of the cages in this week.  I use cages with anything that gets tall and heavy.  Corn is up and now I will be planting the beans which climb on the corn.  Okra is planted and when it comes up I will plant the black eyed peas.  Sweet potatoes have been slipped.

I enjoy planting all sorts of onions and these are the walking onions.  I plant them in the fall and start pulling spring onions early in the year.   There are a lot of small onions on these plants which I pickle.  I pull the root and can these onions,  they will also keep as a storage onion if dried correctly.   I always have plenty of sets and I am more than glad to share them.

IN CLOSING

We made a provision run over to the valley.  I go to The Cheese Shop to buy bulk.  I do not like having to dispose of the packing you pay for in the grocery store.  I buy a lot of my canning supplies in bulk.  I stock all of my baking needs buying somethings in 50 pound bags.  This trip is made several times a year.  They ship, so if I need to fill in holes or runout of supplies, I place an order.  

With what has been planted in the garden and the provision trip made I think we are ready to settle in for a while and enjoy the wonders of our little farm.

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