Triple Creek Farm, July 13, 2013

I have a passion for wild flowers, some in my circles call them weeds but they have never stopped to look at what has come from a tiny seed.  To think of all the magic, the wind, birds or insects will carry a tiny seed somewhere and it finds itself in a space where it can sprout, grow, bloom and go to seed so the magic will continue.  This week I was coming through the yard by some of the flower beds and there to my surprise was a purple cone flower.  Yes, cone flowers are listed in the wild flower books as a wild flower, I stopped in my tracks went over and yes, it is cone flower.  I moved a few here but they have struggled.  This one is a gift, the magic happened.  Healthy, because it has found the perfect place to flourish, I could have looked for weeks and never found where the Master Designer wanted the seed planted but something did.  I love my land here, we have so many different varieties of ferns which grow in the warm seasons.  To keep me happy, Mr. Bootsie works with a type of weed eater and carefully works around the ferns!  I planted blackberry lilies here and they have found paradise, they are everywhere, I have large beds of them, I can look out of any window this time of year and see the orange bloom followed by the seed head which will look like a large blackberry.  To me, all of the flowers and vegetation are beautiful, I see what was placed here to cover and protect the earth, I do not want to change what grows best in my woods.  You can have your lush lawn but for me, I love, let me say it again, I love my flowers which I do not plant, they just show up and brighten my day.

IN THE KITCHEN

The bounty is coming in from the garden.  Two loaves of zucchini bread were baked on Monday.  Pickled peaches were made, of course we do not have peach trees and I purchased the peaches.  This is one pickle I love having in the pantry.  Green beans, 7 quarts canned and placed in the pantry, this makes the quota of green beans to be stored this year.  Yellow squash are being dehydrated.   We are enjoying fresh veggies for our meals.  Summer is such a refreshing time of the year, the veggies fresh from the garden are so good.

Opened the pickled garlic scapes, they are a nice addition to the pantry.  Just thought I would share this with you.

ON THE FARM

Wet, drainage ditches, run off everywhere.  There were two additions rain storms this week which dumped on us.  The land is so wet there is no place for this additional moisture to go.   The goats are so pleased to have the playground which has walks to keep them off of the ground and that is where we are finding them.  We worked some of the drainage ditches this week after the first storm and they were very forgiving with second storm which came in during the night.  The water was running into the creeks just like we wanted it to do.

IN THE COOP

My Blanche has gone broody, the girl with the most attitude in the coop.  I have 2 setting now and will have hatching next weekend (I hope).  I am trying to see if I can get her to change her mind but it may be a loosing battle for me.  I am concerned if she would be a good Momma, she has been her own chicken and I am wondering how she would work with the little peeps.

Our spring hatching is growing up and now the sounds from the brooder is changing from peeps to  something else.  We have no idea, there were only 2 which hatched, girls or boys when an egg is laid or when one crows we will know the sex of that one.   With the voice changing and their ability to eat without walking through the food bowls they may be getting ready for a move into the big girl side of the coop.

IN THE GARDEN

I have been pleased with the garden, our harvest continues, our pantry is being stocked for the winter and this is why I garden.  I have no interest in doing farmer's markets, it is all I can do taking care of the garden for us.  The many varieties of peppers are starting to come in.  The dill bed is starting to grow.  This week I planted black-eyed peas.

With the storm this week there was some sadness, the corn really took a beating and I have lost some.  I raise this corn for the animals and, of course, we can eat some early in the season.  I just want to be able to feed the flocks corn I know about, I do not like worrying about what I am feeding them.  So I thought I would grown it myself.  We did corn first-aide earlier this year and it worked but some of the corn was about 10 feet high and I just could not do anything.  We will be thankful for what we are able to harvest, if any, and if there is not a harvest the girls really enjoy the fodder from the broken stalks.

Do you see the sunflower standing tall?  I could only smile through my sadness when my morning was brighten.  I grow the sunflowers for the flocks, my girls get so excited when I fed them sunflower seeds.  So maybe this is the year of the sunflower and not the year of the corn for me!!!

IN CLOSING

Flowers are blooming everywhere, the garden has flowers which turn into veggies for us to eat.  The tomato bloom is followed by the tomato which makes the seeds, the lovely purple bloom of the eggplant to be followed by the fruit with the seed inside.  I grow many of the veggies in the garden because I find the blooms to be so beautiful.  The corn blooms are the tassels which are very interesting and I love adding them to a dried arrangement in the fall.  Some of the okra pods are always dried, the pumpkins and winter squash add interest to the holiday season.  I see my garden as on going.  You can find a summer flower arrangement here with veggies added in to bring interest.  We grow them, we eat the veggies and some of the flowers but most of all we enjoy all of our gardens for the beauty they bring to us.