Dolavim.us » garden

Team Edward or Team Jacob?

tpepper — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:58:22 +0000

(If you’re seriously wondering you’re not even paying attention…)

I dug up approximately two thirds of the garlic today, or 31 bulbs with 13 remaining to be dug up later when they’re more clearly done for the season. They’re not much bigger than last year on average. I was expecting bigger as the soil’s that much better. Maybe next year?

And I heard a weird sound while checking on the chickens…sort of a juicy fart noise. Suddenly on the ground there’s a shell-less egg: just membrane, white and yolk. And just as fast it’s gone as the apparently not-shy-about-eating-their-young flock gobbled it all up. That at least made me feel better about sitting on the deck with a glass of white wine and a scrumptiously roasted chicken for dinner.

It seems like three or four may be laying now. We are getting a steady two eggs a day.

Our potatoes are out of the ground

tpepper — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:06:06 +0000

We ate quite a few this year during the summer, but today the girls did our main dig. They took 18lbs of potatoes out of the raised bed! I’m guessing we ate around 5lbs during the summer. Last year I think we had a total of 15lbs. I’m thinking of building a little riser that can go on the box we put the potatoes in for a given year and allow us to bury the potatoes more during the year. I also need to make sure I get the type of potatoes that actually produce more when repeatedly buried during the season. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the case this year.

2009 potato harvest

Out with plums; in with cherries

myiphone — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:20:48 +0000

Last week I bought two cherry trees. In the meantime I cleared out a mess of volunteer plum trees, taking out about seven and leaving two. That leaves a proper amount of space for the new cherry trees. I suppose it’ll be a few years before they produce much (and we learn if we have to net them against birds)…assuming I keep them alive through this week’s forecast winds and heat. Fingers crossed!

Great Grandma’s 4 O’clocks

myiphone — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:42:29 +0000

My Great Grandma Barker grew 4 o’clocks and the two generations between collected and passed in seeds. Last year I planted some in the front around the base of a tree. This year they came back quite well!

First berry pi of the year

tpepper — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:38:38 +0000

I just pulled our first berry pie of the year out of the oven. Made with the last of our strawberries and the first of red raspberries, black cap raspberries and marionberries (no blueberries yet). Yum.

Summer berries in the garden

tpepper — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:19:07 +0000

While early summer marks the end of our strawberries for the most part, the red raspberries and the black caps have started bearing fruit now…

Potato update

myiphone — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:05:08 +0000

I’ve been meaning to update the potato photo. They’re huge this year!

Hummingbird feeder, #2

myiphone — Sun, 10 May 2009 23:40:11 +0000

The first one came down (from tree branch) and shattered a day after going up. This one should be much more secure.

I used to love watching the hummingbirds as a child at my grandparents’ house. And you haven’t fully lived until you’ve taken the time to sit so still an patient with your finger just next to the feeder until they come and sit on your finger to feed, their tiny mass just pulsating with energy!

Potatoes in the ground

tpepper — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 04:02:04 +0000

Potatoes into the raised bed

I think it’s been almost a month since I got seed potatoes. I think I might have cut them a bit too small or something caused them to not grow quite as tall anyway. Nevertheless, lately the sprouts are looking sturdy and given the excellent weather today (and forecast for the week :), it seemed like it was finally time to get them out of the cupboard and into the ground. So we did!

(excellent iPhone photo thanks to Madi and the setting sun)

Haven’t killed the asparagus yet

myiphone — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:40:26 +0000

I’m pleasantly surprised to see the asparagus crowns are sending up new growth!