The Garden Week 1

I'm calling this week 1 even though it's not really week 1.  It'll help me keep track.

The pictures are too bright- so apologies- it was on the P setting on the camera and not automatic.  Although it is really hot and humid here so it fits.

I really hate how slow our internet is..... during this time uploading pictures, I talked to my mom for 15 minutes, peeled corn for dinner, defrosted a chicken, started laundry, did the dishes and had lunch.  

I've been slow to blog but this is planting time..... time to plant and not blog.  

Mike puts the sheep on the side of the hill where it is hard to mow and the sheep mow the grass.

This is what happens when the sheep can reach the red maple.... oops.

Of everything that grows on our farm....this is by far my specialty.  Thistle.

The realty of organic farming... I will eradicate it over the next few years.

Garlic scapes are coming up.  It's the middle stem that would flower but that we don't want to flower.  So you cut them off and they are wonderful to use with olive oil to fry things.  Those will be in the CSA shares starting the first week.

The peas are flowering!  should only be 2 more weeks for snap peas now!

Anything in the cabbage family will need to be covered.  I thought it was beginners bad luck last year but we have black fleas in this area and they eat the leaves off of anything in the cabbage family.  The only thing I've read to do is to cover it with a floating row cover.  In the fall those bugs are gone but for spring/summer I'll have to deal with them with more row covers.  UGH.....

Lettuce planted in the broadcast method....didn't work well for me-- but I should have sowed more densely.  This lettuce will be ready in 2-4 weeks.

Zucchini starting!  Lots of it started.  It'll be fun to see how fast it grows from this size.

Blueberries have started!!!  Now we need bird netting.

This is the lettuce area that will be ready in 5-7 weeks.  You need to have several lettuce areas all at different stages of growth.  There is a new section I planted yesterday that is just black dirt.  

That plot will be weeks 6-9 lettuce.

This is the 3-5 week out lettuce.....

Tomatoes are flowering!  I used these red water liners around the tomatoes and they have really worked out well.

This is lettuce that is ready now and for 2 more weeks.  This will be in the first CSA basket.

We tried some this weekend and 2 varieties are great and 2 of them are slightly bitter.  These have been out since mid April and my guess is that the other 2 varieties are slightly bitter due to the frost we had the 1 day in May.  But they still taste good-- and it didn't stop me from eating them- nor will it.  I'll suggest a sweeter dressing when you try that variety.

These are the green beans, yellow wax beans and purple beans planted today.

Rows of tomatoes.... yum!

Asparagus wisps coming up!!!  Yippee.  1 variety grew but the 2nd variety doesn't look like it's coming up.  

These are for next year.

Field of tomatoes.  Yes, every stake is a tomato.  I still need to sneak a few in here or there-- but majority are planted.

Field of potatoes and zucchini.  (that is not our house)

Strawberries!!!  I am going to water them diligently the next month as they are just starting to form.

This is a guinea hen.  They are a new addition.

We had friends here this weekend and they helped collect eggs.

I love when the city folk come to see the chickens....

Chickens in their coop.

And finally--- this is Shirley Joe.  He had the last laugh.  We should have kept him in the fridge for around 10-15 days and then stewed him.   He was a little tough but it sure was fun to watch the kids eat him.  No more attacking rooster on our farm......

And now I shall go plant more beans---- soup beans.  And then the eggplant.