Happy to say springtime is officially here in the Shenandoah Valley. Cherry and pear blossoms are out, daffodils are up, and the air just feels different.



Came home the other day to find the critters out for a stroll, enjoying the 68 degree weather.




Goose, our retired polo pony, was feeling herself and went for a jog.




New chicks to add to the flock, I believe 17 in total. Five Isa Brown (to add to our four laying Isas), four Dark Brahmas, four Plymouths, and four Australorps. All pullets this time, the last rooster didn't exactly work out. I appreciated his spunk but attacking the little man was a red line and he crossed it with relish.




RIP Roy the Rooster.




This weekend's project is reclaiming the compost bins, and figuring out the vegetable garden layout. We've got six raised boxes and trying to decide whether to use them or just till a rectangular patch at the end of the orchard and plant in rows. I've been reading about the square foot gardening method and it seems fairly idiot proof, which is a valuable commodity in these parts.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

That is a big fucking dog.

I'll be trimming my dad's apple trees in mid-30's temps with rain and wind on Saturday. Anyone who is bored is welcome to come help.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

so you live on a proper plot of land; that's awesome. some of my favorite youtube channels to stumble across are "homesteaders" in some way. i like to imagine doing all of those things (gardening, making coops, etc) but for now it'll just be in my imagination, ha.

Sunday low is forecasted to be in the 30's. Appreciate that you are jumping the spring has sprung gun though. Tidal basin blossoms peaked 2 days ago and that was 10 days early to norm. Make sure all the critters stay warm.

Black labs get pretty hefty if you don’t restrict their intake.

I think I missed the window for round 2 of orchard trimming. I can’t say I was looking forward to it this year. Probably just going to do some selective removal and call it done for the season.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Steve

No joke, if I list the 5 top days in my life, the day we loaded all the cows on the trailer so they could go on their merry way is #4 on the list. I was 17 and it was the beginning of April. What a glorious day!

We broke the Mother's Day planting rule and put everything in the ground over the weekend. I found a massive pile of compost, probably 3-4 cubic yards worth, beyond the tree line (former owners were serious homesteaders) and tilled it into the topsoil before planting. Bonus!

A half dozen varieties of tomato
As many peppers, probably more
Potato, garlic, sweet/red/yellow onion, scallion
Cucumbers, squash, carrot
Peas and beans
Spinach, bib and other lettuce
Sweet corn
An herb garden area
Six more blackberry bushes
Marigold for the deer

Currently we've 6 laying hens, with twice as many more juveniles near full size. Isa Browns, Australorps, Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Dark Brahmas, IIRC. Predators are out and we're no longer free ranging given the number of hens we're dealing with now, and their propensity to pick apart the freshly seeded garden.

New chicken run on the way courtesy of Jeff Bezos. Ugly as sin but does the job.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

We broke the Mother's Day planting rule and put everything in the ground over the weekend. I found a massive pile of compost, probably 3-4 cubic yards worth, beyond the tree line (former owners were serious homesteaders) and tilled it into the topsoil before planting. Bonus![/quote]

Do did I. I had the time and the forecast looks good. Everything in but the herbs.

I moved the vegetable garden to somewhere less wet, So I spent a weekend cutting sod and moving it. Picked the first ditch asparagus last week and got the first from my patch today.

The neighbors have the chickens covered.

Added 5 new trees to the arboretum. Cucumber magnolia, butternut, horse chestnut, catalpa, and another redbud variety. I can't lay my hands on our inventory right at the moment, but I have at least 69 species of woody plants on the property. When I go to the nursery and they ask what are you looking for? The answer is everything.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

My wife has gone crazy, getting all native plantings that support local fauna (bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, etc.). Ironwood tree, innumerable redbuds, service berry trees, milkweed, butterfly bushes, bee balm, etc. I've been "made" busy cutting down invasive or non-useful trees and shrubs. We have lots of golden rain-trees that I'm in the process of cutting down. On an acre property, we have seven garden areas plus an herb garden, plus another vinca-covered patch that I'm clearing for yet another garden area.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

I wish my neighbors would get one of these for their 9 hens plus one rooster. They are so destructive it can be maddening. We have decent fencing around the garden but they still find a way in and tear up plants.

I keep waiting for a fox or coyote to get one of them, but odds are that someone drives over one on the access road before an animal gets one. They actually go across our yard to a neighbors yard that has Burnese Mntn dogs. They do run fast sometimes.

It is nice that Spring is finally completely here

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

We're still a little behind that. Daffodils are up, but most trees haven't leafed out yet.

I've got asparagus, peas and fava beans coming up in the garden, garlic is about 8 inches high. Planted some raspberry canes and strawberry plants last week. Transplanted a bunch of spinach seedlings. Still been getting down in the 30's most nights.

I got a raised bed ready to plant today.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Whatcha planting in there?

I just removed six 12'x4' raised beds a few weeks ago when I tilled the new plot. No real use for them now, gave them to the neighbor in exchange for a bunch of transplant berry bushes and picking rights to a few of their apple and cherry trees that border our property.

We've got onions and garlic sprouting prominently now, and most of everything else shooting up tiny little sprouts. It's been unusually rainy and cold and my tomato plants are not happy about it.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Oooh, cherry trees!

I'll put in peas, carrots, radishes, beets, tomatoes, and marigolds. I think that's all I'll have space for. Zucchini if I have more space so I can have the blossoms to make squash blossom tacos.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

New chicken run assembled and tied into the old coop. Took about an hour for the frame and door and another two to get the chicken wire rigged and connected to the coop. Not the prettiest arrangement but it does the job. The girls seem happy with it.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

My SIL (wife's sister) has 30 acres next to us. We just got 62 round bales off her hay field. With the cost of fertilizer and diesel this hay is gonna cost $$.



Penny loves to run!





/r

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Steve

That's gorgeous land, Steve - and a damn fine dog!

I always find it quite odd where you're getting your first-cut in, and we had some plants we left out the other night and had a killing frost (ran outta time getting them in, didn't check the overnight weather). Georgia vs. NH... quite a weather difference!
- Jeff

Brother

I cannot imagine a winter in NH. I don't want to. I do follow a homeade cheese makeing lady up your way. Other than that I got noting

I've been so cold. I don't want to ever be cold again. NH is just well out of my zone of comfort

*now if the zombies attack and it have to retreat to your compound---well then, i am your man!

/r

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Steve

It was 92 here yesterday. I was miserable. Gimme the cold over the heat any day of the week!
- Jeff

yeah?! well you can't fool me. i did three years at Ft Drum so am well aware of New England weather. I did USTS VT one year and in the middle of summer Lake Champlain was so cold it made your head hurt. I think there are something like four or five nice days up there and that's when you take all the tourist pictures!




/r

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Steve

The first strawberries of the season. They are a giant PITA to raise, but man there is nothing like them.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

Just back from camping and fly fishing in N. GA mountains. It's been raining pretty steady on the farm and today is a clear day so great time to burn some of those brush piles that have been accumulating. Little danger of a brush pile fire getting out of hand and having to call the local volunteer FD! :-)

i use a ancient technique for starting up my brush piles. Passed down from father to son for many generations and it works every time getting a brush pile to go!



/r

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Steve