Rock Garden

Well after a half day of transplanting and moving more rocks, putting a few new plants, sedom and hens and chicks as well as some bee balm, it seems to be taking shape! Thankfully the backhoe was able to be used to move some of the big boulders!
A few more transplants to to be put in as well as some Bishops weed being moved. And of course the little fencing to keep the chickens out! They just love to find a patch of dirt and scratch, and dust themselves, in the process huge holes are created! Keep the girlies out of the gardens!

lake fishing

Matt, Susan and Paul out fishing! Looking for the big one!
Also watching for the snake under the boat seat! Yikes, Susan says, get back in your hole!

just a closeup of the beets and beans!

Turkey and Pults

This Sabbath past I was enjoying the morning and the ducks came running! A hen turkey chased them away so they could bring down their young. Only one hen is visible, the other is behind the tree. Click on the picture to get a closer look!

Yummmmmm!

I went down thinking I would pick just a 'few' beans! Yikes, the basket is full with the last of the peas also, not alot. but enough for a supper. Where are the kids when you need them for snapping these beans! The rest of the pea vines have been pulled and I shall be out planting my falls harvest later on! Some lettuce's on the left, beans, then beets, they are long, taking less space instead of getting large and round, (and woody) they get longer! Last, some green swiss chard! There will be a quiche made this week for sure! Stir fried beet greens with a smidgeon of garlic for some zip! PTL for this scrumptious harvest!

Pumpkin flower

I have high hopes this year for a decent pumpkin harvest. These are again non-hybrid so seed saving will be profitable. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin souffle', pumpkin bread, plain ol' pumpkin with a little nutmeg and cinnamon for supper, and last but certainly not least pumpkin butter! Almost can't wait for fall.

Zinnia

One of my favorite flowers. Notice the damage done by the awful Japanese beetles. Wonder why they are Japanese? Munching everywhere, but they are now dead and gone! I still shall keeps a vigilant eye for more garden pests!

Wild Garden

While some may call them weeds I prefer to call them wild flowers. Aside from the day lilies, there are blue and pink chicory, queen anns lace or wild carrot, yarrow, red clover,blackeyed susans, golden rod, vetch, blazing stars,and knotweeds just to name a few! They make a nice wild arrangement for the table. In the distance is our lake. Great for fishing and reflection!

Morning coffee

The sun is up and shining upon the farm. What better place to sit and look out at my garden with a cup o'joe! The humming birds darting about, the baby birds chirping, the dew still rising off the pond. Thank you my Lord Jesus for this little part of Heaven on earth. Hard to believe all is not right in the world looking out at a beautiful day, enjoying nature!

oops!

Just can't leave my man home alone! The 40 year old Juniper is long gone! He got loose with the chain saw and thought if he put a few loads of dirt in its place I wouldn't notice! Riiiight! But that means someone gets to go shopping to the local nursery and buy herself more plants now doesn't it!

Upper Rock Garden

Here we have Coral bells, Silver bells red sedom, hens and chicks, bishops weed, wild violets ladies mantle, day lilies to mention a few items. Our son, M, helped and basically did most of the work putting in the stone wall to retain the top portion of this garden last July'07. I like the soft wild look.

Girlies!

My feathered friends keep most bugs away, ticks included! Thanks Girlies!
They are Arcana (brown ones) and Barred Rocks (black and whites)

Potatoes and Beans

Tonight we had fresh raw green, purple and yellow beans as well as fresh dug young Yukon Gold potatoes roasted in foil on the grill with fresh dill, salt & pepper with clumps of butter. After steaming for 15 minutes, open the foil and let them roast for another 15. Yummy! McE organics hamburgers, it was all good! A celebration of the 'new' garden gate!

Garden Gate

Well here it is after a few glitches due to big rocks and my man on a backhoe! The original piece of angle iron bent after my man decided to help with placement of said angle iron. Consequently it became shorter after bending it and W & P had to modify it. But when all is said and done its a beaut! It makes a nice statement and a huge thanks to Les and Bill who donated it to the cause, my garden. click on the photo to get a larger look! and come on in...

Tomatoes in Flower

Well this is rewarding. I have grown these babies from seeds and they are flourishing! Johnny seeds offered small packs, just what I like so you don't grow to many (right) plants. Debarao plums, Cherokee Purple, supposed to be better than Brandywine and larger than an Oxheart (we'll see), a Golden Globe yellow smaller but NOT a cherry. Lots to eat , juice, can, fried green, and sauce. And share too!

Dinners harvest

A bit of lettuce, salad bowl, mutiple kinds, along with some peas. That 'bush' behind the basket is a Butterfly bush, color red when it flowers. Seems to be growing well. I added it to encourage bees to come on in for pollenation of plants. I have noticed some honey bees around as well as bumble bees. Also the dreaded japanese beetle! I have never seen so many! We put out 2 bag traps and after just 2 days they are almost full! I will have to go out with some soapy water and knock them off the plants into the water to die!

Thornless Blackberries

This is just a small pic sample of our berries this year! They have never produced more fruit than what I am seeing this year! I will not only make jam and jelly this year, but may even try dehydrating them also. Might be good for recipes and cereals, hot oatmeal in winter, hmmmmm!
I have mulched the past 2 years with chicken litter and I only prune late spring after I know what are dead or dying canes.
Just looking at them make my mouth pucker! Birds and fowl, beware!

Gardens length

Another Favorite!

This is a favorite of mine, a Mandee flower!
She graduated high school this past week and
we are very proud of her and her accomplishments!
You go girl! See you on the mountain!

Potatoes!

These are baking potato plants, these came up from last year, so I transplanted them to the potato bed! The purple flowered plants are a red potato, my dads favorite!

Farm Kidz

Meet Jackson the black cat and Autumn Redd. Autumn is an Austrailian cow dog, my sweet little cowgirl! Though they are not normally allowed in, they came for a photo shoot. Autumn usually takes care of the weeds out side of the garden, Jackson searches out the catmint in or out! He hopefully keeps the resident garden snake, at bay also. She was actually chewing on the young corn plants, hence the straw in her mouth!

Peas

The peas have been very successful this year, probably all the rain, hot days and cool nights contributing to this. We have enjoyed them most every night now and lunches to boot. I like the fact the plants stayed short, making harvest pleasant. Soon to be no more, though they will be planted for a fall harvest.