Category: veggie

Australorp, Backyard, bees, black americauna, Buff Orpington, chickens, farm, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, sunflowers, Urban Homestead, veggie

Mini Farm Update

Olof
In my backyard I am trying to be more self sufficient. I have 4 chickens for eggs and entertainment, a veggie garden and a bee hive. I live on  an 1/8 of an acre so I don’t have much room but I am doing the best I can with what I have.
https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10153098812410118
This video was recorded soon after we got back from Iceland. Since then the rooster (Cowboy) has gotten a new home and we got a Black Ameraucana Pullet as a trade. She is only 4 months so it will be a while before she lays her blue eggs.
First eggs laid in our backyard the day after we got them back from the friend that was nice enough to watch the chickens while I was in Iceland. The chickens started laying for her while I was in Iceland.
 One of the ladies kept laying double yokers and did that for almost a week straight.
You see the difference. The one on the bottom is the double yoker. You can tell be the thick band in the middle of it. 
 They made a nest under the deck so I put a bucket next box under there and they made a next right next to it so that I have to crawl under there to get them.

Chipmunk the Cream Legbar should start laying blue eggs by the end of the month and Mathilda the Australorp is the one that laid that egg next to the nest box.

Buff the Buff Orpington laid an egg for me this morning that I had already collected. She is like clockwork while Mathilda is a little off laying either double yokers, shell less eggs or oddly shaped eggs.
This is our new girl! A black Ameraucana and we named her Crow. She both looks like one and sounds like one when you pick her up.
 Sunflowers are really the only thing that I have grown well this year.
 My crazy overgrown garden.
As you can see in the video my garden is really overgrown since I went to Iceland and it was not being taken care of. I have had a hard time keeping up with it after mom died so I’m being kind to myself and not beating myself up for it. 
As you can see that the second deep is not full at all. They have a ways to go before there will be honey to harvest. The First Deep is full thought so that is good. 
How is your summer going? Growing anything? Knitting anything?

Wanting to read the book The Urban Homestead. Any of you read it? Is it any good?
Backyard Farming, chickens, chicks, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Strawberries, veggie

Chicks got Names and Garden Update

Olof
The chicks have gotten names. Meet the girls Buff, Owl and Mathilda. Starting to think Dinner is a boy so that is why his name is dinner for now.

And here is my honest try to start the season off right

I just planted the strawberry containers. Ordered from Amazon 25 Evie Everbearing Strawberry Plants and got WAY more from the seller than 25. Planted 18 plants in those 2 red planters and another 4 in another and there is at least that many more still left to plant. They are also all live and sprouting, unlike so many packages I have gotten from my local hardware store.

Also got Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) in the mail today to review. Can’t wait to dig into it and tell you what I think. Hope I learn something new. From what I’ve seen by looking through it quickly it is pack full of useful, specific information on plants and breeds of birds. Tell you more about it soon.

gardening, growing, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Mel Bartholomew, seeds, Square foot, starting, veggie

Growing from Seeds

Olof
Magni helping keep the seeds moist so that they will sprout

Greens mix sprouting.

If you look close you can see the sprouts coming up.

Being such a good sport about his teething and waiting on mamma and Magni

It´s that time of year again where if you are growing your own tomatoes and peppers and eggplant from seed that you need to get cracking or planting you might say. If you have a yard or a balcony/patio you can grow your own food. It’s not expensive unless you want to go fancy and it is very healing to the soul and great project to do with your kids if you have them. As you have seen in my previous post I have started some seeds in a fancy seed starter but you don’t even need that. You can use egg cartons or cleaned yogurt/sour cream/butter tubs to start your seeds in. Then when planting outside you can do the traditional row garden or a Square foot garden like I do or just plant in any container you can find and grow things on your porch. I know people that have used old boots to grow lettuce in. Anything that will hold dirt can become a growing container.

My well loved copy.

If you are like me then you need a book to read before you get started. Here is my favorite book, Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. I don’t like his new book. I like his older version that teaches you to work with the soil you have instead of having to buy everything for your garden, even the soil.This book has everything from how to start from seed, how to prepare your soil, how to grow most veggies, how to build a trellis, and so much more. This is the only method that has worked for me. I also like the small garden look so that I don´t need as much room to grow the food we eat. Looking forward to the weekend when I will be putting down concrete tiles around the garden since the cats thought that the mulch was kitty litter and I kept stepping in gross surprises. Then the weekend after that we will be building the trellis and adding some soil to the garden to plant the spring seeds like peas and carrots. Yay! I´m so excited.

Is anybody else growing their own food, even if it is just a tomato plant or strawberries? What is your preferred gardening method? Any favorite books?

cucumber, eggplant, gardening, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, melons, okra, peppers, Square foot gardening, squash, tomatoes, veggie

Wednesday Simple Living Update.

Olof
Tomato, peppers, eggplant and thyme plants.

Watermelon plant

I am finally planting my garden. When I went to the farmer’s market I realized that I really need to grow the things I like and are easy this summer. So I planted tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, watermelon, plenty of squash both winter and summer, cucumber, okra and melons.

I use the square foot gardening method. growing more in less room. This book has really helped me grow amazing food in little room. Worth every penny.

Bought two of these for less than a single plant because they were doing poorly at Lowe’s. Now they are doing well and producing strawberries.

I bought some plants since I started so late but the squash and cucumbers and melons are still OK to start from seed now so I used the seeds I already have and hope that they are not too old to use.

My peach tree is coming right along.
Had to add a photo of the Oklahoma Coneflower

Are you growing a garden this season and if not what are your reasons?