Yesterday the HH tried to move the chicken coop and it didn’t go so well. We thought it would be {somewhat} easy to move the coop down by the corn patch were there was a nice level spot, but it was a total no go. And so now, the HH has decided the chicken coop will remain where it is, and try to build a 16 foot chicken run off the side of the coop.
He made a trip to the hardware store for supplies. Now I don’t know anything about building chicken runs, but something tells me this won’t be the only trip to the hardware store for this project.
Because really, why on earth would you buy everything in one trip. How would that make sense?
La la la la la…. Let’s talk about sunflowers, shall we? I spent a WHOPPING $30 on sunflower seeds in hopes of selling cut sunflower bouquets at my little roadside vegetable stand this summer. But Mother Nature had different plans for me this year.
Earlier this spring I tilled up a nice 18″ bed on both sides of the split rail fence and planted several packets of sunflower seeds. I even weeded the garden bed 3 times but it didn’t seem to help. All those hours weeding really did was leave the little sunflower seedlings out in the open for the robins and cardinals to swoop down and snack on.
Finally I gave up and stopped weeding along the fence after figuring I’d only be able to harvest a few sunflowers this year. Next year, I’ll start my sunflowers in pots and wait until they are about 6″ before setting them out. That should give me a fighting chance, don’t you think?
And next year, I’ll have to work a nice layer of compost into the garden bed along the back of the house AND secure a few lines of fishing wire so the giant sunflowers won’t fall over every time we have a big rainstorm {which happens like every 3rd day around here for some reason}.
The sunflowers on the other end of the house though? Holy cow, they are lovely.
The vegetable stand has been up one week as of today and so far I’ve sold 2 out of the 3 flower bouquets I’ve set out and made $71.06. 🙂 🙂 🙂
At $3 a pint our backyard blueberries seem to be a hit with the neighbors.
And the tomatoes {especially the Sun Gold tomatoes} have been going pretty quick as well.
That tomato patch of mine though…. it is an absolute mess. I didn’t get my tomatoes staked early enough and before I knew it the whole area turned into a bit of a tomato jungle. I keep telling myself that there are only SO MANY hours in a day, and that next year things will be better. I’ll be more on top of things and that this fall we will be able to carve out a nice garden area so that next spring, we’ll be able to hit the ground running.
Gardens, they take time. And patience isn’t my best character trait.
But take a look at this. A sweet little sugar pie pumpkin for Lucy.
With a little luck, we will have 5 to set out on the front porch in a few weeks. Fall, it’s right around the corner, and thank goodness for that. 😉
The backyard vegetable garden tally of 2018:
Beets 19 pounds 1 ounces
Blueberries 21 pounds 15 ounces
Cucumbers 29 pounds 1 ounces
Green Beans 2 pound 4 ounces
Green Onion/Scallions 12 ounces
Lettuce 11 ounces
Onions 10 ounces
Peppers 15 ounces
Sugar Snap Peas 1 pound 2 ounces
Swiss Chard 2 pounds 9 ounces
Tomatoes 37 pounds 12 ounces
Turnips 9 pounds 3 ounces
Zucchini 2 pound 8 ounces
Herbs
- Basil 1 pound 7 ounces
- Chives 5 ounces
- Mint 2 ounce
- Oregano 13 ounces
Total Food Harvested in 2018 136 Pounds 11 Ounces
Total Eggs Collected in 2018 {with 7 hens} 0 {the ladies are just 16 weeks old}
Total spent growing 136 pounds 11 ounces of food this year $811.00 {about $5.96 a pound so far!} 😉 The goal is to get this down to $1.00 a pound or less by the end of the season. What did I spend my garden money on this year you ask? Well, $399 on Manny and the rest on seeds, compost, grow light bulbs and small garden tools/supplies.
Are you growing a vegetable garden this year? If so, what are harvesting these days? Curious minds want to know!
Have a great day everyone,
~Mavis
If you are new to gardening or just want to learn more about organic gardening, my #1 favorite garden book is The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food
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Quote of the Day “There is nothing I like better at the end of a hot summer’s day than taking a short walk around the garden. You can smell the heat coming up from the earth to meet the cooler night air.” Peter Mayle
When the peach mixture has begun to boil, stir in the sugar and spices. Return mixture to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and skim off any foam with spoon.
Next, ladle the peach jam mixture into hot prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe the jar rims and threads clean if needed. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner and then lower the rack into canner. Make sure the water is covering the jars by about 2 inches. Place the lid on the pot and bring the water to gentle boil.
Quote of the Day “What is there to be afraid of? The worst thing that can happen is you fail. So what? I failed at a lot of things.” John Mellencamp
Cherry Jam
Looking for something fun {and inexpensive} to do with the kiddos this summer? Regal Cinemas is hosting the 
