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Thursday, May 19, 2016

How does my garden grow?

It grows....hardly.  This has been a very cold spring, with multiple frosts or near-frosts, so nothing much has been done.  The onions are in, the garlic and shallots are doing well and I did manage to plant my new strawberry plants.  I got peas in, but they are just starting to break ground - two weeks later!  The biggest obstacle in getting my 2016 garden underway (besides the weather and general lack of time) has been dealing with the viola epidemic.  I had planted two tires, two years ago with the pretty little things.  They have taken over my world.  I had two raised beds FULL of them.  They are growing in the grass.  They are here, there and everywhere.  And I can't bring myself to throw them in the compost, so I have them in window boxes, pots, tires.  I have given them away by the wheelbarrow-ful and I still have half a raised bed full of them.  Lord help me.    This weekend I will move the remainder to somewhere or other (I think I have an empty window box or five), plant potatoes, weed the rest of the beds and plant my yellow edible pod peas.  I would also like to plant my sweet peas, but that would mean weeding yet another bed.  This is also the weekend that the duck house gets built - halleluiah! - so that the little darlings will permanently move out of the laundry room.  They spend the day outside in a temporary pen and the nights in their laundry room pen.  All five of us will be very happy, come Sunday.  However, I will miss toting those squeezy little bodies every morning and evening.  Sort of.
 
Gardening "helpers"

Violas/Johnny Jump-ups gone wild!
Onions in
Garlic and shallots (and Lovey-bomb)
New strawberry bed
 
Of course, before the duck house can be built, I need to deconstruct the old one and clear the building site.  I also have to have a tree cut down in the chicken yard.  And I have to set up the electronet fence so the sheep can start mowing the parts of the property machines can't handle.  Speaking of sheep, Juno was shocked this morning when her usual molasses drench held straight wormer.  I wish I could have photographed her face.  But she is doing much better and I am relieved.

The Nuggets are doing well in their hoop house and, with warmer weather being forecast, I can open the door and let them lumber around outside.  The hoop house is surrounded by electric poultry netting, but I didn't have enough of the poultry netting to completely surround it; the back is regular sheep netting.  This, apparently, will be problematic, as I came out yesterday morning to find a rabbit completely ensnared and tangled (and dead).  It most likely slipped through the larger openings in the sheep net and then tried to leave through the poultry net.  It took me almost 15 minutes to untangle it.  I will have to move the whole set up back about 10 inches and offset the sheep netting with the permanent fencing so that the available openings are too small for rabbits.  Wait...is this becoming a math problem? 

A mental health day will be taken tomorrow so I can fill it full of activity.  You know that makes me happy.  I will try to remember to take pics of the goings-on (including the measuring of the roof for metal roofing).  I tried to get a video this morning (too dark) of the Geezer (aka Scrappy) tear-assing around with his favorite toy, Foxie.  It's hard to believe he is 16 this year, the old darling.

12 comments:

Fiona said...

Mental health day....it means so many different things doesn't it. I love your attitude toward mental Health!I just wasted half an hour introducing "Sir House Chick his royal divine bossiness" to grass! He is now flat our asleep in his personal bio dome!

Sue said...

Your violas are beautiful. I have them in yellow everywhere--like little pats of butter. They sure can spread.
Enjoy the day "off"---I'm sure it will be filled to the brim.

Susan said...

Fiona - It's amazing how bossy such tiny things can be! Is he getting his feathers yet? He will refuse to go out amongst the common chickens, if this keeps up... :)

Susan said...

Sue - I wish we could trade some! I would love to see little pats of butter across my garden! I have a BIG list!

jaz@octoberfarm said...

wow...16!!!? i have violas everywhere too. they cover this mountain top so there is no hope of getting rid of them.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I've loved johnny-jump-ups ever since I was a little girl. And yes, they spread quickly!

Susan said...

Dogs are so smart to just live life and not count the years.

Sandy Livesay said...

Susan,

Your onions, garlic, and shallot beds look really nice. What type of strawberry seeds did you plant this season?
It's always great to have the furry helpers helping out and watering things for you :-PPP
Sending hugs and love your way.
Sandy

Mama Pea said...

Must be a good year for johnny-jump-ups . . . I have more than usual popping up all over including in what passes for our lawn. This is the first year I've had the yellow ones! Where did they come from?

Your onions are ahead of mine and sounds like a couple other things are too.

I can just imagine the conversations you have with the little duckies as you transport them out and back each day.

Scrappy is going to be SIXTEEN?! Wow. Just proves you're a good doggie mama and take very good care of him. (Maybe he's trying for the Guinness book of world records for oldest dog ever. I'm sure that would be fine with you!) :o]

Leigh said...

I have johnny-jump-ups all over the place too. I just call them "living mulch." ;)

Nancy In Boise said...

Dang I don't know where you find the time woman!!! :)

Casa Mariposa said...

What a pretty little invader! Looks like your garden is already planted.