Garden Goodness

Garden time... my favorite time of year!

I spent the better part of yesterday weeding, planting, and watering. 

 By the end of the afternoon, I had planted 48 sweet pepper plants (I think we'll have enough... and they freeze so well!), 18 cucumbers, 6 zucchini, 3 Sumer squash, 6 butternut squash, 2 pattypan squash, 5 cherry tomatoes (I have 20 heirloom, regular sized tomatoes to plant today), lacinato kale, leeks, scallions, a flat of green beans, and a flat of lima beans. 

 I still have 2 flats of perfusions zinnias to plant in all of the hollow log planters around the farm.  With a weekend of rain predicted, the rest of my planting will happen next week.  What I did plant, however, will get a good watering!

The radishes have emerged from the soil - their rosy shoulders beckoning.  


I will let them get grow  a little bigger before harvesting.  Soon, very soon!  I was able to pick another handful of asparagus yesterday, and noticed that a lot of purple dead nettle had invaded my asparagus patch. 

 I will finish weeding that area next week - but, in the mean time, I put a bunch more dead nettle in my dehydrator, so that I can make another batch of healing salve.

I've got to tell you, this stuff works wonders!  I had a very sore slice across my knuckle that wouldn't heal, so I applied some of the salve before bed the other night, and by morning, the laceration was no longer sore and a scab had formed.  I've been using the salve on my hands religiously now that garden season is here.  Ordinarily, my hands suffer during this time of year.  Soil is very drying to the skin, and I am forever getting scratches and abrasions in the garden!

After gardening, I stopped by the barn for a little kitty loving.  Gus was peeking out of the hayloft door,

 so I decided to sit in the doorway and talk to him a while.  Gus is the newest addition to our barn kitties... just appearing in the hayloft this winter.  He's a love bug, just like Pete.  At first I though he might be a pregnant female, but it turns out, he is just a fat male.  Amazingly, he was already neutered. He has that feline herpes virus that so many feral cats get - and so he has an eternally runny nose.  He's a sweetheart and I am so glad he decided to stay.  He gets along splendidly with the other barn cats.

Within seconds, Pete jumped onto my lap and we all sat there enjoying the moment.

We sat there for a while, just watching the dry lot activity, below us and to our left.

Looks like Moonie is just as interested in watching us as we are in watching him!

Oh how I love these days.  They are exceptionally busy with gardening chores.  By the end of the day I am dog-tired - but happy and satisfied with how things are shaping up around the farm. 


I cut a bouquet of fresh lilacs and brought them into the house.  Lilacs bring so much positive energy to a space... and the smell is sublime!

Today's blog is brief, as I spent last evening with this fellow.  He and his Mom and I had dinner out together.  I must admit... I love his haircut!!  It's almost impossible to believe that Tyler is turning 12 next month!  ❤️

Have a lovely weekend.  

I believe ours will be a quiet one - and a wet one!  We'll be back next week with more tales from the farm.

Comments

daisy g said…
Isn't the rain just the best gift ever? I am looking forward to a wet weekend as well here in the Piedmont. I can't wait to see all of the goodies your garden produces this season.

Tyler is one handsome young man. (And the momma in me is glad he has that hair out of his eyes! ;p)

Enjoy your weekend!
Dee J. Hartman said…
Loving your blog!
So impressive!
Looks like a lot of weeding
and work was done!
Yes the rain will be great
for thirsty, growing plants!
Marcia LaRue said…
Yes, that Tyler is a very handsome young man!
I just love all the kitties who have adopted you!
Your garden will be spectacular ... fresh asparagus ... you can't miss with that!!
This N That said…
I don’t think it supposed to rain all weekend. Sunday is supposed to be mostly dry until evening I think. I guess we’ll see. One thing for sure it won’t be anything like last weekend.
Love Ty’s haircut. They grow up so fast. Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs
Lisa said…
So many plants for the garden! I know you preserve/freeze some, but do you stagger your planting? It seems like you will have a huge harvest all at once. Also, what do you do with the radishes? Can they be stored in any way? We have great success with those, but can't eat them all at once. ;)
Eileen in Fla. said…
Tyler is really growing up. So handsome. Which little one loved riding in the Golf cart-thingy so much? Was that baby Tyler?
Lynne said…
It has reached the time that everything is not done.
But everything that is done, it is good.
And the “not done” things get tended to in good time.

My mornings need to be longer . . .
I seem to accomplish more, cooler too..

Your Tyler is “sprouting!”
Handsome . . . an almost a teenager.
I like his hair cut too!

Barn cats seemed to have found their home!

(I wore my shawl three times before the heat wave.
Love, love, love it . . . Reminding SELF to catch a pic!)
THE BEARDED ONE said…
GIRL...YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOOO AMAZING...BEAUTIFUL PICS OF THE GARDENING AND THE FARM ANIMALS...YOUR COMMENTARY JUST MAKES THEM COME ALIVE...I WILL SOON BE 80 (IF I LIVE LONG ENOUGH) PLUS MY WIFE HAS A TERRILY BACK...HURTS 24/7/365 NON-STOP... SO SHE HAS CONVINCED ME TO MAKE THE ENTIRE GARDEN A WATERMELON PATCH...I GAVE AWAY 50+ MELONS LAST YEAR AND WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THEM OUT UNTIL JULY....SOOOOOOOOOO I WILL DIG 6 DEEP HOMES AND FILL IT W/COW MANURE..WATER IT GOOD AND PUT 5 PLANTS IN EACH BED...ROLL HEAVY CONSSTRUCTION PAPER OVER THE ENTIRE GARDEN AND THE COVER IT ABOUT 6" WW/STRAW... I USUALLY HAVE 2/3 MELONS IN THE 60+ RANGE...ONE YEAR A 73 POUNDER. AND I GIVE THEM AWAY TO FAMILY..FRIENDS..ELDERLY AND TO THOSE WHO JUST NEEDS HAVE THEIR SPIRIT UP LIFTED....I WILL HAVE AABOUT 20 EXTRA PLANTS WHICH I WILL GIVE TO SOME NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS...AND JUST WATCH'EM GROW... SURE HOPE YOU, HUBBS AND YOUR GRANDSON HAVE A SUPER WEEKEND...KEEP SMILING !!!THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO VERY MUCH FOR THESE GREAT UPLIFTING PICS AND COMMENTS !!!
Oh I love the kitties, love the lilacs...I can smell them from here...and love all the things that are growing like weeds on your farm. So fun to come here and visit your place every night. You never disappoint! Have a terrific weekend! PS I can't believe your radishes are ready to pick!!!