This pile of red oak was here before I arrived. It was cut on this property, and Ken helped mill and plane it; he worked at a local mill in exchange for getting wood sawed and planed so he could build. This pile was intended for the flooring on part of the main level. The other flooring is tiles he made. A divorced friend asked about it once. Ken explained that someday it would be …
Oscar is the third farm dog here. He is now ten years old, and moving toward retirement. In the past we got a pup when the working dog turned ten; the older dog helped train the younger one. But with Loyal’s older dog here, and my desire to travel, it doesn’t seem right to get a pup Oscar has seen many changes: he lost Ken, his main person, adapted to Loyal and his dog, Pilgrim’s …
This place has been dormant; I have felt like Sleeping Beauty – the vines were growing up around the castle! Last summer Loyal returned for a visit after many years, and we decided to work something out so he can take over here. I have no children. Loyal knew Ken and worked with him and understands the magic of the place. Loyal got some pullets and has them in the mobile coop. He has also …
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s box has sprouts, dry beans, carrots, beets, onions, garlic, kohlrabi, celery root, radishes, and cabbage. Field Notes. This weekend I plant to use some of the potting soil to plant onion seed. Wish me luck! Ken had done all the planting. In the kitchen I started sprouts for this week. From the Kitchen. Sprouts are a sure sign of spring. This cold winter the frost has …
Greetings from the Garden! This CSA box has sprouts, onions, garlic, beets, carrots, black radishes, Kohlrabi, celery root, and Cherokee Trail of Tears Dry beans. Field Notes. We are at the midpoint between solstice and equinox. These mid points are where the drama happens – Solstices and equinoxes mark a conclusion of lengthening days or lengthening nights. Most religions and folklore have names for these points: St Brigid, St Blaise, or Candlemas …
Greetings from the Garden! This CSA box has onions, garlic, rutabaga, kohlrabi, daikon or black radish, winter squash or pie pumpkins, beets, carrots and cabbage Field Notes. As I write this on Monday, snow is swirling around, and I join the snow day joy of school children. Snow acts as an insulating blanket over the garden and helps slow the frost dropping into the soil. The frost will affect how soon soil temperatures are warm …
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s CSA box has cabbage, onions, garlic, the last of the pumpkins, kohlrabi, rutabaga, carrots, beets, black radishes, and the last of the winter tomatoes. Field Notes. As many of you already know my husband, Ken died on December 19, 2017. Prior blog entries describe his illness and death and the obituary is posted as well. This was a difficult harvest from the root cellar for me as I thought …
Greetings from the Garden! This CSA box has onions, garlic, winter tomatoes, squash, the last of the sweet potatoes, winter kohlrabi, beets, and cabbage. Field Notes. We are glad to see the snow; it will act as an insulating blanket and slow the descent of the frost into the ground. It also provides a check against erosion and will provide moisture to the soil. Seed inventory is done, and next we hit the seed catalogs. …
Each season Ken and I look for an early snowfall. If we are lucky cold follows snow and the snow continues to pile up. While this does not make everyone happy, gardeners rejoice. Why? The snow acts a s a blanket to insulate the ground, and slow the frost creeping down, The warmer soil means microbes stay closer to the surface and the earth’s warmth can actually slowly melt the snow from below so good …
Each year around Thanksgiving Ken and I discuss our season to plan how to improve in the coming year. We also discuss what we should grow more of and what we should grow less of in the next season. After that I do the seed inventory to see what viable seed we still have from the prior season. Then I start to go through seed catalogs. I try to get the orders in early …
