The baby chicks. We moved the brooder from an upstairs bedroom (safe from cats) into a large box in the garage (safe from cats). This picture was taken at the beginning of this week and I can hardly believe how much they've already changed! They are in the process of feathering out and really, they look more like gawky teenagers than sweet downy babies now. I plan to do an entire post on them, once I get better pictures and more time.
A slice of our garden. In this shot, you have the heirloom lettuce sampler in the foreground. Isn't it beautiful?? The next row is badly grown-in kale and spinach next to that. The row after that is turnips, peas, and...I can't remember. Good thing we made a garden map! The row after that is potatoes. We laid down newspaper and straw in all the walking rows to choke out the weeds. Garden items consumed thus far: lettuce, radish, rhubarb, spinach, asparagus. As my FIL was once known to say, it has been "Nummy-nummy good-good."
5 comments:
Thanks for the pictures. The chicks are adorable. Your garden is unbelieveable. The newspaper and straw is a good idea - I'm going to use that (was considering less sustainable options b/c of my battle w/ weeds). Your lettuce is gorgeous. That's-a-lotta-lettuce! Chipmunks and bugs have been eating a lot of my new sprouts - like beets, turnips and beans so I've had to replant a few times already. Had to soak bean seeds to get any action (replanted). But, I'm bound to get a few things anyway. Keep up the good work! -Sandy
Thanks! =) Bummer about the sprout loss in your garden. That must be so frustrating! Have you read/heard of the book Lasagna Gardening? My SIL swears by it. I think we're going to go with that this fall - it involves mulching heavily in layers of whatever-you-have to pump up soil fertility AND keep weeds at a minimum. It isn't as pretty, per say, but my SIL says pulling weeds is a cinch. The bottom layer is always newspaper, so that keeps any unwanted weeds at bay. Well...actually, dead. It kills their roots for lack of light, so the only weeds you have to contend with are the seeds that have floated in. The author also recommends walkways where NOTHING grows - like this with newspaper and straw. I must say, it has been nice. Another book I've scanned that looks similar is Weedless Gardening.
Anyway...the reason why we have so much lettuce is because my husband was sick the weekend we planted our garden. He had to take a break and I was running after the children, so my MIL planted it. Neither of us realized that she didn't know not to plant ALL of it. So...it is what it is: a beautiful and gargantuan block of lettuce. We've been eating it everyday!! I think I'll probably freeze some of it too, to save for soups.
Finally, I remember the mystery block: KOHLRABI!! I love that stuff.
Forgot to mention the dandilions ... I was JUST commenting to my husband on a walk about lawns. I was asking "just when did we all get sold on this whole lawn perfection fertilization thing?!" I remember making clover necklaces, finding out who liked butter w/ buttercups, and stepping on spikey "dandilions" OUCH! as a kid. Those where good times and no one seemed stressed about weeds, etc.
Thanks for the advice on weeds. Got the books out of the library - I'm reading. Meanwhile I layered newspaper and straw -- then hay in other areas b/c everyone was out with harvest a few weeks away. Anyway, even with the straw the stray seeds in it have taken root in the paper. Hmph. Another layer? Or just live with it? Or did I not put down enough paper? Thoughts?? -Sandy
Drat!! Did I forget to mention it?! We laid down 4 layers of paper and a minimum. It is amazing, the kill job it did on the weeds. And what is left, or seeded, pull out so easily.
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