Yesterday I canned up 10 jars of raspberry jelly. I think this may be the last of the raspberries for the year. I currently have almost two dozen jars of jelly, two gallons of RB infused vinegar working and 5 gallons of RB wine going. And in the height of the season I was giving away raspberries to friends who showed up with buckets, because I couldn't keep up with the sheer volume..
If only the rest of the garden was going as well. We spent all that time putting in beds in the sunny areas only to have the sun disappear on us when the trees came out of winter hibernation. Honestly... we had no idea the trees would grow and shade so aggressively. So, one winter project will be to hack off a bunch of limbs and prune all the trees back. Next item will be to kill as many of the slugs as we can . We THINK its the astronomical number of slugs that live here that ate all the young plants before they could get going. We couldn't kill them fast enough. We unjustly accused the chickens of getting into the gardens and doing the damage, but it continued long after they were penned up for the summer. Then there is the soil. We really didn't have time to condition it before we planted. We were in such a hurry to get SOMETHING in the ground before it was too late. It was mid to late June before we got everything in this year. We normally have the soil conditioned and are ready to plant by the first of May. Usually by the middle of June.... because we cold frame most of the beds, we are eating out of the garden. We were just too late in planting this year and we took too many shortcuts to get it done 'in time'. The great thing about gardening? There is always next year.
We are expecting much fruit from our inherited trees.... maybe..... I went out to check on the chickens last week and heard a noise behind the pen. I went to check and there was an enormous squirrell up in the plum tree. He was plucking the really large plums and taking one bite from them and throwing them on the ground. This is unnacceptable!
Chickens: We are only getting a couple of eggs a day from the old girls. The new ones have not yet started laying. Patience!... I just need some patience. I'm really feeling the sting of starting from the beginning WITH EVERYTHING in this new paradise we have moved too.
The new chickens will start laying soon. I am just calling fail on the gardens this year and I am thankful for what 'old' Mrs. Murphy planted for posterity. The berries, trees, flowers and herbs she left behind are the only thing giving me hope right now. She set a fine example and left behind proof that it can be done............. Just..... need.......... patience!
If only the rest of the garden was going as well. We spent all that time putting in beds in the sunny areas only to have the sun disappear on us when the trees came out of winter hibernation. Honestly... we had no idea the trees would grow and shade so aggressively. So, one winter project will be to hack off a bunch of limbs and prune all the trees back. Next item will be to kill as many of the slugs as we can . We THINK its the astronomical number of slugs that live here that ate all the young plants before they could get going. We couldn't kill them fast enough. We unjustly accused the chickens of getting into the gardens and doing the damage, but it continued long after they were penned up for the summer. Then there is the soil. We really didn't have time to condition it before we planted. We were in such a hurry to get SOMETHING in the ground before it was too late. It was mid to late June before we got everything in this year. We normally have the soil conditioned and are ready to plant by the first of May. Usually by the middle of June.... because we cold frame most of the beds, we are eating out of the garden. We were just too late in planting this year and we took too many shortcuts to get it done 'in time'. The great thing about gardening? There is always next year.
We are expecting much fruit from our inherited trees.... maybe..... I went out to check on the chickens last week and heard a noise behind the pen. I went to check and there was an enormous squirrell up in the plum tree. He was plucking the really large plums and taking one bite from them and throwing them on the ground. This is unnacceptable!
Chickens: We are only getting a couple of eggs a day from the old girls. The new ones have not yet started laying. Patience!... I just need some patience. I'm really feeling the sting of starting from the beginning WITH EVERYTHING in this new paradise we have moved too.
The new chickens will start laying soon. I am just calling fail on the gardens this year and I am thankful for what 'old' Mrs. Murphy planted for posterity. The berries, trees, flowers and herbs she left behind are the only thing giving me hope right now. She set a fine example and left behind proof that it can be done............. Just..... need.......... patience!
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