What have you done today in the Garden?

So sorry Mike for loss. My thoughts are with you.

 

One of the hens laid a jumbo egg today. That usually means double yolk.



The light brown eggs are usually quite big too, single yolk and somewhat watery whites. I don't know the breed. The green-ish is from an Americauna hen. The white ones are from Leghorn hens.

The hens get the usual feed, plus a lot of kitchen scraps and extra from the vegetable garden. In return, they give eggs, fertilizer, and eggshells. A good deal for all concerned.

 

Say Daniel, are there no municipal places to take the rubbish to? I am having trouble understanding the situation there because I am comparing it to our sit here.
The laws must be different. For instance, here there are walloping great fines for burning rubbish openly in our municipality. The fines can be in the six-figures! Our gardening club got one of these fines once.
Tell me about the rubbish rules over there, I am curious.

 

Daniel, I loved the surprise of a double-yolker. The only place you see them nowadays are on regular farms like what my grandparents had or someone like you or Jane. My Bride and I would lurve to be able to keep hens.
Thanks for this post, it brought back good memories.

 

Pulled up the dried old plants of the cosmos and cut back the Verbena bonariences.

 

@Sjoerd , in town, it is illegal to burn yard waste. In the rural areas of the county, it depends. There are rules about the size and location of the fire, although those are ignored. It's kind of, everyone does what they want to do.

I prefer very much never to burn. I don't always get my way about things. To haul it to the yard waste depot, where it is ground up and composted, is an hour drive through traffic, and a significant cost. I try to cut it up by hand and compost it, but this time is way too much. I could buy a chipper, but my last one clogged and broke down, and they are too expensive. Every neighbor here burns regularly, so I gave in this time to burn the current brush pile. There might be one or two more occasions to burn before Spring - it's a lot of brush right now.

 

I see now, Daniel. well, at least you will have some wonderful ashes to use.
I did not really understand that you lived in the country. How many acres to you have to play with there, BTW? Ooh, I am jealous of anyone with room.

 

@Daniel W - your burning dilema makes sense. Especially with the drive to the depot, never mind the cost of fuel. I hope you were at least able to have a vegetarian hot dog, or some marshmallows. Make a day of it when the wood waste went on.

 

Today the Sea Holly, parsley, thyme, sweet marjoram, basil, savoury, and mint will be started.

@Daniel W - I've only ever grown one basil plant per pot. You appeared to have multiple plants? Do they grow all together or do you separate them?

 

I have a mountain burn pile…generally don’t burn and I let it break down over winter … then by spring have a bio pile of plants out the pasture island and growing by summer . It’s a whole bio soil/climate sending up new plants and flowers
Some neighbors burn some illegal materials it’s a huge issue. I just have to lock the horses in the barn with exhaust fans and same for us . Horses do get all kinds of problems from smoke.

 

That's a great idea, Mel. But I didn't think of it. Next time!

I will thin to about six plants per pot. I don't think they mind the crowding, or I just don't know better. When I think of it, I'll post a photo of how I thinned them, so far.

I usually sow successive crops of basil. It likes the warmth of summer, but I do get some in Spring too.

 

It's a two-acre mini farm. Enough room to grow anything I want, and sometimes I bite off more than I can chew.

 

Pac—You had problems for the horses and I had probs for my bees. One of my neighbour ladies at the lottie would light a fire in her little stove in her garden house, and with an eastern wind the smoke would waft into my bee hives…and my nose if I was working on the plots.

The smoke could cause the bees to suck up their honey from their stores thinking that their home was in danger and they have to flee — a disaster in the winter. In winter they need to stay in a ball to keep warm and not be disturbed.

Luckily the neighbour lady was open to the suggestion not to light her stove when there was an east wind or fog.

Daniel, that sounds perfect. I know what you mean about biting off more than you can chew. I have to remind myself to “get a grip” from time to time.

 

Daniel, "biting off more than you can chew" is also known as Gardener's Syndrome. I have never known a true gardener who didn't overplant, and fuss over where to plant what. We all suffer from GS to some extent, so just enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labors!

 

Too right. Well said, Daniël.