POTATO BAGS

This year we are experimenting with "potato bags"  Mary's usual potato bed is full  of garlic and her new bed is full of tree stumps; another job for another day.

We don't have rabbits but we do have chipmunks and they love to dig for seeds and new plants.

Mary wants to grow peanuts in these bags so I wrapped them in "hardware cloth". That should keep the chipmunks out and the seeds safe. I will cover the tops with chicken wire and fill the bottom with a thick layer of stones. 

There is always a job waiting for my attention and we are trying to get as many jobs done before the blackflies arrive.

Time for breakfast then outside for some exercise and fresh air.

Stay safe everyone and thanks for stopping by.

BREAD

 

Mary was busy baking bread this morning

It's a two day process so once this bread has cooled it will be enjoyed It is delicious on its own with just  a little butter..

Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by

A WEEK OF EXTREMES

 

This was a week of extremes. We had rain, snow, sun and temperatures  from -8*C to +13*C. It was  challenge keeping everything alive and healthy.

Yesterday we took the covers off the gardens  to check on our young plants. All looked like they had survived the frigid night temperatures this week. Here you  see the lettuce plants looking very healthy. We hope to start harvesting in 3-4 weeks

Our layers are now two weeks old and starting to develop feathers. We move them onto the porch when our temperatures are warm enough for their tender bodies.

Tonight will be our last dip into freezing temperatures. The forecast for the next two weeks looks much warmer  and spring like. Our next project is securing the large coop so predators don't manage to enjoy any free meals. We did see a fisher on the property this week and we know there are foxes in the area. We want our chickens safe.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by. 

RAISED GARDEN BED PROTECTION

 

 We have raised garden beds because the bedrock is so close to the surface here. Our beds are 10 ft. x 3 ft. (3m x 1m) and about 30 inches (76 cm) tall. Most are covered in plastic to create a greenhouse environment and give us a longer growing season

This morning our beds were covered in frost and we are expecting snow later this week.

Mary transplanted lettuce, kale, spinach and carrots last week but we need to protect them every night from cold temperatures.

On the nights when the temperature will drop below freezing we cover the plants with fabric tunnels

These tunnels are actually three layers of protection; two layers of fabric on top of the fabric tunnels.

Here you can see the two layers of fabric pulled back. The lid for each garden bed is covered in chicken wire to keep the deer out and on cold nights we add  a layer of plastic.

This morning we are off to get our Covid vaccine shots. Our numbers here in Canada have been going in the wrong direction lately and we need to get this virus under control before summer arrives and all the cottagers return.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by.

NEW CHICKEN RUN

 

We needed to redesign our lower gardens to a accommodate a  run area for our chickens. 

First job was to remove some of the hugel hill and build a compost bin.

The compost bin was easy to build; two skids for the sides and some 8 ft. hemlock boards filled in the front and back

We used Penny's old dog kennel for some of the fencing as her kennel wasn't being used. Penny doesn't seem to be too happy about the whole situation. We buried old chicken wire along the bottom rail to keep any predators from digging under the fence.

It was all too much for Penny. She slept while I worked.

We checked every inch of the fencing and added any additional metal necessary. It looks a little rough but it will do and we used leftover material that was just lying around.

Another job done and we are ready to get inside and enjoy the fire. It's going down to 2*C tonight and they are forecasting snow later this week. We will update you on our gardens later.

Stay safe and well and thanks for stopping by.

WE'VE BEEN BUSY

 

We've been busy. We have 21 meat birds that we will move to the large coop in another  2-3 weeks. They need adequate and safe areas to roam around outside their coop. 

Our layers also need an outdoor area safe from the local fox. That project is now almost done and I'll post pictures soon.

Our meat birds are just a week old, still living in Penny's dog cage. We have a heat lamp on 24/7 to keep their little bodies comfortable.

Mary has started well over 200 plants. 

On the warm days we move them outside.

The lettuce, kale, spinach, carrots and onions have been moved to the raised garden beds.

Every night we cover the garden beds with fabric to keep the young plants warm and frost free.

While we work Penny keeps an eye on the layers.

Thanks for stopping by and be safe everyone.

THE GIRLS ARRIVE TODAY

 

The girls (chickens) arrive this  afternoon and I think we are ready Yesterday we added these plastic widows to the coop These came from  old greenhouse friends gave us - Prefect   

Inside we have their water bucket suspended from the rafters Their  food  container is the white tube which we fill every other day and  finally in the  corner is their sand bath To the left is their perch (stick) but it is hard to see

In their nesting boxes we placed fresh straw and on the floor we spread wood chips. The black bowl contains fermented food Mary prepared several days ago.

Like I said, I think we are ready

GETTING READY

     

This week we have 6 layers and 20 meat birds arriving. This coop will hold the layers and we have been busy cleaning and rebuilding parts of the coop. In this corner we want to have a dust bath  for the birds They love to cover themselves in sand and it helps to keep them clean.

While I worked on the bath Mary worked on the walls making sure all the fencing was tight and secure.

This was the first time I used my cordless chainsaw and I was pleased with its performance. For small jobs it is prefect.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by.

STARTING SEEDS

 Mary gets stronger every day and last week when we saw the surgeon he was delighted with her progress. With such good  news Mary felt she could get started on her seed planting. She worked on the porch and filled  a few trays with a variety of seeds. 

On the warm days we moved the trays outside to harden off the plants and get them ready for the gardens.

Another few weeks and we hope to transplant them into our raised garden beds. The beds are wrapped in plastic and the plants are very protected. 

Thanks for stopping by and keeping an eye on us

Stay safe everyone