WILD LEEKS and FIDDLEHEADS

Today we enjoyed a pan of stir-fried wild leeks and fiddleheads for lunch. Last week we went searching for them as they are both in season right now here in Ontario.

Wild leeks can be enjoyed raw, pickled or cooked. They're the perfect addition to a spring salad, you can use them in soups, pestos and stir-fries, or you can dehydrate them and grind them into powder.

Fiddleheads are called as such because they resemble the end of a fiddle. In fact, they are actually the tender unravelled stem and leaves of a baby fern. We eat the Ostrich fern. It can be found in Ontario in low lying wet areas near (or in) forests and tastes like a cross between asparagus and snap peas.

Fiddleheads should be picked only when tightly coiled. When harvesting take less than half from any one crown to ensure a sustainable harvest. Taking more can harm or even kill the plant.

Nutritionally speaking, fiddleheads contain about 22 calories, 3 grams of carbohydrates, 2.8 grams of protein and 0.2 grams of fat per half cup serving. They owe their beta-carotene content to their deep green color. Fiddleheads also provide a good amount of vitamin C, niacin and potassium.

Happy foraging everyone.

PAINT and REPAIR

As you can see our water tank has shifted and needs to be stabilized. Mary wanted to wash down the chicken coop so we decided to get both jobs done at once. As I pumped out the tank Mary hosed down the coop. We will let it dry and then repaint it next week.

This pile of boards came from the roof of the long coop. They need to be painted before we put the new roof on so we set up a paint station and got to work.

It's black fly season and Mary was bundled up as best she could to avoid any bites.

An hour later we had gone through a gallon of paint and everything was drying. Today we will take a break and go searching for fiddleheads and wild leeks.

Stay safe and well and thanks for stopping by.

CHICKEN COOP BEAM

An extra pair of hands come in handy when you are faced with heavy work and demanding tasks. First step was getting the last of the roof off the old chicken coop.

Jamie was here to help direct as I brought the beam over to the coop.

Almost in position and with a little muscle and a tug on the rope Jamie was able to set the beam down just where I wanted it.

Next we need to get two supporting poles in place as the span is over 24 ft or 7.3 meters. Once that is done I'll be ready for a new roof. This was a job way beyond the capacity of the two of us but with Jamie's help it became doable.  Mary took the pictures and kept an eye on the other end, making sure we didn't knock anything over. Another successful job. Thanks Jamie.

This morning we are watching these Northern Orioles enjoy our feeders.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by.

MINI-GREENHOUSE

We live in "zone 4' for planting which means our growing season is short, our winters are long and our temperatures are cold. Mary wanted a small greenhouse for her tomato plants; nothing fancy just functional, something that would extend the season. She uses her home grown tomatoes in her soups, salads and stews and her last bag of frozen tomatoes was opened this week.

Since we already had raised garden beds it was a simple job to upgrade the frame and wrap everything in plastic. As each plant was placed in the soil, a string was anchored in the hole to give the vine something to climb.

Rather than watering the whole bed, each hole was filled with water before the plant went it,

Firm the soil with your hands and the job is done.

The greenhouse is just about complete. The two front openings allow easy access to the plants and tomatoes for watering, weeding or harvesting.

If you enlarge this photo you will see straps at the top of the front panel which will keep the panels open when needed.

Now we just need some sunny days and warm temperatures to get everything growing vigorously.

Today we hope to  get the new beam lifted into place for the chicken coop.

We have new visitors at our feeders this morning. (Saturday) A pair of Northern Orioles moved into the area overnight. This is the first time we've spotted them since moving here 10 years ago.

Stay safe and healthy everyone. Thanks for stopping by.

LAST COVER

We've been busy getting the lower gardens ready for planting. Yesterday we moved the water tank into position and planted rye grass between the chicken coop and fenced garden. Today we will plant potatoes and get more wood chips.

After several days of cold freezing temperatures we lifted the fleece to check on our plants. Looks like they all survived and are doing well. Our homemade mini greenhouses seem to provide the protection we need to extend our growing season.

This bed was started several weeks after the one above and so the plants are not as far along. We wanted to stagger the lettuce so it doesn't all reach maturity at the same time.

These are our beds, wrapped and closed for the night. Not fancy but functional and successful. Today we will do something similar with our tomato beds and get those plants outside. It's amazing how humid and warm it gets inside the beds on a sunny day.

This hairy woodpecker is a frequent evening visitor. For some reason he likes our deck posts and tries to poke the sunflower seeds into the holes he makes. Like us he's thinking and getting ready for those cold days that will return far too soon.

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by.

DOGWOOD

Sherri gave us some dogwood and currant bushes so Tuesday we spent the morning adding them to our gardens down by the pond.

The elderberry bushes we planted 3 years ago all have new sideshoots which is a good sign. Last year we picked 4 pounds or 1.8 kg of berries from 6 little bushes; this year we hope to double that harvest.

To plant the dogwood we simply opened the soil with the spade, inserted the stem and repacked the soil with our boots; simple, easy and successful.

The currant bushes came with an extensive root system so a proper hole had to be dug. I was impressed with the depth and health of the soil.

The pussy willows we collected a month ago finally got planted at the north end of the garden. Mary's dad grew pussy willows so this is a garden in his memory.

While Mary finished up in the gardens I went looking for a suitable tree to use as a beam in the chicken coop. Once I get the old roof completely removed I will use the bobcat to lift this beam into place.

It was a successful start to the day and we still had some energy to complete more garden work up by the house. When the sun is shining and the bugs are still hibernating we work.

Thanks for stopping by everyone and keeping an eye on us.

Safe travels and stay healthy.

WE HAD IT ALL

Today we had it all; sunshine, rain, snow and hail. Every hour it changed and if you didn't like what was happening just wait an hour and it will change again.

We have a pair of nesting rose breasted grosbeak visiting our feeders these days. This is the female easily identified by her lighter plumage. I'll try and get a picture of the male but so far he has eluded me.

Made a quick trip to Hamilton yesterday. Stopped here for lunch. Best burgers in town. Thanks for the suggestion Maggie.

The remainder of the week is to be warm and sunny so more outside jobs will be added to our list.

Trust everyone is staying healthy and safe.

Thanks for stopping by.