The July Garden Update and Lessons Already Learned

Wow, this heat wave we've been having will seriously make you not want to do anything besides lay around and catch up on past seasons of Sons of Anarchy and The Office.

It's been 100+ degrees here for what feels like weeks.  A cool front's supposed to move in tonight and drop the temps into the low 90s tomorrow, then into the 80s the rest of the week.   Please, please, please let that happen!

Anyway, it's about time for another garden update.   And look what the garden is yielding!

All this heat has necessitated watering every evening, but the garden's doing well nonetheless.

Well, I should say parts of the garden are doing well.

First, the good news.

There are lots of green beans coming in, as evidenced by the photo above.  I beer-battered and fried the first harvest and good lawd was that a delicious way to enjoy fresh green beans.  We scarfed all those fried green beans, so alas, no photo.  But I used this Food Network recipe and Newcastle Brown Ale to make a simple and delicious batter.  What green beans we don't eat will be frozen and put up. 

Also doing well are the cucumbers.  I planted four pickling cucumber seedlings in May and when we returned from our trip to Florida in mid-June, they had grown like bananas!

I'm harvesting an average of 4-5 cucumbers a day and have been making copious amounts of refrigerator dill pickles.  (There's dill in the garden too, so it's quite convenient to clip some of that while I'm out picking cukes!)  There are pickle spears, and chips, and the first batch will be ready to eat later this month. 

The heirloom cucumbers planted from seed are a little behind the seedling cukes, but growing well nonetheless and we've harvested quite a few of them as well.

Also growing nicely are the crookneck squash and zucchini, and there are several little watermelons that are thriving.  The tomatoes are fair--nothing's turned red yet, but there are quite a few green ones on the vine.

Not doing so well?

The two beds nearest to the woods.  They started off so promisingly, but have completely crapped out since mid-June.  Everything is stunted or dead at this point.  I need to just pull it all out and start planting for the fall here because they are a lost cause.

The corn is tasseled, but also a bit stunted.  Nevermind that most of it didn't come up, likely due to the chickens.

On the whole, these garden beds don't get as much sunlight as they ideally should because our yard is surrounded by mature woods.  I've been eyeing the side yard, observing how much sun it receives, and I'm thinking I will need to build some beds in that area for next season as it receives light earlier in the day, and continues to do so well into the late afternoon.

That means more work for me, but I'm thinking of minimizing the labor by trying the lasagna method to establish the beds. We shall see...

This little epiphany also leads to the next lesson if I want to increase how much food I grow: I absolutely must start seeds indoors next year.  I was very much behind the eight-ball on that this year, and most of the plants are maturing later because of my tardiness in planning the garden.

The final lesson I've learned is that if I want my chickens to free range--which I do because they're happier when not penned, plus I enjoy catching glimpses of them, and their eggs are more nutrient-laden when they're allowed to forage and spend time in the sunshine--that means I'm going to have to bite the bullet and put up a fence around the garden beds.

Chickens actually NOT in the beds for once...these three young hens were after a bug and running all over the place before I captured this photo

Besides thieving seeds, the twerps ladies also enjoy taking dirt baths in the garden beds. Even though I routinely chase them out, they inevitably return for the cooling relief of the dirt.  They've damaged a number of plants and also helped themselves to the leaves of many a seedling. So, next year, a fence will be in order.

Despite that negative-sounding end note, I will say, I'm truly pleased with how certain parts of the garden are doing.  It's quite a little miracle to know that most of this garden started with seeds sown directly in the soil--and now many of those seeds are lush, large plants giving my family food, albeit in small amounts.

"Like a big mountain, a small garden stimulates, restores, and delights us, 

just as it poses challenges, promotes mastery, provides exercise and relieves monotony."
- Winifred Gallagher

How does your garden grow this summer?

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Fall Around Here

How is it the first day of November already?!? Aaagggghhh--fall, my favorite season, is going by too fast!

It's been a magnificent autumn, though, and I just wanted to share a few images from around here.

First, a trip to the pumpkin patch at Jane Iseley's Farm in Burlington, NC...

 Which included much jumping on hay bales.

Ready, set, jump!

Whee!

Back at the homestead...

Lu, the escapee chicken, struttin' her stuff in the yard.

And she's joined by my new concrete hen and chicks. :)

More jumping--this time on a gravel pile at my dad's house...

Pinky says hi oink!

Our bluetick hound, Belle.

And inside the house, a few peeks at the fall decorations...

How is your fall going?

Take care and Happy Autumn!

Erin

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Liberty Loot and a Lovely Quilt

On Friday, we attended the Liberty Antiques Festival.

Held in the middle of a pastoral field at an old dairy farm, it features a couple hundred vendors from up and down the East Coast, selling all sorts of furniture, vintage items and curiosities.

 

As you can see from the photo, it was a ridiculously beautiful day. Temperatures were in the mid-70s and sunshine abounded. We arrived about 8:30 and didn't leave until after 3, so it couldn't have been a better day to be out and about.

I forgot to photo my mom's goodies, but she picked up a pair of galvanized chicken feeders and a pair of square galvanized washing tubs.

My husband was delighted to find a number of utilitarian items, particularly a cast-iron sausage grinder, a child-sized rake for our son, a pair of small axes, and a cast-iron cider press.

I concentrated on looking for pretty things! Brown transferware, glass nesting hens, ironstone and linens were at the top of my list. I succeeded on all counts but the transferware. I just wasn't interested in spending $30+ for a plate!  Liberty prices are usually more than I care to spend because I'm a bit of a tightwad but I kept my eyes peeled for relatively reasonable deals.

How'd I do?

Well, I found these two hens for $12 to start a glass hen collection:

This Blue Bird flour sack for my husband--who builds blue bird houses--and this unusual floral grain sack from western North Carolina were $15 each:

Destined to become pillow covers.

Three matching pieces of English ironstone for $20:

A couple yards of sweet, vintage rosebud fabric for $5:

Will definitely make some pillow covers with this, too!

A book of sheet music for $3 and pair of skeleton keys for $2:

Can't wait to decoupage with the sheet music!

A milk glass vase for $5 and nearly 20 zinc mason jar lids for just $.50 a piece:

Because I need another milk glass vase like a hole in the head...but I couldn't resist. And the zinc lids were a real deal--I saw other vendors selling the same Atlas and Ball jar lids for $1-2+ a pop.

This pristine, vintage dress-style apron for $15:

Wonder if I could get away with wearing this over jeans and a form-fitting t-shirt? It's a shame to limit wearing such a pretty thing to just around the house!

A Fire King casserole dish (lid not shown) for $8:

And last but not least...this gorgeous Depression-era quilt:

See, I'm working on a summer update to my bed based off this photo from (one of my very favorite decorating books ever) Enrica Stabile's Comfortable Country:

Isn't that photo so relaxing looking?  I've always liked it since my bed's headboard is a honeyed pine. I did a bit of saving, and splurged on flax and white linen sheets and pillowcases last month. Peeking from behind the book, you can see a white thrifted duvet I found at Nest. So the quilt was the last element I needed to complete the, um, bedscape?  Is that a real term?

Anyway, the quilt was buried on a table at a vendor's tent at the back of the festival. I just happened to spot a patch of the red, white and blue out of the corner of my eye.

My mom and I made a beeline for the quilt, unfolded it and discovered it was in outstanding condition for its age.  And look at that pattern...and border...and all that lovely puckering from the hand-quilting!

I held my breath and flipped over the price tag, hoping for the best.

$75. Fair enough. I could swing that.

My mom and I began folding up the quilt so I could purchase it, and then I heard, "I can do better than that!"

I looked up, unsure if the voice was directed to me. It was, and it was the seller.

We made eye contact across the row of tables and he repeated, "I can do better than that. How about $35?"

My mom and I undoubtedly did a poor job of hiding our shock.

I quickly responded with an idiotic, "Yesthankyouverymuchplease!"

I don't know if the seller didn't realize the price on the tag, but I didn't ask any questions and accepted this rare gift from the antiquing gods.

So, Liberty was a real success this time. We had fun, managed not to get too sunburned and I can recreate a gorgeous bedscape as soon as I get my act together.

I'll be back tomorrow with photos I snapped while we shopped of several interesting and beautiful vintage pieces.

Happy May Day!
Erin

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Country Living Series: The Ladies (and Possibly a Gent)

I can think of little that is more quintessentially 'country' than keeping chickens.

Yes, many urban homesteaders and suburbanites are raising chickens in their postage-stamp-sized yards these days, so keeping chickens is certainly not exclusive to country living. But in the country is where it all started and I think that every urbanite or suburbanite who keeps chickens is seeking to capture some of the essence of country living via their chickens.

My chickens are collectively referred to as "The Ladies."  The flock currently numbers six laying hens and two youngsters, one of which we believe is a boy. I hope he will prove to be a true gentleman because we had a not-so-gentlemanly rooster not too long ago.  Let's just say he's no longer with us in this earthly realm...

Anyway, when we got chickens last year, I had no idea how entertaining they'd be or how much I would adore keeping them. I just wanted fresh eggs from chickens that were treated humanely and allowed to live happy lives. My husband simply sought good-quality fertilizer to add to the garden.

What we have now is feathered pets who just so happen to endow us with delicious eggs and fertile compost.

These chickens never fail to put a smile on my face. I love hearing the ladies chattering away when I'm outside.  It delights me to no end to walk past a window while inside the house and spot them in the yard, scratching and pecking for bugs.

I'm quick to take them treats--bananas, melons and yogurt are favorites--and I chided my husband just the other day when he'd emptied some veggies into the compost bucket rather than give them to the ladies.

Chicken enjoying her watermelon

As the temps warm here, I often find myself in the evenings headed out to "play with the chickens." That usually entails me cornering one of them in the run and then picking her up and talking softly to her whilst stroking her feathers.  You know how it's said that stroking an animal (usually a dog or cat) calms you, lowers your blood pressure, etc.? I find chickens have the same effect on me.

If I didn't have this camera in my hand, I'd pick you right up, Lu!

My husband designed and built the ladies' coop from various salvaged materials that we and my dad (our next-door neighbor) had on hand.  The siding came from a local sawmill that sells green, rough-hewn oak boards (usually 8-10" in width by 8-10' in length) for $1 a piece, making this a very frugal project.

The nesting boxes are housed at the rear of the coop (left in the photo below) and a hatch that lifts up gives us access to the eggs from the exterior. The hens enter via a gangplank in the front (right, below), and though you can't see it from this angle, there is a larger access door on the offside for cleaning the coop. The floor of the coop is made of hardware cloth and some droppings fall through, but much of it rests on top, thus I scrape it out with a hoe via this access door.

We attached a 20'x30' run to the coop to give the chickens an ample yard in which to scratch and do their chicken thing. I dug all the post holes by hand (for which I thought I deserved Wife of the Year!) and then up went the fence for the chicken run.

Since getting the hens, we've actually alternated between keeping them in the run and letting them free range in our yard and woods. They are happiest having the run of the place and even go as far as sulking, pacing along the front edge of their fence while giving me the stink-eye, when I shut them in the run  The only downside to free-range chickens in the yard is the free-range poo I occasionally step in, but it's an inconvenience I'm willing to live with.

The ladies frequently free range in the woods around the house where ample bugs and grubs are found.

The leader of the flock is Henny Penny. I believe she's a standard production Red Sex Link, but possibly a Buff Orpington. I've only ever found conflicting information when visiting online chicken forums and doing Google Image searches. Regardless of her breed, she's intelligent and quick to eat out of your hand when offered crumbles.  And I swear that chicken has laid an egg every single day since we've had her. You couldn't ask for a better egg producer than Henzer.

Henny Penny - Alpha Hen

Darkness is a Black Jersey Giant for whom we couldn't come up with a better name. Sorry, Darkness! Her eyes have an eerie look to them, and that's what initially inspired the moniker.  For any of you who watch True Blood, her eyes remind me of the residents of Bon Temps when they were under the spell of Mary Ann. She also clucks in this menacing sort of way, so really, the name fits.

The ever-evasive Darkness

Rosie, a Rhode Island Red, came to us via my husband's brother who also has a small flock.  This is another story for another time, but Darkness had two siblings that we got as youngsters. (Before genders could be determined.)  Turns out those other two Jersey Giants were roosters. We traded one of the roosters to my brother-in-law for a hen, so he could eventually raise chicks. Rosie was the hen we received in trade.

Ro-Ro

Chicken and Dumplings are a pair of Barred Plymouth Rocks that we purchased with Henny last May. My husband thought he was clever in naming them what he did, but don't worry, they'll never be what their names suggest!

Chicken (left) and Dumplings (right)

They're both large chickens and Dumplings is a waddler. It's hilarious to watch her waddle speedily through the yard after a treat.  She can be surprisingly quick and agile when it comes to snatching goodies from her flockmates. I have a particular soft spot for Dumpy after she had heat stroke last summer and required a brief stay in our house to recuperate.

Dumpy in the nest box

The newest hen to the flock is Lucille. Like Rosie, she's a Rhode Island Red from my brother-in-law. Poor thing's been here just a few weeks and Henny and Rosie continue to put her in her place, which is pretty much at the bottom of the pecking order.  She's adjusting and is a sweet chicken. She often freezes and crouches down when you approach her, so she's easy to catch and pet.

Lu

Finally, just last weekend, we received The Littles. Our nephew loves chickens and wanted badly to hatch eggs this spring, so Santa conveniently brought him an incubator for Christmas.  He and my brother-in-law hatched more than a dozen chicks of varying breeds in February and they gave us this pair.

The Littles...actual names TBD...right now Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are at the top of the list.

They're Polish Silkies and from what I've read, they're a cross between Polish Bantams and Silkies. They are two peas in a pod and chatter constantly.

So, there you have it, the long-overdue introduction to our flock of chickens!

They are remarkably easy to keep and bring joy in spades to my life.  (What does that say about my life? Oh, never mind, we won't go there right now...)

If you've been thinking about getting chickens, I encourage you to do it!  All of my chickens have been easy keepers and the hens only require sufficiently protective housing, fresh water and feed, and space to stretch their wings and legs.

And let me tell you, there's nothing like eating a fresh, golden-yolked egg from your own chicken. Grocery store eggs, with their pale, anemic yolks, will look incredibly inferior (which they are) in comparison after you've had a real thing.

So, do you keep chickens or have you in the past? If so, what's your favorite aspect of having them?

Erin