Joy of the Garden

Beans is the final summer staple I'm getting going at the end of June. Plus if you make it to the end or fast forward...Surprise comeback!

Why are vacations so exhausting, lol. Everything survived, but more protection is needed to make it to the end...

Vacations while homesteading is a new level of stress. The chickens will be fed, watered and sheltered automatically. The garden needs extra TLC if we're going to keep the critters out. Hope it all survives...

It's nice to finally harvest something substantial from the garden. Don't get me wrong, I love picking the greens when I need them, but this is way more satisfying.

Getting okra and melon seeds in, before much needed rain.

For the first time, I might actually have a fall garden. And it might be more successful than the many attempts at spring gardening. But first, we have to get through the summer. Already losing plants as I continue to plug more in.

The air quality is atrocious, but the projects need doing. I hope the radish are still edible. Feeling so accomplished getting the worm bin done. And the possibilities of the flowers is exciting.

I have worked very hard this season, getting more plants and making more spaces. Sometimes the journey is better than the destination?..

Chopping and dropping cover crop (clover, oats, peas, vetch, rye)

Sunchokes/Jerusalem artichokes are taking over and these figs did not fare well this winter.

In the season of less stress, I am taking planting-out, slow and steady. This week was still cold hardy varieties. The warm season veg are not far behind...

Last mail call for a while, maybe. Filling up the raised bed took many days but now it's ready for plants. I have a little ptsd from the loss of my artichokes due to very likely the resident rabbit. So plants are going in slowly but surely.

Starting my irrigation journey with the Greenstalk kit and expanding my mycology library with Lions Mane from bristolmushrooms.com

Wine cap mushrooms and strawberries from: https://www.silvertreeforest.com/products/wine-cap-mushroom-spawn Edible acres video: https://youtu.be/M8lk12_KPOY

Not much of a Garden Tour, but the transformation is astounding so worth noting.

So excited to get this bed ready. I really want to put snapdragons here and maybe another flower if the snaps do not fill it.

Friday is my dedicated fertilizing day, mainly for the indoor seedlings. There's not much growing on outdoors, but the few plants will get either chicken compost or compost tea.

Planting during the hottest week of April may not be the best idea. Brassicas and Onions are in, Peas, Asparagus, Rhubarb are up! More seeds are being sowed every day.

Last week was too cold, this week is a heatwave. Can't win but the plants need to be planted.

A little bit a day gets the projects done. It's not as satisfying as completing the big projects but some days, you take what you can get. These were still laborious tasks.

Made a bit of progress in the few hours of spring weather. Did a bit of tidying up on several beds and spaces, planted potatoes and cover crops, plus started long term projects. Plus update on the seedlings and more...

We really got slammed with snow this week so no outside projects. The weather looks to be warming up though, so plants will be hardening off and beds will be prepped. 🌿Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyofthegarden https://rumble.com/c/c-1621885 Original music: "MJNac"

Recipe for the Oreo cookies can be found https://tasty.co/recipe/homemade-oreos 1oz dry nettle leaves steeped in 1 cup water overnight Use 1 tsp per 1gal at start of feeding