A Seed Saver's Garden

[heirloomgal]

THIS TIME the Farmer's Almanac was totally wrong! THEY predicted a pretty cold winter.
I didn't have that, and Weather Nation reported all of the Midwest cities that had the warmest winters on record.
Couple that with hardly any ice on any of the Great Lakes.
Btw, to non US readers here, Lake Superior is super deep and all of them can traffic sea going vessels.

It's been years since I read the Farmer's Almanac, is it still a fairly good publication? It's actually a bit surprising that they wouldn't have factored El Nino in thier prediction.

Superior is so deep! And FREEZING year round! I used to live on the Northeasten shore of Superior, and even in the height of summer it was like swimming in a liquid ice cube. Dipping just your feet in, even for a short while, would make them red & numb.

 

[flowerbug]

yes, it's cold, but if you knew of a protected shallow bay you could swim, but you'd also likely have to give up some blood to the mosquitoes and black flies. ice on the shoreline shade of the trees in early July...

 

[ducks4you]

There was someone online--could have been Here--who followed the Farmer's Almanac, and lived in Nebraska. She got ahead of a drought and had all of next winter's hay in her barn by May of that year. Later in the year everybody else was scrambling/paying through the nose.
I follow it to an extent.
THIS year I was conVINCED that Punxatawny Phil was correct about an early Spring.
My yard and grass are showing it.
I have NEVER mowed my lawn in March before!
It was in the 70's, I was lazy and drove my riding mower to drag my trash can back to the side of the garage, then looked at the grass and thought it needed it.
It has responded.
NOW, I need to clean up any and all burdock from the Inner Sanctum and let it be this year's first pasture. It's only about 1/4 acre's worth of grass that grew up where there was originally gravel, so no grass founder for me to worry about.
Usually I open the gate and let them graze a whole day at a time. They graze, exit, rest, come back maybe 2 more times in one day. Often it takes 3 days to gnaw it down. IDC ( I don't care) if they put divits in it, or if they overgraze it.
There is a 2 month window there beFORE I start getting apples on my 3 trees, then NO ACCESS until September.
By May ponies will be out on either the North Pasture or the South Pasture, so no need.
I calculate 100 bales left, ~2 bales/day, so, if no pasture, I am out of hay mid May.
I usually order 400 bales hays and 50 bales straw.
This year I think I will order 430 bales hay and 20 bales straw.
It's been so warm that I still have most of the straw left.
You see, it all fits quite nicely, five rows high on my hay man's trailer.
#'s of bales should remain the same.
I guess if somebody wants to buy straw from me, I will price it higher than the local $8/bale.
I bought it at $5.50/bale, bc cheaper in bulk.

 

[heirloomgal]

yes, it's cold, but if you knew of a protected shallow bay you could swim, but you'd also likely have to give up some blood to the mosquitoes and black flies. ice on the shoreline shade of the trees in early July...

I swam at Old Woman Bay https://lakesuperiorcircletour.info/old-woman-bay/ still very cold but maybe there are spots on the southern shore more hospitable. Bugs are thick, but not so much on big waters.

 

[heirloomgal]

There was someone online--could have been Here--who followed the Farmer's Almanac, and lived in Nebraska. She got ahead of a drought and had all of next winter's hay in her barn by May of that year. Later in the year everybody else was scrambling/paying through the nose.
I follow it to an extent.
THIS year I was conVINCED that Punxatawny Phil was correct about an early Spring.
My yard and grass are showing it.
I have NEVER mowed my lawn in March before!
It was in the 70's, I was lazy and drove my riding mower to drag my trash can back to the side of the garage, then looked at the grass and thought it needed it.
It has responded.
NOW, I need to clean up any and all burdock from the Inner Sanctum and let it be this year's first pasture. It's only about 1/4 acre's worth of grass that grew up where there was originally gravel, so no grass founder for me to worry about.
Usually I open the gate and let them graze a whole day at a time. They graze, exit, rest, come back maybe 2 more times in one day. Often it takes 3 days to gnaw it down. IDC ( I don't care) if they put divits in it, or if they overgraze it.
There is a 2 month window there beFORE I start getting apples on my 3 trees, then NO ACCESS until September.
By May ponies will be out on either the North Pasture or the South Pasture, so no need.
I calculate 100 bales left, ~2 bales/day, so, if no pasture, I am out of hay mid May.
I usually order 400 bales hays and 50 bales straw.
This year I think I will order 430 bales hay and 20 bales straw.
It's been so warm that I still have most of the straw left.
You see, it all fits quite nicely, five rows high on my hay man's trailer.
#'s of bales should remain the same.
I guess if somebody wants to buy straw from me, I will price it higher than the local $8/bale.
I bought it at $5.50/bale, bc cheaper in bulk.

I was surprised the first time I went to buy straw for mulching the garden, it was $8/bale then which seemed expensive. Last time I went and got some, a few years ago, it had gone up to $10. I'm sure it's higher now.

 

[ducks4you]

Straw is seasonal. I buy after my hayman has harvested in late June. Find out when oat or wheat straw is being harvested. If you have access to a truck, you could load it yourself and save some money.

 

[heirloomgal]

Straw is seasonal. I buy after my hayman has harvested in late June. Find out when oat or wheat straw is being harvested. If you have access to a truck, you could load it yourself and save some money.

Because I only got 1 or 2 at a time, I loaded them in the back of my car (which is hatchback). I think because people don't keep livestock much around here, the price is fixed. The store where I get the hay tells me the gov is the biggest customer as they use the bales on the sides of roadways etc. especially in the winter and spring. I'd love to go back to mulching with the straw (it took me about 5 years to stop saying 'hay' , DH always corrected me on that lol) I love the look of it.

 

[heirloomgal]

Little green miracles.

The Ibreian Thyme, aka Mastic Thyme, is supposed to look like this at maturity.

Given that Palmarosa can grow to a fairly large clump, I wonder if I should stick with my one sprout, or plant more. I learned that it also goes by the name Palm Rose, Indian Geranium, Gingergrass and Rosha Grass - I think it comes from India. It's supposed to be a powerful medicinal (bugs loathe it) that smells like roses. If this is actualy true, I'm going to be thrilled!

The Balkan Mint, Issopo del Carso, I don't think smells minty, but the aroma carries for a distance so says the description. Same family as savory.

This is the description for the actual Winter Lemon Savory, how could I resist? It may overwinter here too, if i'm lucky.

Incredible lemon scent! This plant is a complete surprise. It is a form of winter savory, with the same dark green leaves and robust growth habit, but the scent is so unexpected you think your nose is playing tricks. The scent is not simply savory suffused with lemon, it is actually a clean lemon scent of all its own. After a moment to recover from the shock, you soon begin to think of fun ways to use this unique herb in cooking and in tea.

 

[flowerbug]

i think we have some of the mastic thyme and it does look like that when grown. it's filled in an area pretty well and i think it was a mistake now to put it where i did, but as it spreads i can trim back the one edge and let the other edge continue it's journey. i can also leave some of it alone and see how well it cohabitates with the creeping thyme.

 

[ducks4you]

Because I only got 1 or 2 at a time, I loaded them in the back of my car (which is hatchback). I think because people don't keep livestock much around here, the price is fixed. The store where I get the hay tells me the gov is the biggest customer as they use the bales on the sides of roadways etc. especially in the winter and spring. I'd love to go back to mulching with the straw (it took me about 5 years to stop saying 'hay' , DH always corrected me on that lol) I love the look of it.

I suggest that you buy a bag mower and use grass from your lawn, instead.
OF course, this is when your mower bites the dust.
OR, you could invest in a grass rake and use a wheelbarrow. I often bag up fresh grass in the Spring and put it out for my ponies. There is a lot more than your think.
Cut lawn grass (not those blades with seeds,) are the poor man's mulch/fertilizer. I have heard of several gardeners, including a panelist recently on Mid American Gardener, suggest using grass clippings, especially if you do not treat your lawn.
ALSO, especially if you go through a summertime very wet period, where you mow and it looks like a drying hay field when you are done.
Just some FYI...