Journey11's 2016 garden journal

[thistlebloom]

You may have the wrong image of me Journey. I'm not exceptionally patient. Especially with ill mannered kids.

If they don't follow the rules they are sent home. And I let their parents know why I sent them home.

I would have been as annoyed as you for those bad manners. Yikes, kids helping themselves into my house is a huge no-no. Even for my good little pals.

 

[Nyboy]

Lucky I believe sporting goods store carry a skunk spray. Spray the brats with that and I bet grandma keeps them home.

 

[ninnymary]

Lucky I believe sporting goods store carry a skunk spray. Spray the brats with that and I bet grandma keeps them home.

No! She wouldn't want them near her or her house!

Mary

 

[Jared77]

Problem is the kids would probably bear the brunt of it. Given how they are being raised I wouldn't doubt it. Parents don't take responsibility why should they?

They wouldn't learn anything from it. Best bet is to keep them away from the property so they can't get anywhere near the house.

 

[journey11]

We had to put a lock on our garage side door because they kept going in there after I'd told them several times not to. Maybe I'm too patient! I've got a lot of things lying around here they could get hurt on or shocked by the electric fence. I don't need the liability.

As bad as they annoy me, I try to be extra nice to them. I do feel sorry for the little boogers. They don't have a mama (I was told a couple years ago that she was in prison, don't know if that's still the case...don't know for what.) The dad is a druggie loser. The poor grandma is overrun trying to look after her family and has several living with her. I know they're more than happy to let me "babysit" them though. The kids just don't know any better. If I had made better progress getting through to them on some manners I'd let them come play more often, but with everything going on with my dad, I really can't handle any extra stress right now. They make me sad really.

 

[journey11]

On a happier note, chickens!

I ended up with 5 pullets and 3 cockerels on my Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantams. I hope they'll get more "flowers" as they get older.

And these are my babies from my first ever hatch. They're 4 weeks old now, so I kicked their stinky little butts outside. Several are "blue" and I think they're going to look really cool when they grow out. I'm hoping for some green egg layers among them. They're an EE/barnyard mix. I was advised to use cheap (free!) eggs for that first hatch 'til ya get the hang of it.

 

[thistlebloom]

Cute chicks! And the poultry too!

Is that Savannah kiss/sniffing her chickie? Haha, that makes me laugh. I love kids!

 

[journey11]

Lol, yeah, just rubbing her nose on it I think!

And one other neighbor kid, but one of the well-behaved ones.

My chickens get lots of cuddles and attention. They end up pretty tame time they're done with them.

 

[journey11]

It's starting to look like a garden! Got the weeds well under control, plan to get the straw on later this week. Finally caught on to leaving enough space between rows and the fence line to allow room to run the tiller back through. Can't squeeze in as much, but this has been a major step for me, lol.

Got a little more room left to plant and a couple gaps where the groundhogs hit before we got them. Going to have to scale back my planting list of beans. Just don't have enough room right now. Gonna poke in some melons, summer squash and flowers. Area where the cement pad was removed has done very well after all. Must need to lime the whole garden more then.

Peach tree in the back of that pic is a goner. Not sure, some disease. Also losing my Bonnie Best apple to fireblight. Have had little luck with fruit trees. Will look for more disease resistant cultivars from now on.

A hill of zucchini and one of cantaloupe, need weeded and mulched some more. Cut down the corn because it wasn't doing too well. Too much water and not draining well enough, maybe needs more lime too. DH is supposed to fix the drainage problem by rerouting the downspout. I'll till it and cover crop, later plant some fall stuff.

The stonehead cabbage are almost ready. Going to make kraut with them. A couple kohlrabi puttering along. Lovage in the background, on its second year. Never did figure out what was wrong with this bed. PH was fine. Some stuff I gave up and pulled, but the cabbages thrived. I watched a predatory wasp haul off many caterpillars, which was cool. Did finally Bt it though.

 

[journey11]

Some blooms...don't have nearly as much out this year, but you can't eat flowers, so I've had to prioritize. I'll just cardboard and mulch for now and hope to do better next year.

This little pink thing is pretty. I wish I had more of them. Some type of moss rose/portulaca. Ava's volunteer marigolds surrounding it. I liked the hot pink/orange theme, so I bought a few hot pink/orange/yellow (all in one flower) lantanas to go with it.

Some day lilies now blooming...

Got lots of hostas blooming. Some were white and bloomed earlier. I prefer those because the purple clashes with the day lilies, so I may rework this bed next year and put the purple ones off by themselves around the willow tree. The leaves have sunburned on all. Not enough shade in this bed.

The magnolia is on a second round of blooming!

Balloon flowers my FIL gave me when we moved here.

Vinca major taking over! It makes an impenetrable ground cover and nothing else would grow here. Don't know how else to control it, but go after it with the scissors.

The first wave of Japanese beetles have arrived. The kids have been doing yard work to earn money to spend at the carnival, so I'll set them to work hand picking and drowning them.

All in all, I'm in way better shape than last year. Might even get caught up and have time to go fishing here soon!