PotterWatch garden 2014

[happy acres]

I am soooooooo jealous! My green house is little more than a plastic wrapped shed, and I only have an acre and a half! I call it my microfarm. I do have chickens and ducks, and two small dogs who think they're a cross between a herder and a Rottweiler. (They're actually Chihuahua and dachshunds mix, but I don't tell them)

 

[buckie52]

Love your green house.that is what I call my dream green house..I will have to make my twin wall green house make do.

 

[PotterWatch]

We are thrilled to have such a great property for our farm. In California, we were on 9.5 acres with about 6 of that being pasture. We had chickens, sheep, and goats there. It's amazing to have the kind of space we have now. We raise our animals in a pasture-based, organic way and we hope to find a good market for our products in Richmond and up through DC.

Veg gardening is just for our family, not for any kind of sale. I don't like weeding enough to do it for other people, lol. I hope that at some point, we will harvest enough of our own fruit and veg that I won't need a market except for staples like sugar and flour. It certanly helps that this used to be the home of a master gardener. She passed away and all of her equipment and books came with the property. There is an awful lot of decorative plants that I don't have the faintest idea how to handle. My Mom is taking the lead on that stuff (my parents moved here with us and built a separate house on the property). I'm going to have more than enough work with my gardens and farm stuff!

 

[ninnymary]

Aww Potter, it's nice that you have your mom with you. Peace of mind for both parties.

Mary

 

[PotterWatch]

It is very nice to be so close to my parents. I didn't have any extended family near when I was growing up in Alaska. I can probably count on both hands the number of times I remember visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am very glad that my kids are able to have a close relationship with their grandparents.

My husband patched the grapefruit sized hole in one of the glass panes of the greenhouse so I put a heater in there. So nice to be able to leave trays in there and not be carrying them back and forth everyday.

I moved most of my beans to larger pots today. One of the trays was too wet and probably accounts for some of my sprouts doing poorly. I'm not sure why that tray was staying so wet. It was the same kind of tray, same pots, same seeds planted, and was watered when the top of the soil was dry; just like another tray that was doing great. Oh well, at least the seedlings are moved and will hopefully do well in their new pots. I also planted some more beans and Brussels sprouts. I have a few more seedlings to put in bigger pots, but I ran out of pots. I'll have to get more while I'm in town today.

I have a planting table thing that was leftover from the previous owner. It is about 4x4 and has a couple inches of potting soil in it. I don't know what to do with that soil. I'm not sure if its usable or if it should toss it. No clue if mice, birds, insects, etc. may have been cavorting in it during the years it has been sitting there. Anyone have advice on whether or not I should put it to use?

 

[happy acres]

Wow! You've been busy! As to that table, why not use it for your "experiments "? Things you're not real sure about just yet? Even if critters have been playing in it, it really shouldn't be harmed any.

 

[so lucky]

I don't think there would be any harm in using it. After all, that phrase "older than dirt" doesn't mean worthless, it's just....old. Or olde, as DigitS' says.

 

[thistlebloom]

If the quality is questionable for seedlings you could always add it to your raised beds.

 

[journey11]

I'd be afraid to use it for seed starting unless it was sterilized first. (Bake at 300 degrees for one hour.) It should be fine for re-potting houseplants or whatever. Otherwise, I'd toss it into one of your beds or compost.

 

[PotterWatch]

I got the planting box cleaned out and a few more flats of seeds started in the last few days. Today, I roped my kids into helping me start to clear out the beds around the greenhouse and pull some of the grass and stuff out of the garden space near the greenhouse. Here are a few views of the area around the greenhouse. I plan to eventually convert that space to raised beds but will probably be planting in the ground this year.

This has been dubbed the meditation garden. It sits on the opposite side of the driveway from the greenhouse.

The front of the house. Well, technically that is the side door, but we use it as the front door since it goes into the mud/laundry room. The real front door and entryway is around the corner on the right and isn't at all convenient for regular use.

Looking off the porch from the door above to the left side of the driveway.

The garden space to the right, looking out the same door.

Looking straight out the door onto the right side of the driveway.

The herb garden area next to the back patio (not a great picture since that rosemary bush is blocking some of it).

The area on the other side of the patio from the herb garden.

The area around what is technically the front door.

There is just so much space and so much decorative stuff that I don't know anything about. Thank goodness I have my Mom to help with those parts!