Catching up

I've been so busy this year- not with gardening, but busy just the same. I think I posted that I'd had terrible earwig problems this year. Well I just let things live or die as far as crops go. I did get a lot of tomatoes staring on July 22. I'm just now finishing up those. I also managed a good number of lemon cucumbers and a few green beans- those wonderful French green beans I've been wanting to try for years- well a few survived the predation and I got quite a few harvests out of them. They were delicious and I will definitely plant them again! I also had a volunteer acorn squash, but it could only have come from a store bought one as I've never grown this type. They were white, so my guess is I accidentally backwards hybridized! They were good though!  I baked them up and added butter and raw honey- yum!

I also managed to get a  couple Minnesota Midget melons and another- they were pretty good considering I neglected them somewhat :). At least I know they'll ripen in time. They are small, but sweet, and I'll try those again too.

The tomato varieties I tried from a high altitude seed company (much higher than I am) did pretty well- I still have some in the greenhouse. There was one that I'll try again next year, but I did get tomatoes a lot sooner than others here- so after I try them again I'll decide if they're worth recommending.



So, not much growing this year- but a lot of implementing some plans, soil building, and mulching. I've decided I won't be growing this winter and instead I'll add some good soil builder and let things rest- including me!

The other projects I have going are what is keeping me so busy that I've not had time to post- they are...

The chicken coop update:  It's all coming together. I lowered the nesting box- which I think I already mentioned in the previous post, fixed the door, painted, added roosts, and did some decorating. I still have some to do before the winter weather sets in, but it's looking nice :). I named their home Cackle Shack- I have to make the sign a little easier to read, however.

The Field Project: Mandala garden- this is a 50' diameter circle with 11' diameter circular beds inside. Here is a pic of the plan-

And here is how much I've gotten done. The tilling is done in the circular beds and I'm in the process of laying newspaper down in the paths inside the beds, the interior paths surrounding the middle bed, and the path that surrounds the exterior of the entire mandala. A lot of work, but it's starting to look like something!

The last 2 are panoramic views, so be sure to click on the center icon and hopefully it will work! Next is sowing some cover crops that I'll chop and drop next spring before planting. The beds are circular so I can put the chickens in a chook dome that will be the same size- they'll spend a few weeks in there during the day- a plan that will come much later after I build a chunnel to get them there from my back yard!


I'll post progress as it goes- wish me luck!

Happy growing!

Tessa