Saturday Evening Stroll...

It's been a busy week...but tonight I took time to take a stroll around the yard.

Here's what I saw...

This is a new peony for me.  It came from a neighbor a few years ago, but for a variety of reasons, this is the first year it's bloomed.  It was worth the wait...

The roses (also from a neighbor, who grew them from cuttings off his own bushes) are just loaded with blooms...

The red hot poker is doing it's thing...

Next I walked through the vegetable garden.  I planted a new patch of strawberries this spring.  Although you're supposed to pick the blossoms off the first year to allow the plant to grow strong, I cheated a little and left just a berry or two to ripen...

I'm trying tomatoes again this year.  I can't figure it out, but for some reason I have trouble getting my tomatoes to fully ripen.  I use a lot for canning, and figured I'd try again, rather than buying them.  Any advice?

My green beans are up behind the tomatoes, and we planted a second batch of radishes in between the cages...

The early veggies...cabbage, lettuce, beets, onions and potatoes are loving the weather we've had this spring so far.  I'm growing my cucumbers in cages so they climb and save space...

The dog follows me everywhere!  I was also watched closely by this...

And by these two...Dilly and Pickles...

...and by this ornery looking newborn.  I just wonder what she'll be like when she's older, hmmmm...

She (and others like her!) are the sole reason that I put plant supports around my (?!) squash...

I don't put them there because they'll do the plants any good, but because they might protect them just a little if when a calf gets out of the hutches and runs wildly through my garden!  (it's happened too many times to count, and I will win this war!

How Fast Does Corn Grow?...

It doesn't always happen this way, but the conditions this year for planting corn have been just about perfect!

Day 1
April 30, 2012 - Corn is planted...

Day 10
May 9, 2012 - Corn is just peeping through...I had to use the zoom on my camera in order for you to see it...

Day11
May 10, 2012 - Corn rows can be seen, but I still had to use the zoom for it to show up on the picture...
.

Day 12
May 11, 2012 - Corn rows can now be seen easily without using the zoom...

 This year has been just about perfect...we have been blessed!

(Too much rain, along with cold weather can cause the seed to rot before it sprouts, and rain followed by a hot, dry spell can form a crust on the ground which doesn't allow the tiny corn plant to push through the soil.)


It's been said that you can hear corn grow.  I've never tried it, but I can believe it.  Two months from now, this corn should be higher than my head!  With the rain we're to get in the next few days, along with warmer temps, it should start growing in leaps and bounds!

What's Bloomin'...

Spring is in full bloom here...

The Iris are open...a full two weeks early...

The Peonies' buds are swelling, and will be open soon.  I like seeing them next to the Iris...

In another few days, these Japanese Iris will be covered with blooms.  Most are blue or purple, with a few white mixed in...

I was surprised to see these Rose buds just about to open too...

The Spiderwort loves the cool weather we've been having.  When it gets too hot, it stops blooming until it cools off.  I planted the chartreuse one last year, and the one behind it with the dark green foliage volunteered from about fifteen feet away...

Flax is one of my favorite spring flowers.  It blooms when it's cool, but doesn't like our hot, humid summers.

Can you tell I like blue?

These daisies are showing off in my "spring blooming bed" next to the house...

This spring has just been fabulous for the flowers!  After a long dry spell, we've now had just about the perfect amount of rain, and wonderful cool-ish days...a real spring, for the first time in a while.

The flowers are thankful, and are showing it!

Making A Compost Bin...

I've been reading a lot about, and experimenting with making my own compost for a long time.

To this point, I've always just made a pile...straw/manure/sawdust mixture from the calf hutches...chicken and goat manure...some dried grass clippings...and the usual kitchen and garden scraps all piled together.  However, it all pretty much just sat there and did nothing...very slowly.

Today I finally got around to putting together a compost bin, using three old recycled pallets to make a three-sided bin.  I forked the pile to the side onto a tarp, and leveled the ground to put the pallets in place.  I used some fencing staples and some bale ropes to secure them together...

The pallets will allow air into the pile, which is necessary for composting.  I also read about putting a "chimney" in the center of the pile to speed up the composting process.  So, I rolled up some chicken wire and secured it in the center of the bin.  I even had an audience...

Next, I forked the contents of my pile back into the bin.  I chose to let the front of the bin open, for ease of turning the compost.  If I need to, I can put another pallet across the front to hold it all in place better.

I'm hoping to use two more pallets, to make a double bin, putting them to the left of the existing bin...then I can begin a second pile while the first one cooks...
 

...but I can't get to my other two pallets for a few weeks yet.  (They're underneath about a ton of barn-dri right now)  We'll see how it all works out!

Barley...

Isn't it amazing what happens in just a few months time!

From this...planting barley...October 2011...

Coming up a few days later...

 Just starting to green up...a few inches high...late winter, early spring 2012...

To this...May 2012...

What is that in the field?

Oh...it's just Murphy and Snickers, having a blast.  They have so much fun chasing each other around in the field...

Before we know it, it'll be June, and we'll be combining barley and then baling straw.

Then what ever will the dogs find to do?  Oh yes, that's right...they'll chase cats and dig holes in the yard or lay in front of the big fans in the barn.  They have quite the life!  :)

What Was It?...

On Tuesday I posted about planting corn , along with this picture...

 

Did you figure out what the gray is in the planter box?

It's graphite...intended to help the seed flow more smoothly through the planter and into the ground.  As soon as he told me what it was, I remembered way back when our kids made Pine Wood Derby cars, and we put graphite on the wheels/axles to make them run faster.  It's the same concept.

The seed corn is red because it's been treated with a fungicide and with other things that vary, depending on the variety of corn.

Just in case you ever wondered.  :)

Corn Planting 2012...

Late April...early May...the exact dates will vary depending on the weather, but it's corn planting time around here.

Last year we had a very wet spring, and it was difficult to get the corn in the ground.  This year it's been dry, with the exception of some rain last weekend, and the soil has warmed, so we're about two weeks ahead of last year with corn planting.

Yesterday morning, Jim had some fertilizer spread on the corn ground before it was planted...

I caught up with Mark as he was filling the planter here at home.  He saw me coming, carrying my camera, and he laughed, saying "Are you updating your blog again?"  I guess I'm getting a reputation...he knew he could say that and get away with it! 

While Mark filled the planter with seed corn and insecticide (above), Jim was doing "important paperwork", as he called it.  (The guys were having fun teasing the blogger yesterday)   Jim plants different varieties of corn...some short season for early silage, so we don't run out!...some late season for shelling...and keeps track of where each variety is planted...

I learned something new yesterday.  Mark added something to the seed corn.  Do you have any ideas as to what it is and why he would use it? 

Hint:  it's the gray that you see here...the red is the seed corn.  I'll post the answer in a day or so...

This is that field that we had some tiling done in this spring.  Between the dry spring and the tiling, the field has dried out nicely, and was ready to plant yesterday.  I like seeing the neat rows made by the corn planter...

One thing that I like even better, is seeing the rows of tiny corn stalks peeping up through the soil.  If it stays warm like it's supposed to, hopefully by sometime next week, we'll be seeing some green!