Sonlight Garden

My Today 19

Garden Update #3

What a difference 20 days make!

Garden Update

Well, the garden beds are growing nicely. The tomatoes are starting to flower. In the middle garden bed I have no idea what is growing in there. There is absolutely no order because of the dogs, and there ahem, rearranging of that particular bed. I have one more bed to plant. I am thinking zucchini and watermelon. I haven't planted yet because of the dogs. I just know that once the seeds are in the ground they are going to dig. They are waiting, I am sure of it!

We wanted to put a fence up, but for lack of time I don't think that is going to happen. Spring soccer is starting up and the horse shows. So I am just praying that the dogs don't find digging in the garden that exciting anymore.

   

     I can almost taste the tomatoes!

   

          Our first "harvest" from the garden, turnip greens. These will go in a salad tonight.

Our New Chicken Tractor and Some Advice

Here is the chickens new home. It is a portable chicken coop. The idea is to move it to a new area of pasture each day. The chickens spread out the manure, eat the bugs, and leave, ahem, fertilizer on the ground. In the end you have, healthier chickens, healthier eggs, and a healthier pasture. The boxes attached to the right of the coop are the nesting boxes. All you have to do is lift the lid and check for eggs. It is pretty cool.

And now for the advice. If you ever decide to move to a farm and you think "Now that I have all this land I am going to get a dog." And then if you think " Wow, those Labrador Retriever puppies are so cute and I heard they are very smart dogs, lets get one of those."  DON'T! Because it will inevitably eat your flock of chickens. They are bird dogs you now. And then when you have beautiful garden beds (like mine below) and the sprouts are coming up and you can just picture all of the beautiful vegetables you are going to put on the table. The cute, smart, Lab will dig up your garden beds. Not once, but twice. They like to dig you know.

Up next: Pretty, expensive, white vinyl picket fence to go around the beautiful garden beds to keep the cute, smart, dogs out. UUUGGGHHH!

Garden Beds-Together

Well, the garden beds are put together. We did get a total of three beds, however, I think I have room for one more. We are going to set this garden up in our side yard. We do get a good amount of sun, and it is close to the house. We now have to set them in the ground, line the bottoms with chicken wire, and find some organic soil to fill them with. Oh, and then get the seeds in the ground!

Visions Of Gardening Dance In My Head

I am starting to plot out our garden. I almost think we are a little to late for a spring garden, but we are going to get it up and running anyway. We are doing something new this year. We are going to plant our garden in raised beds. We ordered these and they are sitting in boxes in our yard waiting to be put together. The goal is to get to that this weekend. We have not had much success with gardens on this property. In our old house we had awesome vegetable gardens that yielded a bountiful crop. The soil must be lacking something here.

I would like to plant:

• tomatoes
• beets
• turnips
• lettuce
• squash
• beans
• peas
• swiss chard
• spinach
• cabbage
• a nice herb patch

That is what I have so far. Am I missing something? Next up chickens. Wait until you see what contraption we bought for those!! It also needs to be put together!