The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

A place to share garden and outdoor spaces plans and activities.
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Harriet
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The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby Harriet » Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:52 pm

The Productive Backyard

Here’s a space to discuss the chores and pleasant efforts that bring something from the land into your kitchen and home.

Vegetable garden harvests,
Egg gathering,
4-H projects,
Canning/freezing/putting up,
Orchard fruits,
Composting and
Livestock appreciation!

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Nancy
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Re: The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby Nancy » Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:14 pm

I've started a compost pile where we took out the tree last fall
the deer found it! :D

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Smile*Lee
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Re: The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby Smile*Lee » Mon Jan 04, 2010 4:43 pm

How did you know, Harriet? :shock:

I think this is the first time ever that I've went into a garden store in January. :lol:

I was looking at this :arrow: http://www.geosystemsonline.com/geobin.html

Was also looking at a 3-tier plant stand for my Aero Garden -- that I bought last year. :oops:
:: Time & Space for My Dreams :: Slow & Steady for a Lifetime! ::

Indiana

Re: The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby Indiana » Tue Jan 05, 2010 12:08 am

Cool Smile*Lee. Winter months are the best time to plan gardens.

I had to cut gardening out and dnephew killed my plants when I was in the hospital. So now I'm researching new indoor plants I want.

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Harriet
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Re: The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby Harriet » Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:31 am

Our hens are very happy with an extra layer of new straw for higher, cozier bedding, and HRH's newest contraption for outside light at the rear of their house. The light makes Sammie happy, too, since she has fewer nighttime duties now that any wildlife is warned away in advance. We are getting 4 eggs average per day from 8 hens in January, which is excellent, and supplies 2 households well. Only one hen is still in moult, and it could be that she is just not too attractive rather than moulting ... hmmm ... so all is well.

The new Meyer Hatchery catalog arrived yesterday, and kept dd11 busy quite a while, often announcing something new she learned about an unusual breed. But we have NO intention of adding to the flock. A friend who visited was surprised that we are not butching hens, if we are going to keep them at all. HRH said it would take a year off his life for every meal, so it wasn't worth it. (He is definitely not in denial about his attachment :D .)

I took a few minutes to consider whether I'd like to start some tomato plants indoors this Feb, and I know dd11 would fully support me! ;) But I have several "new projects" going right now and probably need to recognize my limitations. We can get some good varieties as plants later. I'll be fascinated to learn what our gardeners here in the village have going, though! Yes, we're definitely into planning time for veggie production right now.

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Nancy
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Re: The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby Nancy » Sun Jan 24, 2010 1:26 pm

I got a new seed catalog this week I have not looked at it yet.
I've only been doing cyber gardening at farmVille!

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Harmony
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Re: The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby Harmony » Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:58 pm

I am trying not to die of discouragement here. After all my work covering the veggies all those days, they got too chilled after all. We did get some tomatoes off the plants and they were delicious as only home grown can be. The two arbors of beans finally died and are heaps of limp greenery. It was a lot of work covering them, clothespinning covers up and over each arbor.

The only tomato plant that made it was the one in the middle. The other plants appear not to have made it though I'll let them be for a while. One plant got eaten up by something and I watered and left it and it did come back, so we'll see what these stalks do.

The 3 kinds of lettuce out there did well under their quilt and I am bringing in romaine and bibb and some iceburg when we want a salad. 2 days ago I got a bunch of little brocoli heads and I see another forming. Our one success is our Kholrabi, it is thriving and forming nice bulbs. I also have a lot of little cabbage and cauliflower plants but they are very small and not forming anything yet. I don't know what the cold did to their ability to make produce.

So that was my fall garden. I need to get some seeds going. We plant in March again.

Smile I really like the compost bin. I've been thinking about starting something like that.

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bittersweet
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Re: The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby bittersweet » Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:43 am

The only gardening - other than some planning - that's going on around here is the annual doggy doo cleanup, and even that keeps getting interrupted by assorted spring flurries! The front yard faces south, and is generally clear of snow now, but the back yard not only faces north, but is enclosed by a five-foot high fence that ensure verrrrryyyy slow snow melt every spring *sigh*
"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Harmony
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Re: The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby Harmony » Sat Mar 27, 2010 2:49 pm

Bittersweet, you are right behind me with the gardening. I would be frustrated waiting for snow to melt.

It is in the 80's today and beautiful, breezy and bright so I went outside to see what I could do.

I trimmed dead twigs off all the foundation plantings across the front of the house / porch. Then I weeded whole area, raked it all up including partway out into the grass. I fertilized then dragged hose around, washed off front of house and 1 windowsill, washed off the curbing and watered all the plants.

They are sorry looking. Just a few twigs to each. I left anything that looked remotely green. I'm hoping they perk up and start budding and growing. A couple look so bad with no green remaining I'm afraid I'll have to replace.

On the good side, my island in the front has about 50 opened amarylis now and about 25 buds which will each make about 4 flower heads. (My gift of bulbs from Sunny 2 years ago). They are beautiful bobbing in the breeze. I still need to weed that bed.

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Nancy
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Re: The Productive Backyard, Winter to Spring, 2010

Postby Nancy » Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:26 pm

I've raked up leaves it was nice around valentines day here but had a cold snap since but the trees and bulbs & bushes are in bloom here now. Thinking what to plant this year. H. is not so motivated to get the mower going this year yet so have not mowed. Gophers have made an appearance this year here dson will get rid of those for us.


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