I get very depressed in June, July, and August. The black plastic is tacked down on the new expansions on the 5 different vegetable beds and there isn't much to do but collect eggs and spread chicken/rabbit manure.
It's too hot to breed the rabbits. I lost an 8 kit litter in June. Will start breeding again at the end of August. And if Maia turns out to be as 3 time Momma Looser, well then.
And the chicks I started in February are laying in sporadic bits. Lost one to a hawk, and another turned out to be a Roo. Which is a good thing. My existing Roo is a banty and the full sized hens are kicking his ass. Come late fall I'll let a hen or two go broody to hatch out a clutch. I'd like my flock to be sustainable.
It's been wonderful to bring 5 or so dozen eggs to Bread of the Mighty in Gainesville. I'm the "Egg Man, Coo Coo a Choo". And they're glad to get them. Since I don't have a USDA license and eggs are considered a "Hazardous Food Source", my eggs go to places that distribute meals where the eggs are cooked into the food. That way no one need worry about the health of my eggs. It peeves me that it's the factory farms that breed disease but I can only sell to pets. Wink Wink -- Nudge Nudge.
I'd like to find 5 families that really need eggs. I offered free eggs on my local Freecycle and was kinda pissed off that these were folks who could well afford to PAY ME MONEY. They didn't need anything free. Sigh, this sort of selfishness makes me weep. I guess I just need to look a little harder for people in need as opposed to people in greed.
I've already planned out the 2010 fall garden. And hey I'm going to need a rototiller. I've ordered a small one, perfect for tilling the new beds and maintaining the bigger plots as needed. Sure hope it gets here soon!
The seedlings are just about ready to transplant.
The Big Veggie is now 15'x40' and fencing decisions have to be made. I want fence post and Hubby wants plastic poles. We have lots of plastic netting already and set to go up. I feel plastic poles make it a hobby, and wood posts make it a farm. And a one time visitor calling it "just a backyard" really hurt my feelings. Well, she sure enjoyed her lunch made completely from my FARMette. Down to the herbs that went into the fresh bruchetta and the Hot Pink Pickled Eggs.
The potato patch will go to corn with alternating rows of greens for the fall/winter season. It's about 150 sq. ft. bigger. So it's 20'X18' now and the rabbit poo has been nourishing it over the summer. Not to mention letting the chickens have at it. Potatoes don't go back in until Valentines day 2011
Beans and Roses are going to be the fall season salad garden. I haven't let the chickens into it yet, but when I pluck the last green tomatoes for deep frying, I'll move some of the chicken house pine shavings, chicken poo for nitrogen and acidity, then, I'll cast some cracked corn into it and let the "Girlz" did into it all. Makes some primo dirt I'll tell ya.
My kitchen garden from Spring 2010 is finally going to be a permanent herb garden. I've saved garlic, onion, dill, parsley seeds from the spring. Going to sow them and hope for the best. Have two different basils (I LOOOOooove the Basil) and still need to pick an oregano.
The Giant Sunflowers were so successful that I've fed most of the seeds to the chickens and roasted some for the grands. Saved 2 giant blossoms for the seeds and am planting them along the perimeter of the 1 acre production area all along the fence line.
The wee patch that started all this 7 years ago will now be what they call an Aromatic Garden. Lavender, Narcissist, Curry, 3 mints ( love it), and a few more I haven't picked out yet. But I'll crowd them together and sigh with pleasure as I pass. Every time I step down the deck steps I can just brush my hand through them and take one of those deep satisfying inhalations. As I pass into the yard to tend the living things that need me. Maybe pick a spring of mint to put in my bosoms.
As to the orchards. I was never a patient gal. But the fruit trees are teaching me that particular skill. We had 3 peaches that were "et before I had any notion to pick them. Just figured that whatever ate them needed to eat them.
All the trees are thriving and relatively bug free. I occasionally spray them with Neem Oil. It's an organic pesticide and won't screw up the fruit.
When the rototiller (mentioned above) arrives the orchard area will get a good going over. I need to establish a grow area for the trees instead of my half assed plantings
We've had some issues with our air conditioning. Without which Florida is uninhabitable. Hubby kicked it soundly and it worked for another few days. Then fearing for his life, he bought a window air conditioner and installed it in the Studio window (in the dark I might add) to save his own life. I've got a lot of knives and a granny shotgun. When I'm overheated death is near to somebody.
He then did his Magic Mike thing and did the repair himself. Go Mikey, Go Mikey. But still" if the temperature goes over 95 degrees it just punks out. At those times I just live in the studio.
But WHOOOO EEEEEE it's been hot. I have a small kiddie pool that I put fresh water in every morning. By noon, the chickens are standing around in it, along with the dog. Pretty hilarious.
Well stay cool, and get ready for some most excellent winter veggies!
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