Still Planting

I was getting very nervous at how wild the forest garden is looking so I got out Sepp Holzer's Permaculture book and re-read it.  I calmed down.  Everything is OK out there.  Since I spent so much time last year working the forest garden, this year I am basically observing, and it is quite an eye-opener.  All of the fruit trees are thriving without watering or pruning, and most other plantings are growing great, too.  The foxgloves are spreading all on their own, the artemesias are doing their thing -- nothing much bothers them, and even last year's finnicky Valerian is growing well.  The hyssop didn't make it over the winter, and the gooseberries don't seem to like where they are.  Most importantly I am not seeing any insect pest problems, at least not yet.  I still have time to plant the perennial flower and herb garden just behind the fence I'm building, and I hope to get that planting done in the next few days.  All of the Grandpa Ott's morning glories are planted and the Scarlet Runner beans are planted next to them.  We had some good rain the other day and they seem to be holding their own.

Here is a picture of the field garden; I thought I'd take a picture of it before the deer get into it as I don't think I'll be able to get the fence put up in time to protect it from the deer.

This is my take on Buffalo Bird Woman's garden -- only I've added lots of raised beds.  Like her garden, the outside perimeter is filled with sunflowers.  Inside them are New England pie pumpkins and Blue Hubbard winter squash. Inside the squash are rows of Mandan Bride flour corn with Kentucky Wonder Brown pole beans planted around each corn stalk, and in between the corn rows are raised beds of Bull's Blood beets; Danvers Half-Long, Autumn King, and Atomic Red carrots; Southern Giant Curled Mustard; non-GMO sugar beets; Prague Celeriac; Hollow Crown parsnips; Laurentian rutabegas; Banish Ballhead and Red Ace cabbages; and two beds dedicated to Provider green beans.  Next to the corn are two rows of Moon and Stars, Charentais, and Green Nutmeg melons, and then a row of many packets of mixed annual flowers.  The raised bed at the front of the picture is Jerusalem artichokes and the bed next to it is my perennial allium bed that is filled with Musselburgh leeks, Egyptian Walking onions, and this year's Ailsa Craig onions.  I have a trench surrounding the entire section where I plan to dig in the fence posts.  As the plants grow, I will add wood chips and grass mulch that will not be removed at the end of the season.  My 350' of Red Cloud potatoes are in the half-section next to the hops.  I thought I had a picture of them but I can't find it so I'll have to take another for you.

Lots of wild life activity, some good and some questionable.  It's turtle reproductive season and they are all over.  We had a HUGE turtle come out of the field and cross the road into the woods next to Minnow Lake. Whether it was coming or going I don't know.  I couldn't tell what kind of turtle it was as I was driving the car at the time.  We also have lots of different birds, but not the usual ones.  I haven't seen a Nuthatch in almost two years.  We had our first Orioles,

but they didn't stick around.  There don't seem to be as many hummingbirds this year despite the fact that we set up two more feeders for them. I've heard cardinals but not seen them; robins and blue jays have been definitely been sighted,

but I haven't heard or seen any woodpeckers, either downy or big Red-headed, no Indigo buntings, or wood thrushes.  There was a lovely sounding song bird for two nights, but I have no idea what it was because I couldn't catch a sight of it.  There have been several different hawks around, and one morning I saw two crows bully a turkey vulture away from the yard.  Turkey vultures are unusual this far north.  I've only seen one doe with a fawn.  I don't know where all the fawns are this year.  We have lots of good-sized deer, but no fawns.  Perhaps my favorite animal sighting so far is of three river otters that I spied coming out of Minnow Lake and running across the road near my neighbor, Dale's house.  Tom said he thought they were going through the woods on our side of the road to get to the creek, and sure enough a couple of crows promptly started complaining.  I was so excited!  This is the first time I've ever seen river otters, and the fact that they are here is a great indicator of fishes in the creek and in Minnow Lake. 

While I was working on the forest garden fence I came across this fantastic flower:

Moccasin Flower

Moccasin Flower close up

I get really excited when I see rare flowers like this.  I will watch this spot carefully and see if the flowers increase next year.  I'm not sure how it propogates, but this looks like a seed pod:

I have managed to start two yellow gentians (also rare) in the greenhouse and hopefully I'll be able to plant them near the moccasin flowers.

Cousin It wanted to see how the chicks are doing so here a few new pictures of them:

These chicks are only two weeks old and are feathering out nicely.  They are already able to jump up onto the perch in front of the nesting boxes.

Well, I've been rambling on long enough for one night so I'll let you go.  Take care!

Recall Day

Get out and vote, Badger People!  And for those of us (admittedly, like me) who think the people may not prevail over corporate fascist out-of-state money interfering in sovereign state elections thanks to the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, here is a  glimmer of hope to read. 

Bitter and Sweet

Lots of things happening here at Swamp Creek Farm as we reach the week before field planting.

Here are some of the new Dominique chicks.

I only bought 15 this year, but they will give me plenty of eggs and allow me to better control trying to start my own flock.  I really like the Doms.  These little critters are already scratching and chasing bugs.  They are great foragers and take cold weather well.

On Friday, Lara and I sold poppies for Memorial Day over at the Post Office in Butternut. She was very excited to come with me and enjoyed talking to the people who bought poppies.  She wore her poppy print jumper that I sewed for her.  The wind was chilly despite the sunny day and I was glad we wore sweaters and brought my shawl.  Lara wants to volunteer with me again next year.

I am busy working on the fences, cutting back weeds and brush from our fire zone, and trying to keep the seedlings going in the greenhouse till we can plant.  Our temperatures are expected to get down in the 30's again by the end of this week so I won't plant the seedlings outside till after then.  June 1 and 2 the moon is in Scorpio so those are my target planting days.  I did plant 350' of my Red Cloud potatoes saved from last year on the 20th while the moon was in Taurus.  (The seed potatoes kept wonderfully over the winter!) When I go out to plant on the 1st, I will probably  need to hill them already what with all the rain we've had this week.  It rained heavily again last night, but we've been so dry that the rain just soaked into the ground right away. 

Tom took Ed for some oral surgery and we are waiting to hear the biopsy results. Everything is expected to be ok.  And, Tom and I have made it to 37 years together. 

Time is short for me today so I'll catch up with you later.  Take care and be safe this Memorial Day weekend, and do remember to pray for the brave souls who died so that we can be free.