My Day in The Garden - What Did You Do Today?

[LizM - Site Moderator]

A place to share what you were up to today...on the farm, in your plot or allotment or in your garden - we want to know what did you get done?

[LizM - Site Moderator]

VERY big first day back on the Funny Farm. There is SO much to do. My poor mom has been over whelmed.
The first priority is to take care of what we have. And in our case we have a very nicely developed grapevine set, a horse pasture, a new donkey and a few awesomely fertile compost piles. The compost turning was the first order of the day mainly because I expected to see a terrific pay off of all the work I did in the fall. It was fantastic, we're in great shape for the season.

I also sadly found the eight probably dead very digested comfrey roots I ordered right before my Dad became ill and I took of for Portland. (Dad is as good as can be expected.)

My mom had her own list of serious first things for doing first. One was to pull out the cinqefoil with pretty yellow flowers that had started to volunteer in spots around the pasture. She has heard that it is not at all good for the horse or the new donkey. So we pulled a lot of that today.

We also let the beautiful little donkey our of her pen, where she hung out while Rooney our quarter horse. The donkey trotted all over the field, and Rooney was ecstatic to have his new friend to pal around with. He lost his pal Jim about a year ago and has been mighty mopey ever since. The donkey, to be named - is a HUGE hit. Rooney was clearly high stepping it for the first time in a long while. We've decided to have a donkey naming contest. So send me a message with any ideas you have for that - via my profile. Mom and I will pick the top 8 or so, and then ask you guys to vote!

So after we got the cinqefoil pulled, it was on to figure out what to do with the moldy mostly dead comfrey. I read up and sited most of it near orchard trees. Oh! That's the other news, it was never clear to me what we had. So it turns out we have a pear tree, two apple trees and two plum treed, the grapes I mentioned. So I sifted some of the compost I stacked in the fall - and got to work planting the comfrey, in the hope that at least one or two will come in, wondering if they can live anaerobically for a long while. Comfrey is known for a few things. It grows a very long taproot and brings up minerals from far down. It's an excellent plant to compost, tomatoes love it. It's also according to many and old wife, a great ingredient for a healing salve. Be careful where you plant it because once established it's hard to get rid of. In Germany there isn't a garden without it, or so I've heard.

So what have you been up to?

[Drew Helge]

Woke up at sun rise. Drove to my community garden plot and started killing potato bugs and their larvae. I always find a few copulating and its so funny when I grab them I have to laugh. My persistence has paid off, the plants look great. Dark green and lush. I was walking around all the gardens admiring my contemporaries "traditional" gardens, when I had a giant toad leap out in front of me. I promptly grabbed him and put him under my (not dusted) potato plants. He looked hungry. For anyone out there facing problems with the Colorado Potato Beetle, just be persistent and pick them everyday in the morning and night. I've read that limited chicken grazing is a great way to reduce their numbers efficiently.

[LizM - Site Moderator]

You are a better person than I! I was up all night following the Iran Election stuff, obsessively - finally got to sleep - only to be woken up by the horrible sounds of The Wake You Up Bird. I don't know what it is yet but it makes CRAZY sounds until you get out of bed and then shuts up.

Sifted tons of compost, worked potatoes and siting them. Planted garlic, further trimmed and trained the grape vines....noted radish and peas are coming up (got a really late start) - tons of weeding....

[Helen Bierlich]

The Wake You Up Bird- could it be a Mocking Bird? They make crazy sounds, and around here, I hear them mostly in the pre-dawn hours.

[LizM - Site Moderator]

It sure feels like I am being MOCKED!! Yes, it's predawn..I actually love the birdy cacophony here...never in my life have a I heard so many birds...doves, owls, and so many more. I have to learn their calls...

[LizM - Site Moderator]

weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds weeds