-
A stroll through the berry patches
Hmmm going to have to think of a new name to talk collectively about the various berries as they definitely aren’t in a single patch. Topic for another day. The blackberries are having issues as last year’s growth failed to bud, note to self to look into why so it doesn’t happen next year. I am excited to see that the black raspberries are showing flowers and should give a small crop this year.
-
Sprouts in the Garden
2 weeks since we sowed the garden and we’ve got sprouts. The beans and peas always seem to take off, however the corn is being more hit and miss. These boys were up at 6:00 to let the chickens out of the coop so since they were out there we did a little weeding.
-
The new and improved Strawberry Patch
After 2 years of first planting the ever bearing strawberries we haven’t managed to get a decent harvest. This probably has more to do with my own inability to keep the strawberries weeded and the high clay consistency in the soil than the plants themselves. Therefore this year we are restarting the patch in a slightly raised bed with some Honeoye variety and a few ever bearing transplanted from the existing patch. We’re going to need to build up the soil with compost to allow them to thrive. Looks a little sparse now but as we’ve seen strawberries like to propagate. Hopefully I can keep the patch weeded, physical distancing…
-
Helen McNitt State Park
We’ve been staying in during COVID-19 except for the weekly grocery run and it was time we did some physical distancing outside of the house. So today we went on a short drive over to Cazenovia to see if we could get a little time next to the water. Unfortunately or fortunately the parks in town were full and we didn’t feel comfortable stopping and being able to maintain our distance. However I had heard of a fishing access park towards the north end of the lake. As it turns out it was a nice little place with a dock/boat launch that was just what the family needed – a…
-
Planting Day – 2020, Garden Edition
The final frost of Spring “should” be over so today is planting day! The kids are all excited as they get their own garden bed to sow. We’re trying the traditional gardening method of indegenous people with the 3 sisters. Each box has a row of corn down the middle surrounded by peas/beans and then a squash. The concept is that the beans/peas will grow up the corn stalks and fixate nitrogen into the soil as fertilizer while the squash’s broad leaves will provide weed control and help retain moisture in the soil. The soil itself has a layer of compost (wood shavings, chicken poop and food/lawn scraps under the…
-
Outlasting Spring Cold Snaps
This past weekend we had 4 days with consistent temperatures below 30 F… in May. Sure a frost over night but snow fall and freezing temperatures come on. Wandering the yard today you wouldn’t know it had just snowed. 80 F sunny and the apple trees have started to bloom. Nature knows what it is doing, looking forward to watching them grow and hopefully a light harvest of multiple varieties. As for the cherry blossoms, they could care less that it was freezing out time to get a net so the birds and squirrels don’t eat every cherry like they did last year.
-
Prepping the Chess Knoll
Welcome to the start of an idea I’ve had since we moved in. Today we broke ground, or more aptly played in the dirt, leveling the Chess Knoll in front of our house. Technically its not a knoll but the great thing about names is they don’t have to be explicit. This patchy unused space is being flattened thanks to the assistance of the little ones in preparation for the outdoor chess board. As an unexpected win the remaining paving stones we got from my sister’s retaining wall were exactly what we needed to finish. It may only look like a sand pit but once I find the proper stone…
-
Physical Distancing at Highland Forest Park
Weather in Central NY is starting to warm up. With COVID-19 a concern its hard to enjoy the usual park haunts without feeling a slight dread. To get a change of scene (from the house) we took a short drive down to Highland Forest Park. The lot was half full, but we stay covered and wandered the less traveled trails. It was nice to relax alone in the woods.
-
Spring Blossoms
Spring doesn’t truly come until the trees start blossoming. The cherry trees have been first in the past few years but with the nectarine and plum trees now taking root they look to be the early bloomers. So glad that we can enjoy nature in our very own yard.
-
Autumn Nights
Often I lament the shorter days, but there is something to be said for enjoying the crisp autumn nights.
