Show me those gardens!

Finally managed to replace the batteries in the camera. My garden is late and the germination is poor. I think it is because I was lazy this year and didn't pack the rows. You can tell where the dogs have stepped in it before it germinated as that is were the plants are coming up the best. Guess I will have learned my lesson for next year. NO LAZY GARDENING!!

This is the smaller garden behind my house. It will still produce enough food to feed a small town, but it is smaller and easier to manage.

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This is the big garden where I plant my corn, onions, peas and potatoes only. Made a mistake in here as well. I remodeled my marker and thought I had a good six inches on either side so I could drive my tiller between the rows. I was off a bit, and it fits, but just barely. I am going to have to buy a wheel hoe or something else to weed between the rows and make a new row marker next year. You can still see the marker in the garden. There is a 400 foot row of raspberries there too. Free for the picking if you want them!

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This is the water truck my FIL rigged up for me. I love him dearly! He felt sorry for me hauling water by hand so he got that truck running for me.

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A few of my flower pots that need to be moved to the front yard, and my favorite garden helper!

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The front of the greenhouse before the baskets for the town were delivered. I am pleased with them. I am not a flower person, but I grew those babies from seed and have been loving them since February. Was glad to see them go to a good home! Everything red and white was for the town planters and flower beds.

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The greenhouse is coming along nicely. I have some tomatoes on the plants and should have a taste of the cherry tomatoes in the next couple of weeks! I even have a strawberry ready to eat. I made an oops with my strawberry beds in there and didn't water early enough in the spring, or in the fall before freeze-up. Another lesson learned.

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Lots of peppers this year - both sweet and hot! Going to make lots of salsa.
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Cukes will be blooming in the next day or two. They are later than last year, but still doing well.
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Please don't make fun of my weeds - weeds deserve a chance too!

First run of peas

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Peas again....for a while we couldn't figure out why this section grows like this...then I remembered this was the winter sheep pen and this was where their salt and mineral blocks were

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Strawberries and onions

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Garlic and pole bean rows and bush beans....endamame not up yet

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More veggies

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Honeysuckle

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My 9 year old's garden boxes in between a few young apple and pear trees.

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View from field

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Sweetened wrote:Animals who crash fences, I think, are some of the worst annoyances. Goats, especially, it would seem. Once a goat learns to get in somewhere, it will try everything in its arsenal to continue to have access to that new area (or smorgasbord). I love those goats, but they are trying my patience.

You know those electric fence posts posted earlier? They broke those in the spot I fixed where they crashed the fence to get in. If they cant get over it, they'll continuously try to go through it until it yields or they flip over it. Electric fence? Charged or not, they go right through it. Next step has to be page wire, but that's not in the budget at the moment, so free range goats eating my strawberries and potatoes and tomatoes and onions and garlic is just something I'll have to deal with, I suppose.

Thanks for sharing, keep them coming.

How many goats do you have?

Man, you guys have HUGE gardens! I think mine is big and it is a Minnie compared to all the ones you all are tackling!

There are only two of us and we always have to much, what do you to with all the stuff you grow?

coopslave wrote:Man, you guys have HUGE gardens! I think mine is big and it is a Minnie compared to all the ones you all are tackling!

There are only two of us and we always have to much, what do you to with all the stuff you grow?

well this year I am hoping that the hail will be kind and I actually get a good crop off my garden! I planned for longer keeping veg, so that between a root cellar and canning that the vegetables should feed the kids through the winter ... that is the plan anyhow!!

bcboy wrote:How many goats do you have?

Too many. 5 to be exact. Free to good home, or crappy one. I care not at this point as, sometime this week, somehow, I now need to replant EVERYTHING except garlic and onions.

I.
Am.
So done.

WOW!
Beautiful gardens! I think I would have to cut back on my stock if I wanted to have a greenhouse too, but not a bad idea for when I retire I think!!

Oh I forgot to take pics of the greenhouse! I got chased out of there by some wasps though and actually got stung in the process (I am allergic). Hubs sprayed the nest and took it away but I cannot enter until tomorrow now lol.

Beautiful gardens everyone. I freeze and can most of ours but usually just give away any access...and last year that was about half of the garden! Funny how folks won't come and pick when it is offered up but have no problem when you send it to the office or their house all picked and boxed! My chickens are well fed throughout the summer too....

I have a gardening companion. She lives in town and her yard is too small for a garden. She comes out and helps me plant and weed and she comes and picks her own. I gave away a lot of produce last year too, but I try to only give it away to those who help in the garden or otherwise help me out. I gave lots of stuff to my child care provider last year. She really appreciated it. This year I am organizing a farmers market in town so perhaps I can pay for my garden seeds! It costs a pile to plant a garden that big. I also can, freeze and dry all kinds of produce. I love doing it.

Have not even got stuff planted yet it has still been frosting down here in the valley at night and been raining all day
maybe soon I guess thats what happens when you live at the bottom of the valley

Sweetened wrote:

bcboy wrote:How many goats do you have?

Too many. 5 to be exact. Free to good home, or crappy one. I care not at this point as, sometime this week, somehow, I now need to replant EVERYTHING except garlic and onions.

I.
Am.
So done.

Sweetend
Remember before you give them away they can help fill the Freezer and they will make great summer BBQ's

Sweetened, what kind of set-up do you have for your goats? We use just 4' stucco mesh between wooden posts about 8 feet apart. We have had a goat or 2 that refused to be contained, but didn't keep those ones. Once in awhile someone will make a hole in the fence trying to reach grass on the other side, but we usually patch it before anyone can squeeze through. Not all goats are so determined to be free. Get rid of the worst one and the rest will probably be ok. Also, free choice hay will make them less motivated by hunger. Hubby takes ours for a walk around the property once or twice a day when the weather is nice. They mow the lawn and keep the blackberries down. He is always with them, so shoes them away from my garden, fruit trees and berry bushes. I loose a few leaves or strips of bark now and then, but no big deal. The garden is also surrounded by 4' stucco mesh. Luckily father in-law owns a factory that makes it, so we use it a lot. If you were closer, we sell it for $20 a roll (about 100'), when we can get a pallet of seconds. Don't give up on your goats yet, just sell the worst offender and see how it goes. We really love our goats. I took some pics on their walk today.
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This is my favorite baby this year, Han Solo, who I call Boo Boo. Such a sweetie!

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Getting back to the garden, I ate my first 2 strawberries a few days ago, and here's a pic of my first harvest of herbs last week.

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SucellusFarms wrote:Sweetened, what kind of set-up do you have for your goats? We use just 4' stucco mesh between wooden posts about 8 feet apart.

Hello Lovely.

Don't get me wrong, I love them, just love to hate them I suppose. Everything was fine and dandy until winter rolled around. We had 8 ft fences of 2 inch chicken wire and metal t-posts. It was pretty gerry rigged, but they never tested it and we content with the hay we brought out. Then winter hit, hit so hard it burried them alive, trapping them inside their building. I had to shovel a path to get to them and their penned area continued to fill with snow no matter what I did. Eventually, with little effort, they were up and over the top of the 8ft fence and they were free range goats, helping themselves to the bale of alfalfa, feeding and watering themselves and going to bed on their own at night.

Then the snow melted. They remained locked up for 2 days once the snow was gone, despite the repairs to the fence. They are ALL guilty of it. I cannot get them to remain penned for the life of me and new fencing is NOT in the budget (It WOULD be for $20 buck a roll, we were looking at stucco mesh because it was cheaper). The fence, ironically, is 3 sided that 'keeps them out of the garden. One entire side of the garden is completely unprotected, but do they go around? NOPE! They go through, breaking t-posts, plastic fencing, 1-inch mesh, 2 inch mesh and (DUH) this thinner, grey 'deer fence'. How stupid is that, deer fence. It can't even be a GOAT FENCE.

For now, I have no choice but to just replant and hope I figure something out before it comes back up. Thats the problem with getting into this without well-priced resources or a nest egg and being too impatient. For those of you who would tell me that that means I shouldn't be into it then, I value your opinion but, keep it to yourself .

Sweetened,

If you fence the garden as well as the goats you will have a double line of security.. Like SF I use stucco wire but for posts, sucker rod, a happy byproduct of the oil industry. Sucker rod is like smooth rebar so I suppose you could use that too. Sucker rod is easily hammered int the ground and also easily removed.

I would hate to derail the garden conversation... but on the topic of your naughty goats Sweetened.

I know mine would get bored. reality of it was their original pen was lacking in enough daytime grazing to keep them really occupied. I couldnt help that (at the time) so I went to plan B!

they love to play. so what about dragging some deadfall over, some big rocks from the field, build them some natural bridges to jump and play over--- that sort of thing? not high in budget just high in time. they love to climb and love bridges, playing king of the hill, that sort of thing (and piles of rocks for them to play on are actually a really good thing because it helps them to naturally keep their feet trimmed)

what about making them some sprouts? I have heard that you can turn a five gallon pail into a sprouter for seed... a pail of sprouts every couple of days or once a week would be a cool treat.

I just saw a "recipe" for chicken blocks on the recipe board... what about making them some of that sort of thing? just using whatever you have around... but if they are entertained with eating it--- or better yet, put it in their pen in such a way that they are discovering it, so they think they are being sneaky haha

I get budget. and I totally get the love/hate relationship! If I lived closer I honestly would be over there giving you a hand, at least in the replanting of your lovely garden!

lanaire-ranching wrote:I would hate to derail the garden conversation... but on the topic of your naughty goats Sweetened.

I know mine would get bored. reality of it was their original pen was lacking in enough daytime grazing to keep them really occupied. I couldnt help that (at the time) so I went to plan B!

they love to play. so what about dragging some deadfall over, some big rocks from the field, build them some natural bridges to jump and play over--- that sort of thing? not high in budget just high in time. they love to climb and love bridges, playing king of the hill, that sort of thing (and piles of rocks for them to play on are actually a really good thing because it helps them to naturally keep their feet trimmed)

what about making them some sprouts? I have heard that you can turn a five gallon pail into a sprouter for seed... a pail of sprouts every couple of days or once a week would be a cool treat.

I just saw a "recipe" for chicken blocks on the recipe board... what about making them some of that sort of thing? just using whatever you have around... but if they are entertained with eating it--- or better yet, put it in their pen in such a way that they are discovering it, so they think they are being sneaky haha

I get budget. and I totally get the love/hate relationship! If I lived closer I honestly would be over there giving you a hand, at least in the replanting of your lovely garden!

Lanaire, I like that you're posting regularly, you seem like such an interesting lady. One thing you never have to worry about is hijacking my threads, I invite you to. Like Uno has said, conversation evolves. I think it always comes back around anway.

We really have to get the chain saw going. We lost a tree in a storm last year, large, thick old maple. I could put that in with them and get them something to jump on and romp around on. My goats don't graze, at all really. They'll nom on the alfalfa tops for 2 minutes and walk away to eat the caraganas. We have the "Chicken Tree" near the chicken coop and they have cleaned that tree as far as they can reach. They're not hungry, they have grass and hay and fresh alfalfa and 15 acres of pasture.

My goats are VORACIOUS for anything crumbled. I have watched them scarf crumbled food and bloat themselves, and I actually fear, were they to break into the coop when I didnt have the chicken food locked up, they would kill themselves by over eating.

Anywho, since we own a truck now, I've devised a plan to bring home pallets every Friday until we have enough pallets to build a large, fenced run. Its cheap, its earth friendly, its sturdy, its economical, its free. I use a pallet to keep them out of the coop if the door is open and, as long as I have the wood facing up and down, they cannot climb it.

Thanks for the offer to help replant the garden. Unfortunately, I will be flying solo on that mission

Play things for the goats is an EXCELLENT idea! Mine have a pile of broken paving stones with a wooden ramp. The kids run up and down the ramp, just loving the sound their hooves make on the plywood. They also have a plastic dog house next to the run-in shed. The babies will run across the field, leap onto the roof of the dog house, and then up on top of the run-in shed. From there they will stand on their back feet and try to reach tree branches over-head. Boo Boo was too little to get onto the goat shed until recently. The other day I came home and he was fast asleep on the roof. I guess it wore him out, but he finally did it. Now he's officially a big boy. I also have 3 ducks and 3 chickens in the goat pasture, which help to keep them amused, and helps with parasites, as well. We have 3 moms, 3 kids and 4 sheep on about an acre, which is why they get daily walks.

With goats there is always a 'ring leader', and getting rid of that one trouble maker may solve the escape issues. The new queen may not be as good at making an escape route.

So lucky we don't get deep snow here. I think if I had to deal with that I wouldn't bother farming at all...

PS: We did have a very young doe OD on cat food once...

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Still learning my way around the new system.  Here is my Huglekultur raised bed and probably the extent of my garden this year.  3 feet by 8 feet.  Sounds bigger to say 24 square feet.

Hard to see but towards the back I have some celery growing (for the first time ever).  Can't remember if it was here or some blog somewhere but I read about starting celery from the cut bases and it really seems to be working.  Just put the bases in a cup so they're sitting in water and leaves and roots are out a week later.  Have another couple starting in the house, they'll be going in soon.

Fowler wrote:
Hard to see but towards the back I have some celery growing (for the first time ever).  Can't remember if it was here or some blog somewhere but I read about starting celery from the cut bases and it really seems to be working.  Just put the bases in a cup so they're sitting in water and leaves and roots are out a week later.  Have another couple starting in the house, they'll be going in soon.

seriously??!! that actually works??  dammit--  I think I might still have the celery bottom from last night... I will have to go and look right away!

well I am deflated and defeated. 

the hail storm that passed through here yesterday pretty much destroyed my garden before it even had a chance--- including ripping to the dirt the 18, 12" brand-spanky-new winter squash started plants I bought because my seed never germinated (way too wet, and we had frost several mornings too boot, so I think it froze it out maybe? dunno.).  worst part is, the new plants were only in the ground maybe an hour?  maybe just a tad longer.  stalks, leaves, everything. gone.  just like it was never there!

everything out there is shredded.  just shredded.  the potatoes still might come, I think that there is enough left of those, and maybe the onions.   the carrots I doubt as the hail and rain was strong enough to actually rip the weeds OUT of the dirt, so I am thinking that there wont be much of those left.  the peas, shredded.  the beans--- well I was so distraught I finally quit looking, so I should go back out and check on those.

I'll take some pictures later.  or mister might have to... I dont know if I can stomach looking at it one more time today....

aww, that is just too bad!  It must have been a real ripper of a hailstorm, I am sorry to hear that.
Hopefully it will look a little better today?

lanaire-ranching wrote:
everything out there is shredded.  just shredded.  the potatoes still might come, I think that there is enough left of those, and maybe the onions.   the carrots I doubt as the hail and rain was strong enough to actually rip the weeds OUT of the dirt, so I am thinking that there wont be much of those left.  the peas, shredded.  the beans--- well I was so distraught I finally quit looking, so I should go back out and check on those

that really sucks! I have this bad feeling that it'll be my turn this year. I've been lucky the last few years with bad storms and hail all around, stories of people's gardens destroyed just one range road over and mine completely passed over. So sorry to hear it happened to you. Do you think you can replant some??

severe thunderstorms, high winds and --of course, my nemesis!-- hail.  all due in the next half hour judging by how fast its rolling in off the mountains!!  (the nice and sad part of having the view I do!  I get a pretty darn good idea what is heading my way)

and of course, because one day of FUN wouldnt be enough, they are calling for pretty much the same tomorrow!!

good grief.  my poor garden. 

OH! smartypants me though???  I did buy replacement winter squash plants.  those things are just so tender, I dont think that there is a chance of those coming back in time for a crop this year, even a small one.  the other stuff, well I will just cross my fingers and hold my breath and it should *SHOULD* come back in time for a harvest.

my root cellar is going to be awfully bare this winter.  that is the part that is going to really really suck.

That's really too bad about your garden and the "hail".    That would be horrible.   We get hail here too.  But I haven't got anything planted.

I honestly don't know how people get anything to eating stage out here?   The weather is so awful, you "NEED" a greenhouse.


Sweetened-----Go get yourself some various sized round wooden cable or wire  holders.   I know that's not the name. Duh!!

Goats love jumping on and off of them.  Put a bit of carpet on them, so they don't slide off.   Put them so they have different heights to jump on.

At least they are free.   Goats are browzers, so can't help what they eat.  Sorry about your garden....  Everybody seems to be having problems this

year.  Maybe try some plants in big pots?  Where the goats can't get at them?    You hopefully will get something.