Monday, May 18, 2009

We Ran Out of Hours in the Day

It was a busy & productive weekend. Saturday I wrote about the things we wanted to accomplish on Sunday. Here's how we did...

1. 25 Strawberry plants in the ground. That makes 100 total in the garden.

2. Two rows of red and yellow onion sets planted.


Here is Steve tilling the soil in preparation.

2. 12 Raspberry bushes planted (6 Boyne & 6 Autumn Bliss) and 6 blackberry bushes planted.
3. Four rows done in the garden. Lettuce, spinach, beets, radishes, carrots, cilantro.


Before we left for home, Steve and I mowed some more and he trimmed. Then he got out his new toy. It's a flame thrower to get rid of weeds. We refuse to use any kind of Round-Up type products and he hates weeds on the driveway so he can play with fire now. :-)

This will also be great for getting rid of weeds around the trees. Here is a link to the one we have. The Red Dragon.

No new news about the factory farm except that the fields are being tilled at the one site near the Amish school. We drove past the site closest to us when we left to see if that one is being tilled too, but it's not. This could mean nothing or that they have taken the site by the school off their list. Or maybe they wouldn't be ready this year to start & they will plant them all. Who knows. I do know that when I'm outside working, it rarely invades my thoughts. Which is great. I need that escape from it.

We didn't have time to work on the hazelnuts & chestnuts or plant the chard & kale. So that is on the top of next week's list along with the tomato plants, potatoes, borage, peppers, etc.

We left at five & got home at nine. We really do need more hours in the day :-)

19 comments:

Unknown said...

It's a perennial problem - never enough hours in the day, especially when working on the land.
Last summer I missed a very kind dinner invitation simply because I'd lost track of time while up at my plot. It was unintentional but I was mortifed by my rudeness nonetheless!
It's easily done when you love the land :)

You are SO lucky to have such a large plot to grow on. British allotments are much smaller!

Anonymous said...

We had a large soy field next to us for some time. One year the soy didn't get planted, the next year the state planted pine trees in the field. "hooray we said, no neighbors on that side" Within six months of the tree planting bulldozers came and tore the whole field up. Now it is a housing development, lots of neighbors on that side. Hopefully the plowed field will be planted and stay planted until harvest.

Anonymous said...

Barb, I received a very nice letter from Lizzie & Eli yesterday and was just thrilled! She said the kids loved the crayons, coloring books and drawing paper. Am so glad. Might just have to send them some more in a month or two. You are so lucky to have such sweet neighbors and I could tell they think the world of you two...debbie

Granny said...

It looks like you got a lot accomplished. It's still too wet here for me to plant anything. We're finally having a few days without rain. Maybe it will dry out some.

I hope to be able to order a basket or two from Lizzie soon. They are such nice baskets and the prices are really reasonable.

angie said...

Barb -

Your garden is beautiful. Are you guys using the flamer on it too? How is it so weed free?

Barb said...

Scarlett...we are lucky, thanks. I lose track of time outside all the time (never while inside :-)
Debbie...so glad you got their letter. Lizzie said she'd be writing.
Opal...we are hoping for the best. I would take houses over a factory farm any day but it is an intrusion no matter what.
Granny... that would be great. Just let me know.
Angie...we haven't used the flamer on the garden yet. We did have it tilled by the neighbor. I was thinking of no till but it's not an option at least until we move up there & can handle it better :-)

jaz@octoberfarm said...

wow...you sure accomplished a lot! i have just been covering and uncovering to keep the frost away. but i think warm weather is on the way so that should be the last of that. i am just horrified by the idea of that factory farm. i hope it just goes away. btw...the check is in the mail!!! joyce

Barb said...

Thanks Joyce... factory farm is the double "f" word around here.

Meadowlark said...

Looking good. Since we have such a tiny space, I always turn a teensy bit green with envy when I see what you have to work with. But I'm still happy for you!
Peace out.

angie said...

Barb, I'm so glad to hear that. :) I try not to till too much either, but its hard to grow a garden hours away from where you live!

Alicia @ boylerpf said...

OMG...look at the size of your garden! I am fortunate that I have a sister who absolutely lives to garden and plants for just about the whole town! Her greatest joy is to leave a box of veggies on the doorstep in the morning. I miss having a garden living in town now...my little potted tomatoes will have to do!

Barb said...

Hi Alicia...this is only a quarter of the garden :-)

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

You´ve worked hard!
A great way to get rid of weeds with taproot is to place half a tea spoon of salt in the center of the plant. The salt will then dry out the plant completly. In these small amounts salt is no problems for the soil.

I too got a lettre from Lizzie :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

By the way, would You like to tell Lizzie and Eli that I got their lettre? Perhaps You could ask them if they would like a lettre from the other side of the world now and again?
Christer.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Your garden sounds incredible and I'm so jealous you can grow raspberries. Truly the best when just picked. When I'd bring my boys to Wisconsin in the summers, we always ate more than we brought home.

Sue said...

You let me know if you find those "more hours"....I could use a few too. Gosh, what a pretty setting you have there. I just love it!

Barb said...

HI Christer...I'll let them know & I'm sure they would like another letter from you. Thanks about the salt tip. I'll try it.

Parisienne Farmgirl said...

Never ever enough hours in the day but it looks like you manage pretty well - what a glorious thing to have al that space for planting so much food!
Love the flame thrower.

Wishful Acres Farm said...

Hi neighbor! :-)
I'm a gardener in NW Illinois.