Up at 3:15 AM, 51° and supposed to be unseasonably warm all week. The rains fizzled out here; we may have received 3/4 inch total. Fickle weathermen!
I have begun, slowly. to clean up flower beds. More and more daffs are blooming. I finally remembered to uncover my whiskey barrel where I had planted hyacinths and tulips last fall. I waited so late they were bleached badly but trying to bloom. I had layered a flake of hay over it to keep the numerous cats from using it as a litter box! I hope to get their full green color back.
I think this is Ice Follies,
The chickens have been laying really well. I am trying to pull lots of henbit and chickweed daily and give them. There isn't a blade of grass in either of their yards.
Our helper, A, has worked several afternoons this past week trying to keep the neighbor's cows out, but they are still getting on us so they are going to use some corral panels we have and see if that works. If they weren't on starvation, I am sure they wouldn't be so interested in our grass. We have to get it stopped some way!
The Orchard
I have been pruning the trees and watching with a great deal of worry the buds on them. The apples are still safe and most of the pear trees, but some of the peaches are fully opened. They can just tolerate a few hours of 27-29° before the fruit will be killed and that most likely will happen. There is nothing to be done.
Of course, the two apricot trees are blooming,
The Kieffer pear is showing color on the buds too,
The plum in the west end of the garden is in fully bloom, it could stand to loose a few blooms,
The plums in the new orchard have a smattering of blooms. This is the Queen Rose,
,
This is the Madison Peach which is supposed to be a very cold hardy one. I am keeping my fingers crossed. At least it isn't opened yet, but this week of 80° will probably change that.
I think this is the Red Gold nectarine tree,
The cows got into the orchard and drug the electric fence all over it. They didn't damage the trees but they chewed off most of the labels on the trees so I am guessing on some. I should have done a map of the trees, but didn't. Very careless of me!
This is the Gloria Peach. It is a later variety and no buds are showing color yet.
I think this is the new Harlayne apricot tree, no tag......That's the Queen Rose plum in the background.
Thankfully, the apple trees are all in this stage so they should be good,
and this is the sorry little Liberty apple which was a replacement when the wind broke off the other one at the graft. I think I will be sorry I bought this one. It seems to be a weak tree but it did survive the winter and has a few buds on it. Note, the cows also ate the ties and I grabbed a piece of electric wire so the winds wouldn't break this one off. I have some nylon stockings to use for replacement ties.
Cows
I tried to get a picture of Jewel (Jersey) but she is so nosy and friendly I ended up with her face. That is Willow's baby in the background. She isn't nearly as friendly (like her Momma).
I tossed some henbit on the ground in order to get this one (she didn't care for it!)
She is getting taller than I expected.
Breakfast is calling.........
I have begun, slowly. to clean up flower beds. More and more daffs are blooming. I finally remembered to uncover my whiskey barrel where I had planted hyacinths and tulips last fall. I waited so late they were bleached badly but trying to bloom. I had layered a flake of hay over it to keep the numerous cats from using it as a litter box! I hope to get their full green color back.
I think this is Ice Follies,
The chickens have been laying really well. I am trying to pull lots of henbit and chickweed daily and give them. There isn't a blade of grass in either of their yards.
Our helper, A, has worked several afternoons this past week trying to keep the neighbor's cows out, but they are still getting on us so they are going to use some corral panels we have and see if that works. If they weren't on starvation, I am sure they wouldn't be so interested in our grass. We have to get it stopped some way!
The Orchard
I have been pruning the trees and watching with a great deal of worry the buds on them. The apples are still safe and most of the pear trees, but some of the peaches are fully opened. They can just tolerate a few hours of 27-29° before the fruit will be killed and that most likely will happen. There is nothing to be done.
Of course, the two apricot trees are blooming,
The Kieffer pear is showing color on the buds too,
The plum in the west end of the garden is in fully bloom, it could stand to loose a few blooms,
The plums in the new orchard have a smattering of blooms. This is the Queen Rose,
,This is the Madison Peach which is supposed to be a very cold hardy one. I am keeping my fingers crossed. At least it isn't opened yet, but this week of 80° will probably change that.
I think this is the Red Gold nectarine tree,
The cows got into the orchard and drug the electric fence all over it. They didn't damage the trees but they chewed off most of the labels on the trees so I am guessing on some. I should have done a map of the trees, but didn't. Very careless of me!
This is the Gloria Peach. It is a later variety and no buds are showing color yet.
I think this is the new Harlayne apricot tree, no tag......That's the Queen Rose plum in the background.
Thankfully, the apple trees are all in this stage so they should be good,
and this is the sorry little Liberty apple which was a replacement when the wind broke off the other one at the graft. I think I will be sorry I bought this one. It seems to be a weak tree but it did survive the winter and has a few buds on it. Note, the cows also ate the ties and I grabbed a piece of electric wire so the winds wouldn't break this one off. I have some nylon stockings to use for replacement ties.
Cows
I tried to get a picture of Jewel (Jersey) but she is so nosy and friendly I ended up with her face. That is Willow's baby in the background. She isn't nearly as friendly (like her Momma).
I tossed some henbit on the ground in order to get this one (she didn't care for it!)
She is getting taller than I expected.
Breakfast is calling.........
I have a feeling Jewel is going to be a wonderful milk cow. She loves you already, so she'll let her milk down easily.
ReplyDeleteMy fruit trees are blooming, too, but they're not really big enough to give me fruit so I guess, for me, it's just as well. We only get fruit harvests about every three years here because of late frosts. So when we get fruit, we process it all, knowing it most likely will need to last three years.
That's terrible about the neighbor's cows getting in on you. What a shame the responsibility for keeping them on their own land falls on you rather than their owner. I have a maverick brother who, in your predicament, might be stocking his freezer with neighbor beef right now. Heh.
We had rain most of the morning yesterday, there are lots of puddles still on the ground this morning so we must've gotten more than you did. But, like you, expecting really warm days and nights for the coming week. I guess I'll be hardening off my tomato plants this week and getting my peppers started.
Same here. I have young fruit trees too and they'll all be in full bloom this week for sure with all this warm weather. I noticed the bugs are getting going too. I actually had a stink bug in the house the other day.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad. We may ALL be eating out of our freezers and canned goods this year.
Eating out of the pantry and the freezer here too. When everyone's done with the beef...can I have leftovers? :^) Please!
ReplyDeleteI worry about your trees, Glenda. Its going to be in the mid 70's to close to 80's through this week here. We got a half inch of rain yesterday. We sure needed it.
You are a busy lady. Oh, forgot, I found someone selling a Kitchen Aid mixer with all of the toys here in town. I will pick it up Wed. for $100.00 its almost like brand new. She quit making wedding cakes and didn't need it anymore. I so excited!
Have a wonderful week, Glenda.
Hugs
I am so glad you found the deal on the KA! I am still liking my big one.
DeleteI am worried about the trees too.....it is 72° here this afternoon!
I had no idea how many new fruit trees you've added recently. Too bad about those bad cows. :-( I'm jealous of all that potential goodness.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm being jealous -- I'm jealous that denimflyz scored so well on a KA! I'm still looking for mine!)
@ Kris,
DeleteThis was a total lucky shot. I thought I would try Craigslist and see if I could throw out a line and see if by some chance someone "had" a used KA. It was about 5 days, and I got an email from a lady who works at our city hall. Just pure luck.