Yesterday was a busy one....errand day always is! It is also my least favorite way to spend the day.
Yesterday was our hottest so far at 92° and very humid.
Farmwise
After several delays due to breakdowns and rain, they finally finished this y ear's hay crop. The last 18 acres got rained on but will be usable. He has yet to remove the bales from the field for us.
Brush-hogging is coming along with about 40 acres yet to do. Young man is coming this evening to begin on that.
I have been very impressed with the re-growth in the cut fields. I have actually be doing my 'used to do' work of spraying fence rows and actually getting out of the yard and onto the farm itself. The east field is almost knee-deep in clovers again and could be re-cut. We will just graze I think. Max is finally talking about selling the cows and just buying calves to graze each spring then sell in fall before winter and hay feeding begins. I support that idea (so far). We change our minds almost daily.
My BIL has had and is still ongoing some very serious health issues which made us start thinking very seriously about our daily farm chores.
Off the Farm
Errands began around l pm. We had our regular grocery run, then my make-up store (Merle Norman), a farm supply store (of course) and another quick stop at a second grocery (I forgot an item or two). By the time we got home we were exhausted.
Yard and Garden
I finally got the trimmer started. It seems if I follow directions, it floods the thing. I waited some time and tried again without priming the motor and it started right up. Be interesting to see how it goes this morning.
I was able to do a little trimming but still have a lot to go. Have you noticed I am not mentioning my yard crew? That failed as I knew it would. The young man who we have known forever still works for Max and me when his time is available. The other 'landscape specialist' (so-called) has better fish to fry.
His method of edging is not going to be much of an improvement in my style of gardening. I may look a little more finished at the edges but maintenance is still required. The permanent mulch thing isn't too successful here either. I have very vigorous perennial things such as violets, lambs quarter, poke, plantain and maple tree seedlings that come up through the mulch. I will still keep the garden fence border mulches but will not edge it. My best method is intensive planting.....so no weeds can survive. Makes it easy to pull out the odd one amidst the flowers.
Gardening like life is an ongoing, changing process. Age is making me introspective and hopefully adaptive!
A few pictures more:
This is a Texensis variety of clematis that is now growing on the ground beneath the edge of the kerria japonica.
This is a cheap dahlia I got from either Lowes or Walmart several years ago and leave in the ground. (not the Japanese Beetles appreciate it too)
My Oakleaf Hydrangea which gives me a lot of bloom over a long time in spring. The Limelight will follow later in the summer.
This is just to show what kind of gardener I am. This is laughingly called the herb garden with parsley blooming. (I do save the seeds). Note the garlic seed heads near the trash can. They must go!
This is to show what I mean by intensive planting. Edge of new bed with violets, daylilies ,sedum, and salvia farinacea right next to a monstrous clump of flags. A couple of roses are close behind.
My favorite combo this year: salvia farinacea, rudbeckia, phlox , all self seeded.
May have shown this yesterday, but it got included with this group moving. A stray phlox seedling, much paler than the rest. That is more ss salvia in front of it and is just to the right of the rudbeckia group.
Just loved the yellows and blues so included it again.
All for now. It is 6:11 am and Max is ready for his oatmeal.
Have a wonderful day.
Yesterday was our hottest so far at 92° and very humid.
Farmwise
After several delays due to breakdowns and rain, they finally finished this y ear's hay crop. The last 18 acres got rained on but will be usable. He has yet to remove the bales from the field for us.
Brush-hogging is coming along with about 40 acres yet to do. Young man is coming this evening to begin on that.
I have been very impressed with the re-growth in the cut fields. I have actually be doing my 'used to do' work of spraying fence rows and actually getting out of the yard and onto the farm itself. The east field is almost knee-deep in clovers again and could be re-cut. We will just graze I think. Max is finally talking about selling the cows and just buying calves to graze each spring then sell in fall before winter and hay feeding begins. I support that idea (so far). We change our minds almost daily.
My BIL has had and is still ongoing some very serious health issues which made us start thinking very seriously about our daily farm chores.
Off the Farm
Errands began around l pm. We had our regular grocery run, then my make-up store (Merle Norman), a farm supply store (of course) and another quick stop at a second grocery (I forgot an item or two). By the time we got home we were exhausted.
Yard and Garden
I finally got the trimmer started. It seems if I follow directions, it floods the thing. I waited some time and tried again without priming the motor and it started right up. Be interesting to see how it goes this morning.
I was able to do a little trimming but still have a lot to go. Have you noticed I am not mentioning my yard crew? That failed as I knew it would. The young man who we have known forever still works for Max and me when his time is available. The other 'landscape specialist' (so-called) has better fish to fry.
His method of edging is not going to be much of an improvement in my style of gardening. I may look a little more finished at the edges but maintenance is still required. The permanent mulch thing isn't too successful here either. I have very vigorous perennial things such as violets, lambs quarter, poke, plantain and maple tree seedlings that come up through the mulch. I will still keep the garden fence border mulches but will not edge it. My best method is intensive planting.....so no weeds can survive. Makes it easy to pull out the odd one amidst the flowers.
Gardening like life is an ongoing, changing process. Age is making me introspective and hopefully adaptive!
A few pictures more:
This is a Texensis variety of clematis that is now growing on the ground beneath the edge of the kerria japonica.
All for now. It is 6:11 am and Max is ready for his oatmeal.
Have a wonderful day.
