Mutterings from a 32 year old urban homesteader.

Yesterday I was called upstairs. Peering out the window, as V told me to do so, I noticed a rabbit couple. They were in the pathway between the Solanums and the cabbage beds. Apprehensive as I was I continued to watch. They weren't going into the beds to get what I'll dub as the "good stuff". They remained in the pathways eating various weeds. We are guessing clover. Perhaps it has a higher nutritional profile. Higher percentage of protein maybe? (Note most vegetables on average contain 20% plus of protein while human breast milk contains 6%) The rabbits eventually hopped themselves off to other urban pastures and that was that.

Roll forward. Today. I am out in the sun room aka Jane's chosen bedroom at her homestead. No not my sunroom. I have my own thanks. Amidst painting the bead board ceiling to finish it off. Bamboo floors, celery walls, white bead board ceiling, large floor to ceiling windows. Great area to zone out. Anyhow, I noticed a very large rabbit in the wheat. Watching it to see what it really was up to I freaked when coming to realize it was eating the wheat berries!!

Curses. Yes Folks. My experiment might be postponed. A walkthrough of the 150SF planted out shows a striking lack of any. Maybe, just maybe it is a plant that will attempt flowering again.... Similar to broccoli right? Maybe? Well, damn.

:D Enjoy yourselves out there fellow garden bloggers! We know that I am.

- Cloud

The Outback - Video #22

Not the proper one. Sorry Liz. @ http://eight-acres.blogspot.com/   ;) Although I wouldn't mind going back to it in the future.

Few days Late

Took this video on the 6th of May. Few days ago. Since then the garden has grown a bit. I was telling V this morning how tonight we need to eat a bit of salad because the garden is getting out of control....

This video encompasses nearly everything but specifically the Wheat, Broccoli, and Potatoes.

Today while outside this morning I noticed that the eggplant sticks are sprouting new leaves. A few of the pepper sticks are still green and the Okra is hanging in there. The potatoes really are bulging up out of the dirt in the front yard now.

I've had a few conversations with jody @ spring garden Acre about broccoli plants. So here is my video reply to how the have gotten on so far being planted in february in michigan.

Enjoy.

Could It be?

Last night I was rummaging through the previous videos. I am happy with the decision to create this blog and video accompaniment. It gives a means to check back on how things are progressing. In the case of potatoes and a few other items...very well indeed. Also one could think it can be used for information concerning following years. I am a bit leery on that idea somewhat. Namely, it's my deep sense that next year may actually be a winter year. Seems highly un-likely that we will be able to get away with planting out mid february again. Alright. Yes. We could just get off our bums to build a few DIY poly-tunnels. *shrugs*

There was just so much to do! Speaking of that. Now that the majority of things are filling out it really does not feel like there will be much work left to do to maintain it all.

Here's to front loading a bunch of work in the down time! .... and Michigan weather allowing me to do just that!

In an earlier posting it was mentioned that a few solanums might have been sacrificed along the way.... If and only if the last of winter depths this evening doesn't put the nail in.... Those decimated two-foot tall (planted the stems deep) polish linguista and Brandywines are going to come back! The baren-lifeless stalks are sprouting leaves. :) Who knew?

Leaf Sprouts on the lower Right

Sprouting on the Lower Half

This is the onion bed. It is in here because I find it a gorgeous sight!

OK. The above photo is the onion bed. A mixture of leek, amposta, stutts (grown from seed), and the jumbo sweets from sets. 9 plants wide and (from a counting inside through the window) 19 long. 171 onions? I'm sure there is around 30 left in a flat in the backyard. What do we need 200 onions for???

side note : Planted the raspberry and blueberry bushes today. ;)

Harvest Monday - Fancy Pants Salad Bowls

Big warm hello to all fellow Blogger Gardeners!

The primary reason for the blogging is to give a means of charting along the progression of it all. Looking out from the Sun-room I can see the potatoes have grown half a foot in the last two weeks. The bed once covered in soil is now growing awash in shoot greenery. The first bed of wheat has sent up shoots as well. Smiling as I am crouching down on the small path between the beds. Observing first hand the 3 inch shoots sneaking past the leafy mulch used to confuse wildlife. Appears to have worked. ;) Brushing away the leafy layer of another bed shows beans happily working their way free of their huge beany shells. Here's to hoping that the hidden corn is working on doing the same.

The Yard lettuce was getting to the point of being able to pick a bit. Not to say we have not been grazing for a week or two... There was one plant of Mizuna that was getting out of control. It had dinner salad written all over it. Here thinking it would be a small side bowl, nonetheless became a whole salad bags worth. V informed me during picking that today was Harvest monday and that we should take a few photos to mark the occasion.

Lucky for you all, in my reminded state, we did just that. :)

This is a mixture of Red Russian, Mizuna, Red romain, Green lettuce, spicy leaves of mystery, onion leaves, cilantro, italian parsley, spinach, oak leaf, radish sprouts, and several various other ones I have no clue about. :)

Fanciest bowl of greens we have had to date. Minus the dressing, the appeal of less than 100 foot food is strong! According to the shopper of the household this would be a big bag of salad mix worth $4.00. :) I feel it was worth a bit more personally, but I'm biased of my green children.

5 bowls worth 4-23

5 bowls worth 4-23

5 bowls worth 4-23

Berry Balsamic Vinegrette

Berry Balsamic & Pine Nuts

Playing Catch-up

Here is a break down of where we are at.

- Potatoes doing beautifully.
- Solanums planted
- a bed of wheat has been sown.