Hello, Again!

HotPepperQueen

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Things have been so hectic around here, once again. Right before my leave of absence, Josh had started an over night job in combination with his day job (he was only getting about 4 hours of sleep when he got home at 5am, then took an hour nap during his lunch hour). So that left me to care for EVERYTHING on my own. I don't mind the work, but it kept me from my friends on TEG and BYC. But thankfully Josh got a job with normal hours and way better pay so I should be around more once again!

Here is what I have been busy doing.....

The weather here has been insane. We pretty much skipped spring all together. We still had frost on JUNE 1st! That made planting very difficult, and that June frost actually killed my first batch of tomatoes and peppers that I worked so hard to start from seed. Thankfully I had backups and could replant most of everything. I still had to buy a few paste tomatoes though. That part of the garden still looks like garbage to me, compared to last year, but it is slowly coming around and I am trying to be positive!

My other garden currently has cucumbers, zucchini, squash, cantaloupe, rainbow swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage, peas, bush beans, pole beans, and potatoes. I think it looks really good so far and I am expecting big things from this part of the garden....considering over half of these things shriveled up last year in the intense heat.

The raised beds have some AWESOME onions from Dixondale Farms in them. I have red marbled chippolinis, yellow chippolinis, red zeppelin, walla walla, and yellow Spanish between the two boxes. I bought some all natural weed 'n' feed from Dixondale (it wasn't cheap!) and I have had virtually no weeds in there and they are growing wonderfully. I highly recommend them and all their products!

I finally did it- I bought the mini tiller. I have been saving mine and Josh's loose change for two years to buy this thing. I ended up with a Stihl and it is the coolest and best garden tool I have ever had or used. The small rental shop in town is a Stihl dealer and ordered one for me. The best part? They let me rent the same model I ordered for free while I waited for mine to arrive! I actually enjoy weeding now!

The ducks grew awfully fast and are now outside with chickens but are still separated. I will be integrating them once the next batch of meat chicks come at the end of July. Just ordered 80 chicks....will I ever learn? :rolleyes: But the duckies got their first pool a couple weeks ago and love it. I will be ordering more ducks next spring- they are such a joy.

I went strawberry picking with my mother the other day and made some awesome strawberry rhubarb jam, crisp, and pie. What a treat!


So that's the DL on what's been going on in my neck of the woods. How has everyone else been doing? I have A LOT to catch up on!!!
 

Chickie'sMomaInNH

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welcome back! i bought from Dixondale a few years ago and had some decent luck with their onions. this year i bought locally grown onion starts after not having luck getting mine to keep thriving in my house. next year will be the greenhouse and basement for starting seeds so i have enough room for everything i want going.

we had some of that craziness with the very long lasting frost season. my tomatoes survived being outside a week before the Memorial day weekend frost which surprised me. it might have been where they were placed in the yard that protected them.
 

thistlebloom

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Welcome back HPQ! Wow, you have a lot on your plate, good thing Josh is working normal hours now huh?
I've been there, done that, with the tomatoes and peppers freezing last year. I got caught at both ends of the season with freezes. Glad you had some back ups. We need to see your duckies! :)
 

lesa

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Glad things are getting back to "normal"! Good to hear from you again... keep us posted!
 

ninnymary

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HPQ, you are so busy, you're making me tired! Sounds like you will still have a great garden and lots of meaties. Those can't be all for you, right?

Mary
 

digitS'

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'Bout time you got things squared away there so that we could enjoy hearing from you, HPQ!

I'd like to order onions from Dixondale every year. Those TX plants always have the jump on mine!

Was it a corn gluten weed suppressant/fertilizer? I was looking at a bag of the stuff the other day and thinking how the % N is so high! Looked like a good idea!

Steve
 

baymule

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Been missing you HPQ! So glad you are back and that Josh has a better job. Sounds like the garden, chickens and ducks are all doing great, thanks to your expert care! Pictures!! We need pictures!!
 

HotPepperQueen

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Yes, that is the active ingredient in the weed 'n' feed. It is great stuff and worth every penny!

digitS' said:
'Bout time you got things squared away there so that we could enjoy hearing from you, HPQ!

I'd like to order onions from Dixondale every year. Those TX plants always have the jump on mine!

Was it a corn gluten weed suppressant/fertilizer? I was looking at a bag of the stuff the other day and thinking how the % N is so high! Looked like a good idea!

Steve
 
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