Hello Tom
The tom turkey I got this spring has been fantastic. He got the job done, our turkey hen hatched out a dozen poults and we have a small flock of turkeys running around now. Poor Tom started molting not long after mating season was over, he was a sad sight to be sure. The poor guy looked like he had gotten run over with the brush hog.
Thankfully his feathers are almost all back in and he’s looking quite dapper once again. I’m eagerly anticipating seeing the poults when they grow up. They will have an interesting mix of both of their parents. Dad is a Bourbon and mom is a Wishard Bronze. There are 3 different looks in the cutlets, soon enough they’ll be big and look like adults.
What fun things are going on in your garden?
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The Tough Chores
When it comes to gardening, the toughest chores for me are pruning back the herbs before they’re completely finished blooming. It’s always hard to cut back the few remaining blooms because the bees love them so much. Of course I know that they’ll come back quickly and provide a second flush of bloom before the snow flies, but that still doesn’t make this chore any easier.
Yesterday was the day for most of the tarragon to get pruned. I have three plants that are still in their prime, so those remain. It’s funny how placement of plants can determine their bloom time. These few plants starting blooming two weeks after the first flush of tarragon, they’ll keep blooming for another week or two before I cut them back.
Another reason to cut back blooming plants is to avoid too much self sowing. Some plants, herbs in particular, can become rather invasive if allowed to set seed. I always cut back the catmint, oregano, tarragon, hyssop, and the other herbs to avoid too many seedlings popping up. I still end up with a few from late blooms or flowers that I miss.
What garden chores are most difficult for you?
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Friday Favorite: Seeing Results
It’s nice to see results for our efforts. Sometimes in gardening it can seem like they are slow to come, especially when you are trying to improve your soil. I’ve been working on the soil in the back garden for two summers now and when I harvested garlic I could see a noticeable difference between the areas I had added amendments, chicken litter, cover crops, and compost and areas that I didn’t do anything to.
On the left you can see the original soil, on the right the soil I have been working on improving. Below you can see the original soil’s texture in the top image and the improved texture on the bottom. Notice how the clump of soil in the bottom image holds together, the top one is powdery and falls apart.
I notice a huge difference in the moisture retention in the areas I’ve improved. They need stay damp for much longer than the other areas. I’ve always said that gardeners grow soil not plants. I spend the majority of my garden budget on quality compost and soil amendments. The results are quite nice and the plants I do buy grow much better as a result. I can hardly wait to see how the soil looks in 10 years!
How is the soil in your garden? Have you noticed an improvement throughout the years?
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A Summer Favorite
It is the season for zucchini noodles once again and that makes me very, very happy! I got this julienne peeler last year and starting making them quickly and easily.
Now we eat them all summer long and love them. You’ll find us topping them with meatballs and marinara, stuffing them into spring rolls, and tossing them with vinaigrette.
I wrote a blog post on how I make these lovelies last year, you can find it here. I always salt them generously to draw out some of the water, that way they have the a texture closer to noodles and aren’t as soggy. I also don’t slice up the inside of the squash, it usually gets way too mushy and the chickens make use of it.
Thankfully, my zucchini plants are producing like crazy and I have a second planting sizing up to last long into the fall.
Do you do anything creative to use up the zucchini from your garden?
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Golden
I was out working in the garden two nights ago and noticed the beautiful light washing over the goldenrod and queen anne’s lace. There are no way that words could describe the beauty of this moment, I was happy that my camera was by my side.
Goldenrod gets a bad rap for causing allergies, but it really doesn’t. It’s the ragweed that blooms at the same time that is the culprit for seasonal allergies. Goldenrod is an important plant for pollinators, especially for monarch butterflies. I encourage you to let it bloom and thrive in your garden if you have it.
What beauty are you noticing around you this week?
