Cold Frame Reminder

Here's your annual cold frame reminder. We have spinach large enough to eat now but the lettuce is coming on slower. If you still haven't tried a cold frame, you might want to consider it. It's pretty great to be able to eat fresh lettuce and spinach in the winter and LOTS of it in the spring before anyone else even has their seeds in the ground. And, it's weed- and insect-free gardening.
We got the garlic planted yesterday and covered it with a thick layer of straw. I love growing garlic! You don't need much room to give it a try. Plant your garlic cloves pointed-side-up spaced about 5 inches apart and cover with straw. Next summer you will have your very own fresh garlic!
Millie is doing very well and getting used to the place. She is very sweet and so beautiful!
There is a freeze warning tonight so we harvested more comfrey leaves and blackberry leaves to dry while we could! Sure hate to see everything go. Well, there is a time for everything.
How are your fall activities coming along?
Nancy

Cold Frames

We had some nice weather today with the sun coming out this afternoon and the temperature around fifty. I opened up the cold frames to cut some lettuce and spinach and I thought I'd try planting some more seeds. A lot of them washed away after I planted them last Fall so there was quite a bit of open space. I figured it couldn't hurt to try! I'll let you know how it goes.
Hope your day went well!
Nancy

December Snow

Two days ago it was warm enough to open up the cold frames and cut lettuce and spinach (that was a treat!), and today it is gray and very cold and the ground is covered with snow. Winter set in early this year, but I'm still hoping it won't be as cold and wet as it has been the last two.
Marty, the steer, has decided to leave the chicken coops alone for now, but keeps jumping the fence to get in the garden and graze. There's not much in there, except for some corn husks, but it's enough to get his attention. We wouldn't worry about it if it weren't for the cold frames, raised beds, and strawberry plants, but because of those things, ever so often the alarm is sounded, and everyone available has to run outside and chase him out. Marty always joins in the festivities by kicking up his heels and giving everyone a good run around the garden.
Hope you're enjoying the time getting ready for Christmas! It will be here so soon.
Nancy

Apologies

Sorry I haven't been posting much! Things have been busy. We are changing our garden area this year and I am very excited about it. We haven't been able to work the garden in Spring the last two years because of all the rain, which meant that we couldn't plant everything we wanted to or things went in late, so I am making raised beds using the layering method called Lasagna Gardening. I hope to have all of the beds ready this Fall so all I will have to do is stick the seeds and plants in the ground come Spring when there is an opening in the weather.
The lettuce and spinach in the cold frames is coming along well. I encourage everyone to try this! It is wonderful to eat fresh greens in the winter, and just as soon as the weather starts to change in the early Spring, it will take off like you wouldn't believe. You will have tons before you normally would have even planted them. It is weed and bug-free gardening!
We are considering buying a horse to help with the plowing and such. We have one in mind but are trying to dig out the barn that flooded two years ago first. We haven't been able to use the barn since. We kept thinking it would stop raining and dry out so we could work on it but that hasn't been the case. We think we are going to have to take part of the outside off and somehow dig out the mud and then raise it up. So, I'll let you know how that goes. The work on the milking parlor came to a screeching halt because of (you guessed it!) several more inches of rain last week, but the rain has stopped now and it is supposed to be nice this weekend. I'll keep you posted on that too!
Hope all of your endeavors are going well and that you are taking the time to enjoy each moment.
Nancy