And here is The Rabble Gang....
Five youngsters who we hatched out a few weeks ago.
For a while they were kept in a pen but then were let out into the Chicken Paddock, where they were supposed to stay until officially allowed to free range round the farm.
But upon discovering that by squeezing through the fencing wire there was a bigger world to be explored, notably the Vegetable Gardens, specifically Veg Garden 1, which just happens to be one which I am working on at the moment so has a good quantity of veggies in it, all of which run the risk of being uprooted or trodden on by the gang.
And so here is the gang having a chat amongst themselves and pretending not to be interested in coming into VG1, and indeed seem to be going in the opposite direction. But this is only a ploy, because already they have had a quick raid into VG1 but were shooed out by me yelling at them and waiving my hoe in the air.
.... and then the rottweiller girls arrived and did a bit of chicken herding, which soon had the gang picking up speed and racing away in the opposite direction to VG1.
.......
So here is VG1, with chard, turnips, beetroot, radish, leeks, kohlrabi, sundry brassicas, and spinach most of which have been planted in long 25 foot rows. I prefer these long rows, finding them quicker to look after and hoe. The plants also have more light and air space, something they tended to lack when put closer together in short rows.
I planted out a row of onions yesterday. Bending over to plant those onions gave my back a really good stretch, although I had to sit down and have a five minute rest in my garden chair to recover from the effort!
.... and then onwards to pick some more peppers...
.... this harvest seems to be going on and on, and there are still more to pick. Fortunately the prep work for storing them is quick, just deseed, cut up, and then into the freezer.
November, and I am still harvesting summer veg!
... and there was even a courgette to be picked.
Off out to VG1 now..... more peppers to pick, a bit of hoeing of weeds to be done, and the replanting of some of the onions which have magicked themselves out of the ground. I do not know how they get to be unplanted, but I suspect the Rabble Gang might have been the culprits because I saw them wandering about in VG1 yesterday afternoon.
Not to worry, it is good to have chickens around again, and at least they are away from the courtyard so do not lay siege at the front door anymore. Neither do we have to tread over chicken poo, of which there was quite a lot when they lived so close to the house.
Off I go out into the day so bye for now.
Vx
12 comments:
I have brought all our veggies in now other than chard, parsnips and carrots. I dug up the remains of the pumpkin, peppers and tomatoes yesterday. Just take it easy and remember your body can only take so much!! Talk about pot calling the kettle black...... Have a good weekend Diane
DIANE, all our winter squash was harvested a few weeks ago, but I am surprised that the tomatoes and peppers have kept going! Hope you have a good weekend too.
Having just read back through your recent posts I'm relieved that a). you are back to blogging and b). you are recovering your strength. Diane is right. Don't overdo it! You don't need a setback.
Hi Vera,
I always enjoy seeing pictures of the rottweiler girls to remind me of my Diva dog, long gone, but fondly remembered.
I have also packed up my garden, a few tomatoes are ripening on the window sill but most were converted to chutney. I have top dressed the garlic with a light mulch of seaweed and planted Fall rye in the other raised bed.
We only have a couple of raised beds but they produce quite a lot for us and the extended family. The espalier apples, pears and red currents are space savers.
A light frosting of snow reminded us this morning that despite all the colour late in the garden the wet, dark days of winter are still ahead.
All the best.
Janine
RUSTY DUCK, thanks for your concern, and I am being careful.
JANINE, you have done well with your harvest this year! No snow here, and none on the Pyrenees mountains yet, but it will be on its way, that's for sure!
Your garden looks great! Ours is long frozen and bare.
We have to restrict the chickens and guineas to their yard during the gardening season. They dig up the mulch and take bites out of greens and tomatoes, the brats. Makes me a bit sad, as the birds' busy scratching and chirruping is so pleasurable when we're out there. Thinking about adding "chunnels" or chicken tunnels around the garden fences, so they can eat grasshoppers and keep us company next summer. Just chicken wire on meter-long sticks leaned up against the fence, making a triangular run for them.
OLD SCHOOL, your idea about the chicken tunnel sounds like a good plan. I know what you mean about having the chickens free range...they are a joy and a nuisance but I do miss them when they are shut away in their run.
I hope you are keeping well now the cold weather has arrived.
Hi Vera. I like the twenty five feet vegetable rows. Perhaps you could get a scuffler attachment for the Kubota tractor to weed in between the rows?
NORTHSIDER DAVE, not sure what a 'scuffler attachment' is but it sure sounds like a handy bit of kit!
We still have Aubergines, Peppers, and Chillies. My Tomatoes died months ago.
CRO MAGNON, we still have aubergines as well, but most them have stayed unharvested because I don't know what to do with them once they have come into the kitchen!
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