Yay Sutton!

Sutton, the last hold out, is now laying eggs :) So all four of my girls are earning their keep!

Garden Planning 2013

I need to make some changes for the garden next year.

1. Only 3-4 zucchini plants instead of 7. Way too much zucchini. Of course, this may change depending on how much I use of the freezer zucchin over winter.
2. Don't do pole beans, or don't rely on corn to hold them up. The bean plants (no flowers yet, so can't blame the beans) are weighing down the sweet corn. And japanese beetles are feasting on the bean plants nonstop.
3. No cherry tomatoes. Both plants are taking over everything.
4. Space tomatoes better. They are overcrowded and I can't easily tell them apart.
5. Get different bell peppers. These are growing funny and I just don't care for it.
6. No banana peppers.
7. Cage jalapenos when they are little.

Cherry tomato taking over everything.

Yay Sprinkles!

Sprinkles is officially a "hen" now! She laid her first egg over the weekend :) Right on schedule too. Most pullets start laying around 20 weeks old. I had her figured at 19 this week.

Sprinkles' first egg inbetween two from Ruby.

Her first one was laid in the nesting box. I found another one today, but it was laying next to the waterer.

Zucchini...

Would someone please remind me next year that I do not need 7 zucchini plants... Not counting last night's harvest, I have harvested over 42 lbs of zucchini. Some has been given away, some has been made into zucchini relish, most is in the freezer and a few have been made into zucchini fries (yum).

I am getting a few peppers now, sweet banana peppers and one green bell pepper. It would have been two, but the one had a big hole in it. Jalapenos are almost ready. I cannot wait to make cowboy candy (candied jalapenos).

Sweet corn and pole beans. Can you see how the pole beans are climbing up the sweet corn?

Vegetable plot - Marigolds are doing well, tomatoes are almost as tall as I am.

Vegetable plot

Pumpkin is almost ready... This is the compost bin transplant. The seed came from one of those small decorator pumpkins. I never knew how much pumpkin spread... this thing is huge! Two pumpkins on it so far, but tons of flowers. I just hope we'll still have some for Halloween!

The chickens enjoyed some pen time while I checked out the garden.

Connor just loves his tractor...

Garden June 26, 2012

I forgot to post these... Taken June 26, 2012

First sweet banana pepper

First green bell pepper 

Zucchini

Pumpkins

Cute rain gauge

Sweet 100 cherry tomato is taking over the marigolds

Zucchini

Zucchini!

So far, I've pulled 16.34 lbs of zucchini out of my garden.

This was from this morning -

I saw these half and full bushel baskets at Tractor Supply Co. I had to get one. They remind me of the bushels of potatoes my great-grandpa Meyer always had in the garage. These have not been processed yet. The others have been shredded. I have about 16 cups in the freezer waiting to be made into bread, muffins, relish or whatever else.

Speaking of relish - 

I made 4 half pints of Ball's zucchini relish. I kept out about a tablespoon and mixed it into tuna. Yummy! I will definitely be making more of this!