A Walk with the Summer Blossoms

Out yesterday morning enjoying the early morning, not quite so hot, weather.  Spent a few minutes with those hard working blossoms.

Planting Every Nook and Cranny

Here at Sunflower Ranch we look for every opportunity to plant a few veggies and flowers or grow a little orchard.  This year we added apples and red seedless grapes to the orchard area.  We've expanded the orchard though and we'll be adding 6 new stone and citrus trees when the weather cools.  We can hardly wait.  This little patio space was just right for our Monsoon Garden.  As soon as the hope of rain arrives, the weather heats up the soil and its time to plant corn, beans and squash.  Those little sprouts rose to the occasion and shot up out of the ground in just 48 hours. We couldn't resist adding zinnias, and of course, sunflowers.

Our repurposed chicken coop has done well protecting the tomatoes from the harsh temperatures, did I hear 118 degrees today, ugh! We are still getting little tomatoes.  We've added regular feedings of fish emulsion and we are hoping they will make it through to fall.  With the new beds and all the seedlings, it is time to start thinking about a bigger chicken enclosure.  We won't be able to let those happy hens out to roam quite so freely.

Time to fill the Beds-Lasagna Style

Fall raised beds #1 and #2 are complete.  Now to fill with rich, beautiful soil.  We'll be using the "lasagna method" of composting in place.  First we start by lining the beds with repurposed cardboard and old newspaper and covering with about 4 inches of stinky old manure.  This really heats things up and begins to kill the grass underneath.  In the past when using other raised beds, we've used black plastic to kill and keep out the bermuda, to no avail.  It always found its way in.  We are hoping this method is more effective.  To increase our chances of success, we've placed to boxes on the St. Augustine grass, much less invasive.  Here is a link to this method. http://ucanr.edu/sites/MarinMG/?story=662

Just to help things along, our sweet Henrietta jumped right in to add her 2 cents to the process. 

Our Hippy Farmer begins to Prep the New Beds

Work began this week prepping new raised beds for the fall season.  We like to salvage and repurpose at the farm whenever possible and this project is no exception.  We've used and reused old water bed parts for several garden projects.  We'll do it again for the new beds.  We've also repurposed some lumber salvaged from our boys bedroom loft and the treehouse we recently dismantled out of our 60 year old mulberry tree. We think it's all great fun whenever we can reuse something that has a story.  That old waterbed...it's 25 years old.