Summer Garden...Or Not...

Well, I had grand plans to write all about how we put in our summer garden this weekend. I had hoped for it to be complete with pictures of all of us working and smiling and all the plants we put in. Unfortunately, weather and manure supply are not cooperating with us and the garden is still not in, with no hope for it to go in any time in the immediate future. I'm just hoping the trend of late falls continues this year so we won't get frozen out before everything matures.

So, instead of gardening pictures, I'm leaving you with a picture of one our pullets who decided to come in for a visit this weekend, it's kind of fun to have a house chicken sometimes. And a picture of a strange looking bug that came to visit us on our front door step. Any one have any idea what this thing is?

Healing A Sick-A-Roo

Well, we made it through the night. His fever broke at some point, but his stomach is still sour so I had him take a bath to clean off the sick and a fixed him a soothing pot of mint tea. .

I just love that I can go out into the back yard and pick as much mint as I want. I really love this variety and I wish I could remember it's name. It always has such a fresh minty taste instead of getting that weird and rubbery smell when you cook with it like some mints do.

Since I am using fresh whole mint I always use a generous amount just to make sure it's enough. Fresh herbs don't pack as much punch as dried, so if you're using fresh herbs make sure you adjust your amounts accordingly. I also don't use a a tea ball or strainer when using fresh herbs because they rarely come out of the tea pot which makes them a bit easier to deal with than dried tea leaves.

While the water for the tea was boiling I quickly got Will through the shower to wash off the bed gunk that inevitably comes with being sick. Then he got a fresh pair of jammies and got to go in the dining room and pick his tea cup off the shelf.

Here he is all washed up and clean with his tea just before going back to bed to rest some more. I'm hoping the mint will settle his stomach a bit. I added a bit of honey to the teapot as well since he hasn't had much to eat lately I'm hoping the sugar in the honey will give him a bit of a boost. 

Sick-A-Roo :(

Sad to report that we are not getting much done around here this weekend. Our poor little one has been feverish for the last couple of days and his daddy and I have been spending our non-working hours tending to his needs. I feel like I should have some sort of magic herbal potion that I could share with you all that will make him all better. Unfortunately, he can't keep much down so we've just been plying him bland food and water. I may try some cool peppermint from the garden or chamomile tea tomorrow, but for now he's sleeping soundly in mom and dad's bed.

Fairy Garden Contest

Will and I have been playing around in our gardens by building fairy houses this spring, so imagine my excitement when I saw The Magic Onions Fairy Garden Contest today! We have until August 1st to send our entry and I can't wait to get started! Our herb and vegetable gardens are nearly ready to be left to grow so right after Derby we will begin to work on our fairy gardens. I'm so excited! Will and I have had so much fun this spring building fairy houses and I can't wait to show off our work!

Airbnb Season! And lots of seedlings too...

Greetings ya'll!

If you've read this blog before you know that I've mentioned the fact that we rent our guest bedroom on the website www.airbnb.com . Given all of our surgeries and such this past fall we had taken down our listing for a while and hadn't had any guests for a long time. However, now that spring has sprung (well, it will officially do so tomorrow) we are getting lots of inquiries! Very exciting! That said I will be posting a page with information about in season items that our guests can enjoy during their stay and for anyone else to purchase if they're interested.

In the same vein we will soon have lots of seedlings for sale. All are raised from heirloom or organic seed stock and as they become available I will be posting them on the In Season page as well. So, if you're in need of garden plants stay tuned and we should have lots available soon! Each plant will be $2.00 and will come already hardened off in a compostable paper pot.

Hooray Spring!

The Joys of Spring - In Pictures

Building Fairy Houses

Watching Our Seedlings Grow

Hey Mommy! Look!  A bug! Take a picture!

Pass along plants from neighbors.

Despite the chickens best efforts to destroy my Valerian, it is in fact coming back!

And herbs, (Sage)

Herbs, (Horehound)

Herbs! (Parsley)

Including a nice patch of Yarrow that Will thought it would fun to roll in!

Happy Spring Everyone!

Tomorrow is Planting Day!

Really hoping it gets a bit warmer than today! We have so much to do tomorrow! Plant the spring garden, finish our seedlings, get the chicks ready to go outside and get things ready for the replacement batch that will becoming in the next couple of weeks to replace all those we lost during our chick-tastrophe. Whew! Makes me tired just thinking about it!