Summer 2012 Garden Highlights

I initially started this blog to share what we were doing on our farm.  But in the summer time, when everything is really happening, I don't have any free time to blog!  Certainly no time to upload photos in the evening.  This year I really did more garden than usual, and more poultry than usual.  We got a greenhouse too.

Our friends Robin and Larry came to visit at the end of August and Robin took a whole bunch of REALLY good pictures of the garden.  Here they are.

I'm really starting to love this cat

Marigold, calendula, cosmos

Buckwheat cover crop.  Makes wonderful, dark honey.

Winter leeks

Hops

Pumpkins and winter squash, with corn playing back-up

Bee hives

Finally, it has been such a good year for tomatoes.  I've canned over 30 quarts so far... and there are more coming!

Red cabbage

See the honeybee?

Cat in the comfrey.  I can only hope this is a mouse stake out.

Black-eyed susans

Calabrese... 2nd growth.

This is where I found the hummingbird-moth last month.

Good year for apples.  Past 2 years it was rainy when apple blossoms were out. This year, sunny days for the bees meant better fruit set.  Yeah!

These are such happy flowers

Larry and the kids playing baseball with windfall apples.  Chickens getting a feast.

Hawk, keeping an eye on her flock of chickens

Meat chickens.  Freedom Rangers, or Label Rouge.

Finally planted the grapes this spring.  They're at the top now!

Drying garlic in the shop

I think this is a rather good shot Robin captured of a pile of firewood.

Brown leghorn

Layers... Golden sex-linked, Dominique, Speckled Sussex.

The south garden.  Check out the new greenhouse in the background.  Thanks, Mom and Dad!

the gardener

Peas... for the fall.  First time I've done this.  Sowed seeds mid-July.  Ate first one today, Fall Equinox.  Worth repeating.