Wintertime by Amenities Supervisor

Greetings! This week Tamara takes a much-deserved blog-a-cation whereas I share my latest actions right here at Chickadee Gardens. Whereas my time throughout good-weather months is spent on large initiatives, i.e., a hen home, rebuilding the deck, napping, our cold-weather months are spent addressing small stuff. I take pleasure in little initiatives as a result of they often usually are not bodily demanding and I can use a chilly rain-shower as excuse to come back inside for a cup of espresso and a slice of freshly made bread with a topping of a pal’s marmalade. 

This winter (2022-2023) has been mild on the property and buildings. At the least to me, it has. Tamara can let you know concerning the crops; I do know she does so weekly. So please perceive there’s not a lot garden-talk under. Let’s begin with a wheelbarrow and a shovel.

A large truckload of wooden chips arrived per week in the past. Thanks, ChipDrop. Now, it isn’t the cleanest pile of chips we have acquired, however it works for paths and such. I transfer 10 hundreds a day, which takes me lower than an hour. I name it my gentle exercise as a result of frankly the chips aren’t heavy and I just like the odor. And please be aware on the bundle field there sits my devoted Sony radio. I wish to take heed to sports activities discuss packages and, of all issues, pop music. Retains me going, I assume. Makes me really feel youthful than my Medicare card suggests! Yikes!

I’m masking the woodland backyard on the west of our property. Replenishing the outdated chips to maintain the weeds below management. Works fairly effectively, truly. Seems good and helps to retain moisture within the dry months. Tamara appears to take pleasure in raking the piles. 

The Entry Path to the woodland. Now, this load of chips options an amazing many lengthy pine needles. I ponder if they’ll assist with weed management. Are conifer needles barely poisonous? Hmmm. (no, FM, they don’t seem to be)

On the opposite facet of the property, I’ve hung out eradicating the decrease branches of those fir timber. A giant department busted off through the December snow storm and poked a gap within the poly of the greenhouse. And, , I need the hen yard there on the left to obtain some sunshine to dry it out and assist plant progress in there. Our hens usually are not mild on crops, and it was sort of a muddy mess. So, with the daylight it ought to enhance. By the best way, I repaired the outlet within the poly with that costly tape that the loud fellow touts on tv by using in a clear-plastic boat. Labored like a attraction. Sticky. Very sticky. Do not put it in your face! Not good!

This winter’s fourth load of fir boughs with some filbert limbs tossed in. We go to the close by bark/compost enterprise and I pay to depart this behind. Then, once I want compost I pay to have some delivered. I pay each methods. Type of like taxes! 

I keep watch over our many timber and shrubs in case they begin leaning within the moist soil. This can be a lately gifted eucalyptus tree and so is simply planted. I am going to depart the ropes in place till most likely Might. Simply to present it a go in its new house. 

No, it isn’t a Frank Gehry-designed beehive. It’s an empty beehive. Sadly so, too, as a result of it means the bees should have absconded in November. I have a tendency to depart the hive alone, let Nature take its course. After all, I deal with for mites and added some pollen patties for meals, however after the latest heat climate led me to examine for exercise inside, effectively, I discovered a subject mouse couple making a house in there. There have been only a few lifeless bees within the hive, so I do know they left. And, it’s the fourth yr out of 5 our bees have flown away. Is it my breath? My hair? I have no idea, however I’ll change them in April or so. We similar to having them round. Geesh, bees!

This is a brand new gadget, a blower that pumps air into the house between the 2 layers of poly within the greenhouse. Supposed to offer some insulation and strengthen the poly within the occasion of snow. And it really works. When inflated the greenhouse appears all clean and puffy as an alternative of like an outdated pony with large ribs. And when it rains when the poly is inflated? Properly, you can not take heed to pop music, that is for positive. 

The outdated John Deere lawnmower is one other mission forward earlier than the grass grows. It misplaced its engine cowling final Fall on account of . . . umm . . . your devoted FM’s poor decision-making abilities. So I plan to wash it up, set up a bumper and drift. This ain’t no style present!

And there’s the cowling. I’ll try and see if its recoverable, however I think not. The purpose of this image is the cart wherein the cowling rests. I goal to wash it, varnish it and repair the tires. These carts are tremendous helpful, so we are able to put it to make use of. It might see some wood-chip motion. 

Ever take an image of a gravel incline? Unattainable. Properly, this little slope has prompted many an Open Backyard visitor to take a brief slide below their footwear. Tamara and I each have discovered ourselves on our bottoms trying round for witnesses. So I goal to dig out a staircase and use these bricks subsequent to the rototiller as steps. Oh, it will likely be rustic, however higher.

Our orchard is cut up in two halves. I planted a fescue and rye combination 5 years in the past. The fescue grows in clumps, which I swear performed a component in weakening the mower’s cowling as a result of it’s so bumpy. So I unfold about 50 kilos of bluegrass seed to the decrease orchard final fall. It got here up, fortunately, and I stay up for a extra “crammed in” subject this spring.

The higher half of the orchard didn’t obtain the bluegrass seed. As you’ll be able to see. I plan to treatment that with seed most likely in mid-March or early April. I wished to check it, and so it will likely be fascinating to observe how fall grass is totally different than spring grass. 

Exhausting to inform, however the decrease half (on the left) appears extra inexperienced than the higher half (on the suitable). Maybe I’m simply imagining issues. Anyway, it is how I move my days. 

So that’s it for FM this week at Chickadee Gardens. Winter has been not too unhealthy for FM. Many little initiatives accomplished. Many extra to do. However our fantastic life is like that. We’re blessed. Cheers.

And that is a wrap, thanks a lot for studying and commenting. We love listening to from you! Joyful gardening everybody!