Things are A'Growing and I'm Not A'Mowin

What gorgeously beautiful days we've been experiencing! We seem to be close to that awaited "honey run" with our honey bees. I had to add a super to the hive this morning so now we're working on honey for the human family. That is to say, the bees are. Up to this time, they've been working in the main hive creating the bee family and storing up reserves. We have never had such flowers (daisies, buttercups and some sort of orange flower I need to look up) in the field and so many blossoms on our berries! Thanks God. And bees.

As far as the mowin. Well, that was a short shift today. The dear machine needs some work. It just wouldn't cooperate and stay running today. So, Mom moved on to other projects.The hay got raked some more instead and the tulip bed the deer munched (before we got the fence fixed) got half weeded. Our 11 year old son and 8 year old daughter diligently raked hay and then finished mulching the main strawberry bed. Yay! Such accomplishments!

The yellow, yellow-white and purply-brown irises are opened. There are more to come.

There were several trays of pepper and tomato plants languishing in the greenhouse, so after Hubby tilled up a bed around the onion mounds, I transplanted a whole bunch in there. Still more to go. One of the tomato plants left in the greenhouse has 2 tomatoes on it! I think it's a Beefsteak plant.

Hubby is awaiting tomorrow with bated breath as he just may get the first ripe tomato from here in the yard for Father's Day! That'd be a perfect gift!

A BANDIT On The Loose!

This 3 month old rooster we call "BANDIT" ... we didn't like his given name. He seems to be the leader in the group and sure wants to be out on the loose. He has become a better forager though since we have been walking him and his group (band of followers). He usually follows when we call, but will run after us when we get too far away. A quick shuffle of your feet will make the bugs jump so this guy can start 'groovin' on them. He even brings his band of followers under the fence and into the orchard because he wants us to be nearby.

The past two days have been spent weeding the new strawberry patch and laying down hay we raked from the fields. We work for several hours until it gets too blasting hot, then we come home for a few hours and head back out at night when it gets cooler. During the weeding session, I managed to water the gardens and put in some seeds and plants.

Two days ago, I transplanted some beautiful carnations from our flower bed at home. I put them along the walking stones for my pond. The slight shower we had helped a bit and they are coming along fine. I have iris, two types of carnations, viola, an aloe plant and seashells all around my pond. The plants in the pond are doing well also and I really like my striped rush and marsh marigold. I also put a few gambusia in the pond to see how they'll do ... looks like the weather is warm enough for them. Today, I planted varigated vinca seeds, portulaca seeds and cosmos seeds around the pond to fill in between the plants.

I tilled a new area for our watermelon, cantaloupe, squash and pumpkins this morning and we put some seeds in. It was quite buggy and they were biting hard due to the threat of a storm/rain so we ended our morning at the farm and went to Grandma's to build her arbor.

Bee's A'Buzzin, Strawberry Beds Mulchin

Yesterday, June 15th, we were able to get several more rows of strawberries weeded and mulched. I moved the buzzy honey bees to a new site within the bee yard where they will catch the morning sun much earlier to get them up and moving. I was talking to them and myself. Thank the Good Lord, I had the sense to walk over the path I had to take to move them several times to remove obstacles. Sure didn't want to trip carrying that heavy box! I was sad to see many bees confused for a while, but Hubby says that by 10pm they had found the new hive site. It will soon be time to add a super but not quite yet. I also sprinkled them with a cup of powdered sugar as a precaution against mites. I'm not in favor of disturbing the bees more than necessary to do all the inspections that some people and books favor. It interrupts their work flow. I'm also not in favor of antibiotics and chemicals, thus the choice we made.

There are now three hummingbirds at the farm feeder. They are sucking down sugar water like crazy. It is so nice to see them out there while we're working. They are getting used to we human critters being around.

Got some zucchini, butternut squash and summer squash planted. Seems crazy to be planting some things this late, but the season's been so cold.