Short update

Planted corn again this year. Been talking with people to figure out how to keep the coons out. But first we have to keep the crows out. I've read some on the internet, and this is what some people use.

Hopefully we grow enough corn to need to figure out how to keep the coons out.

The broccoli is still doing well, though we found another fire ant hill so we had to look for something we could use safely.

I'm pretty sure these are weeds. Any gardeners have any idea? We compost, but hubby is not good about waiting before it gets used...

Our apple trees are blooming. They grew apples last year. Three years old this year. NONE of the apples ripened successfully last year. I expect that might have been due to the farmland behind us. Spray doesn't stay where you want it, but there is really no telling. Would love to get a couple home grown apples this year.

Hope you all have a blessed weekend. ♥

The garden seems to have survived the rain

fairly well. I thank the Lord for that.

Pictures are courtesy of our son Robert.

The broccoli is a new hybrid variety by Burpee. Royal Tenderette Hybrid. A new variety for 2016. Hubby has decided over the last year or so that he prefers the broccoli stems to the heads (I think I mentioned this before, but I am saying it again, anyway). A complete 180 from how he used to like his broccoli. Ah well. I spotted this variety in this year's Burpee catalog and figured it was a sign, since it has long, thin stems and smallish heads.

The weather has been dry enough to work the rest of the garden. Rain tomorrow, Thursday and Friday. Remains to be seen how much.

The other plants are different varieties of basil. Planted as a sort of companion plant in hopes of repelling unwanted bugs.

Hope you all have a Blessed Easter Sunday. God bless. ♥

No matter where you live

Thank a farmer for what you eat.

And on another note, we here are fine. I thank the good Lord for that.
Our garden plot is underwater, but the raised bed has saved the broccoli and basil. I think.
The broccoli was not happy with its first day out from under the row cover I've had over it for a couple weeks, but I think it was time.

The other bed you see has been covered with diatomaceous earth. I am trying to use non-poisonous methods to kill off the fire ants that came with a truck load of garden soil we bought, and then mixed in with our compost pile unknowingly. Hubby had not mixed all of it in, so discovered it was in the garden soil, and not our original compost. Yay?
It is frustrating. If we have to use poison, we just won't be able to plant there till fall. I was glad that hubby decided to use the raised beds this year, finally.

However, his corn didn't fare so well. Fortunately he only planted one row before the rains came.

Other areas of Louisiana and Mississippi were not as fortunate, so keep them in your thoughts and prayers, please.

The Ides of March give us in America one week till our taxes are due. We got hit this year, but the Lord will see us through.

Hope you all have a wonderful, blessed week. ♥

It really frustrates me

That America is so far gone that Toyota thinks that bank robbers escaping from the police is a good way to sell their cars.

On to less frustrating things.

Only white narcissus, or daffodils?, came up this year.

Hubby said he saw a snake poke its head out of this hole the other day, but either 57 was too cool for it to investigate me, or it has moved on..

Sparrows or wrens are checking out this old nest. I couldn't get close enough for a good picture. You might be able to see a bird just below and left of the nest.

We made a planting box and I set out some broccoli transplants. It's a new variety from Burpee called Royal Tenderette Hybrid. The grow small florets on long, thin stems. It was fortuitous that the new catalog had these in it; because hubby has decided, out of the blue, he prefers broccoli stems to the heads. This week has been in the 70s with nights in the mid to upper 50s. I went out to check them this morning. They seem to be doing fine.
While out there, I saw this bug. Thought it was a female mosquito at first; but no antennae. Saw one up by the house a bit later. Weird.

Can't believe it's already 2016 and almost tax time and I have not started anything. Ugh.
Hope you all have a blessed weekend and a blessed 2016.

Wet wet wet

Had a heck of a thunderstorm last night. The ditches are full. Thankfully we seem to have dried quicker than usual. That is a very loose term though, as the garden is very very muddy.
I had to get out though as hubby has been going in town the last couple of days, so I haven't been able to get to the garden and check everything.

Anyway, I thought I'd share our second small harvest of broccoli.



Hubby got me that wicker basket at the flea market for $2!



As I said, I was a few days behind harvesting. We gave the neighbor - the one who told us about the tax problem - three heads of broccoli about the same size as these two. We blanched and froze ours.



I put my glasses here so you could judge the size of the heads. It rained again while I was harvesting, so I had taken them off to dry them.



These are the green beans I picked. That's a 2L jar next to the colander so you judge the size of it. That's home made jerky in the jar, by the way. I've been making our jerky since roughly 1975!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

And Happy Mother's Day to any readers who are moms! ♥