Creekside Gardener No. 3, June 1, 2011
Posted by Mokey Skinner on Wednesday, June 1, 2011
I am so pleased to bring you some of Coffee Creek's first garden produce this week- a head of Romaine lettuce and some crisp and spicy radishes. Chop them up with the fresh mint and oregano and toss with apple cider vinegar and olive oil for a real taste of spring.
One jar of Pomegranate Kombucha is included for your digestive pleasure, as well as a jar of green beans. These are my favorite addition to a big pot of minestrone soup on a cold and rainy May day (grumble grumble).
You may notice some new shades and sizes of eggs this week, as some of our pullets (young hens) are just beginning to lay! Two more Americauna pullets have moved into the big coop, along with their cocky cockerel friends, who will probably be separated soon to fertilize some eggs for hatching. We have eight more pullets (the Peep Squeaks) that are still a bit young to hang in the big coop, but are growing fast. It is so exciting to have a large enough coop for gradual expansion. I just adore our laying flock!
Now that the meat birds, or Meaps, as I like to call them, are all feathered out and on pasture I am ready to bring on the big guys. Today I put in an order for 25 bronze turkeys to arrive early summer! I am so excited to have turkeys back on the farm, and will source some heritage breeds soon as well. The intent is to raise a laying flock of turkey in addition to the meat birds with the hopes of hatching our own grip next year. We are on the look out for a peacock and peahen, as well!
We are also home to ten two week old Muscovy ducklings. They are beyond yellow (I have truly never seen such a yellow!) and are already munching all the slugs we provide and splashing happily in their water bowl. As soon as they have feathered out they will be the only birds allowed to range within the gardens, as ducks are well know for their slug-hunting abilities and disinterest in seedlings. Not to mention the hilarity of hanging out with ducks! Please feel free to contact me about visiting the farm with your families, because we would love to share in the magic of spring time and baby animals with you and your children!
For those of you that have placed your plant orders, I am delivering sweet or hot peppers or eggplant starts this week. If you have a small hoophouse or greenhouse, I recommend planting peppers within the protection and warmth available. I have had great results from transplanting peppers into a large (two gallon or more) black pot for the season. This way you are able to move them inside when the nights are cold and rainy, and to move them about with the sun during the day. Peppers are actually a perennial in tropical climates, so last season I moved my pots back into the greenhouse when the weather began to cool and we had fresh peppers well into November! Another option for helping our more heat sensitive peppers and eggplant along is black plastic mulch to help warm the roots. Whatever you do, I wish you the best! Our climate is hard on these plants, but I grow them ever year, just the same. It really feels like an accomplishment to grow hot peppers in Western Washington!
Many other veggie starts are still available, so don't think it is too late for your order! Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and squash can all be grown in containers on porches, too.
One jar of Pomegranate Kombucha is included for your digestive pleasure, as well as a jar of green beans. These are my favorite addition to a big pot of minestrone soup on a cold and rainy May day (grumble grumble).
You may notice some new shades and sizes of eggs this week, as some of our pullets (young hens) are just beginning to lay! Two more Americauna pullets have moved into the big coop, along with their cocky cockerel friends, who will probably be separated soon to fertilize some eggs for hatching. We have eight more pullets (the Peep Squeaks) that are still a bit young to hang in the big coop, but are growing fast. It is so exciting to have a large enough coop for gradual expansion. I just adore our laying flock!
Now that the meat birds, or Meaps, as I like to call them, are all feathered out and on pasture I am ready to bring on the big guys. Today I put in an order for 25 bronze turkeys to arrive early summer! I am so excited to have turkeys back on the farm, and will source some heritage breeds soon as well. The intent is to raise a laying flock of turkey in addition to the meat birds with the hopes of hatching our own grip next year. We are on the look out for a peacock and peahen, as well!
We are also home to ten two week old Muscovy ducklings. They are beyond yellow (I have truly never seen such a yellow!) and are already munching all the slugs we provide and splashing happily in their water bowl. As soon as they have feathered out they will be the only birds allowed to range within the gardens, as ducks are well know for their slug-hunting abilities and disinterest in seedlings. Not to mention the hilarity of hanging out with ducks! Please feel free to contact me about visiting the farm with your families, because we would love to share in the magic of spring time and baby animals with you and your children!
For those of you that have placed your plant orders, I am delivering sweet or hot peppers or eggplant starts this week. If you have a small hoophouse or greenhouse, I recommend planting peppers within the protection and warmth available. I have had great results from transplanting peppers into a large (two gallon or more) black pot for the season. This way you are able to move them inside when the nights are cold and rainy, and to move them about with the sun during the day. Peppers are actually a perennial in tropical climates, so last season I moved my pots back into the greenhouse when the weather began to cool and we had fresh peppers well into November! Another option for helping our more heat sensitive peppers and eggplant along is black plastic mulch to help warm the roots. Whatever you do, I wish you the best! Our climate is hard on these plants, but I grow them ever year, just the same. It really feels like an accomplishment to grow hot peppers in Western Washington!
Many other veggie starts are still available, so don't think it is too late for your order! Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and squash can all be grown in containers on porches, too.
