Town House Homestead Tuesday

I have been missing for over a month. Well, as far as blogging that is. As far as getting outside and getting work done not so. We are at the beginning of year three in our home and it seems like all we've done is work to upgrade Ms. Beldon. 

The painting of the shed is basically done, but still needs a bit of touch up. For now, however, it is in almost brand new condition and being used for garden supplies and tools. Also some wood to burn. The cement blocks are getting painted and I have planted Pansies in them. I have hanging baskets of Nasturtium on both side of the doors now too. 

Ms. Beldon's bees didn't survive winter, so we are taking the time to create a good pollination garden. Lots of earth to clear and treat along with adding vegetable and flower plants. We were short about four bags of stones to finish the walk, but that will come in the next few days. The stepping stones are of my grand children's feet and hands. It is looking quite nice and more thought out.

My garlic came up well, but needed a lot of TLC as far as weeding. It took my broken body a couple of mornings to get it done and the straw down, but it has grown now to about twenty four inches tall. I am looking forward to scape's and hopefully some good size bulbs. I have just run out of last years harvest and purchases. 

I have container tomatoes growing as well as tomatoes in the ground. Probably too many, but I have people who will help eat them and they can be frozen or canned in many ways.

I have squash varieties that I have been transplanting into buckets. There will be ten total for squash and as they die off I will plant more. Already getting what looks like blossoms. Next will be peppers transplanted into buckets. I have planted some peppers in the ground at the front of the house also. 

I am trying my hand at Glass Gem popcorn. Only three seedlings survived the wind and rain, but they are healthy and I can hope.

The sunflowers are doing almost too well. They need to because Hunter found a way to dig under the fence to get at them. We used some of the old screens from the old windows to deter him, and so far so good. They blow back and forth with any wind, hit the stakes, and then blow back and lean on the fence. It startles him so he's getting the message.

These are two of the varieties of Iris we planted two years ago. They are having a grand time in the sun. This year we were gifted purple ones and they are being planted around the yard, and there will  be many added to this garden. 

We were also gifted several large clumps of Hosta. Most of them we put in the ground as clumps and we will thin them over the years as the gardens grow. We separated one large clump and planted them around the back and sides of the compost bin. Just to beautify it a bit. Until last week they were closed in because guess who thought he should dig them too. Yes, Hunter.

But Hunter isn't the only issue as far as my garden goes. Along with the ground hogs, mama deer has been leaving her baby along the fence during the day which is about ten feet from my garden. So far she has not eaten anything and I am putting pinwheels up and will leave Hunter to bark at it, so maybe mom changes her mind about leaving it there. Gardening sure has it's challenges, and all of this before we even talk about insects. 

It wouldn't be my post if I didn't include a picture of Hunter. I had a lot of choices including a video of him stealing a set of keys and the owner chasing him around the yard for them. He is such a proud thief, but this one is the best. It's the reason we have furniture covers, wear clothes several times before washing and the stack of towels that are in and out of the washer and dryer. He is forty six pounds of pure energy and he is not quite my best friend. I have so much more work to do with him. He forgets all that he is taught and it's start from the beginning every day, but they say it will come. I will keep trying. To think I wanted chickens too. One animal is enough. Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit. Have a great week, love one another, and share your bounty. Until next time. 

Town House Homestead Tuesday

Getting the work done. Goodness it's been busy around here. The shelf rails are finally up and the brackets in position, the lumber is ordered and hopefully we'll have them stained and up by Thanksgiving week. 

We sat and looked at it and tied strings so we knew where we wanted the shelves to be. We had to work around Hunter's crate and a coffee table, but it didn't take long to feel comfortable with the result. We have room for books, plants, art, glass, pottery, and vintage items that have not yet been unpacked. We can't wait to feel more settled in this room and relax.

The biggest project this past week was the renovations on the shed. "Yard barn" is what it's been called. It was out with the old floor and doors. 

Groundhog damage repaired. and new floor installed. 

All work was done by CCH Lawn and Landscape, and here Chris is taking a minute to breath before starting on the doors, and checking his work. It's a nice solid floor and will give us many years of use.

Chris handcrafted the doors, matched the panelling perfectly, squared everything to fit well, and after a long day, but with beautiful weather, the yard barn is locked up and smiling with the new doors and floor. Now just paint and it'll be ready for winter. All this work was done to the highest quality and we felt that we got the job that they would have done on their own property. Now to get things organized in it so we can get to some serious gardening next spring, and not have to carry everything down and back. We are so happy with this result. 

To end this post with a dog note, Hunter got a new blanket yesterday. He's managed to chew one to pieces and with colder weather coming I got stitching salvaged denim together and made one to keep him warm. Not sure how much he needs though because he's always quite warm.

Hunter is always posing for pictures. He looks guilty here, but he's actually been allowed to sit with me in this chair for comforting. He just figured out that it's more comfortable without me and he can see out the window quite well to bark at squirrels. What a character he is. That's the news this week. Thank you for stopping by and reading about our adventures. Have a wonderful week, share your bounty and love, and keep smiling. 

Town House Homestead Tuesday

So, I can finally feel the growth of the suburban homestead we are trying to create. As our bodies mend from the injuries we have suffered from working so hard, it suddenly feels like it's coming together. It's been a long sixteen months, but WOW! The immediate roller coaster ride seems to be slowing down. 

The shed is getting a face lift. One side left to paint, and I can see that I need to clean around the spruce tree and mulch before winter. In the clean up I found boarders around the shed, and two sides have slate laid. The side still left to paint has a border with just soil and I am going to set Hosta's in there before winter. Then it will have the floor repaired and new doors. 

A motion sensor, solar light was installed and it is wonderful to know it works. Now it won't be complete darkness in the back yard and we'll be able to find that black puppy when he wanders off.

We had what we call a great harvest this week. We are grateful for any harvest we get no matter how big or small. We got a second harvest of lavender, plus one of my daughter's co-workers harvested hers, and gifted it to her. I got a few bunch onions, a large bunch of basil, more patty pan squash, and of course beans. 

I made myself a fabulous bunch onion and home grown pepper omelet for breakfast with my little harvest. Of course I cook with cast iron skillets, and eat off of vintage plates. Who doesn't? Well, not everyone, but we do here. 

The basil came inside because overnight temperatures fell a little low, so after I cut it back there was still plenty, and I put a good amount into a crock pot of home canned tomatoes, peppers, and a few other goodies and made sauce. We had cheese tortellini for dinner, and there's a quart ready for a small holiday lasagna, and eggplant Parmesan, put up in the freezer. The refrigerator vegetable bin is holding the rest and the lavender is vacuum sealed for holiday baking and crafts.

I'm falling in love with the bright colors the zinnia's are providing. I can't believe the different mixture that is growing, and the bees just love it. 

And, speaking of the bees, they have been an experience this summer. This past weekend they swarmed again. An inspection was done, and there was no indication that this was going to happen. A queen cell was removed to prevent the growth of a new queen, but oh well. This is the third time this summer they have swarmed. So many beekeepers around here say they have never seen their hives swarm, and I have seen five swarms this first year. Three we are sure were ours, one that was ours that left the tree, and one from who knows where that ended up in a neighbors tree. I may see this one fly away, but they have stayed put for a day and a half now. Now it's hope and pray that we can keep the hive stable through winter. 

This is an early Christmas gift from my daughter. It is three and a half pounds of white German hard neck garlic. I will plant a great bit of this and hope for a good harvest next spring, along with some scape's, and I will also ferment some for cooking and medicinal purposes. I will cook with some too.

As of this morning my fifth sunflower is ready to open. I am so excited to watch these grow. They are over eight feet tall and the heads are getting larger by the day. They add a splash of brightness to my day every time I look out my kitchen window. Who knows maybe next year there will be five times as many growing out there. 

I don't know how I can end my blog without another Hunter adventure, so here it is. Sunday morning I bought him a new "dog" ball. Yes, I am trying to get along with this busy, strong, and growing beast. He got the new ball because this week he decided that the soccer ball he was given just a few days earlier, and loved so much, tasted good too. I chased him around trying to make sure he didn't swallow it, and up to this moment in time, I'm not sure he didn't get some eaten. I was in tears because I can't run after him and no matter what I did he just ran faster thinking it was a game. I finally got him to run, without the ball, into the breezeway and shut the door behind him. I later went out to clean up the ball and locate several pieces, for his protection only, and tossed the soccer ball away. So far he hasn't missed the old ball and is having the time of his life chasing the "dog" ball around the yard. That's what's been going on here at the Town House Homestead this week, and thank you so much for stopping by. Stay safe out there and enjoy the end of warmer weather, and "pumpkin spice" if you indulge.

Town House Homestead Tuesday

This week was good for harvesting a few herbs and veggies from the gardens. I'm beginning to consider these practice runs for a larger garden next spring. 

We got a very large colander of mint that I have drying for tea. My lemon balm is recovering from insects that tried to eat it away, and I have chives and oregano ready to harvest this week.

I harvested patty pan squash and a pepper along with some calendula blossoms. My daughter is going to start making soap soon. We try to leave some blossoms for the bees too.

I boiled the squash whole and then stuffed and baked them. They are so good and make a complete meal or a great side dish. Not a large farm harvest for sure, but for the two of us it's fine. Our garden will grow larger in time. 

I have five buckets of beans growing along the walk and am hoping the deer leave them alone. They know we have Hunter now so we haven't seen them around, but you just never know..

If they leave them alone we may have a couple of meals that will have fresh beans as sides.

I've been cleaning and polishing a couple of vintage mid century chairs that my daughter got for her living room. I'm just taking advantage of the cooler temperatures and the sun. 

The big project has been the restoration of the shed. Something we've been waiting 16 months to get to. Our great friends at CCH Lawn and Landscape spent time this past weekend power washing it for us, measuring for new doors and investigating the way to secure the floor. This out building is needed to store our tools and garden supplies and we are very excited about it.

As soon as it was dry my daughter headed out to apply some paint. It will be gray with white trim. For now the doors will remain in place until they are replaced. 

I spent a couple of hours yesterday cleaning all the weeds and making sure she could paint all the way down to ground level. I discovered there is a border around the shed that has been covered in grass. On the shaded side of the shed I will transplant some Hosta's. There are plenty of them around the yard and it will be a nice touch. 

She came home from work last evening, ate some dinner and went out to paint another side. This is what it is becoming. Everything can be fixed up with a little TLC.

Of course Hunter has been such a big help lately. He's seven months old now. While we have been working on projects outside, and trying to build a garden, he has very nicely removed and torn to shreds the cardboard we laid to be a weed barrier. It upsets me to see my work undone, but I have learned to let it go, but not really. For every step forward we make in our relationship we always take a few backwards. I keep getting told to wait and he'll grow out of it. He probably will, but waiting is hard for me. So, until then, that's what's been happening at the Town House Homestead. Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week. To all those recovering from hurricane Harvey, we wish you the best and have donated to help you out. Love to you all and stay safe.