Garden objective: basket weaving

Second ever basket!

According to The Plan, one of my garden objectives is to grow materials for weaving;  willow is specifically cited.  I have a small stand of willows:  three in total and they grow near our little pond.  For the past three years I've harvested all the withies in winter after the leaves fall off, leaving the stumps (or stools as I believe they're called). 

These are not a particular variety grown for weaving;  they came from a wild tree near our house.  I took some wands in winter, stuck them in the ground where I wanted them, and they took.  However, the withies grow fairly straight and long and are perfectly adequate for my own personal use. 

And since I've been harvesting for three years, I've made exactly three baskets from them:  two small hand baskets, suitable for egg collection or vegetable harvest (the other one looks pretty similar to the one pictured), and a big basket I use for laundry with a handle on each side.

All three of my baskets are pretty rough looking, though the third one is slightly better than the second, which is a small improvement on the first.  I didn't prepare the withies particularly:  I wove them while still green and pliable, rather than letting them dry and resoaking.  I didn't peel them either.  The first basket--the laundry basket--is now two years old and still perfectly serviceable.

I have my eye on our yucca to try my hand at weaving a basket or two with its leaves;  they're more flexible and would require a different technique, but I think I'm up for it.  Like growing food, it's very satisfying to harvest raw materials and make them into something useful. 

Hand-pollinating the almond tree once more

Almond blossom against the garage, Mar 2018

Last year I tied down all the big branches of my little almond tree, to make a weeping/arched form.  I untied them a few weeks ago, and the branches are all nicely arched down, mostly within reach.  There is a good proportion of new growth not arched, but I'll deal with that later in the year when it's in full leaf again--some will be tied down, some will be pruned off.

Since it flowers so early in the season, I like to take the precaution of hand-pollinating as not many bees are out yet.  I've used a little paintbrush in the past, but have been using feathers for the last couple of years.  There's always a few floating about, thanks to our flock of chickens.

Me and my pollinating stick, Mar 2018

I found a nice brown wing feather this year and fixed it to the end of a stick;  now I can reach most of the flowers from one spot, instead of having to maneuver around the (slightly awkwardly placed) tree.  I can also reach the highest ones, just too far above my head.

We had the coldest winter the almond's ever experienced--it's still a young tree--and it's flowering later than usual.  I was worried the last snowfall (last week!) might have caught the blossoms, but luckily only three had opened by that time.  I'd be sad to lose the crop, especially since it's covered in hundreds of little pink buds this year.  I'll do my best to pollinate them all over the next few weeks.

As an aside, my little peach tree in a planter is finally forming buds for the first time this year:  about a dozen.  It lived near its cousin the almond all last year, but I put it back on the patio to warm it up and to keep an eye on it.  As there aren't many flowers I'm not counting on fruit, but I'll certainly hope for the best.  It too will get the pollination treatment.

Working in and eating from the Brassicas bed

Earlier this month I spent my meager garden time in the Peas and Beans bed.  Now I'm concentrating on the Brassicas bed, which is technically the same bed.  Yesterday I transplanted about six cauliflower plants from the cold frame into their growing positions;  I did six or so others a week (ish) ago.  They're all growing amongst the dwarf broad beans which are incidentally starting to form buds.

And I finally harvested the first winter cabbage, and I have my eye on another couple.  We had a second small meal off the remaining Brussels sprouts, and will have another few meals off the leafy tops next.  I sowed two trays of sprouts seeds, both new varieties to me.  Hoping they're a bit more caterpillar resistant than the previous variety (Seven Hills I think).  The trays are outside on the patio table and have already endured a snowfall--spring weather from now on please!  My sprouts need it.

Also harvested a bit of kale from the remaining two plants, and a smaller bit of mizuna which has self seeded every winter since I first put it down several years ago.  Mizuna's spicy flavor is a little too powerful for me raw but adds wonderful depth when cooked in a stew or casserole. 

Finally, the spring cabbages in the ground are still measly, but the ones in the cold frame are nearly bursting out:  so big!  In fact I think they're as big or bigger than the winter cabbages, though with softer leaves.  I look forward to eating them.

Peas and beans bed

Broad beans and a cabbage (and daffodils) in the snow, Mar 2018

I have a small patch of dwarf broad beans which have overwintered and are thinking about growing again now that it's March--if it would stop snowing that is.  Raining today, but might snow again tonight/tomorrow (hope not). 

In the adjacent section of the Peas and Beans bed, I put down a similar amount of pre-sprouted regular (tall) broad beans in late February;  they haven't appeared yet, but I'm still hopeful.  On the same day, on the other side of a few cabbages--same bed--I put down some pre-sprouted early peas which are in fact just poking up.  I like peas a lot.  I've got about five different kinds and I kind of lost track of what I've put down so far.  Definitely remember the early peas and a big batch of maincrop peas.  Did I do mange tout (aka snow peas) too?  I think I did, but if I did, where was it?

Oh well.  I'm not planting out any more just right now because of the weather.  But I might pre-sprout a few more to be ready for planting in about two weeks.  Mange tout?  Sugar snap?  More maincrop or early?  Hmmm...

A fermented treat for the chickens

From left, Days Three, Two and One;  Feb 2018

Since we try to buy the best feed we can for our chickens, giving both them and us the best nutrition, our feed bill can be pretty expensive.  We buy the non GMO, non soy feed, and a 20 kg bag in theory should last three weeks for our current flock of 12--but usually is closer to two weeks.  Because of the threat of rats, I'm rationing out feed as carefully as I can so as not to have any lying around uneaten;  this has helped cut back a little on waste, but it's still expensive.

During the winter when we were lucky to get two eggs a day (but getting none altogether just as often), we opted for the cheap feed.  It's definitely soy, definitely GMO, but also half the price.  To feed a flock of freeloaders, we made concessions to our ideal standards.  But it's coming on spring: we want to breed chicks, we want those now three to four eggs a day to be good quality: expensive stuff again.

To help alleviate costs just a little, I've been soaking and fermenting their daily scratch grains treat.  It's mixed wheat and corn, and about the same price per kilo as the cheap feed.  They love it dry, but are very partial to fermented.

I have three big jars on the go, and every day the chickens get the three-day-old jar.  It's basically two and a half cups of grain soaked in water (at room temp) for three days.  I usually add a little of the oldest soaking water to the newest jar, but that's it. Easy as anything, and the chickens love it.

I've read than fermenting makes the vitamins/minerals in foods more bioavailable so that chickens (or any other animals, including people) get more nutrition than from the same amount of dry food.  It's also probiotic, a definite plus.  And finally, the chickens don't need to eat as much to be full;  whether that's from the added nutrition or from the swelling in size I don't know, but less feed eaten means less feed to buy and I'm for that.

I don't currently ferment their regular layers pellets, although it's an option for the future.  I've made warm mash for them in winters past, so it's just a step beyond that to ferment, possibly saving me even more money.  It would require a different feeding station, like a trough, however--to allow low status chickens equal time at the feeder.  We've take to scattering their pellets (and scratch grains) around their yard so that everyone gets a chance, not just the top chickens:  can't really do this with mash.

Just to be sure, I feed their full ration of regular feed during the morning and afternoon, before feeding their fermented mixed grains in late afternoon/evening.  This is to make sure they get adequate amounts of layers pellets and its added minerals first.

Cabbage in winter (and spring)

Inside the cold frame, Mar 2018

Winter's nearly done and I still haven't cut any winter cabbages!  Those are the spring cabbages pictured, meant to be harvested in May (though I might pick earlier, as they're taking up valuable cold frame space).  There is definitely at least one winter cabbage out there with a well formed head--I better get on it. 

Last spring I found three forgotten winter cabbages when I cleared away the sprouting broccoli;  they were small and spindly, with about six leaves each.  I took pity on them and let them stay, hoping they'd grow for some greens at least.  Turns out, they just needed a bit of time and a bit more sunlight, as by August they'd grown into the Three Cabbages Gruff;  the biggest one looked like it ate trolls for breakfast every morning.

I'm certainly tempted to let the smallest ones just carry on, after this success.  I still have the last little bit of sauerkraut from the Gruffs in my fridge, and I'd love to be able to make another couple jarfuls this summer. 

But first, time to eat the ones that are ready now.

Cookie: ready, set, go

Last year, we set some bought eggs under our little Pekin bantam Cookie when she went broody.  She hatched one, an Orpington who grew up to be our (hopefully) breeding rooster.  He's been trying to mate with our two Australorp hens who Cookie also raised (we snuck them under her as tiny chicks and she adopted them) at the same time.

Now I've got six eggs, and we know who the dad is (hopefully he's doing it right and actually will be a dad), and we know the eggs are from one or both of the Australorps--who incidently don't have names and are just called "The Black Hens."  They might as well be the same chicken for all we're concerned--they're from the same batch, sisters, and look exactly alike;  they're down on the egg-laying score card as "blacks" next to Rock, Florry, and Cucky (seven year old's spelling).

But back to Cookie (or Cucky if you prefer).  She's been sitting on the nest and after  a week of waiting to be sure, those eggs have gone under her.  In fact, we had to delay for several days because of the so-called Beast from the East storm which brought us several inches of snow and about five days of sub-zero temps.  I thought if she got up for a drink or a bite to eat, those eggs would freeze without her, so we waited, taking whatever eggs she'd collected that day from everyone else, until it warmed up.

Due date is 27 March, or thereabouts.  We'll give her until 3 April and if nothing's hatched as mentioned previously, Plan B is to sneak bought chicks under her.  Come on Cookie (and good luck Toasty and Black Hens)!

What's left from 2017's harvest

Rickety garden gate to keep chickens out (only successful during snowstorms), Feb 2018

Rather than publish a garden notes for February--because nothing really happened out there except some last minute, school-closing snow--I thought I'd update on how my stored and preserved garden foods are doing.

At the end of 2017's growing season, I had many things in my pantry, both stored and preserved.  For instance, in storage I had potatoes, garlic, squashes and onions.  Preserved, I had zuccini pickles, dried chard and nasturtium leaves, applesauce and sauerkraut, among others.  Later on, I made green tomato salsa and garlic salt, and very recently some fermented carrots (with bought carrots).  So what's left?

Well, all the stored veg have been eaten up except garlic;  though it's going slowly, I use two cloves pretty much every day no matter what we have for dinner.

My preserves are getting a bit thinner now too, but there's a few left:  most of the applesauce (the stored apples--from the same batch, wild harvested--lasted until the end of December), a little apple jelly, most of the green tomato salsa, most of the garlic salt.  I found a small jar of salted lemons which may be from 2016:  still good though!  And a little bit of sauerkraut left in the fridge made at least six months ago but also still tasty.

We've also drunk all the rhubarb and elderflower wines (finally), and most of 2016's cider, but have several bottles of elderberry/blackberry wine to tide us over till 2017's much larger batch of cider's ready for drinking. 

Now it's March and we're getting close to the "hungry gap;"  I really should have more stored and preserved to tide us over till summer--though at least we have enough to drink!  It's something I'll focus on this coming year, particularly with dried greens like chard, hopefully some more dried peas, a few more squashes and possibly some more fermented vegetables like sauerkraut.

February 2018 Food Totals

Crimping my style!  Last day of Feb, 2018

Vegetables:

20 oz celery
2.5 oz salad greens (miners lettuce, arugula, baby chard)
0.5 oz spring onion

Total: 23 oz

Note:  I weigh all my vegetables after preparation:  peeling, trimming, etc. 

Fruit:

No fruit harvested

Eggs:

Total: 65 eggs from 11 hens
Total feed bought: 2 bags layers pellets (40kg total) and 1 bag mixed corn (20kg)

Preserves:

2 medium jars fermented carrots (own garlic and dill seed, bought carrots)

Homebrew:  

Cider still fermenting

No new homebrew begun