May 5th update

It's high time that I did an update on the homestead so here goes.
Things have really started to grow around here the garden and the weeds are glad of the rains that we've had over the past three weeks. I've neglected to keep an accurate record but a close guess is about seven inches at least.
We have corn, although a small plot of four feet by fifteen, there

are some 50+ plants in this planting. Should be enough to get the summer started. We plan to put in several more of this sized plot in before the end of the growing season.

Also tomatoes actually several different types all of them heirlooms

this one is  Creole and a couple of Black Krim as well as a cherry type. A total of sixteen plants. That should keep us in 'maters for a while. 

And beets and if you look closely carrots as well in the cold frame. 

The cold frame was made of six layers of brick topped with a couple of old windows that provided a little extra warmth before

spring really started to show itself. This arrangement gives a good foot or more of loose soil for the carrots to grow in. Yea I know I really do need to to do more weeding.  It's just hard on the old backbone.

After all of the green onions have made their seed heads I'll pull them and dry them for this fall planting. These are more of a bunching onion than a shallot type. This little four by four foot area will provide for a nice long row this fall.

Here are five elephant garlic plants that I've babied for the last three years, at one point I had a large bag of  these. That is when I broke my back in an accident and these are the only ones that i have left.

If all goes well with them there should be a good sized bed this fall as I plan to keep all that they produce for seed.

These are the cherry tomatoes on the left, kinda scrawny aren't they? Actually they have only been in the ground for a week or so they will jump up here shortly. If you look closely there are eggplant on the right side of this bed.

The mulch that is seen in some of these pictures is planer shavings that I got from a local fellow who does custom flooring for folks. I can't say enough about how this works as a weed barrier. Here at the cherry tomatoes there is a layer of cardboard under four to six inches of mulch. This bed has not been weeded at all this year and the grass is just starting to creep in on top of the bed. 

Sunflower volunteer from last years crop. We use these as bird food, the chicken get their share also.

Here is one of two Burr Oak seedlings from seeds that I got from a friend that sells forest tree seeds as a business. These oaks produce acorns that are as big a extra large hen eggs. Some of the biggest acorns that I've ever seen.

This little pie pumpkin sprout needs some mulch too!

  

Here is a three seed grouping of Jubilee watermelons. Sure do love me some watermelon. Yea yea I know GRASS but I'll fix that with a one gallon can for some protection and a flame weeder and then a scoop of mulch.

Just a quick shot of the one hundred or so long row of red potatoes

BEES BEES and more BEES. The first three boxes on the stand are the Nucs that made it through the winter. I think that I posted a link to a video earlier showing me moving one of them to a full size box. I've also had to add a second deep super to each of them as they keep growing. Hive number two also has a medium box between the bottom and the top deep. It has been an exceptional hive so far this year. The other single boxes on the rack and cinder blocks on the ground are all swarms that people have called me to come over an retrieve from their yard trees, swing set seats, and other spots around their houses. So far we are up to fifteen hives here on the homestead, five hives at a friends house and four more over at brother's house. The Ligustrum shrubs across the road from here on the tree farm are in full bloom right now and the bees are going crazy. Should lead to a good honey harvest Lord willing.

We planted three Blood Bananas on the west side of the house to help with a little sun protection. These are transplants from a friends house and should really help with some needed shade once the reach maturity. 

This is what was done to most of the older homes around here to help with the sun's heat in summer. Wish that it had gone all the way to the next corner. It doesn't show in this pic but the banana trees are just to the left of this awing. Wish that it had gone all the way to the next corner. 

Mulberries are really putting on a show this year. This picture doesn't do this old tree justice. I wish that you could see just how many berries are on this thing. The birds are having a field day not sure we'll get many cause they eat them as soon as the turn red not even making it to black.

Anyone need a fig tree? Seriously. I took cuttings from some trees at the same place that the bananas came from. Out of the eighty one cuttings that were stuck in pots all except for five are rooted and are putting on new growth.
Well that's all for now, time for bed Alpo. Awww dad can't I just sleep in mom's chair tonight?