I am standing in a kitchen with about 50 beautiful frothy elderflowers and feeling inspired. I will try to take pictures of the processes, but could get messy.
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Proof positive the diatomaceous earth is "da bomb" ! 50 quarts and counting!
The Rose Chafer's were defeated in their attempt to smite the orchard. We are ready for the Japanese Beetles once they arrive en masse. Every fruiting variety of berry has produced blossoms, some already berry-ing. Next week we should be able to amble amongst them with delicious wafts of Elderflower all around. Can't wait! The Diatomaceous Earth Spray mix appears to have saved the strawberries. This is the third picking of the beds, each about the same amount. Only 9 berries total were under attack by the Rose Chafer Beetles, and crushed for good measure under my sandals.
I think it's a definite win. Next round of beasties are Japanese Beetles, about 1 -2 weeks before their arrival. Small reprieve from the battle we will relish. We are currently waging a battle against a "disaster of biblical proportions" to quote Dr. Peter Venkman.
Okay... maybe I exaggerate a tad. But maybe just a little . The particular beastie is known as the Rose Chafer Beetle. They invade from the ground up with two missions. To eat and mate, voraciously and simultaneously. We have waged war with this enemy before, but this year they have chosen the leaves of the elderberries as their love dens. We have spent a total of 20 hours hand-picking them off and putting them in buckets of soapy water. Their numbers are less, but we are outnumbered. They have been sprayed with Neem, Neem with Surround and also hand-picked. Next plan of attack is neem with diatomaceous earth. We have another week and a half, if we are lucky, before these guys disappear again. They are plotting to take on our beautiful crop of ripening strawberries next. Since they are in the ground, row covers are not an option.... so let's hope the Neem/DE combo works.... We have perused the orchard, early this morning and are pretty impressed with all of the growth, happy with the state of things.
Because we have been out straight between work, the Farmer's Market and the orchard work, etc. we have deemed this day off as an "Away Day". Away from the happenings in this world, and seek out adventure in the bigger one. And, since we are going with that free and relaxed mindset it is also going to be a mini vacation all day long. woopie! I will post pics later.... time to play. T. Can't believe it is already Newfield Farmer's Market Day again! We have been out straight between last Saturday to this. We were able to get the remaining new apple trees, but also the elderberry cuttings planted out this week. The cuttings were from taken this winter from the varieties we are already growing here, and rooted. These new transplanrs enjoyed the wet, cold week far more than we, getting comfie in their new digs.
Fortunately, it was easy going for planting in that these were holes dug and prepared in Spring of 2012 when the initial hedgerows were put in. Their predecessors didn't settle in too well , so these are their replacements. Ready and waiting to get busy! This means ~ Snow Fire Hollow is chock full of elderberry plants, officially and finally! Four varieties, seemingly happy to he here, if the growth so far this season is an indication. There is one particular spot up on the knoll that could use one more, right next to a wee orphan elderberry, sitting alone, waiting for a playmate. But once the playdate begins, the elderberry total is at 87 plants. Woo hoo. Other Hollow Happenin's'... More herbs and vegetable seedlings transplanted into the guilds and the veggie beds too, by the H. yesterday in the pouring rain, but he in his glory, rain or shine, in the dirt or muck. The keyhole garden is also primed and ready now for me to get out there and re-home some of my perrenial herb seedlings. The seedlings for market patiently waited for today to roll round again. They laughed off the wet, cold weather and responded heartily to the couple stretches ( as in hours) of warm sunny weather. So, the fare this week will be more Amaranth, Purple Beauty as well as Hot Peppers, Pineapple and Sungold Cherry Tomatoes. Lavender, Lemon Thyme, Chives and eggplant and more! Organically grown, here at the Hollow. Also, I must mention that we have handmade market bags available, too. So stop in at the booth and pick one up before you shop! And please take along a seedling or three, all ready to "leave" and get to their new homes. ;) The seedlings have left home to make their way out into the world! They are available to good homes only - please help give the little guys and gals a place to spread their roots and leaves! :) Newfield Farmer's Market Day is 6 days from today. We have today and tomorrow, off from, you know, work, to get busy working to be ready for it.
The day has dawned, and it's time to get busy. My coffee cup is empty without the desireable effect I was hoping for. Cold, Cruel world. I would write the to-do list here, but that would serve no purpose and just make me hyperventilate. Besides, H. just ascended the stairs, with each step calling out what's on The List. Great.... Breathe in, breathe out. The day has arrived! One of the reasons we chose 'Hollow' as part of our little orchard's name, is because it aptly describes the lay of the land here. Like so many homes today, our property is the result of an old farm and it's pasture from a bygone time, purchased and then subdivided. The Webber Farm, as it once was named, is now divided into 6 homes, all with about the same amount of land as we own. The perimeter of the old farmland, like so many of New England, still has smattered vestiges of the rockwall built by clearing the land by stronghands and oxen. These earlier farmers did the unenviable task of attempting to clear their quarry of various stones and boulders that were in the way of decent farming soil so they could do what was natural in their time, if survival for themselves and family was to happen. Once erected, the walls served to delineate the property, hold back the ever encroaching woodland, and keep in the livestock. I still am deeply saddened that 98% of the beautiful historical rockwall that lined the front of the property was destroyed to make way for "progress" and chop up the farm into new homes. Much of the back wall has crumbled as the woods marched forward to reclaim itself. Anyway, back to the "hollow".... The Webber Farm and it's pastureland, sat in a lull of land between a road and a hill. Thereby each parcel now has a home which sits either nearer to the road, or back along the front of that hill. Our home is situated on a high point, above the road on an earthen-covered granite ledge, with the orchard and garden rolling downward and then begins a gentle slope upwards onto that hill, way out back. The land belonging to our neighbors on either side of us, is at a varying degrees of higher elevation. So there you are left with a bit of a hollow. That, I suppose we could now call phase 1 and 2 of our orchard's development. Today, began the planting of the slope on that hill, and it faces South. This will be the final frontier for us, as we have no where else to g(ro)w. The property ends just beyond there. A south-facing slope is a desirable trait in planting of fruit trees. Our intent is to move the apple trees from their nursery bed to there, and along the slopes' s perimeter, instead of a rockwall, we will plant a Sea Buckthorn hedge. There are several reasons for those choices I will detail later in the Etcetera tab. But for today, it is pictures of that new beginning of this particular end, but a good one. To commemorate the event, it poured rain just about the entire time: |
AuthorI am T- the other half -of the dream-wrangler team, in the Orchard adventure. Categories |
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