I’m going to have lots of new fruit this year! The kiwi and grapes have buds:
The currants have actual unripe berries:
The fig tree seems to be ripening two entire figs…which is pretty impressive, considering it’s barely more than a twig:
And the strawberries I planted on the quail coop roof garden are doing wonderfully.
My from-seed ground cherries are doing very well. I’ve never tasted a ground cherry before; I’m really looking forward to harvesting fruit.
The pear and apple espaliers have a long ways to go, still, but they are leafing out and looking pretty. I found a cheap blackboard, and put it out in the garden. I still need to find a place to hang it, but I think it looks really cool out there!
I have lots of little lettuces coming up. I love all the different colors and leaf shapes of lettuce. It’s such a pity some people only are familiar with store-bought iceberg.
And the names! This next is called: Frizzy Headed Drunken Woman. Who wouldn’t want such a disorderly lettuce in their garden? I hope she doesn’t corrupt the beets….
The chicken’s kale patch is growing up – and soon I’ll be putting out quinoa seedlings in behind them. I’ve never tried quinoa before, but if it’s successful, the quail will adore the seed heads.
Speaking of the chickens, my favorite girl, Ellie, likes nothing more than to sleep/sunbathe in my lap. She’s been too camera-shy to let me get a picture before, but today she was just too sleepy to care.
She’s a very smart chicken. It took me awhile to catch on, but she communicates her desires to me by pecking me. On the foot, if she wants me to go somewhere (like take her out to garden compost bin to dig for worms). On the knee, if she wants me to sit down, so she can take a nap on my lap! Since I figured this out, I’ve been testing it, and it’s definitely true!
Look at this sleepy face…
I also have healthy looking crops of potatoes…but we’ll have to wait to see how many potatoes actually grow. I’m testing three different methods: in the ground, in grow bags, and in a trash can. Here is a few in a grow bag.
And the bees? They appear to be doing well, and I hope I’ll see some newly hatched bees soon. They are definitely busy making comb. They have four pieces in the new hive so far.
I really, really hope they survive – they are so incredibly awesome to watch. I like just sitting beside the hive and watching them come and go. They don’t seem to mind my presence at all. Yesterday, one landed on my shoulder and sat with me for a little bit before buzzing off to work.
And I made a new quail video for you. I ended up with three girls from that last batch I hatched. One boy was lucky enough to find a new home with a friend – along with one of the girls. They other two are staying with me, and Loki could not be more delighted to have a coop and girls all to himself. The other four boys I processed for meat. That was an experience I’ll save for a latter post.
Out of Eden 