Gardening Expectations

We had hoped to start construction of the greenhouse next week... and are still planning it.  This week Keith is busy with all day meetings, and we are expecting The Weather Event of the Winter on Thursday, according to our weathermen.  Snow, Sleet, Ice, the whole caboodle.  For right now, here are our plastic sheets: 

They are on the ground because in yesterday's 30 mile an hour winds, they began to sail away from where they were stacked on the side of the henspa, even with the 4 x 4s you see on the ground stacked up against them.  We had to weight them down, literally.  Lifting one in any wind is akin to taking off... we are warning you of this.  We will be putting the greenhouse together on NO WIND days. 

They are on the side of the henspa, near the garden, where no one will have to walk while the snow is on the ground this week. 

Last year, I bought a very good book on Amazon by Sydney Eddison, who has been a life-long gardener and raised hundreds of daylillies in her gardens, where she worked alongside her husband.  Then, she was widowed.  She came to the realization that, in order to keep gardening, she would have to cut back and replace some of those perennials that she had always loved with easy-care shrubs, etc.  (The book is called : Gardening for a Lifetime).  Today, while out in the yard, I took some pictures. 

Please note that the green you see coming up is GRASS, that I am going to have to dig out next week (OR pull up, as some of it is in the lasagna layers, and is easy to get out)

Not grass... yarrow, or achillea.  

And the north side of the arbor. 

Do you see what I've done to myself? 

I babied 15 perennials on the deck all last summer, because by the time I was ready to plant them, the gardens were burning up.  I took a chance and put them in in September, and almost all died.  That is a LOT of money to throw away... nursery grown perennials can be anywhere from 7.50 apiece to 12.50 or more apiece.  This year, I'm planting annuals, because I suspect we are going to have another hot summer, and the water can only go so far.  I have bought lots of annual seeds from Burpee, and from Thompson and Morgan. 

Some of the perennials are still alive, but my point here is... I'm not getting any younger, and I realize it now.  The days of having my grandson over for a few days of digging are past, too, so I am going to streamline and make things as easy for myself as I can.  Oh, yes, there are still going to be sacks of dirt hauled around, and raking, and digging... but I hope less and less as the beds mature and self-seed. 

Something is going on in the henspa for the past 3 days.  A group of five little bantam hens has stopped laying, and are hiding under the nest box back in the corner.  I'm not sure when they are coming out to eat and drink... or get warm under the light in there.  Tomorrow, I'm putting the critter cam in there and I'm going to find out who is bedeviling them... and then that offender (or offenders) is going back to the old henhouse.  

I'll report on that tomorrow night. 

Here was a little visitor yesterday: 

All the wildings are going to get extra feed these next few days.  If we DO get the ice and sleet, it is going to be critical to their well-being to have food and water.  

Abby's making sure she knows where all the shelters are! 

That's it for today from Calamity Acres! 

The Greenhouse becomes Real

We expected a delivery today between 1 and 5.  

Keith hurried to get things done this morning so he could be here. 

At 11:30, look what pulled up, and nary a dog (all inside) barked. 

My phone rang, and I was told "I'm at your gate". 

I alerted Keith. 

A huge box, 428 pounds... was manhandled off the truck and into our pickup by a pallet jack, and the driver and Keith.  

I was told to stay away and be quiet, and for once, I took his advice!  :-) 

Within ten minutes, he was at the site in the garden, and unloading everything. 

He had to open the box and unload all the pieces. 

(Biggify and note buds on maple tree branches in picture!) 

I went out to take pictures and set the treat bucket down for a minute... those are the panels leaning against the side of the henspa. 

Someone was trying to get to the bread. 

This gives you some idea of the waffle weave of the polycarbonate panels. 

In the background are some 4 x 4  pieces laying on the ground... Keith says now that the greenhouse will be 8 x 17 feet, instead of 10 x 18.  There is a reason for this... and we will also site it a little bit closer to the garden beds, instead of right next to the henspa.  There is a reason for THAT, too... I'll find out what they are and report on them. 

It's getting real!  Unfortunately, except for Sunday, we are to have very cold weather next week, with a 70% chance of snow on Wednesday, so we will put off construction for a week. 

Folly says:  "What are you putting next to us, Mama?" 

That's it for today from Calamity Acres! 

Soup and Cornbread

That's the kind of day it was, a soup and cornbread kind of day!  Predicted to be the coldest day of the year, and I only got 13 eggs from both sides, so the girls thought so, too. 

Some of you asked last night (J and S from Cranky Puppy) about the components we were ordering for our greenhouse.  We placed the order today, and I think I called the sheets we are using "Polypropylene".  Rigghtttt.  Here is what they are: 

Description

Optimum Protection For Your Plants
Sunlight is necessary for plant growth, but too much direct exposure can damage, even burn plants. ThermaGlas SolarSoft polycarbonate covering allows the most nourishing light to shine through to your plants while keeping potentially harmful ultraviolet and infrared rays at bay. SolarSoft covering is optimized for 80% PAR light transmission (light used in the photosynthetic process) and 95% light diffusion (which means sunlight is scattered and distributed evenly among plants). Its impact resistant and virtually unbreakable design is made to stand the tests of weather and time.

Features

• Superb thermal insulation saves energy
• Light weight
• Low flammability (available with CC1 rating)
• Easy to install using ordinary tools
• Capable of cold-forming to an arch
• Wide service temperature range
• 10 year limited warranty
• Diffused, softer light
• Less shadows cast by structural members and/or curtain systems
• Deeper penetration of light into the plant canopy
• 100% UV protection

The greenhouse is going to be 10 feet x 16 feet, and will be placed next to the henspa, so we can use the electricity and the water that are run there.  There will be some shading in the afternoon from the shadow cast by the henspa, but we know from the heat in the hoophouse last year that this will actually help us.  We are also going to buy shadecloth from the Shadecloth Store, where we got our covering for the henspa yard, if we need it. 

We are buying the components from 

The Greenhouse Megastore which you can find HERE.

We are going to buy some other things from them when we have everthing set up, but to give you a "for instance"... we did order the aluminum corners, end caps, ridges, and the hobby ventilation package. 

Keith will put a door on it himself. 

We will also do certain parts of the framing ourselves... and let's face it, I'll be holding things and handing things... I'm no builder.  

We are going to tie it all down with mobile home ties instead of sinking piers, but set the ties in concrete. 

We're also going to put a base inside of landscape fabric, landscape papers, and then gravel... 70 bags of it... so we don't have any weeds coming up inside like we did the hoop house. 

In anticipation of this, I've been ordering seeds... so far, I've gotten my seeds from Baker Creek, from Thompson and Morgan, and in the next few days, from Burpee.  

I'm stopping there for a while. 

Here's our big boy out in the yard today... he was getting along pretty well.  It's down to 18 right now, and will be going down to zero tonight.  I have already emptied all the waterers except the one in the henspa that is on the heater base.  

One of my biggest goals is to have the old henhouse rewired this year, so that all outlets can be used next winter, and we can put two heated waterers in there if we need to, one on the feed room side, and one in the coop side.  We were able to do this before, but the wiring is almost gone, and only one outlet works reliably.  We would like to strip all the drywall out from in there.  

And speaking of the big henhouse, I have a bird showing signs of  upper respiratory problems today... or rather, for the past three days.  She was alone on the feed room side when I went in to dump the waterers... and I went back and got some VetRX to dose her with... she was pretty indignant.  My feeling is that the low temp tonight will get anyone who is not in good shape... it's when we have historically lost weak birds. 

Abby was ready to get back in but I will give her credit... she came outside three times and ran around in the bright sunlight .... and, as you see, we have plenty of buckets for water-carrying. 

I saw a red-winged blackbird today at the flat feeder, so I KNOW spring is coming!