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| Sweet Peas, planted (probably?) around St Patrick's Day - two month's growth |
While a lot of what I've grown is the sort of thing you plant, harvest and forget about, there are some more long-lived additions to my yard. And, unlike the super-fast growth of the tomatoes and corn, it's a little harder to notice that they're getting bigger. So you'll understand how startling it is to look back at how tiny the artichoke was when I first bought it, and to compare that to its current gigantic proportions.
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| Six months' growth - left: December 2, 2015 - right: May 18, 2016 |
Whatever had been eating it has clearly given up, and I can't blame it - those thorny leaves keep me away, too (why yes, there are weeds hiding underneath its prickly protection). Considering that I've never actually eaten artichoke and wouldn't have a clue how to prepare it, I won't be too worried if it doesn't flower. But it seems to be thriving, so I'm also pretty happy with it. According to the packet it shouldn't get too much bigger than this, so I look forward to seeing how it does from now on.
Of course, my precious chickens are also a great example. When I got them they were kinda scrawny little things, skittish and unhappy with being dragged around in a cardboard box all day. Now that they're settled in - and with a steady supply of sow-thistle for treats - they're looking much healthier. And (though it's hard to see in the pictures) they have their Big Girl Feathers growing in on their wings. I'm going to miss the fluff but it's exciting to see them grow. And grow they have!
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| Janeway tends to hog the limelight - top: April 30, 2016 - bottom: May 18, 2016 |
I've only had them just over two weeks, which makes them roughly 8-10 weeks old. They should be laying around August, but in the meantime I'm happy just learning how to take care of them. So far I've been pleased to discover that they go nuts for sow thistle - and sow thistle grows like crazy in my yard. They know that when I kneel down and do some weeding it's about to be treat time, and will run back and forth impatiently at the gate while they wait.
My other major success story is the spinach. The spinach! I can't get through it. I've given away bags of it, food-processed and frozen an entire canning saucepan worth, and still it flourishes. Do you want some spinach? I have plenty to spare.
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| I've heard the phrase "perpetual spinach" and I'm starting to believe it - top: January 17, 2016 - bottom: May 18, 2016 |
Sadly the chickens are not huge fans of the spinach, so I'm just going to have to start thinking of more ways to cook it up in the kitchen. This is also the area that I've found the most pests - a lot of caterpillars and little snails and spiders hide under those leaves. Overall, though, the plants are damn healthy. I've heard that spinach is meant to be a cold-weather plant, too, so I guess its success through summer makes this one especially hardy.
The raspberry canes have been a weird one for me. I have no idea how to handle them and, aside from one very uncomfortable afternoon spent doing my best to get rid of the incredibly pointy weeds that were growing amongst (/towering over) them, I haven't done a lot with them. They did grow a handful of berries and every now and then I'll spot another one out there, but not enough to do anything with. Do I need to prune them? Will I kill them?
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| Raspberries in limbo - top: December 28, 2015 - bottom: May 18, 2016 |
The raspberry bed is still kind of a mess, but at least it's a manageable mess - the majority of the weeds in there now are soursobs and cow thistle, and those I can deal with. I'm going to have to do some reading about how to help the raspberries, though, because I feel bad about neglecting them.
In other news of losing battles, the potato vine still completely dominates the south-east corner of the property. I've pruned it (well, as well as one can with a pair of secateurs and no clue) a couple of times but it laughs in the face of my pruning.
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| I am losing this war! - left: February 11, 2016 - right: May 18, 2016 |
Cutting each vine individually is a huge time sink and involves a lot of ripping and tearing to get them free of each other, but it's invading my washing line again and I simply can't let it get away with that. And now that the worm farm is in (not pictured, but it's in that little wooden area) and I have some bulbs to plant in the boring, bark-chipped area to the right, it's time to get this sorted out so that I can enjoy this space again. Perhaps if I get my hands on an electronic trimmer?
I'd like to end on a positive note, and that means that my final comparison is between the Cascade and Sweet Georgia yarns I got earlier this year and the developing socks I've been slowly but surely making from them. I go through stages with sock knitting - I love it dearly, but sometimes I just have to put it away. Now that the weather is turning cold again, though, it's time for some new socks to keep these toes warm.
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| Half-frogged twice now but finally coming together, and only five months later. |
The moment I saw these yarns together I knew I wanted to make them into some socks and since then I've cannibalised a bunch of faire isle/stranded colourwork charts to create some colourwork designs to decorate them with. The pattern itself is my standard Simple Sock Formula sock, though I've had to increase the stitch count a little to account for the lack of give the stranded colourwork has. They're going to be a firm fit but I've been trying them on as I go to make sure they aren't too firm. I'm confident that they're going to be awesome... it just might take a while, yet.
These six months have flown past, and the heady rush of sun-loving crops now has to give way to the slow burn of winter staples. But my long-term challenges are all making progress (I mean, one way or another) and it's exciting to see things change, and to compare them to where I'm coming from. I'm sure the next season will hold just as many blunders, but... well, it's a learning process, right?
Bring it on.
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