February 2016 Update

Hello everyone!  I should let you all know that the first week of January 2016 all of my greenhouse lettuce, arugula and claytonia died.  The temperature got way down in the negatives and it killed all of the plants.  Which, to be honest, mother nature was really on my side this year.  We have had a very mild winter with very few cold weeks.  I just thought I would post a quick update here on my chickens.  Here are a few videos:

In another couple of weeks I will be posting a "review article" on how I've switched to all natural household products.  I've been using quite a few new items and will post my reviews of them.  Thanks for reading, welcome new readers and stay tuned!

Christmas 2015 Update!

Merry Christmas!  Here are some videos of me giving bread to the chickens and also some garden updates.  Enjoy!

November 2015 Harvest

I just uploaded 3 videos to YouTube so you could see an update on the greenhouse, garden and chickens.  Here they are!

Harvest 2015 Update!

It has been awhile since my last update!  I got my greenhouse cold weather plants planted and they've started to grow.  Here is a video on the greenhouse and the hoop row in the garden. 

I am looking forward to harvesting from these cold weather crops!  I am hoping to pick all the way through December!  I am hoping anyway!  

September Update

Last week I planted a row of winter carrots and beet greens.  These are cold weather varieties Napoli (carrots) and Bull's Blood beet greens.  I don't have any sprouts in the row yet, but once it sprouts I will then cover the row with a fabric hoop so I can (hopefully) harvest into November and maybe even later.  I have a few other greens I will be trying out in my greenhouse also. Red Leaf Lettuce, Claytonia (cold weather green) and a cold weather Arugula variety.  I will keep you posted as I go with this project.  For now, here are a few videos updating you on the garden and greenhouse.  Also one video of Rocco and Rambo the rooster. 

Below are a couple of photos of some of the tomato harvest.  We have picked triple this amount.  I canned pasta sauce out of some of them.  Brandywine, Roma, Grape, and Better Boy tomatoes.

Dilly Beans I canned 10 pints!

Here is my farm dog who is also a rescue Rocco!

Garden and Greenhouse August Update!

It's been awhile since my last update, I filmed a short video to show you the progress of the garden and greenhouse.  I plan to plant some "cold weather" crops toward the end of August and try a couple of hoop rows in the garden and possibly use the same cover fabric in the greenhouse.  Also my new addition to the farm, Rocco the dog!  Here is the video!

July Update!

Here is an update on our garden! We planted a much smaller one this year.  I took some photos and a couple of videos.  You can see my rain barrel chicken waterer and also my new Silver Duckwing bantam chickens!

 Green Beans

 Zucchini

Roma, Cherry and Brandywine tomatoes!

 Wildflowers.  Black Eyed Susans.

 Blueberry bush! I tasted a couple of berries, they're almost ripe!

 Pinwheel the rooster!  :)

 Baby Silver Duckwing Bantam chickens!

I am not sure if this is a butterfly or a moth but I thought it was really pretty.

Below is a video of my Rain Barrel Chicken Waterer!

Silver Duckwing Bantam Chickens!

Chicken Swing!

My dad made this chicken swing last year and I didn't think they would pay any attention to it...but they love it!

First StealthCam Photos

I finally got some photos on the Stealth Cam trail camera that are worth sharing.  Here they are!

Rescued Baby Bunnies and Stealth Cam Setup

Here is another update of what I've been doing the last couple weeks.  I updated not too long ago, but had more video than I could upload with the time I had.  A couple weeks ago my dad and I rescued 4 wild baby bunnies from a nest that was being attacked by a stray cat.  I took 2 short videos of them eating this morning, they're doing well and I am planning on maybe letting them go around Memorial Day.

Baby Bunnies

Here is an update on my Interplex Solar Nite Eyes predator protection setup

I put up the Stealth Cam G42NG trail camera this morning.  I'm hoping to have some photos by tomorrow morning!

Spring 2015

Here is a quick update of the plants and flowers coming up.  Here are some photos:

Plum Tree in bloom

 Crabapple Tree in bloom

 This is a wildflower of some sort, but I don't know what it is.

 Pear Tree

 First year for these pear trees, so I will keep updating on how they're doing.

 Hostas coming up!

 This is a groundcover that my mom has, and its great! But again, I'm not sure what its called.

 Lily of the Valley

 Green Onions are coming up!

 Grecian Wind Flowers

 Here is a closer photo of the plum tree blooms.

Here are some videos of chickens and some things I was doing today! The weather was so great!

Good Snowy Morning!

Just made a quick video this morning....we are getting a bunch of snow today here in Central Ohio.

February Updates!

Here is what I've been up too lately!  It has been very cold here in Central Ohio and I'm always preparing for snow storms or cold temps.  Check out the videos!

 This is Freebie!  She was a free chick in my hatchery order.  She's a White Leghorn and she is the smallest chicken I have.  She is the most reliable egg layer, she is also the only chicken I have that lays white eggs.                    

Below is one of my roosters.  His name is Big Boy. He's the largest and definitely the one in charge!

January 2015 Update

Happy New Year!  It has been quite a while since my last update back in September.  So far this winter has been going well with the new chicken barn.  We had a few very cold nights though, and I decided to get a poultry heater to use when the temperature goes below 10 degrees.  I ended up getting the "Sweeter Heater" Poultry heater.  I got the side mount 11x30inch model.  Below are a couple of videos and also a couple of photos of one of my roosters.  His name is Sriracha! I am also starting to get a list of seeds I will need for garden planting. I got a variety pack of heirloom seeds for Christmas that I'm looking forward to planting.

Video Update!

It has been a few months since my last update.  My garden this year did not produce much.  It was very wet here and only my green onions, zucchini and yellow squash produced.  I did end up getting a new chicken barn and outdoor pen and here are some videos to update you!


Here is a photo of the completed barn and outdoor pen.

                                                                      Outdoor pen

                                                              Inside the new barn.

                                                    Drainage trench in front of the old barn

                                                                   Young Chickens and Roosters

Storing chicken feed in 55 gallon barrels.

We also just planted 2 bartlett pear trees this fall.  I will keep you posted on how they do.  The wire around them is so the deer will not eat the trees.

June 2014

The weather is nice today, so I spent most of it outside doing some work around the chicken coop.  One thing I have been wanting to get done, was to dig a trench around the old chicken coop, so that the water would drain better.  The location of that coop gets pretty wet when we get a big rainstorm.  I will eventually fill the trench in with gravel so it operates like a dry creek bed.  I took a couple short videos outside also.  My dad was mowing the field around the new chicken barn and the second video is just me driving the mower up to the new barn!  I will have an outdoor pen built on to the new barn soon. Once the pen is built, I can move the chickens up to the new spot.  I will then use the old coop for storage and new chicks.  Enjoy!

The lilies are beginning to bloom!

Info Sheets for Ohio

The following information was taken from www.knoxcountyparks.org.

Deer Resistant Plants

“Plants That Taste Yucky to Bambi”

Perennials

Achillea Aconitum Agastache Alchemilla Allium Amsonia Anemone Anemonella Aquilegia Arabis Arisaema Artemisia Asclepias Aubretia Baptisa Bergenia Boltonia Brunnera Buddleia Centaurea Ceratostigma Cerastium Chelone Cimicifuga Clematis Colchicum Convallaria Coreopsis Cyclamen Delosperma Dicentra Dictamnus Digitalis Dryopteris Echinacea Echinops Epimedium Eryngium Eupatorium

Annuals

Ageratum Alcea Alyssum Asparagus ferns Begonia Brugmansia & Datura Calla lily

California poppy Caster bean Celosia Centaurea Cleome

Cosmos Dahlia Dusty miller Foxglove Gomphrena Hypoestes Ipomea Hypoestes Ipomea Lantana Larkspur Marigold Matthiola (Stock) Melampodium Mirabilis Morning glory Myosotis Nasturtium Nicotiana Papaver (Poppy) Pelargonium Salvia-(blue, gregii types) Snapdragon Solanum-Jerusalem cherry Verbena

Zinnia

Euphorbia Gaillardia Geranium Geum Grasses-(most) Gypsophila Helianthus Heliopsis Helleborus Hemerocallis Hesperis Heuchera Hibiscus Houttuynia Iberis

Papaver Perovskia Persicaria Physostegia Polemonium Poppy Potentilla Primula Pulmonaria Ranunculus Rheum Rudbeckia Salvia-aromatic types Saponaria

Iris Kirengeshoma Kniphofia Lamium Lavender Leucanthemem Liatris Ligularia Linaria Lilium Limonium Linum Lobelia syphilitica Lupine Lychnis Matteuccia Monarda This fact sheet serves to

Sedum (some) Silphium Solidago Sweet Woodruff Tanacetum Thalictrum Thymus

Tiarella Verbascum V ernonia V eronica Wisteria Y ucca

assist Knox County citizens in living within their natural world and is provided by the Knox County Park District.

Myosotis Narcissus Nepeta Oenothera Osmunda Pachysandra Paeonia www.knoxcountyparks.org
Deer Resistant Plants

Trees

Fraser Fir Maples Shadblow Serviceberry Pawpaw Paper Birch Hornbeam Cedar Cypress Fringe tree Smokebush Flowering Dogwood Korean Dogwood Hawthorne European Beech Ginko Common Witchhazel American Holly Chinese Juniper Sweet Gum Southern Magnolia Mugo Pine Black Pine Red Pine White Pine Dawn Redwood Black Gum/Black Tupelo Sourwood Norway Spruce White Spruce Colorado Spruce Douglas Fir Oaks

Shrubs

Bottlebrush Buckeye Bearberry Chokeberry Barberry

Butterfly Bush Boxwood Bittersweet Beautyberry Sweetshrub Blue Mist Shrub Japanese Plum Yew Quince

Cypress Sweet Pepperbush Smokebush Cottoneaster Forsythia Rose of Sharon Wintergreen/Checkerberry St. Johnswort Inkberry Juniper (low grow types) Japanese Kerria Pea shrub Drooping Leucothoe Spicebush Oregon Grapeholly Bayberry Mockorange Firethorn Japanese Andromeda Pieris Cinquefoil Fragrant Sumac Willow Elderberry Spirea Snowberry Lilac Viburnum Chase Tree Weigela Yucca

Veggies & Herbs

Basil Chives & Onions Comfrey Lavender Mints Oregano Parsley Perilla Rosemary Tansy

Deer really aren’t out to destroy your day, they’re just hungry. The trick is to make your plants unappetizing to them. There are commercial products that can help, so give them a try.

A home remedy that might work for deer, squirrels and rabbits is:

1 gal. water, 2 T. Tabasco sauce, 2 T. dish soap, 1 t. garlic powder. Spray on plants weekly or after it rains.

Deer use their sense of smell to decide what might taste good. So pick heavily aromatic plants to place all around the yard. It will confuse them. Also bitter, course textured, sticky or prickly leaves send deer to a new restaurant after a few bites.

The listed plants are usually deer resistant. Be aware that in the spring most everything tastes good. Please note this list is no guarantee—only some suggestions—for living with native wildlife.

www.knoxcountyparks.org

Hummingbird Plants

“Plants That Attract Hummingbirds”

Annuals

Abutilon Agapanthus Agastache Balsam Bromeliads Canna Cardinal Climber (Vine) Cestrum

Cleome Cuphea-cigar plant Cross Vine Cypress Vine Dicliptera suberecta Eucalyptus Four-o-clocks Fuchsia Hamelia patens Impatiens Lantana Mandevilla Vine Morning glory (Vine) Nasturtium Nicotiana Pentas Petunia Salvia Scarlet Runner Bean Shrimp Plant Snapdragons Verbena Wax Begonia Zinnia

Perennials

Alcea Althea Aquilegia Asclepias Campanula Campsis-trumpet vine Clematis

Crocosmia Delphinium Dianthus Dicentra Digitalis Epimedium Hemerocallis Heuchera Hibiscus Hosta

Iris Liatris Lilium Lobelia Lupinus Lychnis Monarda Nepeta Papaver Pelargonium Penstemon Phlox paniculata Physostegia Salvia Saponaria Scabiosa Symphytum (comfrey) Vinca major

Trees

Aesculus carnea Red Horsechestnut Aesculus flava Yellow Buckeye Aesculus pavia Red-Flowering Buckeye Cercis canadensis Redbud

Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood Crateagus spp. Hawthorne Liriodendron tulipifera Tuliptree Magnolia virginiana Sweet Bay Magnolia Prunus serotina Wild Black Cherry

Salix spp. Willow Stewartia psedocamellia Japanese Stewartis

Shrubs

Abelia grandifora Glossy Abelia Azalea exbury Deciduous Azalea var. Buddlleia Butterfly Bush Caryopteris B lue Spiraea/Blue Mist Shrub Clethra alnifolia Hummingbird Summersweet Hibiscus syricas Rose of Sharon Kolwitzia amabilis Beautybush Lindera benzoin Spice Bush Ribes sanguineum Red-Flowering Currant Rhododendron Rhododendron Sambucus racemosa Elderberry Syringa vulgaris Common Lilac (most varieties) Viburnun spp. Viburnum

This fact sheet serves to assist Knox County citizens in living within their natural world and is provided by the Knox County Park District.

www.knoxcountyparks.org

Hummingbird Plants

The Hummingbird Scene

If you want to attract hummingbirds the natural way, plant their favorite plants. They don’t have a sense of smell; they do have great eyesight, and red is their slight favorite, (but other colors will do just fine). Research has shown that hummingbirds can see the color red, especially a large area of it, from over a half a mile away.

As you’re planning your hummingbird garden, try to provide a succession of red, orange and pink flowering plants. You’re sure to lure migrating hummingbirds to stop along the way, and you’ll keep your yard filled with hummingbird activity throughout the growing season and well into fall.

Don’t forget to provide convenient perches nearby, since 80% of the time hummingbirds rest from all that wing action. Shrubs are a natural fit for this job. When the nectar-rich flowers fade, they provide perches, cover and even nesting areas.

This fact sheet contains some of hummingbirds’ favorite nectar flowers. Happy gardening and keep your eyes on your hummingbird plants.

Top Twenty Hummingbird Plants*

Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) Beebalm or Oswego Tea (Monarda didyma) Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadense) Canada Lily (Lilium canadense) Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) Rosebay or Catawba Rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense) Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) Giant Blue Sage (Salvia guaranitica) Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeana) Mimosa or Silktree (Albizia julibrissin) Shrub Verbena (Lantana camara) Butterfly Bush (Buddlia davidii) Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) Cigar Plant (Cuphea ignea)

This fact sheet serves to assist Knox County citizens in living within their natural world and is provided by the Knox County Park District.

www.knoxcountyparks.org

* Source: Operation Ruby Throat, the first ten plants listed are native species.

Butterfly Plants

“Plants That Provide Food & Shelter for Butterflies”

Annuals

Ageratum Allyssum Cosmos Gallardia Impatiens Heliotrope Lantana Marigold Morning glory Nasturtium Nicotiana Pentas

Petunia Queen Anne’s lace Snapdragon Sunflower Thistle Tithonia Verbena Zinnias

Perennials

Achillea Agastache Alcea Allium Arabis Armeria Artemesia Aruncus Asclepias Aster Astilbe Aubrieta Baptisia Centaurea Centranthus Ceratostigma

Perennials

Chelone Cimicifuga Coreopsis Delphinium Dianthus Dictamnus Digitalis Echinacea Echinops Erigeron Eupatorium Gaillardia Geranium spp. Helianthus Heliopsis Hemerocallis Heuchera Iberis Leucanthemum Liatris Lonicera Lupinus

Malva Monarda Nepeta Origanum Penstemon Phlox Physostegia Rudbeckia Salvia Saponaria Scabiosa Sedum Solidago Viola

Herbs

Anise Borage Catnip Dill Fennel Hyssop Lavender Mints Oregano Rosemary Rue

Sage

Veggies & Fruit

Arugula Cabbage Carrot Celery Mustard Parsley Turnip Blueberry Raspberry Peach

Trees, Shrubs & Woody Climbers

Aesculus - Yellow Buckeye Azalea spp. - Azalea Asimina - Common pawpaw Buddleia - Butterfly bush Caryopteris cvs. - Blue Spirea Celtis occidentalis - Common Hackberry Chaenomeles cvs. - Quince

Clethra - Summersweet Cornus spp. - Dogwood Cottoneaster spp. - Cotoneaster Hibiscus - Mallow Ligustrum spp. - Privet Lindera benzoin - Spicebush Liriodendron tulipifera - Tuliptree Prunus sargentii - Sargent Cherry Prunus serotina - Black Cherry Rhododendron spp. - Rhododendron Salix spp. - Willow Sassafras albidum - Sassafras Syringa spp. - Lilac Viburnum spp. - Viburnum Weigela spp. - Weigela Wisteria spp. - Wisteria

www.knoxcountyparks.orgButterfly Plants

Beauty on the Wing

A complete habitat for butterflies includes more than pretty flowers that have the nectar most desired. They need mud, water, sun and a plant to lay the eggs that will feed the caterpillars. The list of plants in this fact sheet, probably far from complete, will attract and keep butterflies in your yard. Butterflies choose the flowers they desire by smell, not by color.

Fast Garden Butterfly Basics

Flowers, flowers, flowers. You cannot have too many from the butterflies point of view. If they have favorite colors, red would be at the top of the list.

Plant in large groups or clumps rather than individually.

Choose the sunniest spot in your garden to plant your nectar flowers.

Plant groups of similar colored flowers together.

Try to protect your beds of nectar flowers from the prevailing wind.

Make sure you have plants that will flower throughout the season.

Avoid the use of chemicals and pesticides.

Butterflies like to bask in the early morning sunshine on sun-warmed rocks, bricks or gravel paths.

Provide a muddy puddle in a sunny spot.

Caterpillars are hungry. Provide plenty of host/larval plants for them to eat. Make sure provide the correct plant (i.e. the ones that butterflies native to your area will lay their eggs on).

Consult your local library for books on gardening for wildlife.

This fact sheet serves to assist Knox County citizens in living within their natural world and is provided by the Knox County Park District.

www.knoxcountyparks.org

Ohio & Midwestern Natives

Perennials

Actaea pachypoda - Baneberry Adiantum pedatum - Northern Maidenhair Fern Amorpha canescens - Lead Plant Amsonia hubrichtii - Blue Star Anemone canadensis - Meadow Anemone Anemonella thalictroides - Rue Anemone Aquilegia canadensis - American Columbine Arisaema draconitum - Green Dragon Arisaema triphylla - Jack-in-the-Pulpit Asarina procumbens - Twining Snapdragon Asarum canadensis - Wild Ginger

Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Weed Aster divaricatus - White Wood Aster Athyrium felix-femina - Lady Fern Callirhoe involucrata - Winecups Caltha palustris - Marsh Marigold Calylophus serrulatus - Prairie Lode Cassia hebecarpa - Wild Senna Chasmanthium latifolium—Northern Sea Oats Chionanthus virginicus - Fringetree Cimicifuga racemosa - Black Cohosh Coreopsis auriculata Nana - Tickseed Coreopsis tripteris - Prarie Tickseed

Corydalis sempervirens - Harlequin Dicentra cucullaria - Dutchman’s Breeches Dodecatheon meadia - Shooting Star Dryopteris marginalis - Leatherwood Fern Echinacea paradoxa - Yellow Coneflower Echinacea tennesseensis -Tennessee Coneflower Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake Master Erythronium americanum - Dog Tooth Violet Eupatorium perfoliatum - Boneset Euphorbia corollata - Flowering Spurge Filipendula rubra Venusta - Meadowsweet Goodyera pubescens - Rattlesnake Orchid Helianthus microcephhalus - Smallhead Sunflower Helianthus salicifolius - Willowleaf Sunflower Hepatica americana - Round Lobed Hepatica Hesperis matronalis - Dame’s Rocket Hydrastis canadensis - Goldenseal Iris pseudacrus - Yellow Flag Iris versicolor - Blue Flag

Jeffersonia diphylla - Twinleaf Juncus effusus - Soft Rush Liatris aspera - Rough Blazingstar Liatris ligulistylis - Largehead Gayfeather Liatris microcephala - Smallhead Gayfeather Liatris spicata - Gayfeather

Lilium superbum - Turk’s Cap Lily Linaria vulgaris - Butter and Eggs Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower Lobelia siphilitica - Great Lobelia Lotus corniculatus Plena - Birdsfoot Trefoil Matteuccia struthiopteris - Ostrich Fern Mertensia virginica - Virginia Bluebells Mimulus ringens - Monkeyflower Oenothera lamarckiana - Evening Primrose Oenothera missouriensis - Missouri Primrose Opuntia humifusa - Prickly Pear

Osmunda cinnamomea - Cinnamon Fern Osmunda claytoniana - Clayton Fern Osmunda regalis - Royal Fern Pachysandra procumbens - Allegheny Spurge Panax quinquefolia - Ginseng

Phlox divaricata - Sweet William Phlox Physostegia virginiana - Obedient Plant Podophyllum peltatum - May Apple Polystichum acrosticoides - Christmas Fern Pycnanthemum virginicum - Mountain Mint Ratibida columnifera - Mexican Hat Ratibida pinnata - Prarie Coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida - Black Eyed Susan Rudbeckia maxima - Giant Coneflower

Rudbeckia missouriensis - Missouri Coneflower Rudbeckia triloba - Three Lobe Coneflower Ruellia humilis - Wild Petunia Sanguinaria canadensis - Bloodroot Sanguisorba canadensis - Canadian Burnet Silene regia - Royal Catchfly

www.knoxcountyparks.org

“Plants That Love It Here!”

Ohio & Midwestern Natives

More Perennials

Silene virginica - Fire Pink Silphium integrifolia - Rosinweed Silphium laciniatum - Compass Plant Silphium perfoliatum - Cup Plant Sisyrinchium angustifolia - Blue Eyed Grass Smilacena - False Solomon’s Seal Solidago caesius - Bluestem Goldenrod Solidago cutleri - Cutler’s Goldenrod Solidago rigida - Stiff Goldenrod Sorghastrum nutans Sioux Blue - Indian Grass Spigelia marylandica - Indian Pink Spiranthes odorata - Fragrant Ladies Tresses

Trees, Shrubs & Woody Climbers

Acer rubrum - Red Maple Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple Betula nigra - River Birch Amelanchier canadensis - Serviceberry Amelanchier laevis - Allegheny Serviceberry Aronia melanocarpa - Black Chokeberry Asimina triloba - Common Pawpaw Campsis radicans - Trumpet Vine Carpinus caroliniana - American Hornbeam Cephalanthus occidentalis - Buttonbush Cercis canadensis - Redbud Celtis occidentalis - Common Hackberry Chionanthus virginicus - Fringetree Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood Cornus racemosa - Grey Dogwood Gleditsia tricanthos - Honeylocust Gymnocladus diocia - Kentucky Coffeetree Hamamelis virginiana - Common Witch Hazel Ilex verticillata - Common Winterberry Juniperus communis - Common Juniper Juniperus virginiana - Eastern Red Cedar Lindera benzoin - Spicebush Liquidabmbar styraciflua - Sweet Gum Liriodendron tulipifera- Tuliptree Malus -Crabapple Myrica pensylvanica - Northern Bayberry Oxydendrum arboreum - Sourwood Parthenocissus tricuspidata - Boston Ivy Physocarpus opulifolius - Common Ninebark

Stylophorum diphyllum - Golden Wood Poppy Thermopsis caroliniana - Carolina False Lupine Thermopsis lanceolata - False Lupine Tiarella cordifolia - Foamflower

Trillium grandiflorum - Giant White Trillium Trillium luteum - Yellow Trillium Uvularia grandiflora - Merrybells Verbena hastata - Blue Vervain

Vernonia noveborecensis - Ironweed Viola pedata - Birdsfoot Violet Viola pubescens - Downy Yellow Violet

Prunus virginiana - Common Chokecherry Quercus alba - White Oak Quercus bicolor - Swamp Oak Quercus coccinea - Scarlet Oak

Quercus palustris - Pin Oak Quercus rubra - Red Oak Quercus shumardii - Shumard Oak Salix discolor - Pussy Willow Symphoricarpos albus - Com.Snowberry Thuja occidentalis - Arborvitae

Tsuga canadensis - Canadian Hemlock Viburnum dentatum - Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum lentago - Nannyberry Viburnum Viburnum prunifolium - Blackhaw Viburnum Viburnum trilobum - American Cranberrybush

Ohio’s native plants have had about 8,000 to 10,000 years to get it right! Since the last glacial event, the plants that thrive in Ohio’s climate and soils have coex- isted with all of our insects, diseases and for just a short time...all of us. They are true survivors, well suited to the rigors of our local landscapes. Species native to Ohio are able to provide the very best habitat for local wildlife and require less fertilizer, less water and less effort in controlling pests. (Translation: less worry and maintenance!)

This fact sheet serves to assist Knox County citizens in living within their natural world and is provided by the Knox County Park District.

Garden Update and Baby Chicks!

Hello!  Since I last posted we have had a successful hatch day! We also finished up a lot of the planting.  I took some photo updates and a couple of short videos.

This first photo is the squash.  Zucchini and yellow squash.

I bought these cabbage plants, since cabbage takes quite a long time from seed.

The next two photos are tomato plants.  This year I have heirloom tomatoes, and Roma, Beefsteak and cherry.

 The whole garden before we put up electric wire around it.

 Dad and I beginning to put up the electric wire!  This is to keep deer out.  We have at least 12 in the back of the field.

I just planted these seeds.  Jalapeno, Chile Piquin, New Mexico Hatch and Serrano!  In the greenhouse.

 The bamboo next to the garage is getting big!  It's at least 6 ft high at this point.

The next two photos are Cilantro and Basil sprouts that I planted in the sponge!  I had never heard of doing this before.  My mom found these natural sea sponges that can be used for this purpose and they've sprouted!

Here they are!  My 12 baby chicks that hatched in the incubator a couple of days ago!

In the video below, its just my chicken Freebie taking a dust bath.  

Short video of the hatchlings!

Unusual Foggy Sunset

I took some photos last night when I went out to close up the chickens!  It was unusually foggy so I took some photos and a short video.  I don't remember the last time I saw fog around here in the daytime!  Check them out!

This video looks like the beginning of a scary movie!