Bean Teepees

I would love to say that I had the idea to do bean teepees all along, but I didn’t.  In fact, it was a last minute effort to conserve space.  My garden was full and we had already tilled up every available space we could.  Trellising was not so much fun on our long rows last year, so these teepees were exactly what we needed.

We had an old mimosa tree that was crowding our pear tree and had to come down.  We then used the limbs from the mimosa tree to make the teepees.  I am so happy with how they turned out and can’t wait until the vines start filling them in.

We started with these mimosa limbs.  The kids put them in piles based on their length and diameter.  While we only built two teepees, we actually have enough to do a couple more, but just haven’t had the time to construct them.  Not that they are hard to build.  They actually go up pretty quick, but we have been quite busy with trying to weed all 5 gardens and mulch and take care of the animals and finish up our homeschool year.

We started by sinking four of the largest limbs into the ground and tying them together at the top.  Then we filled in the gaps with the smaller limbs, leaving an opening for the kids to be able to go in and out.

 The tops got tied together and then Greg added some tie wire for extra reinforcement.

Then we got busy hoeing the grass away from the posts so we could start planting.  Looking back, we probably should have gotten rid of the grass in the center of the teepee too.

We planted the Rattlesnake Pole Beans that grew so well last year.  I’m hoping they do well on our teepees.  The kids can play in the shade (hopefully no snakes will try to call them home) and eat the beans right off the vine.

It didn’t take long for the beans to sprout and they are getting bigger everyday.  I’ll be sure to update with more pictures.

Goodbye Guineas.

         

Today we said goodbye to the guineas.

We didn’t get rid of them because they are ugly, because they aren’t.  They are cute…in that so-ugly-its-cute kinda way.

We didn’t get rid of them because of all the noise they make.  Guineas do make a lot of noise and while many people are bothered by their constant chattering, we enjoyed it.  Their vocalizations are actually the easiest way to tell a male from a female.

We love our guineas, but it became obvious that we weren’t going to be able to keep them when we lost around 50 pepper and tomato transplants because of them.  Their daily dust-baths in our garden were not so good.  They never ate our plants, but their scratching, rolling, dusting, etc.  caused us to have to put even more transplants in the ground.  After replanting for three days in a row we knew we had to do something.

Dust baths are good for guineas…

…but bad for gardens.

Putting up a fence wouldn’t help because guineas are pretty good at getting up, over, and around things.  They are great flyers and would roost high in our oak tree.  There was always the option of shutting them up, but guineas are free rangers and they need room to roam.  So, for now, they had to go.  I am hoping that we will be able to find a way to have guineas and not lose half the garden.

Two of the guineas belonged to our oldest daughter.  She was so happy when she got them as keets, just a few days old.  She always comes up with interesting names for our critters.  The pearl colored guinea she named Pearl and the lavender guinea was Earl.  It was months after bringing the guineas home before they matured enough to be able to tell what they were.  It turns out that Pearl was a boy and Earl was a girl.  She tried changing their names to Paul and Earlene, but after calling them Pearl and Earl for six months no one could remember the new names.

Pearl

Earl

Maybe we will try again once the garden is more than just sprouts.  Maybe we won’t have long to wait.  Maybe someone put guinea eggs in the incubator.

New life on the farm

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year.  Last year I didn’t fully appreciate it because I was still in the midst of unpacking, organizing and trying to get back into some sort of homeschooling routine.  This year, however, I have been able to enjoy spring on the farm.

Wild muscadine vines

Everything comes to life in the spring.  The trees get their leaves and flowers begin to bloom.  The birds are happily singing and gathering uneaten hay to build their nests.  The bees are buzzing around looking for pollen and the little hummingbirds are visiting the grapefruit trees.

 

 Just a couple of weeks ago we had two rabbits give birth and their babies are already hopping around and eating grass.  They grow so quickly.  In just a week they go from little furless babies to cute fuzzy bunnies and soon after that their eyes are open and they are exploring their surroundings.

A little bantam hen hatched out these cute little babies over the weekend.

 

  

The goats enjoy spring too.  The nice weather makes them frisky; they run and play enjoying the sunshine, fresh spring air and all the new things to eat.  It won’t be long before they have their kids, bringing even more new life to the farm.

A Little Farm Story

A year ago we bought our first home.  When we moved here, we knew there was work to be done.  The house is older and needs some updating and repair.  We have done a lot, but there is still much to do.  We like it that way.  The house and the land are like a canvas for us to paint our picture on, or, if you will, a blank page for us to write on.  So come along and join us as we write this story, the story of our little farm.