Planted Veggies! Independence Days Challenge, Thrifting, Big Chicks

Planted Veggies! Now that school's out I've started plant the veggies in the new cold frame, and moved some shrubs around. I planted the new cold frame with: green cabbage, Swiss chard, mustard greens, collard greens, a new rhubarb and moved the 2 old rhubarbs there. Added some perennial dill, since I never seem to be able to grow it from seed. There's still some room, so I may add some different lettuce mix too. Finally all planted, woo hoo! I planted some snapdragons along the border, and moved a burning bush shrub that needed a new home in the front to add some winter interest. I think it will look nice once it's grown in a bit. I may add more flowers since we can see it from the kitchen and will be looking at it all day, every day. I already had 2 ornamental grasses we left by the frame. My new perennials to the right of it, along the fence, are growing in nicely. I softens the fence, I'm glad I did that :)  I'll be re-seeding the turf in another week, to fill in the bare spots. I need to trim our somewhat broken nectarine tree in the front yard. The city guy came through our easement to spray weed killer (yum) and broke some branches, the bastard. I also have some brown curling on the edges of the leaves. I hope the tree stays alive. I've watered it heavily to flush out the toxins...

Lots of basil I grew from seed, ready for pots!

Independence Days Challenge-

1. Plant Something- In a few day we will start our main, sunny veggies bed. Will plant- eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, pickling cukes, peppers, lemon cukes (my fave!). I'll be planting some flowers to help keep away some of the bugs. Basil babies ready to be put in a pot.
2. Harvest Something- Eggs, rosemary.

3. Preserve Something- Clothing, keeping the too-big summer work clothes stuff to take in for fall (it's hot then). 

4. Store Something- Nothing in particular this week.

5. Manage Reserves- Get A Good Deal/Barter/Stock Up/Prep- Bought some deeply discounted work shoes for the fall on sale, Dave got a "fresh eggs" sign at a yard sale. Got a good deal on some big, cheap veggies at a feed store for the garden.

6. Eat the Food- Try New Foods/Recipes- Just making stuff, digging into old recipes.

7. Build Community Food Systems- I asked my neighbor if I could buy some of her rhubarb (that she never uses!) and she told me to take whatever I wanted, oh boy! Mine fizzled out with the heat. I moved it to a cooler spot. My hubby's co-worker is selling his local butchered chickens. Will price those to buy.

8. Recycle/Re-Use- More composting, feeding chickens food scraps. 

9. Skill Up- Reading more homesteading books, this week- The Quarter Acre Farm by Spring Warren. My goal next year is to start more veggies from seed indoors.

10. Regenerate What is Lost/Salvage Something- More clothing to take in. Finished planting raised bed. Saved shrub by moving it. Dave fixed up his bike himself, as it didn't need major repairs (he bought it used). He also put new tires on my bike. Ready to ride!

Thrifting- Dave found this at a yard sale for $2.00, how cute! It will go on the coop, of course. I finished painting part of my lighthouse lamp and added the silicone bulb, better than the plain white tube I think...

Painted the other small birdhouse. Now I have a red and blue one, sitting on my kitchen window.

Big Chicks- 

Big girls are now transitioning from the outer mini-condo to the big coop. A few pecking incidents I broke up, but not too bad. Ellie, our Barred Rock can be a bit mean :( Still not sure what breed they are. I was supposed to have a Red Sexlink and  a Brown Brahma. I think I may have 2 R.S. or 2 Rhode Island Reds.