Missing Willow Farm

We received our annual shipment of garlic and shallot starts yesterday, we have two raised beds prepped and waiting to be planted.  Our hot peppers and fig trees have been relocated inside the greenhouse.  The fishing line deer fence around our garden is down so the potato bed can be plowed under.   October garden chores are in full swing.

We spent the weekend at a wine, food and music festival spit roasting a lamb for a friend.  I love the ‘talent’ passes they gave us.  It was one of the nicest festivals ever and we ran into lots of friends.  We got to sample awesome food such as BBQ peanuts, quail sausage, shrimp and grits and duck pot pie.   Who wants to meet us there next year?

I purchased a calamondin orange tree during a trip to Florida earlier this summer.  The tag said it grows well in pots and has abundant fruit.  Sounded good.  The plant had flowers on it and everything.  We just had our first harvest.  It’s not only the size of a quarter, it’s more sour than any lemon I’ve ever tasted.  I guess I should have read the tag more carefully!  Oh well.

Lemons, limes, lemongrass and a banana tree that’s never fruited are growing in our greenhouse in Virginia.  We used to bring them all indoors over the winter but they made a huge mess inside so now they live in the greenhouse with the temperature set right at freezing.  We love our citrus.  A banana would be nice.  Just saying.

Jack won’t give up his wubba.  At all.  He does, however, get annoyed if you don’t try to take it from him.

This cherry tomato plant in the greenhouse must be 20 feet long.  That’s a 55 gallon rain barrel it’s covering. We’re hoping to have tomatoes through the winter.  It will mean we have to hand pollinate new flowers.  A small price to pay for fresh tomatoes from our garden.

The goat, not the season, which ends today.  She’s going to stick around, thank you.  Summer is adorable and wants to make sure you know it.

We started these broccoli plants from seed weeks and weeks ago and planted them in the greenhouse yesterday.  Would you believe half of them disappeared over night?  We didn’t have the side curtains up high enough and a bunny hopped in and got them.  Damn bunny doesn’t want us to have any broccoli this season.

It’s still looking festive around here when we get in from the garden, but things are starting to slow.  Our mushroom logs are also producing right now.  We’re just planting in the greenhouse for winter veggies.  We’re hoping to get back to pottery now that the garden is winding down.