We had frost both Friday and Saturday mornings. Close to it yesterday, but a few degrees warmer. (Can 35 degrees be "warmer?")
Our water fowl don't seem to mind the chilly, gray weather at all.
The adult geese and ducks love to take cleansing baths in the pond.
We've been happy to see a pair of wild Mallards on the pond for the past few days, too. Here's hoping Mama Mallard will nest and raise a brood of ducklings in the weeds nearby. You have to look closely to see her to the left of Mr. Mallard in this (fuzzy) picture. Such good camouflage!
The goslings continue to grow by leaps and bounds. I think it's kinda picturesque that after stuffing their bellies on lush, green grass, they prefer to take rest periods on the mulch underneath the apple trees. (Yes, we now have goslings being rotated in moveable fencing on our front lawn. You wouldn't believe the amount of "fertilizer" they're applying to the lawn. We may not be able to walk out there without muck boots for months. And at the rate they're eating the grass and being frequently moved, we might not have to do any lawn mowing this whole summer! Who needs sheep [we were actually contemplating that] when you've got four eager-eater, growing goslings?)
This day started out sunny, but now is gray and gloomy again. Temp is only 47 degrees . . . but that's better than 37, right? I have weeding that still wants to be done around the new dwarf fruit trees, but don't know if it will be too wet out there today or not.
Papa Pea is putting the finishing touches on another old cold frame that needed some help and support. When that's done, I'm thinking of setting out my started cauliflower plants under it.
They are healthy and certainly look big enough to go out . . . with a little protection for a while yet.
16 comments:
Looks like you keep busy no matter the weather. Love the lawn mowing geese.
JoAnn - I did get the dwarf fruit tree area weeded, then tilled up the ground, just kinda scuffed it up to take care of any weeds that might be thinking about sprouting, then raked it smooth. It looks so much better. Next we'll spread some compost over the whole area and mulch with some straw. The ground the trees were planted in is in sad need of some organic matter so we've got to start working on that.
I'm interested in seeing your cold frame and how it works.
I keep thinking about some geese to keep the grass down perhaps next year
I'm sure you saw the news from hear--SNOW over the weekend. Both days. I'm surprised I didn't hang myself.
Love the shot of the geese resting under the trees. Such a peaceful scene. You're the Norman Rockwell photographer of the country life!
Laurie - I'm needing to use our cold frames more than ever this spring as it's staying very cool (frost or close to it still every morning) but after years, I think I've learned how to use them! (The biggest "problem" is training myself to remember to open and close them at proper times!)
Dawn - The geese do a bang-up job of keeping the grass "mowed" without killing it, we're finding. The downside is the goose poop . . . and there is plenty of it! I'm trying to remember it's good fertilizer. :o/
Sue - My sympathies sent to you, m'dear. :o( We haven't had any of the white stuff in the form of snow . . . just frost. Frost and more frost!
The Norman Rockwell photographer of the country life, huh? Next will be a shot of all the goose poop. ;o} I do declare, you can stand and watch the goslings . . . in one end, out the other. Geesh.
I heard that they eat quite a bit of grass. I tried to convince Hubby, but he wasn't up for digging a pond just yet. Those cauliflower plants look great. We can't even think about planing ours yet. Too wet yet.
I am amazed, as well, at the amount of "fertilizer" produced by waterfowl. Geez. I have to say that I love my sheep mowers. They do a wonderful job. I'm not letting the ducklings see the picture of your pond. They will have to settle for a kiddie pool. If the llama will share.
Kristina - Many folks keep ducks and geese successfully without a pond. But I wouldn't want to do it seeing how much they enjoy the water. You're too wet to plant and we're too cold. This gardening business . . .
Susan - I wanna see a picture of the llama in the kiddie pool.
Mama Pea,
With all the rain and fertilizer provided by your geese I'm beat you have the best looking yard in town :-)
Sandy - We're not ones to put much effort on our lawn (barely get it mowed regularly!) so it can definitely use the fertilizer so generously being provided by the four goslings!
We had snow on Sunday, but frost is bad enough! I love the pictures of your ducks and geese. That's wonderful that you are getting another cold frame. I really wish I had done raised beds years ago. I think it would have been less work in the long run. -Jenn
Jenn - Yepper, several areas not too far from us had snow on the ground, too.
Although I do LOVE my raised beds, there are certain crops that still seem to "fit" and do better in the field garden. You know, bigger stuff like taters, shell peas, pickling cukes, corn (in the years I'm silly enough to plant it), squash, etc.
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