Gardening in February in the Rockies, ordering birds & compost

2/15- I attempted to save some Royal Burgundy Beans from last year's garden. They don't quite look like the original seed that I planted with, so I've planted 6 seeds to test their viability. I want to know now if they are viable, rather than waiting until the last minute & having to order seeds. Ordering seeds at the last minute can mean a couple of things. Reputable companies selling non-GMO, heirloom seeds may be out of stock. It also means "Oops, it's too late to plant them." Planting in the Rockies is a very skilled task. Our season (zone 4/5) is short. They give us 100 days, but that is not always the case. Last year our night temps didn't get above 42 until mid-July. Considering that and the fact that I'd never gardened outside of Georgia, the garden did extremely well. The Lord blessed us, not only with a decent bounty (considering the obstacles), He also presented hands on learning for us. I believe we learned a LOT last year & that we can do better this year.

Along with beans, I also planted some lavender, "peppermint" (true mint will not come from seeds) and some parsley. I had 6 herb plants that were neglected while we were away & I've got those soaked down (and drained) and in a clear rubbermaid container with lid (greenhouse), hoping for their survival.

2/16- Compost has proven difficult for us, thanks to frigid temps. It's hard to turn the frozen pile in the winter, and it gets so cold that it doesn't seem to cook itself into the wonderful richness called black gold. I've taken a 3.5 gallon icing bucket from the bakery and filled it about 2/5 full of dead bean plants (from my saved seed), egg shell, coffee grounds & filters, and banana peel. I was also able to sweep up some shavings & rabbit poo from the barn floor to add. I made sure that all pieces of material in the bucket are cut very small. No more than an inch long and about 1/2" wide. I've poured water over it all, mixed it up & it has a home in the coldframe, where the temps should keep it from freezing. Not the intended use for a coldframe, but I wanted to test this thought out.

I also had to make food for my chickens. The feed store is closed on Sundays and we ran out of feed. I couldn't go Saturday as I was waiting to sell a few more eggs to have the funds to get the feed. With our emergency trip, funds are tight for us right now. On Saturday, I wasn't even aware til later in the day anyway, that we'd used the last bag. I was going to go yesterday, but when I called they were closed. I called again today, to make sure they were open today, and they are..... But not until 5pm. Frustrating stuff. But..... They had Gourmet- apple cores & peels (were in freezer for apple juice jelly- guess I'm not making that anymore), arugula, flax seed, sunflower seed, cooked pintos, popcorn, blueberry yoghurt, some dry oats and raisins. Sounds appetizing, huh? No matter, they enjoyed it.

I also cut the hole in the top of my barrel so I can try to get it set up in the next couple weeks. A bit late, but apparently our winter will slam us in March. We've had an extremely mild winter thus far. I didn't get that worked on more, because between that, digging out (frozen) soil, messing with the compost bucket & other outdoors chores, my fingers hurt from the cold. I forgot to grab my gloves. Yes, I should know better. Hush.

I have found another gardening tool, speaking of frozen soil. I brought the bag in & took the hair dryer to it. Worked quite well, if you ask me. You don't have to ask, though, I just offered that bit of advice up *grin* .

Last month I ordered more layers, more meat birds & (drumroll, please)



(picture from Dunlap Hatchery)

POULTS!!!! SQUEEE!!!!

Everything should be available for pickup in May. If I remember correctly I've ordered the following (I don't have my sheet in front of me at the mo):

2 Rhode Island Reds (eggs)
2 Easter Eggers (eggs)
2 Barred Rocks (eggs)

10 White Plymouth Rocks (for meat. And I actually ordered 30, but only 10 are mine)

3 bronze & white poults (I can't remember but it's 2 of one breed- I think white, and 1 of the other breed)

I've never done turkeys before. I know they only do straight run, & being in city limits, I really can't have a Tom. Therefore, I'm hoping at least one is a hen. I do have (a) home(s) for any that are Toms. I have some learning for sure, but just like the chickens & rabbits, I'm willing. And I'm doing a LOT of research.

I planted a dishpan of 8 garlic bulbs today, too.

I think that's all for now.