Pumpkin treat

On October 16, 2021October 12, 2021 By CarynIn chickens

This pumpkin didn’t get any special treatment or cute presentation, I just cut it in half and put it out for the chickens like an instant bowl. Chickens don’t care, they dived right in.

I’ve read that pumpkin is a natural dewormer for chickens, and although I am becoming more and more suspect of “internet knowledge”, my chickens do like pumpkin, and they seem to digest it better than watermelon or cucumber. Maybe I can freeze some for the large part of the year when fresh pumpkins are not available. Or do something to canned pumpkin to make it less of a mess. Hm.

Fall blooms

On October 15, 2021October 8, 2021 By CarynIn Garden

I thought maybe the hibiscus was done for the season, but it produced another bloom! I took the picture with the morning light shining through from behind.

The Shasta Daisy also geared up and is showing off a single bloom.

Stand off

On October 14, 2021October 8, 2021 By CarynIn Cats, chickens

Sophie the cat is checking out Taco the Faverolle hen. Our neighbor’s cats also come to watch the chickens, and the chickens watch them. Thank goodness for strong hardware cloth between the two.

Fall sculpture

On October 13, 2021October 8, 2021 By CarynIn art

Yes, I spend too much time on Pinterest. I saw harvest sculptures that looked like elaborate dresses on mannequins, but made of wheat or grasses. I don’t have wheat, but after cutting down my over grown artemisia, I had something with beautiful texture and color, and had it in abundance. I also had a “mannequin”, or more specifically, a woman’s shape made out of chickenwire from last Halloween’s ghosts. So I tucked the artemisia stems into the poultry wire to form the skirt, then trimmed some of the post oak trees and used the branches to build the bodice and leaves to accent the waist.

Fall green dress sculpture, artemisia and post oak

This is going to be an evolving sculpture; as I trim trees or tend greenery, the choice bits will get added to my green lady. I’m thinking I can keep augmenting her dress through the winter.

Artemisia ‘Powis Castle‘

On October 12, 2021October 8, 2021 By CarynIn Garden

At the end of August I took some cuttings of our overgrown Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ and rooted them out to replace the original plants. After five weeks, I severely cut back the old plants, and planted the newly rooted stems. I read that artemisia does not do well being aggressively cut back, so the slips are backup. As backup to my backup (I really like the look of this artemisia), I started five more slips. These I will let root out in my plastic test tubes inside through the winter. I do replace the water daily to reduce the chance of mold or algae growing in the tubes with the roots.

Artemisia slips after five weeks rooting out

The plan to to keep the artemisia trimmed down next summer to a level below the hibiscus in the back row. I may again be overrun though. The plants I cut back are happily growing new branches. What, you mean internet information is suspect?!?

Critters and Craft

Month: October 2021