Garden clean up, we do still have a farm :O)

A cooler weekend... The weather was really nice over the weekend. We worked outside a lot! I pruned the two big flower beds, the crape myrtles in them were so grown up from the bottoms they looked like out of control bushes and frankly were a over grown mess. Now all trimmed up and tidy looking. When these are all big the beds will be really great looking. I had 3 clearance rose of sharons I needed to get in the ground. I wound up putting them in the bigger bed with the crape myrtles.
Hard to believe what a mess this bed was before I trimmed them all up.

The two mulberry trees trimmed up still need to pile a good amount of hay mulch around them and

 the second bed with crape myrtles done. 

 Fruit orchard trimmed up so you could actually walk through the  gates.. The chinese wisteria has yet to ever bloom. Its suppose to be a pink wisteria.
Love the knock out roses... best decision to use those for a fence. This fall I am going to trim my fruit orchard trees way back. I can't manage them at these tall heights. I have seen how some keep them very low as to make them easy to take care of and pick. I plan to do this.

I have been working on getting things I have in pots (which is a lot) in the ground. A lot I started from seed but some are clearance finds.  I have planted several tallow trees this summer and one mimosa. I am trying to keep from creating new watering areas. I already have so many areas I drag hoses to. I use soaker hoses as much as as possible but no getting around dragging the big hoses. 

Elderberries are going over by the pond. Those will be planted this fall. The two Fuyu trees I started from seed have done super! Those are going by the four I bought bare root last fall and planted. Those are doing really good as well. I will have created a new watering area with the elderberries but it will be right by the pond so that should work out well. Its really the best place for them.

I got fresh hay mulch around my fuyus out front this last weekend. Hard to tell in these photos but they really have grown quite a bit!

 I have a lot of clean up to do from this last years garden.  Lots of prep work to do to get them ready for spring. Its almost time to plant my elephant garlic which seems impossible. It seems like just a few weeks ago I harvested it! It did so well last season (one of the few things that did) Elephant garlic is the only garlic I am planting now. It does super good here and its storage life is just fantastic.

I am really embarrassed by how bad my garden looks. But a few weekends of work and I can get it back up to par... I actually told honeyman at one point over the summer that I was not going to put in a garden next spring. I know shocking. But after the dismal garden I had this summer due to the flooding and me feeling overwhelmed from working... yes well I have gotten over both LOL and I am itching to go again on the garden. Of course the cooler weather is helping a lot! Its been below 100 and that always makes me want to be outside in the dirt.

yes this first one is scary isn't it... plants to be pulled up. Tomato cages to be put away for the winter. The rows need new compost, dirt, and to be hayed over. You guys have never seen photos like this of my garden on this blog LOL... But I guess the point is, its all going to be okay. :O)... 

 I got these  2 rows almost cleaned out! Need to add some dirt, compost, and cover deep in hay till spring. We still need to get the shade covers off the hoop frames and put those away for winter as well.

The chickens ,, here is the crew...
We have the bantams which I am loving and then regular hens. I didnt name my regular hens but I did the bantams... We have Paddlefoot (rooster) we have  Greystone (rooster) then we have Esmeralda and Penelope and D'uccle... the little gold one is D'uccle. They are all grown... Can you believe how little D'uccle is..  LOL we named her that because my best bud told me that is the variety she is and I just love saying D'uccle so that is her name lol. I have never had Bantams before, not only are they sooo pretty and calm but they lay really cute little eggs. LOL We boil them up and slice them on salads or make bite sized devil eggs out of them lol. They are just to cute. The chickens and the eggs :O) These are not the best photos but they all have feathers on their feet and are just so pretty.