Ducks and the Blooming Garden....

Thought I'd share this ducky video with you!  

My Muscovy Ducks having breakfast.  They are 8 weeks old.

The Peppers have been really enjoying the heat... look at these banana peppers!

My beautiful Kale is being eaten...

Radishes... my husband's favorite!

An Underground Greenhouse?

I was doing some research on Food Storage and Gardening... when I came across a link with details on building your own underground greenhouse!

I thought that it was so cool that I wanted to share it with you!  I never really thought of having a below ground greenhouse... but I'll tell you what... it would solve our wind issue... and it would be like our geothermal system in that you have the warmth of the ground temperature during the winter... and the coolness during the summer!

Here's the link: Underground Greenhouse

No, I'm not jumping right on this and getting it done... but I will be thinking about it!

Our first garden salad...

Our 1st garden salad!
We enjoyed a nice salad from the garden tonight... baby romaine, broccoli, danvers half long carrots and radishes.

Radishes are my husband's very favorite vegetable from the garden... so tonight I planted a bunch more for him!

I'm beginning to let some of my muscovy ducks into my garden... not the whole herd of them (all 9)... just a few females and a male.  I have to really watch them as they pass their favorite greens... cucumbers... beets... corn...  overall, they're doing a pretty good job gobbling up the hoppers.... but sometimes the greens are just too tempting!

You'd laugh if you heard me out there with them (I am mama duck!)... I'm always telling them... "Eat the hoppers.... Eat the hoppers!"

I see a difference already!

The other day I weaved soaker hoses all throughout my square foot garden.

And... I see a difference already!  My bed of peppers is LOVING having the extra moisture!!!  They've already grown a few more inches... in just a couple days!

Oh ya, black spaghetti!

It's been so windy and hot here that my garden has been dry as a bone even with watering almost every night!

So today... I took drastic measures....  I employed the "black spaghetti!"

A very kind neighbor (I have lots of these!) gave me a bunch of soaker hoses that her aunt no longer wanted...

So today I strung them all thru my garden beds!!!!

I know!  It's not pretty....  But, I'm going to give it a try anyway!

I am a front yard gardener!

I am a front yard gardener!

I decided when we moved into our new house that I would take Mel's advice (author of Square Foot Gardening) and put my garden in a place where I would walk past it frequently and where it would capture my attention... namely... the Front Yard, actually.... right next to the driveway!

I am outraged by what is happening to Julie Bass in Oak Park Michigan! She is being criminally charged for having a raised bed vegetable garden in her FRONT yard!

Read this article.... and if you feel moved to act... please do voice your opinion to city officials in Oak Park Michigan!

Green Bean Chronicles: If You've Got It, Flaunt It!

The Toad...

This morning first thing, the ducks headed over to their kiddie pool.  Choco was the first one to the pool and right away... he captured a toad.

You should have seen him trying to eat that toad!  He ran away from the "herd" so that he could eat it all himself!

I didn't think he could do it... but he did!

The garden is looking good!  The tomato plants are blossoming and setting fruit, the giant pumpkin vines are growing... and the cucumber plants are getting more leaves.

I've been able to harvest broccoli, strawberries, and lettuce so far...

Harvested another head of broccoli

I definitely need more broccoli plants next year!!!  Is it too late to start some from seed for fall planting???

My broccoli is just beautiful this year!!!

In case anyone wants to know... you CAN eat more than your broccoli heads!  Did you know that the leaves are edible too?

And... you can even add them to your green smoothie!

Harvesting Broccoli...

Garden Fresh Broccoli... YUM!

I started harvesting my broccoli this week.  It tastes SO good!  It's so much better than grocery store broccoli!

Woohoo... I finally get to participate in Daphne's Monday Harvest Reports!

Our "free range" Muscovy Ducklings are almost 6 weeks old!  Here's a photo that I just snapped... they're hiding under my truck in the shade.