All the pieces of our orchard have finally been coming together the last few months. Two years ago (2016), I tried my hand at grafting my first apple trees. One year ago (2017), I grafted a LOT more. This year, 2018, voles and mice decided to reduce our nursery stock by about a quarter - … Continue reading A Young Orchard
I've got the typical plant starts for the garden going already: tomatoes, peppers, a few herbs, scallions, flowers. But I have something new joining the crew this year! Something that will hopefully be a part of the landscape here for many years to come. I'm talking about perennials, of course! Many of these plants will … Continue reading “Perennial” Excitement
Its officially sugaring season! Eric and I are hunkered down in the sugar shack today, for our third boil. The sap is flowing in the sugarbush, and temperatures are looking good for more runs this week. We've already finished off nearly a gallon. I love this time of year. Nothing has woken up yet (except … Continue reading Notes from the Sugar Shack
I love dry beans. Now, I haven't always loved them - I didn't grow up eating them, except in the occational chilli, so it took me a while to come around. But I'm glad I finally did. First, dry beans are healthy. High in protein and fiber and sorts of good stuff. Second, they're versatile … Continue reading Dry beans: A staple crop for the garden?
There's one thing I think most gardeners end up hoarding: SEEDS. Or, well, at least this gardener does. I have 4 containers full of them, some saved by me, many saved from years past. And I keep buying more! A LOT of seeds stay fairly viable from year to year. I have a handful of … Continue reading So many seeds!
We always get a handful of precious, warm and (if we're lucky) sunny days before the sap begins to flow. And today was one of those days! I didn't even need gloves, it felt so warm. Marching out to the woodlot, I quickly got my rhythm down: remove the old dropline, switch tools, install the … Continue reading Anticipating maple season
"What the heck are those?" seems to be the common response when I mention haskaps - or honeyberries, as they're also known. This small fruit deserves better though! They're early - often ripening even before strawberries in early spring. They're sweet, but with a tang like raspberries or blackberries. And they're incredibly good for you, to … Continue reading Haskaps? What the heck are those?
Variety is the spice of life, right? At least it's the inspiration behind my small budding orchard! 24 varieties of apple, 3 varieties of pear, not to mention 3 plums and my peach tree. All told, there will be roughly 100 fruit trees; 88 in the lower field, with a few others planted here & … Continue reading Anticipating an orchard
How did 2017 go by so fast? The year saw a whirlwind of activity on the property: maple syruping in late winter, to grafting more fruit trees in spring, then gardening through the warm months. We put by firewood from the woodlot for winter, and renovated 3 more rooms in the house (the half bath, … Continue reading Looking back on 2017
The snow is flying outside. Already a half foot or more has accumulated, and I just came in from shoveling part of the driveway (the snowblower needs a little TLC). A fire is roaring, the tea kettle is on. And now it's time to bring a little life to the dead of winter. It's time … Continue reading In the cold of winter
Beane Hill Farm 