Blog update! What's growing.

So, been a while since an update. I underestimated just how busy springtime gets when you full devote yourself to your acreage.

Even so, it seems I'm already saying the constant gardener's phrase: "next year". Next year, I'll get things planted sooner. Next year, I'll remember to start broccoli. Next year, I'll plant some new fruit trees...

At the same time, I'm trying to remember that I'm not obligated to do any of this. Really, my big goal is to grow each year and accomplish more as time goes on. And, that, I have already accomplished.

Now for a "what's growing" update (pretty much everything!):

Honeybees. I'm hoping to get some pictures inside the hive soon. They are doing amazing!

Grape vines. There are tonnes of buds for grapes on there. Last year, we really enjoyed the grapes from one variety, but not the other. I'm going to give it one more year, but might take out the less tasty grapes.

 The baby laying chicks are more like teenager birds now. I wasn't able to get a great picture. They are mostly hanging out in the shade right now. We've also got 30 baby chicks for meat birds. Again, I'm going to work on a better picture.

This blueberry bush has the BEST blueberries, and it's currently loaded.

The perennial fruit/veggie area. Blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries and strawberries are all growing strong. Asparagus and rhubarb is getting regularly eaten. 

Root veggies growing.

The orchard. Lots of plum and pears starting. The apple trees haven't blossomed again this year. I'm thinking the aphids are the cause. I have some ladybugs on order.

A picture of the main veggie garden.

Nectarines.

Coming soon, more bees, chickens and plants!

The Birds and the Bees - Coming soon!

So, I got two very exciting calls today.

The first was to let me know that I will be getting my nucs with my honeybees a week from today. This was earlier then expected. Originally I was told it would be mid-May, but spring has been early this year, which means that the bees have been doing everything early.

I've had the parts for my hives and frames sitting in the garage a couple weeks, but it means that it was time to start building.

When you buy hives, they tend to come in pieces, that you get to put together.

It's a job that my handy hubby is taking on.

 The next call was to let me know that I'll be getting my baby chicks a week from Tuesday. This was actually later then expected. It was supposed to be this past week, but the hatchery they were coming from is in a State that's been added to the Avian Influenza outbreak list.

I was very disappointed when I first found out. I'm still a little bummed, as I won't be getting the breeds I originally wanted, but I've made peace with that and am now getting geared up.  Rereading this book:

This book is very in depth!

It also means the chicken coop will get a thorough cleaning this week. Right now, I'm just getting laying birds, and then I'll be getting meat birds in about a month.

Storybook Homestead has babies coming!

What's growing now?

What's growing this week?

Dandelions!

When we lived in the city, dandelions always stressed me out. Not so much because I had a problem with them, but because I was convinced the neighbours always looked at my yard as "that yard". The one with all the dandelions. I wouldn't spray. In the early years of home ownership, I'd spend hours digging them out and filling the holes in with soil and grass seed. It still didn't do the job. At a certain point, I gave up and just figured the flowers would get cut down when I mowed.

This week I was mowing the lawn and afterwards my husband commented that it was still a bit long. I told him that I kept the mower on a higher setting, since it keeps more moisture in and therefore is better for the grass.

"Plus," I added excitedly, "This way I didn't cut off the dandelion heads, and that's good for the bees!"

I think I've officially been countrified.

Also growing this week, we have:

Plum tree in full bloom

Second plum tree blooming! This one never bloomed or bore fruit last year, so I'm excited to see what these plums taste like.

Pear blossoms about to open

Possibly one of my most exciting things.  ASPARAGUS is coming out!

The blooms on the nectarine tree are gorgeous.

There's not a lot of non food bearing flowers, but here's one. I have visions of planting tulips in the fall.

Day Trip

Although, we moved a year ago, we didn't really do a lot of exploring in our new area. I was training for long distance triathlons, which ate a lot of time and energy. Now, one of our priorities as a family is to get more acquainted with the beauty that surrounds us.

This weekend, we took a drive to the Balfour-Kootenay Bay ferry. I'd taken this ferry by myself last summer, and we finally made it back as a family. It's worth going on in and of itself, never mind getting to the other side.

The views are stunning and pictures don't do them justice.

See the little white speck in the middle? That's a lighthouse that we made a trek to.

We hadn't really planned what to do on the other side, so spent some time driving to a park only to hit a closed sign. We turned around and went the other way and found ourselves heading to Pilot Bay Provincial park. Once there, we found a trail that led up to a little lighthouse.

The lighthouse isn't in service anymore, but it is maintained as a historical site. The cool thing is, you can actually go in and climb up to the top. 

One of the views from the lighthouse.

A selfie with the kids and I at the top.

And looking at us from below

There's a picnic table there, so we have plans to go back with a picnic sometime. Before that, we have so many places to explore nearby.

What's growing this week

First off, if you haven't already check out the pages on the blog, take a look.

The Homestead
Our Family
Real Life

And now, something that I will probably make a regular feature on the blog: What's growing right now.

Spring is an exciting time. It's the time when you start planting, but also when existing plants start growing again. Here are a few of the things that have begun.

Some of the peach/nectarine blossoms have begun opening.

Mint is peaking out

The rhubarb is getting bigger. Not long till it will be time to make crisps!

The sheep are actually our neighbours, but they are hanging out on our homestead in our pasture area.

Garlic

Some pretty flowers. Anyone know what they are?

My onion sets have also started coming out, although a crow was messing in that garden bed last week, so I'm not sure they are all still there. It's also exciting to watch as all the trees and bushes are starting to green up.

What's growing in your garden?

Introduction - How we came to Storybook Homestead

Welcome to Storybook Homestead.  :)

After spending the first year dipping our toes into homestead life, we are now diving in.

A year ago, my family made the decision to change our lives. I grew up in Calgary, Canada's third largest city. My husband was in a military family, so moved around every few years. Our children were both born in Calgary. We spent our last five years living in one of the towns outside of it, but it grew massively in that time, and still felt like a suburb of the big city.

Then the day came when my husband suggested buying an acreage. As much as I loved my little garden, it was full of limitations and frustrations. I didn't want a bigger garden in a place with such a short growing season, not to mention one of the places where there actually has been snow in every single calendar month. Yes, this means snow in July and August on occasion. Oh, then there's the minus 40 temperatures a few times each winter. (For interest sake, -40 is where Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same.)

Our property search moved a province over. We started looking in the interior of BC, where we'd be surrounded by mountains, while still getting a warmer climate.



We considered more what we wanted. A place where we could grow our own food. With room for the kids to run and play. Quiet, which when looking in a valley, is tougher then you'd realize. Many properties are just off the highway.

We came upon a little homestead that was nearly too good to be true.

The house was straight out of the 70s, but fit our needs. Everything worked and was in good shape.

What came with it though, blew our minds.

A dozen, 20 foot long, raised garden beds for vegetable growing. Four more 60 foot long ones with established strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, asparagus, and rhubarb, along with a few other perrenial food plantings. A fruit tree orchard with apples, pears, and plums. Young trees, but still years ahead of us planting them from scratch. A soft fruit espalier, with peaches, nectarines, and apricots.

There was a double sided chicken coop, for both laying and meat birds. A small barn. A small pasture. A root cellar. A canning kitchen.

We bought the Storybook Homestead.



And now, I'm blogging about it.