A First For Me

Today I am using a pressure canner for the first time!! I am going to be canning 5 quarts of purple/green beans.
I am very nervous using one without my mom or grandmother here with me but, I've read the instruction manuel twice. My glass top stove manuel said I am able to use a canner on it. This canner is able to be used on glasstop stoves so the stove top should survive!
Once I've done it the first time I'm sure I will be ok canning from now on.

Next I plan on canning beets.

Today's Harvest

It is slowly beginning to become harvest time.
I am drying some lavender and aome chamomile to make my own tea.

This is what I have gathered for peas and beans so far

Our First Harvest from the Garden

Today I was able to cut some spinach from the garden. I left 4 qts of it in the fridge and we froze a quart to use later.

We also harvested chives. With the blossoms I am making a flavored vinegar. Some we put in the fridge and the others otheothers we froze.

I noticed today we had a very few carrots growing. Hopefully more pop up soon!

Beginnings of an Orchard/Plant buying Advice

Yesterday our loam/compost combination was delivered and our raised beds are now ready to be used. (Thank you Black Bear Lawncare) We also put soil in our potato buckets. I'm looming forward to planting our garden this weekend.
Yesterday we purchased another raspberry plant and a blackberry one. I'm excited to tell you we bought 2 plum trees!! We will be planting those closer to the house. I learned that most fruit trees need pollinator trees. (I really should start reading my gardening books) Next on the list to purchase will be a Contender Peach tree. I learned those are self pollinating. Then we eventually will buy apple trees and cherry trees as well as 2 more blueberry bushes.
I also learned some herbs are annuals. I was watching my herb containers and wondering why some were not growing. I read on a tag at one of the stores we wwre at they were annuals!
This weekend we are going to have an herb raised bed! I will post pics of my garden area this weekend. It will be later on as 4 of my boys have baseball games today.

I'd like to take a moment and discuss buying plants. I have purchased the majority of my plants from either Home Depot, Tractor Supply or Blue Seal. Home depot and Blue Seal take the best care of their plants. Tractor Supply you need to comb through what they have in stock as 70% has died.
 The absolute WORST place would be to buy from Lowes. Their flowers and herbs are all dry and brittle. A few of their bushes and shrubs were ok.  Look around before buying your fruit, veggies and flowers. Purchase from a place that cares for the plants so you dont plant something and it dies quickly.
I'm looking forward to gardening this year and will post pics soon of our garden area this weekend.
Happy Saturday

Mother's Day Project

A couple of weeks ago we saw an ad on Facebook for a free deck. A friend of ours dismantled it and dropped it off to us.
Today, we were able to make 5 raised beds out of it and put a small deck on the front of the house. We used the deck boards over our pallet one we had temporarily put up. I forgot to take a pic of the deck in progress but will add one later on.

The last one shows the raised beds by my garden area. We started to till the garden but our new tiller sounds like it has carborator issues.
One great surprise were the chives growing in my garden!!

I was able to find the last flowers for my memory garden!

I planted these for my Great-Grammie Lyons as her name was Viola.
Also as my Mother's Day gift is a blueberry bush and some strawberry plants which we will be planting in the small raised bed.
Dom's girlfriend Sarina brought over a Mother's Day gift for me. It is the sweetest cookie jar!

Seed order is in

I was able to order seeds for my garden yesterday!! I know it's a littlr early but at least that is done. I ordered a few more herb seeds as we are expanding our herb garden this year. The husband is going to build a few raised beds for the herbs.
I ordered a few purple veggies this year!
Also today we are going to go to tractor supply to buy a rotortillar they have in clearance. Now there will be no excuses not to get gardening done.
Im hoping in the spring to get a few fruit trees to add to our little homestead and also a couple of pigs. The only chickens we will get this year are meat birds! My layers are still doing well.
Later this am we are heading to VT to pick up my oldest son and his girlfriend for the weekend. I love having them come home and visit!!
Now to shop for a few gardening tools!
Think Spring!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone.
I'm not one for making resolutions but I do have a list of animals I want to add to the farm this year and projects that need to be completed.
The biggest project we need to get done is fencing for the goats so they don't have to be walked all the time.
2nd biggest project Is adding some more insulation in the barn.
We will be adding some raised beds for the garden as this year I am determined to grow enough to can enough veggies to last through part of the winter!
Today was a great day. The youngest son and I found a few branches to make arms for their snowman that is actually taller than me!
I posted pics on my Facebook page Wyld Dream Farm if interested in seeing it. I'm hoping by the end of this week to figure out exactly what I want to plant in our garden and put the order in by the end of the month!! I'm so ready to start growing seeds and pushing forward to spring.

Canning season updated Pics

I know it has been far too long since I've updated everyone.
Life has been very busy. Our oldest son graduated high school and is away at College. He loves it which I'm thankful for.
Right now I am in GA visiting my parents while hubbs is in Cooperstown, NY umpiring for the week. There is nothing like being with family.
My garden did not do as well as I had hoped BUT I did get to can some pints of beans, home made spaghetti sauce as well as blackberry jam. Pics down below. ( I found an electric pressure canner real cheap at ocean state job lot)
We have 1 HUGE pumpkin growing.
In September we will be getting our chicken coop for the chickens snd ducks.  That will be 1 lead thing to worry about come cold weather.
Here are some new pics, hopefully with all the kids going to school I can focus on my blog more again!

Fingers crossed..

This is my first time starting plants from seeds inside.  I will keep you updated with progress.

16 different herbs planted. 2 need to be directly sown in the ground. I'm hoping they will grow well. I have not decided if I will leave some plants inside to have year round or not.
I'm most excited about the cilantro. I love homemade salsa and making it fresh out of our garden will be amazing later on this year.
I see why my family all gardens, it truly is relaxing.
We had some visitors at our bird feeders. (Due to all the snow melting here they sit on the ground until the ground thaws enough to put the shepherd hook in the ground).

Sickness begins

I have a kiddo that isn't feeling well whatsoever. He is home sick from school. He is bundled up on the couch. Our daschund is under there with him sleeping.

I need to clean the house and wait for the oil man to come. Next week we are having our furnace serviced as it has been running rough. We are thinking of adding a pellet stove in here eventually. I would love to have some wood heat instead of just oil.
Income taxes are filed.
Hubby found a rototiller we will be buying in a month. I'm so excited to have our own!!! We will expand the garden this year doubling it and I plan on having an herb garden this year!!! Also some other exciting news hubby is on board with us getting ducks!! He will build them their own little swimming hole :)
I looked at seeds at tractor supply yesterday but for veggies they did not have quite what I wanted. I think I will be ordering them through a catalog this year.  The boys are so excited to garden with us. I did find a shepherd hook for my grandmother's bird feeder. In the spring we will get that as I love watching the birds.
Have a great day!!! Time to get that housework going. 😀

'It's the Season...for Seed Catalogs

I have received a couple of seed catalogs this past week which I am so excited to start receiving! !

I have had fun the last few days thumbing through the pages and trying to figure out what I want to plant this year in our garden. I know I am doubling the size of our garden as I was unable to can much of anything. Hubby and I are going to try some dwarf trees this year as well.
I donated to the Arbor Day Foundation this year and should receive 10 free Colorado Blue Spruce trees to plant as well as 2 free Lilac bushes.
I'm also researching plans for a homemade small barn. I want half the barn to be a coop for the chickens and the other side for goats and a pig. Hubby keeps telling me no on a pig but, I'm telling him food for the winter months.  😄
We went to Hobby Lobby today as I was looking for shark themed stuff to finish decorating Dylan's room. (Did not find any) they do have lots of very cute chicken and farm items.  They also carry tins that I like to add to my cupboard doors in my kitchen but guess who couldn't remember how many cupboard doors needed a tin?
Hubby is refereeing tonight and I need to bring some boys back and forth to practices.
Have a great afternoon and Happy Homesteading! ♡♡

Final week of Summer Vacation

What a busy weekend it has been. This coming week is the last week of Summer Vacation for the kids. I'm sad to see fall come but on the other hand I will be thankful to have a routine back.
Yesterday the boys and I went to the Amish Market in Unity. I was in hopes of horse and buggy pic as I have a farm photo idea for my living room. But it was not meant to be yesterday.  Here is a photo of the Amish market:

The boys each had a delicious donut.  We also bought a quart of peaches and a quart of pears as well as I bought a scrubby.

They had another scrubby that was crocheted on one side and scrubby on the other for dishes but none were purple. (My fave color in case you couldn't tell)

After visiting the market we went to my parents house for a cookout then went and visited my grandparents.

Today I was able to pick a few carrots out of the garden.

As well as some tomatoes you see ripening off in my window sill.

The last pic is of a new dish I saw the recipe for on Pinterest using zucchini from my grade. As well as green onions from my garden.

The time is about to go off on the oven for our BBQ baked chicken along with our cheesy Zucchini. 

Hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday!