The Potager Page

We've Moved!!

 Come See us at In the Light of the Sun.... 

I wanted a blog title that more broadly represented my interests and that was not so specific.  I love The Potager Page and may come back to it someday when I'm spending more time in the garden.  In the meantime, The Potager Page, as well as, The Hen House Diaries, will be categories in In the Light of the Sun...  

In the Light of the Sun is an eclectic mix of photographs of Gardening, Backyard Birding, Nature and Wildlife, from an island in the Pacific Northwest. 

A Golden Frog in the Garden

Coudy, Cool and Windy

Sunset 8:22

While weeding this weekend we came upon this beautiful frog. He was so well camouflaged that we almost missed him. What amazing eyes and he was so patient while I took pictures of them.... up close. Then we were back to the weeds that are growing so fast that they'd overtake Seattle by next week if they were not pulled and mulched.

A Hawk... on a Rock...on a Stump

Downpours, Misty, 52 Degrees

Sunset: 8:15

In a clear cut along highway 3 on the Kitsap Penninsula, a logger placed a large rock on a stump. Which makes a perfect hunting spot.

Eagle's Nest, an Earth Day Treat

Warm and Sunny 60+ degrees

Sunset 8:12

After several months of sixty hour work weeks we snuck out of the office and took a long walk. Usually we opt for a beach but on Friday we detoured and took some trails in the woods. It was a warm cloudy morning that turned to sun by afternoon. Off the trail in a secret meadow we looked up and saw this magnificent eagle's nest. I can't imagine why they chose what looks like a dead and unstable tree, but she seems content. A minimalist and architectural style. We'll sneak back in a few weeks to see how the family is progressing. It would be SO exciting to see babies.

The Hen House Diaries - Spring Rototilling

 Chilly, Rain Showers,  40's

Sunset 7:48

 

And as with anything, hardwork is always more fun shared with a friend!

 

 

Wild Foods in Bloom

 Chilly, Windy, Low 40's

Sunset 7:41

A short walk in the woods revealed signs of spring despite the chilly temps and harsh winds.  We've had tons of rain saturating the ground.  

Rubus spectabilis

The salmonberries are blooming despite lots of rain and chilly nights.  They're a bright spot among the still dull forest.

 

Vaccinium ovatum

The evergreen huckleberry starts to bloom in early spring taking its time to fruit.  The fruit matures sporadically and can stay on the bush as late as December.  These are my favorite wild berry, but they're so hard to harvest.

Vaccinium parvifolium

The red huckleberry is just starting to leaf out.  It's delecate and fairy like, soon to have tiny flowers and bright red berries

Urtica dioica

Stinging nettle is almost in it's prime.  It is ready to harvest when the plants are still young and small. 

Cardomine Oligosperma

It's time to harvest or weed the wild cress.  The prolific tiny white flowers soon will turn to seeds that spray several feet in all directions at the slightest touch. Any open ground will soon be covered with the tiny plants.  It is tasty, adding a mustardy or horseradish type flavor to salads.  Wild cress is a treat for the chickens and rabbits - I'll put as much as I can pull in their pens.  The chickens like the dirt clumps attached so they can look for a worm or two.

 

Jake and the Raccoon

Snow and Rain Showers, 35 Degrees, Cold

Sunset 7:21 

 

Jake is our neighbor's dog.  And like all good Border Collie's he obsesses - he never gives up on the task at hand. Jake can bark for hours at the rate of 75 barks a minute, we know, we've counted. When Jake barks like this he's usually has some critter up a tree. The red squirrels tease him constantly, I've heard the owls bark angrily back at him. So the other day after a good four hours of barking I ventured into the woods to see who was Jake's latest victim. Jake was sitting next to a little tree that has been stripped of it's bark from about a foot off the ground to about 5 feet up. The trunk has deep groves, that I think are from the deer rubbing their antlers. In a tall fir tree next to this tree was a raccoon that had stayed out too late and and had been caught on his way home. (Please excuse the flash)

Looking Forward.......

Blustery, Cold, 43 Degrees

Sunset 6:11

5 eggs 

Everyday there is more evidence of spring.  The trees are starting to bloom, the daffodils, crocus, and snowdrops are prolific. Our world is becoming subtly more green each day. Every morning there are more and different birds singing in cedars. Today is daylight savings and even though I'm frustrating by losing an hour I'm excited for longer day light hours. 

What I'm looking forward to the most is the end of "busy season" or "tax season".  We own an accounting firm that specializes in tax return preparation - which means we are in the office in front of a computer 10 hours a day 6 days a week.  This makes me look forward to late spring and summers all the more.  

I've struggled to keep up with blogging.  Mostly because I have a hard time sneaking away to take pictures.  So we'll see how the next month goes, with longer daylight hours it may be easier.

I saw Ghost, the coyote, yesterday loping through the garden.  He appears and then disappears in a quick flash of grey.  He was down at the neighbors hassling the chickens and teasing the dog.  I wonder if there will be pups this spring.

 

Farm Update

 

Cold Rainy, Snowflakes, 33 Degrees

Sunset 5:53

Two Green Eggs, One Brown

Busy Season is synonymous with spring in our house.  It's time to plant seeds indoors - which I did today!  It's time to prepare the soil, mend trellis, weed, and create new garden beds.  Its time to get the goats sheared and clean their shed, the chicken coop needs a spring clean as well.  It's time to pull up the grass around the fruit trees, mulch, and plant some flowers for the bees. The rabbit pen and hutch needs to be moved so we can cut a dying cedar tree down.  Luckily the days are getting longer - although not much warmer.  We are all longing for summer!

 

"Taking Flight"

42 Degrees, Partly Cloudy, Cold Breeze

Sunset 5:35

I've been experimenting with intentionally moving my camera to create a blur in landscape pictures to create an interesting image.  I like this one because the crow is still distinguishable.

The Mighty Crow

 

 

A Brief Stop

 

A Few Spring Days in February

47 Degrees, Rainy, Calm

Sunset 5:22

I was sitting in my office today listening to the rain.  It was coming down pretty steadily and is supposed to continue through the weekend.  Everyone was talking about the last few days; almost 60 degrees (to die for), sunny and beautiful.  These photos were taken on one of those gorgeous warm false spring days. They were a reminder of the reward at the end of a long winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Extraordinary Shepherd - Time to Trade in the Border Collie

 

 

This is SO cute.  The little guy really takes his job seriously!

 

The Hen House Diaries - The "Pickn Chickn" App

Spring is synonymous with chicks. Even if you haven't joined the backyard coop rage, spring is filled with chocolate eggs, deviled eggs, and colored eggs. If you are admist the rage now is an ideal time to think about what kind of chicken is best suits your needs. And yes, there is an App for that.  I recently discovered the Pickn Chickn App that Mother Earth News released, it's quite "eggstensive" (sorry).  You start by choosing layers or meat chickens, then you choose the color of egg you'd like, the size of egg, and finally the quantity.  Push a button and up comes a list of chickens that fit your desires.  I'm not that into Apps, but this one is eggcellent!

Pickn Chickn App

 

 

Garden Planning in the Gloomy Days of January

 45 Degrees, Hazy, and Rainy

Sunset 5:07

Our Potager is in, or instead of, the front yard and is roughly 50 feet by 50 feet with raised beds. Before we broke ground I drew our garden plan on graph paper, with the scale of one square equals two feet. The actual garden turned out very similar with just a few tweaks.  Every year I make copies of the original plan to write down where I plant veggies for a record to use for ordering seeds and crop rotation.  I also use a copy of the drawing for a monthly to do list . I'm collecting these notes in a three ring binder with monthly tabs that stores all my favorite garden ideas from magazines, growing instructions, plant tags and whatever else comes along.  Its been fun to see how the the best laid plans change and how the garden has evolved.  Be sure to check out my new blog page, "Seed Catalog Directory", listing some of my favorite organic and heirloom seed sources.  It's hard to believe January flew by so quickly and it really is time to start the first seeds!

 

A Ghost in the Garden

 45 Degrees, SUN!!

Sunset 4:57

 

We often hear the coyotes at night. Sometimes close and sometimes far away, but this week they've been in our garden. The yipping and howling has been frightenly eerie and loud. Maybe the cold weather has prompted a new daily routine of checking on our livestock and household pets. We are on lock-down. Nobody goes outside unattended, chickens and rabbits are staying in their respective homes. The goats watch wearily - but I think that they are safe.

I took this picture frantically before he could disappear into the woods, with our younger son yelling and our Australian Shepard bouncing from window to window - so it's lacking.  Of course the flash went off and the telephoto distorts the size - BUT, finally, I got a picture. I've been watching and waiting for a week.  Often the female, who is much more petite, is with him. They were amazingly beautiful against the snow. Now they are much  more camouflaged.

Although it's scary it's been exciting to see these animals in the daylight and upclose.

 

An Icy Day in the Garden

 

 

This week we've had lingering snow that turned into an ice storm. Freezing rain, mist, and snow has come down consistently for three days.  The Towhee's and a pair of Varied Thrush (common in Washington but rare to the potager) monopolized the bird seed.  The Thrush would chase off the Towhee's, but they are so shy that they would fly away at any movement and the Towhees would come back. The chickens stayed inside the coop all day and I didn't see the goats come out of the shed once. Excitingly, we've had a couple of wylie visitors in the last few days. A family of coyotes have been howling and yipping in the garden the last few nights.  Yesterday I saw a large male and female coyote walk through the garden, around the house and into the forest. Today the male walked up and down the driveway.  Both times would have been great photos had I been able to grab the camera in time (Ugh!).  I love to see them - they're big healthy and beautiful, but we worry about the livestock.  Early to bed for everyone this week!

 

Snow in the Potager

 

31 Degrees, Snowy, Low 27 Degress

Sunset 4:47

Our first snow of the year and season.  It looks like our garden is in a snow globe!

Great Blue Heron at Dusk

 

Contemplating Progress

 Great Blue Heron - Audubon 

Pileated Woodpeckers

32 Degrees (am)  High Clouds/ Fog, Hard Frost

Sunset 4:42 

There is a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers that live on our property or very close. They swoop from tree to tree sounding a lot like jungle monkeys.  The Seattle Audubon Society web site has a link where you can listen to their calls Bird Web - Seattle Audobon Society.

They're the second largest woodpecker in North America, about the size of a large crow with a wing span of up to 30 inches.  Pileated Woodpeckers are monogamous and live in the same area year round.  Both the male and female help to make a new nest ( a hollow in a tree) and help incubate and raise the babies.  There can be 3 -5 eggs.  The babies are ready to leave the nest after four weeks and tend to stay close to their parents for several months.

This picture was taken in the summer of 2010.  Both parents and their baby were foraging for bugs in the perimeter of our garden.  The baby stayed very close to mom and followed her every move. I love his fuzzy head. We see these birds often in our area of the Puget Sound, so I was surprised to learn that they are considered at-risk and that the Department of Fish and Wildlife is considering them for the endangered species list.   

Full Moon - January 8th 2012

45 Degrees, Partly Cloudy, Rain in the Evening

Sunset 4:38

Full Moon  - the night of January 8th, in a flurry of clouds and color

99% Full - the night of January 7th, cold crisp and clear

Low Winter Sun

37 Degrees, Light Rain in PM

Sunset 4:35

Today was colder than it has been all week, partly cloudy and pretty this morning. Wednesday it rain buckets all day.  The gutters were overflowing, it was monsoon like. A busy week has passed, and now a week closer to the last frost date, which I'm hoping will be very early this year.  I'm going to stop by the nursery tomorrow morning and see if I can pick up some seeds for the first round of early crops; artichokes, broccoli, peas, potatoes, onions, etc...

The sun was beautiful and low in the sky.  It broke through the trees and fog that had rolled through.  No direct sun is hitting the potager.  Even so the shard is bravely growing, the dafodils are several inches tall, and the chives are showing signs of life. Two brown eggs this evening.

New Year's Eagle

Almost 50 Degrees, Calm, Fairly Dry

Sunset 4:31 

On New Year's Eve Day I took some pictures from Manitou Beach which looks across the sound to Seattle.  This eagle cruised in, looked for fish, and chased the herons away.

Getting Ready for Seeds

47 Degrees, Rainy, Windy

Today started dark and still and has ended dark and blustery with lots of rain, although it's still warm.

I decided not to brave the rain and to stay inside and set up my seed stand.  I bought two of these "mini-greenhouses" off e-bay several years ago and strap three sets of lights on each level.  It makes a great seed starter, with the only drawback being that I can't change the height of the lights.  I put the  plastic cover over the second stand and use it as a cold frame on the deck for older seedlings.  One of my strategies this year is to time my seedlings so that I have relatively large strong plants to go in the ground rather than germinating seeds directly in the garden.  This is because we get very little sun until later in the spring and only for a short time during the day.  I think this strategy will lengthen my growing season as well as avoid the slugs, robins, and deer.  I'll start with artichokes, broccoli, peas and what ever else I can find to plant before the last frost date.