The Wade Creek House 2nd Annual Chicken Chat & Coop Tour

*** SAVE THE DATE!! SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH @ 9AM ***

Rowdy - official poster chicken!

Thinking about raising a few sweet hens for fresh eggs or raising baby chicks from “scratch”?

Learn about what it takes to successfully raise & care for backyard chickens then hit the town and tour 10 local private chicken coops & 2 feed stores!

Meet Rowdy & the girls!

9.30am-10.30am  -  Chicken  Chat

Local poultry experts share their “eggs”pertise on everything to do with backyard birds including equipment, breeds, and tips on raising and handling chickens.    Come with your questions!

Come see this Chicken "Condo"

11am-5pm  -  Local  Coop Tour

See how friends & neighbors are keeping happy hens & check out the coops (or condos) they call home. Visit local feed stores to see the chicken breeds and supplies they have to offer.

Enter drawings to win great prizes at all tour stop locations!

$10 per person • $15 per couple  ($5 ea additional family member)
Kids 10 & under FREE
Click on the tab above and print off a  "coop"on  for 10% off!

**** RAFFLE TO BENEFIT LOCAL 4-H POULTRY GROUP ****
 TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT THE WADE CREEK HOUSE

Raffle tickets: $2 ea or 3 for $5

PGM Construction, located in Portland, OR,  has donated a beautiful cedar chicken coop for our Raffle. This custom-built coop comes complete with a green roof!! It's an amazing structure you will want to have in your own yard. This coop was on display at the 2012 Better Living Show in the NW Natural "Blue House" yard.  Retail Value: $895.00

Need a quality coop built or help with your landscape? Contact PGM Construction: www.pgmconstruction.net

Raffle tickets: $1 ea or 6 for $5

Amber Carpenter, glass artist & member of The Wade Creek House, has donated a wonderful glass chicken mosaic window. The amazing color and detail makes this window a must-have!  Retail Value: $175.00

Raffle Tickets: $1 ea or 6 for $5

Looking to get baby chicks this spring? Wilco Farm Stores has donated a "starter kit", complete with fount & feeder, heat lamp & bulb, a 25lb bag of Start & Grow, and & Pocketful of Poultry book. Get your flock off to a great start!
  Retail Value: $65.00

Participating Sponsors:

Backyard Poultry Magazine,  Barton Feed & Country Store,  Burns Feed Store,  Ferrellgas,  Gerber Farm Supply,  Hobby Farms Publications,  Mary Lake-Thompson, LTD.,  Practical Poultry Magazine (UK),  Storey Publishing,  Terra Casa,  Tri-County HVAC, Inc.,  Wilco Farm Stores

THANK YOU
TO ALL OUR COOP OWNERS, SPONSORS, AND DONORS!

WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!!!!

****  PLEASE NOTE  ****

Advance purchase of Tour Maps available, but will not be issued until the day of event

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.thewadecreekhouse.com

thewadecreekhouse.blogspot.com

The Wade Creek House
664 NW Wade Street
Estacada, OR  97023

503.630.7556

Is it Spring Yet???

March 21, 2012

For those of us living in the Pacific Northwest (more specifically the Portland Metro area), Winter came late this year; I can't remember the last time we had more days of snow on the ground in February & March! When that goundhog predicted 6 more weeks of winter this year, he wasn't kidding! While my location didn't receive the "snow-mageddon" that hit the southern valley last week (Salem/Eugene), it was still enuf to make the morning commute treacherously beautiful.

corn salad & leeks

I will admit, I have not done anything in the garden this Winter. We had a really nice day a couple Saturdays ago where I finally got the front yard looking somewhat presentable, but my raised garden beds still lay dormant with last year's potatoes (which are still delicious!), while others are luschously green with mache (corn salad) and leeks that remarkably made it thru the crazy weather the last 3 months. *The corn salad acted like a living mulch, which has proven to be a great double-duty edible!

Though the weather is still cold and rainy (10-15 deg below normal), I can no longer wait -  it's finally time to get planting! Lettuce, spinach, radish and peas will all get planted this weekend, followed by cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. As mentioned in earlier posts, I have these wonderful raised beds that allow me to garden practially year-round. Not only do I have warmer soils - when I use row cover - I have amazingly friable soils & can dig these beds even after heavy rains, usually the next day!

So if you can, get planting!
And don't forget, it's still not too late to get your tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants started (indoors, of course).

PEAS OUT!
~GP

Capture the (Kodak) Moment

I'm going to stray from giving you gardening tips for just a minute... well, not entirely.

While we are busy pouring thru the seed catalogs that are showing up in our mailbox, and planning our gardens for this growing season, nature is quietly going about its business. The occasional warm day brings out bugs and critters that would otherwise still be hunkered down for the winter; morning fog settles in and then lifts just at sunrise giving the earth a glorious shimmering display of yellow, orange and blue reflections off of frost-kissed plants...

I love taking pictures. I have this little point-and-shoot camera that looks like hell (it has been around the world with me) but - up until recently - took the most amazing pictures. When I bought it 5 years ago it wasn't the biggest or best, but I was perfect for me since I pack my camera with me everywhere I go. Most of the pictures on my blog and all of the pictures in my 2 calendars were taken with this little camera. None of my photos are "photoshopped" - I don't have the software and wouldn't know how to use it anyway.

It's been a few years and I don't know where I heard, saw, or read this, but I someone said their goal was to take at least 1 picture every day. What a novel idea - I really wanted to follow thru with this and create something amazing... then life happens and good intentions are followed by "maybe tomorrow". While I don't take a-picture-a-day, I have my moments where I am surgically attached to my camera for days then won't touch it for a week.

If you know The Wade Creek House here in Estacada, Oregon you probably have seen the postcards they use for promotions; it is also The Wade Creek House blog banner. I staged and took that photo - which also happens to be the cover for the 2012 Garden Calendar. Yes, I am bragging, but damn, it is a great photo! See?!?!?!

I am really proud of that picture and it amazes me every time I look at it. There are other photos I have taken over the years (with my 'lil camera) that I really love. Let me share a few with you...

Please note these pictures are my personal property and under copyright.

My friend Sharon is a professional photographer and does take the most amazing photos (her camera is WAY bigger); she has also had a pretty amazing opportunity present itself. Her work has been installed at the Clackamas County Services Building (4th Floor).
      "... and even tho they are mine, and so familiar to me, the photo's impress me as I watch the elevator doors open to the hallway they hang in."

 ** Check out Sharon's blog: oregonshar.blogspot.com. She also has a wordpress blog - check out more photos and info about her professional photo services.

I invite you to take a-picture-a-day... you never know when or where your own masterpiece will show up!

PEAS OUT!

~GP

Fresh out of the garden - in Winter!

If I have learned anything about gardening over the course of my life, it's that you can always shift the odds in your favour by taking a bit of extra time & care into harvesing something from your garden every month of the year. Whether it's the first springs greens of the year or the sweet crunch of summer corn you don't need to kill your self in order to have fresh produce on your table - a la garden.

(Setting the scene:)
January 8th, 2012   6.48am

freshly harvested Pontiac Red & Yukon Gold

I wake up to find the earth frosted in a blanket of white as the fog that was hovering last night has now rests peacefully as a shimering cloak; the day welcomes me to a clear chilly 28 degree morning. Raised beds lay dormant under a blanket of straw - there are no signs that anything was planted here...  The day warms slightly, though enough for me to grab my pitchfork and push aside some of the straw that protects buried treasures of red & gold (of the Pontiac & Yukon type!)

Well protected, and planted in well-drained soil (mine are planted in raised beds rich with compost) potatoes can be left & harvested fresh thru the winter; roast with fresh sage & rosemary and enjoy!

And remember... fresh from the garden includes those sage, rosemary and other biennnial or perennial herbs you have growing in your yard!

** in case you're wondering, those are leeks planted in the raised bed, and the green "carpet" is corn salad (mache) that reseeded into my garden paths.

PEAS OUT!
~GP

The GardenPurl Toy Box

Last January, I got wildly inspired and produced a garden calendar and filled it full of gardening tips, ideas, and photos I'd taken. As a member of The Wade Creek House here in Estacada, I included the events and workshops held at the shop and made a few copies available for sale to the public.



Back by popular demand, The Wade Creek House 2012 Garden Calendar has been available at The Wade Creek House since November. Don't have yours yet? It's not too late - there are still a few calendars available for sale at The Wade Creek House. 503.630.7556 Call to reserve or stop by to pick up yours today!  $15.95

I added a new TAB on my blog "Gotta Have That!"
It is the GardenPurl Toy Box and will have various & sundry items for purchase. Check it out as must-have items will be added periodically.
You can also send me a message (click on the Lady Bug) with a request to purchase. All transactions are made through PayPal and items are shipped out within 48hours Monday-
Friday.

Thanks for supporting small-scale business!
Peas Out!
~GP

Did you Miss Me?

Although talking about my garden and various garden adventures and findings is quite therapeutic, I decided to take a brief hiatus from blogging (and my garden). Life has been stressful and it was time to take a step back and reassess the situation. Fortunately the situation has been remedied and now life is good!

ON WITH THE SHOW!

Ok, so I have this crazy feeling (and you probably do, too) that this is going to be another fabulous Green Tomato year! I had a few green tomatoes last year, but the hens got to them before I did, so I failed to make any Fried Green Tomatoes or any other lovely recipe with such ingredients. I was thinking a fresh Salsa Verde would be nice as my husband and I are salsa lovers...



Soloist Cabbage



I planted 9 varieties of tomato this year and a few are finally flowering. The trick will be to get some sun & hot weather to they will grow & ripen before the first frost sets in!

 

Bodacious!

What is doing well in my garden this year (besides the weeds) are the peas and lettuce. I planted quick maturing cabbage (Pixie & Soloist) and they are growing on nicely. I am also trying cauliflower (Snowball) this year and so far, so good!

My corn (Bodacious) is about 2.5 feet tall and the beans (Oregon 54 & Yellow Wax) are just starting to flower.

As for the potatoes, the Red Pontiac have already bloomed, the Ozette are just starting, and the Yukon Gold have yet to bloom. I hilled them up with straw this year - first time I've ever tried this method. I figure with the weather so wet this year, the slugs have been feasting under there, so we'll see!



Boston Marrow Winter Squash

I am growing a winter squash called Boston Marrow and the plants are going quite well considering the cool summer so far. Hopefully I'll get a squash or two from the 3 plants - at least my odds are pretty good!

My Grey Zucchini are having issues this year... similar to that of tomatoes, the bloosom ends are rotting. I think it is a pollination thing... too wet & not enuf bee action.

Hope your garden is at least trying!

PEAS OUT!

~GP

Gentlemen, Start you Seeds!

As gardeners, we know there are certian seeds that are best for starting early and transplanting, and those that much prefer to start their life directly seeded in the ground.

The most obvious veg that we think of are Tomatoes and Peppers. These are 2 plants that most gardeners will start sometime in late Winter (January/February). What do you do, or even have, that will allow you to get the early jump start so you can get these plants in the ground and hope for a good harvest? If you have the means, a heated greenhouse is the way to go but for many, a Southern Exposure (SoEx) windowsill is the best bet and will work perfectly for our seedlings.

My father-in-law, not having a greenhouse or a good SoEx location,  started his seeds in a non-working car he has in his driveway. This is an option I had not heard of before, but definately a unique and outstanding idea, AND he has seedlings to plant in the garden this year!

Of course, there are a couple of drawbacks. (1) The solid roof (no sun/moon roof) does not allow for adequate overhead light, so he added a flourescent for supplemental light. (2) Even on cold days, the sun shining thru the windows heats up the car quite a bit and the windows must be cracked for heat to escape. But really, you can work with that!

So, if you want to start seeds early next year and are lacking a heated greenhouse or a good SoEx window, the old car you happen to have laying around the yard is another great option.

PEAS OUT!
~GP

They DO exist! Those Wonderful Worms!

I remember when I was a kid... out late on Saturday night in the rain with flashlight in tow, my dad not far away as we scoured the lawn looking for nightcrawlers resting on the surface. We were going fishing the next morning.

"Don't shine the light on them or they'll hide" he would warn. The untimate treasure hunt was on.

"I got a big one!" I would rasp across the lawn, in my loudest whisper (so as not to scare the worms of course). "I got another one! Wow, dad, they're EVERYWHERE!"

Can it be true???

The memories came flooding back sending a smile to my lips and chills up my spine as I turned my compost pile this week, unveiling dozens of worms, and in the mix, the elusive nightcrawlers. I couldn't believe it! THEY DO EXIST! I haven't seen worms that size since I was a kid, some the size of a Sharpie! As it turns out, I'm not the only one who loves compost   : )

5" nightcrawler from my compost pile!

The weather has finally turned (welcome, Summer!) and now is a good time to get out there and turn your compost pile. Chances are pretty good that if it's been sitting there all winter, most - if not all - of it can be used directly in your garden & flowerbeds. If it is not quite finished, you can sift it (use 1" hardware cloth, 1/2" if finer siftings are needed) and put the bigger chunks back in the compost pile and let the worms work their magic!

That lawn will also be needing a good haircut, so start a new pile with those clippings.

NOTE:

Compost grass clippings & yard waste, EXCEPT for clippings from lawns where weed-n-feed products or herbicides (weed killers) have been used.  Technically you can compost those clippings, but they should sit for a couple years, and don't use them on/around edibles, or you can send them out with your yard debris recycling.

Hens are mixing the pile...

The hens do their part to keep the compost piles working; funny that they will gobble up the smaller worms, but are not quite sure what to do with the big ones! Really, the nightcrawlers are huge - they're the size of snakes so I would be a bit leary, too!

Keep composting and be kind to your worms - they do great things for your garden.

Dad! Let's go fishin'!

PEAS OUT!
~GP

Still to wet to plant! (part 3)

A unique, fun, & functional option to raised beds!

Straw Bale Garden// Planted with Beets, Chard



When the weather just won't allow you to get in your garden and plant, try putting in a STRAW BALE GARDEN.



This is a great project that not only creates a unique raised bed, but also allows you to plant pretty much anywhere you want! Plant it on the grass (will kill everything underneath, including perennial weeds), concrete (think driveway), gravel, or other location where the ground is poor or cannot be dug.

When the bales colapse in on themselves, use the compost on your next SBG or toss it into your garden or flowerbed! This is the beauty of it - recycling at its finest!

 Great for kids or for adults that can't bend down to ground level.

{  Stack 3 straw bales side-by-side, cut side up (seed-free bales are best; baling twine should be facing outwards). Water down bales thoroughly.

{  Broadcast 3lbs bloodmeal, feathermeal or some other high nitrogen fertilizer over the 3 bales (5 lbs of used coffee grounds works too); then broadcast 3 lbs COF (complete organic fertilizer) over the bales.

{  Add 3 inches of soil, potting mix or coco coir over the bales, followed by 4-5 inches of aged compost (or last year's SBG material) to top it off. Water well again and cover (burlap coffee bags work well). The composting process will take place during this time, heating up the bales. Wait to plant until the process cools down, about 1-2 weeks.

Each bale should hold either...

§  (Up to) 6 cucumbers, trailing down

§  2-3 squash, zucchini, and/or melon plants

§  A couple of tomato plants per bale with one or two herbs and leafy veggies in between
§  Four pepper plants 

Summer planting of poppies, corn, tomato

§  12-15 bean or pea plants

§  A mix of the above or any other plants you like.

I put in this SBG June 2009 and planted it with some Winter crops (see pic above); the following Spring I planted lettuce in it. Summer 2010 I scattered some old California Poppy seed (which all germinated!), then stuck in some corn & a cherry tomato!  Note to self: corn does not do well in SBGs.

 Try it out & enjoy the rewards!


This is what the SBG looks like now... all collapsed in on itself. It's done it's duty and is now a lovely heap of compost! (you should see the size of the worms in here!) I will be putting in another SBG, so I will mix this loveliness all together and use it as my top (planting) layer. It's totaly recycleable!

Last year's SBG is ready to go on top of this year's bales!

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!  : )
Have any other fun and unique garden ideas? Let me know and I will share them!

PEAS OUT!
~GP

Still too wet to plant! (part 2)

I made the mistake of trying to do a bit of weeding in one of my flower beds yesterday... ICK! This bed is right next to the house - it's mostly clay (the only spot in my yard) and I have not added nearly enfu compost to do any good.

hard to miss the large WEED out my livingroom window!

I know better than to walk on wet soil, and even more on such saturated CLAY soil. Ugh... I don't think this bed will ever dry out!



I cautiously took a step onto one of the pathways in the bed, "not too bad", I thought, so I took another step and sunk in about an inch! YIKES!! Ok, since I was already committed, I pulled some of the weeds that were impeding the view from the front window. Oh, I need to get that LARGE one pulled in front of the window... Get out of the flowerbed dumbass! I walked around to the side of the bed - on the walkway - and started in again, pullling weeds and ripping out clumps of soil (clay) which was really making a mess... but the weeds are getting out of control!



even the smallest weeds leave big holes!



I finally restrained myself, disgusted with not only the weather that allowed the weeds to take over, but now my bootprints that would most likely be permanent features in the muck, and the new clay craters that now dotted my beds.

I have decided that this bed is getting ripped out and revamped with a nice straw-and-compost mixture to try and break up the pottery vault in the front yard.







In fact, putting in a Straw Bale garden may be the best way to go this year. This is a great project that not only creates a unique raised bed, but also allows you to plant pretty much anywhere you want!

Check out my next post - I'll tell you all about it!!

If there was one bright spot in all this chaos, the sun was out and I happend upon this little snake sunning among my sedum.








Oh yea, and then there is the rabbit who has decided that my flowerbeds are his personal buffet. This is the first year I've had bunny damage of any kind! I welcome the critters as they do a great job of keeping the dandilions cut down, but they are now eating more than just weeds! Aw, hell.

"Hewoe, Wabbit"  (that's my best Elmer Fudd)

Part 3 will be posted soon, so check back for STRAW BALE GARDEN information!

PEAS OUT!
~GP

I'm just dying to get my garden planted!

Enuf with the crappy February weather already! (Although Rose Fest just started, so we have just about 2 weeks of bad weather left, then we can go to Summer)

3 squash seedlings (right side of picture)

So after my garden got rototilled, I went thru and raked paths to make raised beds to plant in. I could hardly stand it - a beautiful garden with nothing in it.

I started some Boston Marrow Squash from seed earlier this month and decided they had to go in. So, with seedlings and trowel in tow, I planted 3 squash.

To protect the babies, I took a few of my mixing bowls and used them as makeshift greenhouses. They let in a bit of light, but I mostly wanted to protect from weather and cold.



mixing bowls doing double-duty as mini greenhouses!



They are doing well and I now have something planted in my garden!

Let me know how your garden is growing - send me an email or post a commentt!

PEAS OUT!

~GP

Caterpillarus Wierdnus!

So much for my Latin-speaking skills...



When I got close, it lifted its tail and tucked its head under!

I was out the other day checking on some of my Quaking Aspen seedlings when I came upon this curious bug... Not quite sure what flying insect this will turn into, but it looked pretty cool. I was able to snap a couple of pix, and then had to run out for an errand. When I got back, the caterpillar was gone, and so were a few of the leaves on my seedlings!

I have no idea what kind of caterpillar this is, so if anyone can identify, I would greatly appreciate it!



not  great pics, but you get the idea



here you can see the head tucked under

entire leaves and stems are gone!   BAD BUG!

PEAS OUT!
~GP

Nothing makes me happier... than a freshly tilled garden!

I was beginning to wonder if I would EVER get my garden tilled! A bit of luck and this little stretch of 70deg weather was just what we needed to get the garden ready to go.

650sqft - freshly tilled and ready to plant!

Most of the garden was in weeds, but I managed to sow some cover crop over about 1/4 of the garden last Fall. This grew into a nice dense mat about 30" tall which prevented the weeds from growing. I mowed it down earlier today then had it tilled under (thanks again Bill!!).

See that big pile on the far side on the garden? I had started a few compost piles about 5 years ago in the back corner of the yard... yarden debris, grass clippings, old potting soil... they finally made their destination to my garden! After Bill tilled the garden, he scooped up all the finished compost and dumped it in the garden. As I put my veg starts in the ground, I will add this compost to the planting holes and mulch around the plants with it as well.

All we need now is a bit of warmer weather (especially the nighttime temps) and I can get all my warm season crops in the ground!

This is what it looked like last summer...

my composting operation!





... and this is what it looked like this afternoon!

The hens were really excited about the fresh soil to dig in and took care of the bugs and worms left on the surface after the soil was removed! I'll be moving my compost bins back in this area and finally get them off the grass!

May your garden produce a bountiful harvest this year!

PEAS OUT!

~GP

FINALLY got my seeds started... we'll see what happens!



Corn Salad (Mache) gone to seed!

  So, any good gardener would've had seeds started in the greenhouse back in February/March (especially tomatoes & peppers!). I, being one of those who has been completely distracted by the weather this year, just got my seeds planted last week and they are rearing to go! I've had the heat mats going 24/7 and wathcing every day to see if anything has come up. I had squash up in 3 days and tomatoes up in 5... I figure it's going to go 1 of 2 ways: (1) everything will catch up regardless of when I started OR (2) it will be another "green tomato" year and it won't matter cause nothing will grow anyway... I'm one of those "there's always next year" gardeners so what the hell.



baby 'maters!

 

watermelon seedlings

In case these plants happen to make it to maturity, here's what I planted: (note: hyb = hybrid variety)

TOMATO: Sun Gold (hyb), Cherokee Purple, Cuore Di Bue, Ananas Noire, Chocolate Cherry, San Marzano, Black Krim, Purple Russian, Hillbilly, Brandywine, Black Sea Man & Amana Orange. (All except Sun Gold are heirloom; Black Sea Man was a new introduction by Log House Plants last year)

PATIO TOMATO: Red Robin & Micro Tom

PEPPER: Tri Color Vareigated, Fish, Early Jalapeno, Purple Beauty, Tequila Sunrise, Peach Habanero, Yum Yum Gold (hyb)

SUMMER SQUASH: Tromboncino, Grey Zucchini

WINTER SQUASH: Buttercup, Boston Marrow, Small Wonder Spaghetti (hyb)

PUMPKIN: Full Moon (hyb), Fairy Tale, Orange Cutie (hyb), Lil pump-ke-mon (hyb)

WATERMELON: Sugar Baby, New Queen (hyb), Orchid Sweet (hyb, seedless)

MELON: Tigger

ARTICHOKE: Green Globe

WHEW! Hungry yet???  I still have more to start (like lemon cucs), but they germinate in a couple days so no problem there! And then there's all the direct-seed veg like beans, corn, spinach...
 


leggy squash!


As you can see, the Tromboncino & Buttercup squash was the first I started and they are a bit leggy. The cool thing about squash is that you can plant them kinda like you do a tomato (non-grafted type). When you plant your squash, bury the stem up to about an inch below the first leaves (cotyledons). The squash will develop roots and actually make a stronger plant. I found this out by mistake last year...Who knew?!?


I'll have veg starts at The Wade Creek House in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned and I'll let you know when they're available!

PEAS OUT!

~GP