We lined the perimeter with wild flowers. Here are some early bloomers. It is customary to decorate as well as feed.
Lettuce can be seeded in late spring. Shortly thereafter, the small greens can be cut and eaten. This years garden has 4 long wide rows of Black Seeded Simpson, Red Lettuce, Boston Bibb, and Romaine. It is best to cut the greens in the early morning or late evening. In the hot summer days, these beds can be ruined if they are cut back too much.
This is a flower of a jalapeño pepper plant. The pepper originates in Mexico and grows well in the hot summers of North Carolina. It can be picked when green and young or mature and red. It is advisable to use gloves when preparing these spicy fruits. Vinegar and milk may give relief to skin or mouth that is burning from the oils and seeds.
Our tomatoes are covered in yellow blooms and green vessels. This year, we ran them along the outer perimeter. This allowed us to combine our fence with their support system. The fence acts as a barrier to unwanted pests and something for the vines to climb on. We trained the vines through the fence by hand.
We planted two varieties of strawberries from our local cooperative extension agent. This one is the Seascape Strawberry. As an everbearing fruit, these plants produce a round even shaped berry. The high quality and sweet berries develop in the spring and fall. Though they need water they do well in hot and dry climates. Though it produces fewer runners than spring bearing varieties it is resistance to many fungal diseases.
Big Dom. Roosters need to have their spurs pulled or clipped off to keep them from hurting each other when they spar. There are many varieties of yard birds that vary in meat quality and egg production. Chickens have poor vision but great hearing. Cock-a-doodle-doooo!
