This podcast episode format is a first for me and quite a departure from our usual format. In this episode, I take the mic and recorder outside for a behind-the-scenes day in the life at the GardenFarm™. I’m calling it an “audio journal” – snippets of a typical weekend Saturday for me. From the time I first head outside early in the morning, to that time of peace and reflection late at night under the stars.
Along the way, I share with you some of the sounds (and sights through the pictures below) of what it’s like out here on the first day of fall, 2017. And along the way, I throw in some teachable moments as they come up.
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed making it for you.
We have about 25 chickens on the farm at any given time. This one below is the most vocal by far. And he’s very good at watching over the flock (even though he’s not at the top of the pecking order – believe it or not.)
Believe it or not, this rooster (Louie) is not at the top of the pecking order of our flock, although he sure does act like it. He is the most vocal though. You hear him a lot throughout this podcast episode.
Our head rooster duties go to the smallest but most senior rooster of the flock, Reggie. He is small but very mighty indeed, at least in stature. Reggie is the last remaining survivor from our original flock brought down here when we moved from North Carolina over five years ago. We love Reggie, and he loves his hens. I can’t believe how protective he is.
Whenever the big guy (above) gets a little frisky with Reggie’s girls, Reggie bows out that chest and pulls back those wings like a super-hero. While clearly dwarfed by all the other chickens, especially the other three roosters, no one messes with Reggie.
You hear Reggie on this podcast too. He’s the one randomly making his presence known all throughout this episode. Whenever you hear a rooster that sounds like he’s got laryngitis, that’s Reggie!
Reggie is one proud and confident rooster. I don’t think he know’s he’s as small as he is. But he rules the roost and holds the top position in the pecking order, even above 3 other much larger roosters.
My fall garden was planted just ahead of hurricane Irma’s shift in the path straight towards Atlanta. Having just planted new tender seedlings and not really knowing what I could do to protect them, I thought that anything would be better than nothing. So, I pulled back out many of the tomato cages I had just put into storage two-weeks prior, and laid them horizontally across the beds.
Although I knew I couldn’t do anything to protect all these new plants from the wind, I hoped the cages would help block falling debris from all the trees that line the north border of the garden. It worked beautifully. Miraculously, I was fortunate the winds that arrived the next day as a tropical storm did little to harm my tiny, tender seedlings.
Now a new threat was looming. The intense rays of the sun combined with unseasonably warm temperatures were taking a toll on some of the more tender young plants. Thankfully the cages were still in place and a perfect support structure for laying shade cloth to knock off some of the sun’s impact, buying each plant in those beds a little more time to settle in under less duress. That worked too.
The tomato cages turned hurricane shields also provided the perfect support structure for laying shade cloth over tender seedlings as they eased into their full sun environment.
A weekly chore I never tire of doing is managing my compost. I have a 4-bin system made from free, untreated shipping pallets. Over many years of composting, this is still my favorite way to make compost. Considering the low cost, accessibility to quality pallets, and simplicity of making this bin; it doesn’t get much easier or cheaper to make a lot of compost at home. While this bin has four bays, I only need and use three for the different stages of compost: new, in-process and finished.
My pallet composting bin is ridiculously easy to make. Plus, it cost me nothing. Over the years, this is still my favorite way to compost. Note my all-time favorite compost turning fork in the second bin. The one pictured is over 12 years old and still going strong. (photo by Nancy Suttles)
A must-have in my opinion for anyone looking to improve their compost-making skills, or simply to monitor the state of their compost as it goes from new to finished, is a compost thermometer.
Not to be confused with a soil thermometer (with only a 6-inch probe), a compost thermometer has a 20-inch probe (or longer) to reach deep into the core of the compost heap. That is exactly what you need to accurately access the internal temperature where it matters. You can find them online for less than $20.
A compost thermometer is a small investment to get great feedback on the state of your active composting efforts. If your pile is at or above 130 degrees, you’re well on your way to quick compost.
A favorite activity I love to start or finish my day with is a leisurely stroll around the property. Although I do admit, it’s rarely without lots of stops for pest inspections or photos, mental notes about garden chores and more. But I most enjoy the wonderful surprises that greet me every time. Having a four-season garden of native plants ensures there is always something of interest to see.
This time of year, two of my favorite fall plants are starting to show their beauty and value to wildlife.
Both of the following pictures were taken during the garden walk while recording this podcast.
Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is easily identifiable in fall by it’s near florescent purple fruit clusters against the stems. It’s a beautiful contrast to the large golden leaves that eventually shed from the plant in fall.
Beautyberry is a show-stopper in fall. While not much to look at the rest of the year, the unique display each autumn is a treat for gardeners and a welcomed food source for many birds.
Perhaps my favorite plant for winter is Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) with its bright red berries that really pop in the landscape – until the birds get them. Birds love them as a food source.
My favorite plant for winter interest is Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata). Nothing else comes close to catch my eye with its bright red berries against an evergreen backdrop.
Unfortunately, I rarely complete a full walk around the garden without noticing something I need to address. This time it’s another reminder I need to invest in a deer fence.
After several years of living with constant setbacks from destructive browsing, it’s time to bite the bullet and install that deer fence. These oakleaf hydrangea leaves and next year’s bud sets have been stripped from most of my many such plants on the property. Mea culpa.
Although I do spray with a deer repellent, I’m not around often enough to keep up with consistently applying it to be effective. It’s heartbreaking to see most of my favorite shrubs (oakleaf hydrangea), stripped of their leaves by deer browsing the constant buffet on my property. Even worse, since next year’s flowers are already set on old wood, I won’t have those to enjoy either.
Links & Resources
My Video and blog post – How to build the pallet compost bin
The compost thermometer I have (pictured above)
The compost fork I love shown in compost bin picture above. (not affiliate link)
Milorganite – Our podcast episode sponsor and Brand Partner of joe gardener®
Links to some products may affiliate links
17 Responses to “019-GardenFarm Audio Journal – First Day of Fall, 2017”
Enjoyed “walking” beside you in the garden thru this podcast and will look forward to next season’s.
Glad you could join me Marie. Looks like I’ll do something like this again in spring. Thanks for your note.
Enjoyed “walking” beside you in the garden thru this podcast and will look forward to next season’s.
Really enjoyed the pod cast and tour. Thanks for all you share with us.
I’m glad you enjoyed Wanda. Thanks for listening and happy to share.
Really enjoyed the pod cast and tour. Thanks for all you share with us.
This is awesome, it really is Joe…almost like walking along the garden and barn area with you during your morning stroll. Thanks for inviting me. Honestly, I wish I was your next-door neighbor!!
Jim
Thanks Jim. Really appreciate the feedback. You’re invited anytime. And if a house goes up for sale next door, I’ll be back in touch. You’d make a great neighbor!
This is awesome, it really is Joe…almost like walking along the garden and barn area with you during your morning stroll. Thanks for inviting me. Honestly, I wish I was your next-door neighbor!!
Jim
I really enjoyed walking the garden with you and learning a few things along the way. I told my husband I missed my calling in life! I’m supposed to be outside working with the plants and animals! LOL It IS very satisfying. We’re in Central Florida – I wonder if we’ll see your hummingbirds!
Hi Suzan. Thank you. Fortunately, you can still work with plants and animals, maybe just not as much. I’m sure you have a lot to offer. Plus it makes you enjoy your time with them all the sweeter. Say hi to my hummers if you see them. Thanks for listening.
I really enjoyed walking the garden with you and learning a few things along the way. I told my husband I missed my calling in life! I’m supposed to be outside working with the plants and animals! LOL It IS very satisfying. We’re in Central Florida – I wonder if we’ll see your hummingbirds!
Thanks Jim. Really appreciate the feedback. You’re invited anytime. And if a house goes up for sale next door, I’ll be back in touch. You’d make a great neighbor!
Hi Suzan. Thank you. Fortunately, you can still work with plants and animals, maybe just not as much. I’m sure you have a lot to offer. Plus it makes you enjoy your time with them all the sweeter. Say hi to my hummers if you see them. Thanks for listening.
I’m glad you enjoyed Wanda. Thanks for listening and happy to share.
Glad you could join me Marie. Looks like I’ll do something like this again in spring. Thanks for your note.
I could listen to you for hours Joe. You are an artist and a wonderful story teller. I felt like I was right there with you. You know, before the days of broadcast TV they used to tell stories with sound effects. Takes me back… Thank you for this break from reality too. And wouldn’t you know it, you get me all excited to go into the garden….and it’s dark out!
Well Mark, that’s about as good as it gets in my book. Thanks for that. I’m honored. And like you, even today, I love visualizing the sights, based on the sounds, like in the old days of radio and this particular episode. To me, it’s like reading a book vs. watching the movie. The book is always a richer experience for me. I’ll do more of these audio journals based on the wonderful feedback. Thanks again for your kind words!
I could listen to you for hours Joe. You are an artist and a wonderful story teller. I felt like I was right there with you. You know, before the days of broadcast TV they used to tell stories with sound effects. Takes me back… Thank you for this break from reality too. And wouldn’t you know it, you get me all excited to go into the garden….and it’s dark out!
Very cool Joe. I especially liked the roosters. I grew up with roosters and chickens in our home even though they were not technically allowed. I have a home orchard now in a 1/2 acre lot. Chickens are allowed (no roosters still) but I worry about the raptors and other predators where I live so I don’t keep them.
Very cool Joe. I especially liked the roosters. I grew up with roosters and chickens in our home even though they were not technically allowed. I have a home orchard now in a 1/2 acre lot. Chickens are allowed (no roosters still) but I worry about the raptors and other predators where I live so I don’t keep them.
Well Mark, that’s about as good as it gets in my book. Thanks for that. I’m honored. And like you, even today, I love visualizing the sights, based on the sounds, like in the old days of radio and this particular episode. To me, it’s like reading a book vs. watching the movie. The book is always a richer experience for me. I’ll do more of these audio journals based on the wonderful feedback. Thanks again for your kind words!
This was delightful. It really was just like being there,walking through the garden with you. The wonderful sounds of nature combined with your story telling skills just made me smile and feel so relaxed and happy. This is exactly the way I love to spend my days. It would be wonderful to have more strolls through your garden with you! Thank you for sharing your day.
Thank you Gwen! So glad I could share it with you. Glad you liked.
This was delightful. It really was just like being there,walking through the garden with you. The wonderful sounds of nature combined with your story telling skills just made me smile and feel so relaxed and happy. This is exactly the way I love to spend my days. It would be wonderful to have more strolls through your garden with you! Thank you for sharing your day.
Thank you Gwen! So glad I could share it with you. Glad you liked.
Really enjoyed the podcast! As a dad and a grandad I try and not cuss out loud often so I give you credit on the deer discovery damage and keeping your relative cool, in my case there would have been a few bleeps, bings, and other sounds on tape. Is the fish emulsion a commercial product you can share the name of? I picture a bass in one hand and a blender in the other, not a pleasant visual…lol. I definitely vote for you to do this again, it was very entertaining and motivational as well.
Hi George. LOL on the homemade version of the fish emulsion. What I buy is readily available where I live in the SE. It’s called Neptune’s Harvest only because that’s what’s on the shelves where I buy my products. But I’m not sure it makes much difference. But I do like the results I get.
Really enjoyed the podcast! As a dad and a grandad I try and not cuss out loud often so I give you credit on the deer discovery damage and keeping your relative cool, in my case there would have been a few bleeps, bings, and other sounds on tape. Is the fish emulsion a commercial product you can share the name of? I picture a bass in one hand and a blender in the other, not a pleasant visual…lol. I definitely vote for you to do this again, it was very entertaining and motivational as well.
Hi George. LOL on the homemade version of the fish emulsion. What I buy is readily available where I live in the SE. It’s called Neptune’s Harvest only because that’s what’s on the shelves where I buy my products. But I’m not sure it makes much difference. But I do like the results I get.
I finally had the chance to listen to this episode. Thank you for taking a risk and going outside the box for this episode. I can’t begin to express how much it meant to me. It reminded me why I love gardening so much and how much my connection with nature gives me life and sustains me while I am working a job that does not light my soul on fire. Within the next few years, I will be able to transition away from my current employment situation to one where I am homesteading more than just on the weekends. This podcast was just the encouragement I needed to hear. Thank you!
Hi Jennifer. Thank you for taking the time to write this wonderful comment. I’m so glad this connected with you in such a personal way. I can totally relate to being in a job that isn’t feeding your soul. And I can add that once you are able to make the move to a job that does, it will change your life! Plus, it will no longer feel like a “job”. I’m pulling for you and hope that happens sooner than later for you. Thanks for listening and commenting here Jennifer. I so appreciate that.
I finally had the chance to listen to this episode. Thank you for taking a risk and going outside the box for this episode. I can’t begin to express how much it meant to me. It reminded me why I love gardening so much and how much my connection with nature gives me life and sustains me while I am working a job that does not light my soul on fire. Within the next few years, I will be able to transition away from my current employment situation to one where I am homesteading more than just on the weekends. This podcast was just the encouragement I needed to hear. Thank you!
Hi Jennifer. Thank you for taking the time to write this wonderful comment. I’m so glad this connected with you in such a personal way. I can totally relate to being in a job that isn’t feeding your soul. And I can add that once you are able to make the move to a job that does, it will change your life! Plus, it will no longer feel like a “job”. I’m pulling for you and hope that happens sooner than later for you. Thanks for listening and commenting here Jennifer. I so appreciate that.
I think this is probably one of the most brilliant formats that could be used for any podcast and especially this one, short of being there and walking through the farm garden with you, Joe. It reminds me of old time radio broadcasts that stirred the imagination. What a gift! Thanks for taking us through and sharing those real-time thoughts and lessons just as you do on TV. Very much appreciated and just think if all of the masters before us could have shared their day-to-day goings on and what we could have learned to pass on to the next generation. Please keep making shows like this.
Oh my Togger. What a wonderful bit of feedback to this episode. You captured the essence of what I was hoping to invoke in this episode. Words like this are definitely encouraging and motivating enough to lead me to take another stab at this. So I will. I enjoy this format very much. So you can look forward to the next round, hopefully soon.Thanks again for such a kind response Togger!
I loved listening to your day.
I have many days like this in the garden season where you get up early, and come in at dusk a total mess, feeling every muscel and satisfied at the end of the day of what was accomplished.
I could relate to the deer damage.
We had deer come through that were so hungry they destroyed all 36 rose bushes, 4 large hudriangias, and hostas patch. My heart sank.
So we put deer fenced the entire property at the recommended 8′.
We later on had to raised the deer fencing in the front yard to 9′ because a deer jumped the 8′ fence.
We also have to make sure we close all the gates all the time, because they watch for an opening.
There was one year where a deer broke threw the fence in the backyard where the raised bed garden was because he couldn’t resist the veggies he was seeing.
So that’s when we started to grow hops on the back fence to hide the raised bed garden. That fixed that proplem.
Thank you Shelley. And wow do you have some hungry and aggressive deer. I hate to hear about all the damage they did. So frustrating.
I too am finally taking the necessary steps to install that long overdue deer fence here as well.
Joe, maybe I’ve missed this, but how do you deal with fire ants in your compost bins. I like to compost but the ants usually, always, take over.
Hey Gary. I don’t know how I manage to dodge fire ants in my compost most of the time but I’ll take what I can get and count my blessings. However, I’m not immune. And when it becomes and issue, I use spinosad to get the workers to take it to the queen and then lights out for the colony within days. As you know, as an organic gardener, it’s tricky on what you can and can’t use but this is the best I’ve found so far.
I also use spinosad, but got to the point of almost having my compost bins on a spinosad drip.
Spinosad is what I recommend to home gardeners to use in their home gardens when they contact me at the Extension Center.
This was very enjoyable and set the perfect mood. Our oldest bantam roo is the king of his flock, a sweetheart and unaware of his small stature! Thanks for doing this and thanks for mentioning it in a recent podcast or I might have missed it.
So glad you caught that mention and were able to listen, Michele! I too go back and revisit this episode every now and then. Thanks for listening.