October was a typical October for farming. Lots of tidying up, final harvests and lots of new projects to do. We got in the garlic (which for me was huge – it was the first seeds in the ground here) and we built the blueberry orchard. Next month I will be working on figuring out the fencing for the rest of the lower right field for the deer, finishing moving the greenhouse into its final spot, building one more raised bed and then….working on more wood chipping. It won’t be a quiet winter I am sure. Not like in years past, but that is ok. You have to work to have what you want!
The start of October brought a little of this – and a sharp reminder it was time to clean the gutters, and get water tanks hooked up for the rainy season.
And across the water the Olympic Mountains got a little dusting:
One photo might say it all and it is this:
This was October in a nutshell. October started with a tiny bit of rain and then was dry and warm nearly the entire month. With it being nice weather, we didn’t lounge around – we did a lot of work. From dropping more trees, to hauling them out of the forest to be chipped or burnt – that was this past month.
In September we had rented a pro chipper and got a massive pile off our field. Well, we pulled back out the small chipper that goes on our BCS Tractor. Lord I hate this chipper. It is awful, However, it helped us finish clearing that field, so I could get going with putting in beds!
With one of two fields cleared finally of all the trees and branches we have pulled out of the woods, we sat down and had 3 fires. There is just SO much wood to deal with. It is overwhelming. We burnt all the rotten trees, stumps and branches that were too dry for the chipper – along with around 40 Holly trees. Those awful “trees” shred horribly and the leaves rip at your skin while chipping. Holly is invasive here – and the best thing we could do is to burn it. While we still have a field covered in wood, and 3 other piles around the land, it is less overwhelming now. Maybe I should be glad the previous owner left a random hole in the ground……made a great fire pit.
Fall in its glory.
So many types of Fungi!
The second year for the Chilean Guava. I am now testing it to see if the deer bother it….
Here is a thing I loved this Fall. We had to cut down a number of very unhealthy Madrona trees – which are native. They have two issues currently: a blight and a canker infection. However….new tree growth comes back quickly and it is very healthy! The newly opened forest allows enough light to get in as well.
Beets growing in fall.
The boys brought me home beans from farm school to plant next year!
Garlic in the ground.
Alistaire found this bird nest hidden in an Evergreen Huckleberry bush on the edge of the woods.
The final harvests of the strawberries, in the final week of the month.
In the final week I decided to redo the flower bed by our patio (that overlooks the fields). When we had first moved in, I frantically was putting plants in the ground. I have gone back to look at it and well….it was time for change. So we took the 6 blueberry plants out (they went into the blueberry orchard I wrote about last week), and I cleaned up the bed. Next Spring I will put in more herbs. I want a bed where we don’t need ANY fences around it, and the deer seem to hate most herbs. Good goals to have.
Helichrysum by the way.
Lavender in bloom, even in late October.
Last of all I splurged on a great sale on these Carhartt gloves! They are quite thick, more a work glove than a garden glove. Great for tractor work. I found them at Sierra trading Post.
~Sarah