Cold Frames, Mini Greenhouses & Our Garden!

Thanks to our good friends, Devin and Erica, thousands of seeds were planted this spring and many have sprouted and are growing rapidly. Most are still sheltered inside a few small cold frame/mini green house Devin assembled with scrap wood we had on hand. They have worked great and despite a relatively late start we are starting to enjoy fresh greens again from our garden!

We are also working on enclosing the small 8x10 stone and concrete foundation Devin and I built last summer, for use as a work shop and tool shed. With steady rain the last few days the shed roof has begun to collect some rain water for us.

The garden is really taking shape, easily two or three times as much planted as last year and of a much greater variety. The tomatoes plants are getting tall, and other good foods like brusslesprouts, beans, mescaline, strawberries, eggplant, radish, and others are doing great! Much larger stone and wood raised beds have been built. Brought in some extra compost from a horsefarm on the Island and from our neighbor's garden. There was also surprising amount of good soil in our modest compost pile that has been built up for over a year now. It is noticeable now how much we've built up the soil in the garden by adding compost. This will be very interesting to see compounded in the future.

An interesting side-note: There's still bits of shell from the lobster and crab from our wedding adding its rich calcium and goodness to the organic mixture. The plants love it! Also a complete bean plant with beans already sprouted was found in our compost pile too a descendant from last seasons hardy stock of beans we had transplanted from our neighbors garden!

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO POST :) Birds, Beans & Chainsaw Mills!

Ahoy! Summer #2 "The Sequel" has begun in earnest here in beautiful Down East Maine for our small band of characters living and working within the lush green walls of our humble Forest Enclave. 

Devin, who you may recall assisted us during our first summer last year building the concrete foundation and radiant slab. He has returned with a spiffy new chain saw and portable mill. See pictures below.

Today we acquainted ourselves with this new hardware, successfully milling our first posts from a nice hard maple that had been blown over recently in a wind storm and a mature aspen that was crowding a giant white pine, both were nearby and easily accessible. Nothing but great things to say about the chain saw mill. First saw one in action last fall at a neighbor's nearby cabin project. It's a game changer. 

With the weather being so lovely (When it isn't a torrential downpour) we've been cooking as many meals outside on a small compact stone BBQ pit. Jen's famous black bean burgers, plus corn, pasta, rice, and lots of olive oil, beans, peppers, onions, and garlic! Hearty meals every time and abundant fuel in the form of wood from the land. A much more extensive summer kitchen is in the works with a cob oven and other features. 

I've been mapping and plotting out the trails and property lines. Finally explored the south western corner of our sixty plus acre parcel of land. A logger is operating next door in his 350 acre lot and is using an old trail that cuts right through the very corner and we want to monitor their logging activity and hope they don't make too much of a mess.

Lots going on, will keep everyone posted as things develop! Tomorrow the Wife and I are headed to Pennsylvania for a visit with family and friends, attend a baby shower. I'll be sure to update this site in about a week or so. 

-T