Around the Farm in Early Autumn
It always makes me sad tucking the farm away for winter, but I feel very fortunate to have ample space to tuck so many plants in. Moving the tropicals is a daunting task and this week, Shaun and his crew have been concentrating on the smaller potted specimens. Before relocating them into the greenhouse, the space was scrubbed down and reorganized and I must say that it looks great. I know how much you all enjoy these farm blogs, so here’s a glimpse of early autumn.
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- Shaun and his crew have been busy organizing all of the tropicals.
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- Shaun likes to wear safety glasses when working with spiny plants.
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- Part of organizing is to trim back spent growth.
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- The cactus and succulents look great after their summer outdoors.
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- The Bat Flower, also known as Tacca Chantrieri is one of the world’s most creepiest looking flowers, with its bat-like wings and long whiskers. It’s blooming just in time for Halloween.
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- All the trimmings go into the compost.
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- The greenhouse is really looking good.
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- Shaun carefully moves this large and healthy Sedum burrito ‘Burros Tail’.
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- Gourds from the garden are kept safe in the cool headhouse until it’s time to decorate outdoors.
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- A nice variety this year
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- The sink area of the headhouse
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- My desk in the greenhouse – an old postal sorting desk
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- The pitcher plants found a home in this trough. See them floating on their cork rafts?
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- Remember last week’s water garden blog? The duck weed is so happy!
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- As are the water hyacinths.
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- We have a very comprehensive library of plants.
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- With radicchio – Rossa di Treviso Precoce
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- And with chicory – Rossa di Treviso, spinach – Merlo Nero, carrot – Adelaide Baby, arugula – astro, lettuce – American, winter chervil, and parsley – Improved Plain Leaved
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- Right outside the headhouse is the coldframe, which has been newly seeded.
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- The Japanese-inspired potted garden is growing nicely.
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- This Stewartia bonsai is gorgeous with its autumn foliage.
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- It’s October and there are still golden raspberries to be found!
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- Activity at the beehives has slowed down with colder temperatures.
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- The shade pergola is where many tropical plants were set out for the summer. They have all been moved to the safety of the greenhouses.
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- Another look
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- A gorgeous buttery-yellow flower of an alocasia
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- These giant plants will soon be placed indoors.
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- Down in one of the paddocks, Purba and Chhiring were busy erecting a temporary electric fencing so that we can move the donkeys to a new area.
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- I prefer the look of a wire, so Chhiring uses a drill to spin the tape into a tightly coiled line.
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- Safe-Fence webbing, a combination of stainless steel wire and polyethylene, comes as a flat tape.
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- Purba holds one end while….
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- The drill does all the twisting.
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- And speaking of donkeys….
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- Gelbu is returning from a walk with Meindert.
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- Linda, my farrier, came to trim their hooves.
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- Billy looks nervous.
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- However, this trimming doesn’t hurt a bit. Linda files down all the rough edges and uneven surfaces.
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- If a section of the hoof needs to be clipped, this is the tool Linda uses.
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- Meanwhile, Dolma cleans Clive’s ears and face.
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- Every two days, the horse’s stalls are mucked and thoroughly cleaned.
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- Rinze leans out to say hello.
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- Rinze would probably love a few of those apples
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- The buckeyes are beginning to pop out of their shells.
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- The used bedding is taken to the compost yard.
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