What's Growing at Thorn Wood?

I'm going to take this opportunity to update my readers on the things that are newly introduced and still growing around Thorn Wood. Last year, I shared pictures of a flower bed around the front porch that Mike built for me. It totals 300 square feet of planting area. When he completed it last year, he took me shopping for plants and flowers. I chose as many perennials as I could because I didn't want to have to work in this flower bed to the extent that it would take me away from the vegetable garden and my other chores.

This year, almost every perennial I planted sprouted out of the ground again.



The Dianthus which in our area is normally an annual, came popping up out of the earth with a proud display of blooms.



Thriving better than last year, these little flowers have filled out to become full mounds with dozens of blossoms on each.

The only work I did in the beds this year was planting one flat of Zinnias.



I also transplanted some Tiger Lilies from the back yard.



In the yard our 2 Cherry Trees we planted last year are still going strong. The Plum Tree we planted last year is full of little plums, sure to please our taste buds when harvest time rolls around.

This year we have added to our yard:

2 Winesap Apple Trees
1 Golden Delicious Apple Tree (with a few little apples forming)
2 Peach Trees (full of little immature peaches)
1 Weeping Willow
2 Butterfly Bushes

We turned and tilled an additional garden this year to increase the amount of space for planting vegetables.

We now have one garden in the front side yard where we have planted:

Contender Green Beans (I had great production out of these beans very late in the season last year so I thought I would stick with what works)
Silver Queen Corn
La Roma Tomatoes (for canning and stewing)
Better Boy Tomatoes (for sandwiches, frying sliced, etc.)
Rutgers Tomatoes (for sandwiches, frying sliced, etc.)
Eggplant
Rainbow Bell Peppers

In the back garden we have planted:

Yellow Crook Neck Squash
Zucchini Squash
Short Pickling Cucumbers (for pickling)
Long Slicing Cucumbers (for salads and pickling sliced)
More Rutgers Tomatoes (for sandwiches, frying sliced, etc.)
Sweet Million Tomatoes (for salads)
Spinach
Sweet Georgia Onions
Spring Onions
Chives
Garlic Chives
Dill
Carrots
Yukon Gold Potatoes

I also purchased a few additional herbs to create another herb bed.

They are:
Onion Chives
Lemon Thyme
Mint
Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
Leeks

I am still searching for other herbs I want such as Peppermint, Chamomile, etc.

Now that is the list of things we've planted and I'm sure we shouldn't expect 100% success out of all. We will see what time, weather and hard work produces at the end of the season.

We still have 22 hens:

17 Black Australorp
2 Cinnamon Queens
1 Buff Orpington
1 Speckled Sussex
1 Rhode Island Red

All brown egg layers and excellent layers at that. We sell organic eggs here for $2.00 a dozen. No roosters in the hen house which gives us cleaner eggs.