Around the farm Tuesday...

My bee hives are doing great! I am so happy that I have 3 hives here. Soon will have a 4th.

This is the flower garden I planted for the bees. I don't know how much they'll actually use it, being so close to the hives. But there will be some bee activity here. I will also have cut flowers for markets and I hope to sell to florists.

I planted 47 Cherokee Purple and Orange Valencia tomatoes yesterday. Got them all mulched good and watered. I planted some marigold seeds next to them. I'll probably get more seeds and more tomato plants soon.

The apples are growing! I have 6 young trees below the garden.

And the 3 pear trees are loaded with little baby pears! I love pears.

                                                          These are the 6 younger apple trees.

This is a patch of thistle I am going to let grow. For the bees. Also to make cheese with. I'll harvest some flowers to dry, then make a powder that is rennet. I am excited to try this now.

I let several places go wild in my garden. This is where all my daisies grow free. I love them!

Some more garden beds. I planted more squash and zucchini this morning where the dirt is darker. I'll wait til it rains and makes the ground a bit softer to til, then I'll plant beans and okra. Might find a few rows for some corn too.

This is the dandelion row. I actually bought seeds to plant. They all came up too.

The 3 old apple trees in the yard. They all have apples on them, despite the sheep gnawing on the bark. They are tough old trees.

This wisteria is growing like crazy this year. I'll have plenty of vines to make baskets with this winter!

I've been making a lot of pottery here on this wheel. I took 32 pieces to get fired last Saturday. I'll go this Saturday to glaze them all.

Looks like rain today and the next few days. We actually are 3.5" below normal right now. We need rain. But please not on Monday and Friday afternoons!