Planet B Gardens

ducklings — no day at the beach :-)

Ducklings are 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 weeks old. Not all survived the first day they arrived, and one was looking not so good, so the farm graciously sent me four additional duckings the following week as replacements. The duckling on the fence survived and is doing well, so I now have 11 ducklings on the homestead. They are past their cute little duckling phase, and wow, had no idea how messy they could be. If you’re considering ducks, be prepared for a lot of maintenance early on. The first couple weeks they were fine in the duckling pens I set up indoors in the garage. I used masonry mixing

July 10, 2020

goats!

Zsa Zsa and Comet, Nigerian Dwarf goat kids, arrived on the homestead last week. I’ve wanted to add a source of dairy for some time, and Nigerian Dwarfs seem like a great option. If you’re thinking of getting goats, here’s a good place to get a sense of the basics as you’re getting started: Why Nigerian Dwarf Goats Nigerian Dwarf goats are the smallest of the dairy goats, yet two does can produce plenty of milk for a family. Their milk is high in butterfat, averaging 6.5% compared with cows at 4-5% and other dairy goats at 3-4.5% depending on the breed. The high butterfat should make it great for

July 8, 2020

ducklings!

Ten new ducklings have arrived at Planet B Gardens. They’re Rouens, the famed French meat duck. They were born June 15th. Looking forward to seeing the little guys and gals as they grow…

new raised beds

After converting a patch of lawn into a kitchen garden, building the soil over five years, and growing lots of delicious veggies, had to give it up. Gophers invaded for the first time Spring 2019 and ate everything. This spring installed 210 square feet of raised beds with a hardware cloth bottom to keep those little buggers out. Once the bed frames were done, added straw bales and conditioned them for 6 weeks before adding compost and a soil topper. So far it seems to be working.

christmas elk

Elk migrating through the yard Christmas Day!

bear pastrami recipe

I love wildlife as much as anyone and probably more than most. Sometimes, though, it’s down to us or them. This male black bear is probably 2-3 years old and establishing his territory for the first time. Unfortunately, the bear decided he lives at my house now. He stood his ground whenever I tried to scare him off, broke through the electric fence to get to the beehives, and made his nightly bed in my front yard. That’s what you get for being on hiatus from the homestead I suppose. It was sad to have to finally bag him this morning. My neighbor was happy for the chance to use

October 16, 2018

hiatus over

This is what happens when you’ve been away too much. Young adult male black bear decided he lives here now, and that I’m in his territory. More to come on that. The hiatus lasted longer than planned between having to work off the homestead, knee replacement surgery and recovery, and lots of travel. Back just in time for winter!

hiatus

Planet B is on hiatus for the fall and winter as we go a-traveling. We’ll pop back in October to winterize the garden, plant garlic, and prepare the earth for next spring. Then we’re out and about until March 2018. Check back then for updates on what’s new and happening at Planet B Gardens.

chocolate habanero

I’ve tried growing habanero chilis the last couple of years with little success. This year is looking up — likely due to the unusually warm summer. Good to see a Chocolate Habanero making an appearance…