Welcome back to the Suburban Homesteader

I am beyond ecstatic.  Let me explain.  Apparently when you buy a domain name it has to be renewed every year.  Funny how that little detail escaped my knowledge.  Anyway, after my domain expired I was unable to retreave all of my blogs.  After many attempts I finally resigned myself to the notion that all my work was lost forever in the vastness of cyberspace.  That was until yesterday when my oh so brilliant computer savvy of a husband just happened to walk into my craft room  when I had a blank page of a blog up.  See every once in a while I would pull up what used to be The Suburban Homesteader and pray that somehow it would magically appear again.  Then one day POOF! it was back.  Like a long lost friend it returned to me.  All the pages intact except for the blog on Muir Woods.  Sadly, that post has decided to fly the coop and is no doubt flying around the ethos on some permanent blog retirement.  Nonetheless,  I am thrill to have it home and all rested up.

So Let me begin my second inaugural post by showing what I have been doing around the homestead in the last two years.

First and foremost my family has grown by two.  Yes, my oldest son has married and  I now have become a grandmother.  There is simply no feeling in the world that can compare.  I almost decided to change the name to the Grandma Homestead but I didn't want to upset the blog since it has not been that long since we reunited.

So here he is my grandson Matthew Bryan Taylor II

 

I would also like to reintroduce you to the homestead.  This year I have been busy planting all kinds of fruits and vegetables and the rabbits have been equally busy enjoying the fruits of my labors.  I have managed to obtain a few for my family.

My first ripened tomato of the season.  I was so excited that I actually planned the family evening meal around this one little guy.

 

My first cucumber, different night but same idea.

 

 

Finally, the blackberry is ripening.  I use the singular noun because that is what I ended up with but hey, a blackerry is a blackberry after all.

 

 

My  blueberries are ripening as well and according to this ratio the yield is vastly more abundant.  Still not enough to make a pie though.  But I'm holding out hope.

 

 

I am having more success with my plum tree. 

 

 

And the apple tree is cooperating nicely this year and so are the..

 

 

Grapes! 

 

The grape pergola is also hosting a very special guest..

 

 

Ironically I think this is the only fruit this bird has not eating on my homestead.

 

 

A picture of my vegtable garden before the bunnies had their all you can eat one night buffett.

 

 

This is the container herb garden.

 

 

Just thought I would share some of the non edible plants I have around here on the homestead.

 

 

This past semester I interpreted for a student who is in the Horticulture program at our local community college.  One of the things I learned was how to make petunias grow all season.  I will share this tip in another blog but for now I wanted to share with you how they look.

 

 

Salvia.

 

 

I didn't even plant this flower.  He just came up on his own.  But I'm glad he did.  Is it a he?  I'm not sure.

 

 

 

Our roses were particularly beautiful this year.

 

 

One of the bunnies trying to make a quick getaway after he was spotted helping himself to our garden.

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my little homestead in the suburbs.