If only we knew what we were doing

Mike says we live in God's country.  If my dad lived here he would say we live in the land of milk and honey.  Both of them would be making the point that this is a very fruitful area able to sustain all sorts of plants and animals including birds.  However, I am learning that having good soil and good weather does not necessarily mean we will be successful living off the land.  You have to know what you are doing also.

Take for example last week's blog post about all the corn we are growing on our four farm fields.  Mike and his dad just informed me we are not growing any corn on these fields.  We are growing soybeans.  Who knew?  Apparently not Mike who actually worked for his uncle plowing farm fields years ago or Frank who has lived here ever since he retired from Shell which is over 27 years ago.

Soybeans not corn

Speaking of corn, Mike, Emily, Laura and I planted a whole packet of corn seeds in our own garden.  We have a total of 5 plants.  They are one third the size of the sunflower plants that we planted at the same time.  And we have about twenty five sunflower plants.  I would rather have twenty five corn plants and five sunflowers.  Why is this happening?

On the other hand, my two year old dwarf apple tree has fruit on it this year.  The girls gave it to me for my birthday when I first moved here.  Emily and I are very excited.  However, she asked me the other day how will we know when to pick it?  Some of the apples are turning red but they are very tiny.  I do not know the answer to that question but it may be a moot point if that tree doesn't stop falling over.  I don't know how it has managed to live thus far with its apparently very fragile root system.  

Should we pick this soon?

Surely it will grow straight and tall now.  

Then there are my fall mums.  They are blooming in June.  I do not know why this is happening but I have a bad feeling I won't have any mums in September.  

And last but not least, let me tell you about my new bird feeder.  We put it up in April.  We filled it with the same sunflower seeds Frank uses in his bird feeder.  Frank gets a lot of birds at his feeder and has to buy 50 pound bags of bird seed once a month.  Frank lives across the street.  I, on the other hand, have yet to refill my feeder let alone empty a ten pound bag of bird seed.  That is because no birds come to my feeder.  Well, that is not technically correct.  Yesterday Emily and I saw two birds at the feeder.  What am I doing wrong?

Mike and I are relative newcomers to the area.  We have only lived in our house one year.  I will just have to allow more time to learn the ways of a farmer.  Maybe in another year.