Happy Homesteads

07/28/2024

3 years in the making - we have grapes! 🍇

01/02/2024

Happy new year!!

12/20/2023

🌿

12/07/2023

With the holiday season in full swing, it's easy to forget about updating the garden. However, your herb garden can help you spice up your holiday meals and even provide some health benefits. These five herbs are easy to plant, thrive in cool weather, and make delicious additions to holiday recipes.

Click here to read more: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/five-herbs-for-december.html

11/17/2023

If you haven’t heard already, the USDA realeased a new updated plant hardiness grow zone map! We remained as 9B in Mount Dora but much of the Orlando area and Polk County are now considered 10A while some areas near Ocala are now considered 9B. Take a look 👀

11/11/2023

11/04/2023

Egg-citing fact: Ever wonder why chicken eggs come in different colors? 🥚🌈 It’s not just a "yolk"! It's all in the hen's genetics. White Leghorns lay white eggs, Orpingtons lay brown eggs, and Ameraucanas lay blue, and some even lay olive-green eggs! 🐔✨ Want to guess what color an egg will be? Check out the chicken's earlobes - yes, really! White lobes = white eggs. 🐓

Eggshell colors come from pigments deposited during egg formation, and sometimes speckles are just extra calcium deposits. 🐣

But here's the cluck-worthy part: all eggs taste the same, no matter their shell color! 🍳 And remember, the yolk's color depends on the hen's diet, not the eggshell. So, you can enjoy your eggs sunny side up, no matter the shade! 🍳🌈

📸: Nikki Closser (facebook) 8 hens

11/01/2023

Whew, this cool air is really making it feel like fall! Happy November 🍁🍂