Free Range Chickens

Backyard chickens are allowed in Raleigh.  But, they must be kept in your own yard.  The young man who lives across the street from us didn't quite understand that.  All through the winter, he was letting his 3 hens be Free Range.  On a couple of occasions, people would knock on our door, to let us know "our" chickens were in the street.  Sorry, not mine!  But in late winter, someone called animal control.  So, the chickens were rounded up and incarcerated.  Our neighbor's girl friend paid a ridiculous amount of money to get the chickens back.  But, still, the chickens ranged freely.  Once we planted our corn, I let him know that he had to keep the chickens up.  He did better, but his roommate didn't get the message.  Last Friday evening, the chickens dug up my bush beans!  I was seriously unhappy.  The beans had just sprouted, so we were able to put them back in the ground.  Today, 3 are up with a pair of leaves, and 4 more a peaking through the soil.  I think they might survive.

Here are a couple of other animals that visit.  I know there is no controlling them.  But, I do try to provide enough clover to keep the rabbits out of my garden.

I am really enjoying the opportunity to be in the garden every day this year.  I am able to watch all the perennials emerge.  What fun to see daily changes.

Here, also are a few early flowers and some garden art.

More about birds

I am thoroughly enjoying the birds in the yard.  I am beginning to recognize some of their songs.  Here are a few more photos of our happy birds.

All the gardens are growing well.  I am delighted to find that the milkweed seeds I planted last year, are finally coming to life.  We should be able to feed the Monarchs well now.  In addition, we have a variety of plants that will provide nectar to all types of butterflies and bees, as well as food for caterpillars.

 We planted our second round of corn yesterday.  First round was Silver Queen, this second was Peaches and Cream, a bicolor corn.  We have also planted both pole beans and bush beans.  Pole beans are up, with two sets of leaves.  No sign of the bush beans yet.

Birds

We have taken to watching and recording the birds in the yard.  To date we have identified 35 different birds.  A few, such as  Canadian Geese and owls, we have heard, but not really seen in the yard.

This year we increased the number of bird houses, so in the front yard there are two single houses, one duplex and one triples.  In the back yard there are two single houses.

Carolina Chickadees are living in one of the single houses in the front.  Here is a Wren moving into the triplex.

Of course, we feed the birds.  Two feeders in the front and three in the back, as well as hummingbird feeders in both parts of the yard.  This is a White-throated Sparrow in the feeder.  Many birds feed on bugs and worms, and since I do not use any pesticides in the yard, there is plenty of food for them as well.  The bird on the driveway is a Brown Thrasher.



We seem to have a large number of Finches and Robins, and both are frequent visitors to our three bird baths.  We also have at least one pair of Bluebirds who regularly visit the yard, as well as several
 Cardinals.  I will post more bird pictures as I get them.

Planting

This morning I planted 3 Roma tomatoes, 12 Big Boy tomatoes, 4 cucumbers and 4 squash in the front bed.  We have left room for two more plantings of sweet corn.  Pumpkins will be worked in as we can.  After the first round of sweet corn is harvested, I will plant ornamental corn.

In the back bed I planted 3 peppers today.  I also have 4 basil plants, and will add green beans and a couple of Jalapeño peppers.  Here are the green peppers.



I divided most of the hostas in the azalea beds beside the driveway. I have spread them out in this bed, and added them to the shade bed on the other side of the yard.  Here is what the azalea bed looked like last week, and then again today.  Azaleas are just about in  bloom.

And, here is the shade bed, with the hostas beginning to come up.  Looks like theses azaleas might actually bloom this year too.

Garden expansions

It is time to rejuvenate this blog.  I plan to add more than just gardening;  it will include quilts I am working on, places we travel, and other odds and ends that enter my mind.

We are in the process of some major re-working of the front yard.  The vegetable garden has been expanded to 18' x 22'.  Today we planted our first crop of Silver Queen corn.  The bed will also have tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and pumpkins.

We have edged the flower and shrub borders with large rocks.  This next week we will put down a thick layer of mulch on the outside of those rocks.  I have also been thinning and dividing plants in the bed next to the driveway, as well as adding more plants to attract butterflies.

This shady area has been neglected for several years.  This spring I have been cleaning it out, removing ivy, sticks and debris, and cutting back the Photinia limbs above.  I think these two azaleas will bloom this year (they haven't in years), but we will probably move them later.  I have transplanted some hostas to this area, and added some ferns.  More work to do, but it is a nice beginning.