I'm pretty well known for my 'hiding behind a cabbage' profile picture .... but what do you do when there is no cabbage available and there's a man roving around armed with his phone taking pictures ..... simple you hide behind a baby fruit tree.
Thank goodness it had leafed up a bit and has some nice blossom to afford me just a little bit of cover :-)
The roving photographer was snapping away just before we moved the chickens back to their original, and now much rested Chicken World. We decided to move them on Sunday night as I really needed to get the raised beds on the hillside back into use, I have lots of plants now needing to be transplanted outside to their final positions from the poly and net tunnels.
We just had to wait for dusk when the chickens were making for their night time perches in the hen house and then one by one we lift them off and put them five at a time into our large chicken crate. It must be funny for them going to bed in one house and then waking up in another identical house ... but one that is in a totally different place.
They love being back near our house, they can see what we're up to and more importantly keep an eye out for me when I'm coming out to feed them, and I can see what they are up to most of the time. But best of all for them they can now go through the gaps in the old stock fencing into the little wooded area that actually belongs to our neighbour, hunt for bugs and creatures to eat and keep out of the heat of the sun.
They are very happy little chickens ....
... and I am a very happy veggie grower.
Now that they have moved back I have managed to get a large proportion of the Veggie Patch weeded this morning .... and got two beds of Runner Beans planted out. This photo show one of them. I'll be adding some more vegetable plants to the front of the bed over the course of the next week to make the best possible use of the space I have.
It wasn't possible to plant or even weed over there before as we had three daily escapee chickens that no amount of fencing would keep in, who came out to rummage around through the chippings on the pathways between the beds and dug into any disturbed soil that they found, looking for creepy crawlies to eat, luckily they never got into the poly or net tunnels ... I wouldn't like to imagine the devastation they could have caused in there!!
So this week in the mornings before the sun gets everything too hot, I will be found mainly weeding and planting on the Veggie Patch, and thus making lots more space in the polytunnel for the Pepper and Aubergine plants to have the space they need to be potted on.
Sue xx
your plants are looking fab
ReplyDeleteYour fruit trees look so healthy - in fact it is all looking very good indeed.
ReplyDeleteAll is looking great. Although I do miss my hens....
ReplyDeleteLooks like a lovely day!
ReplyDeleteThey probably provided good manure while they roamed your veg patch, always a bonus.
ReplyDeleteNow you are back blogging and up to 929 followers it's time you did a "John Grey"! 71 needed!
ReplyDeleteYour fruit trees are looking good, I'm looking forward to finding out what our family apple tree is going to do, 2 or 3 varieties on one tree I think. Some fruit has set and on other parts of the tree there are flowers
Wow, it all looks wonderful, even you hidden behind a fruit tree!
ReplyDeleteThe thing i like best about your garden/outdoor space is that it is organised and neat. Why oh why do you see so many self-sustainable properties have "junk/recycle" piles all over the place making it look like no one cares. Gold star for you guys.
ReplyDeleteIt's a brilliant idea to use netting as a support.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's a bit fiddly to clear it in the autumn but in the meantime it should be an excellent structure which will withstand the wind. Sue
It's a rigid metal grid fixed between two fence posts, I have the same at the other side of the veggie patch. It's pretty easy to clear at the end of the growing season I just snip through the plants at soil level and all the greenery dies back and can be pulled off.
DeleteI think my chickens know if they get in the beg garden they'll be finner instead! It's all looking good sue, I just love this time of year.
ReplyDeleteThat was meant to be veg and dinner. Autocorrect the doesn't like me!
DeleteYour home is looking lovely. The trees are going to give you some wonderful fruit.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Sue, visiting your blog is the best medicine! It looks so healthy and productive and loved. Thank you for keeping blogging. I've had a rough couple of weeks, with a colleague's unexpected death and a trip to the country has improved my mood no end. Thank you.
ReplyDelete