First thing that is growing around here is our menagarie!! We have finally added our first chickens to the family. 6 little darling Red Wyandottes. Right now they are in a brooder box in the house but quickly outgrowing the need for that. I figure about 2 more weeks and if the weather indeed stays warm then we will put them out into the new coop, built mostly by me. Ken did help in the beginning because it simply needed more than one person to hold things while the other drove in the screws. But after the skeleton was in place, I did the rest by myself, thank you very much!! This is really considered a chicken tractor because it will be constantly moved around the perimeter of the garden. But this baby is heavy so we won't be ever moving it far at any one time.
The chickens are actually 2 different ages, but from the same breed. I am not sure if the parents were the same as the girl I bought them from had a decent sized flock. But the 2 bigger chicks are a week older than the other 4. The one I think is a rooster is the darker red and his name is Hamlet. Just came to me that it had to be Hamlet. So the one I think is a girl, the blond chickie, is now named Ophelia. She seems to be the one that will be the mother hen, or ruler of the coop. The other 4, younger chicks do have names. They just haven't been permanantly assigned which one quite yet. They are so identical in appearance and I am waiting for some sign of differences before I hand on their monikers. The 4 names are all girl because that is what I am so hoping for. Dorcus, Mopsa, Portia and Rosiland. All from Shakespere of course. All rowdy minor characters, which seemed fitting for my flock!!
Another thing in full growth mode is the guest garden. I am really enjoying seeing things I planted last year finally come into flower for the first time. And the bare spots filling in with either plants or garden bric a brac. I have really haunted some antique and thrift stores lately and have gotten some great things. I found the 2 really great metal chairs for $20.00 each and then painted them. The baby bathtub is the cutest thing and will probably get filled with potted plants once I decide where I want to actually put it. The crosses on the wall I had in Oklahoma and am just getting around to hanging out. The little bunnies are concrete and were on sale for next to nothing at TJ Maxx of all places.
The bleeding heart was my biggest suprize this year. It came up very early and within days was the size of a bushel basket. It is even bigger now and just keeps blooming its little heart out!! Some of my pansies are gorgeous, the ones that the bunnies and deer decided didn't taste as good. But at least half were eaten to the ground numerous times over the winter. Many other things are very close to starting to bloom and I will try to take pics and post as they do.
