What did you do in the garden today?

[lazy gardener]

Kdob521: Yes, chickens do love to eat weeds and seeds. And they especially love to scratch around in the soft soil of a garden bed. They do not discriminate between weed and vegetable and will gleefully scratch around and eat any plants in their path, and the ones they don't eat, they will be happy to tear them to shreds, especially, your beloved fruits and vegetables. IMO, they are never happier than they are when free ranging, where they can shred your garden, remove the mulch from your flower gardens, and fling it far and wide across your lawn, and tear up your irises. Don't you know that the soil where irises are growing is the bestest place for a dust bath in an entire 4 acre parcel? They will also find the neighbor's yard across the street to be a great playground if you make your garden unaccessible to them. That being said, chickens are great little gardeners. They till, fertilize and remove pests. Mine get free run of the garden after it's been harvested. I dream of having a garden that is orderly enough that I can let them in to work BETWEEN the beds... but that has yet to happen in my 25+ years of gardening. Maybe next spring!

 

[darina]

Yes, chickens are so great at un-doing all your great hard work.

I tried training them not to jump in the raised beds, but I'm not sure if they (or I) are/am smart enough for that!

 

[erinszoo]

Kdob521: Yes, chickens do love to eat weeds and seeds. And they especially love to scratch around in the soft soil of a garden bed. They do not discriminate between weed and vegetable and will gleefully scratch around and eat any plants in their path, and the ones they don't eat, they will be happy to tear them to shreds, especially, your beloved fruits and vegetables. IMO, they are never happier than they are when free ranging, where they can shred your garden, remove the mulch from your flower gardens, and fling it far and wide across your lawn, and tear up your irises. Don't you know that the soil where irises are growing is the bestest place for a dust bath in an entire 4 acre parcel? They will also find the neighbor's yard across the street to be a great playground if you make your garden unaccessible to them. That being said, chickens are great little gardeners. They till, fertilize and remove pests. Mine get free run of the garden after it's been harvested. I dream of having a garden that is orderly enough that I can let them in to work BETWEEN the beds... but that has yet to happen in my 25+ years of gardening. Maybe next spring!

Ours get free range of the garden beds in late fall and winter after everything is harvested, too. They especially love it when we cover the beds with the fall leaves and the worms come up.

 

[HerbGir1972]

Picking Jerusalem Artichokes
and letting the little chickies get a little clover whilst I get their move out of my bathroom coop insulated

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

Ugh..I didn't do anything in the garden today. The weather is too crappy...

 

[HerbGir1972]

Ugh..I didn't do anything in the garden today. The weather is too crappy...

I know what you mean wr've got a couple daus of yucky coming up

 

[erinszoo]

I perused my porn collection ... uh, I mean my seed catalogs ... wink wink

 

[3goodeggs]

I am doing the same.
I have decided I just need bigger gardens so I can try all of the seeds.

You know the back of the magazines when you were a kid where you would find X-ray glasses and all of that stuff? Well, being zone 9, I have the same relationship with the back pages of seed catalogs. All of the great fruit trees and vines... I'd love to get some, but I know they won't work.

 

[jerryse]

Put some seeds in the fridge to stratify . Goji , sea berry , cornelian cherry , beach plum , and honey berry . Rainy today . Guess I will read the seed catalogs .

 

[erinszoo]

I am doing the same.
I have decided I just need bigger gardens so I can try all of the seeds. 
You know the back of the magazines when you were a kid where you would find X-ray glasses and all of that stuff? Well, being zone 9, I have the same relationship with the back pages of seed catalogs. All of the great fruit trees and vines... I'd love to get some, but I know they won't work.
:/

Me too. More land. Drool drool drool. I try one new thing each year. Some of them do great and I add them to my staples. Others fall flat and I cross it off the list. The fruit trees and vines ... sigh. Must you mention that section? Lol! I'm working on a third year for my peach tree without success. Second round of blackberries too.