Winter

Winter

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Gardening Gold

I just had to show you a picture of my favorite hen. She is so used to having her picture taken,
that she doesn't move. She wants to be a mother again. No luck, my chicks won't be here till May.
Such determination.

I wanted to write about what I see as gold in my garden. In the place I want to plant my herbs, is
this hard, pan, clay like place. There aren't many places like that but his section has given me fits.
I was thinking about it and I remembered when we bought our first house and I had these tiny
flowerbeds and I dreamed of gardening. No one had done anything to them in years and years
and I was trying to figure out how to make them better so I took all of the leaves I could find and
mulched them and until we moved they were always so nice and soft and I had lovely flowers.
So this morning I raked, and racked piles and piles of leaves. I am going to put these out in the
place that is hard and then I am going to layer it with chicken manure and get a real hot
mix going and get it plowed in after awhile once it quits cooking. Then I can have a really
nice place for a herb garden.

I read once about a man who went around and got all of his neighbors leaves so he could use them
in his garden. I am glad we have so many trees I just have to rake them up. I have this side
to clean up and get those leaves too.
With all of this abundant sunshine, I am getting lots of work done this year.
I hope your day has been nice.
It has been a nice day here.
~Kim~

11 comments:

Jacque. said...

You're so handy and willing to make things work out. I do so admire that in you. The weather is very nice and warm and sunny here today, but snow is coming very soon...lots of it, I hear.

TexWisGirl said...

it has been beautiful here - 60 degrees and sunny. really nice to be outside this afternoon for a while!

Jill said...

Love your hen! She looks so soft and silky!

Meg said...

Before we got compost I kept looking at the very large tree across the street and it's mass of leaves it let go of. I can't wait to see how your herb garden comes out!

Sassafras and Winterberry said...

If I didn't love you so much, I'd be jealous! A day in the garden, with the chickens, planning an herb bed...sigh! I hope when you plant those herbs we see lots of pictures! We're expecting some sort of storm tomorrow...hope for a snow day for me, will you please!!
Hugs!!!
Courtney

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

It was beautiful here...I haven't had the leaves we used to have...our rental houses are those with the small, if any, trees. My kids loved playing in the leaves.
You are doing a great job with two blogs..sorry I am not as faithful reader.

Homeschool on the Croft said...

Good for you :) Necessity is the mother of invention and you sure do find ways around everything!
It'll be absolutely wonderful to have a herb garden.... all these wonderful uses PLUS the gorgeous aroma. Ahhhhh...

Gail said...

Gold, indeed! If you use the chicken manure now, the heat will be gone by spring.

My sister put leaves in the chicken house floor last year. They loved the extra scratch material and helped break them down for the mulch pile.

Beautiful hen...silkie?

Pom Pom said...

Great idea! Your herb garden will thrive!
My garden is buried in snow. Sadness.
YOU are a hard worker, Kim!

Nancy said...

I love your hen; she's beautiful....I so want some chickens but I am meeting resistance from the sweet fisherman....

So glad you have had a pretty day to work in your beds. It's been raining here for several days and too cool to be outside.....
You'll have some fine flowers in the spring.....

Julia said...

Aww Kim, you're a girl after my own heart. You are never idle are you?

I love to use leaves and I even use cardboard boxes in my compost to amend the soil. All my peels, egg shells and even paper towels, coffee grind, torn tea bags, even old feather pillows without the covering goes in my compost. I call it black gold.

I can't wait to see your herb garden. Here the ground is frozen and there is hardly any snow but today is cold. I'm dreaming of warmer weather. Hugs, JB