Visiting Grace at FYBF today.
Red.
You’ve probably gleaned that the above isn’t a real rooster, it’s made of metal. This statue is in memory of Red, the handsome hen-rooster we had to take back to the farm. You see Red was meant to be female. We were assured he was a girl-chick when we bought those three tiny chicks prior to ‘the massacre’. Red’s story is diverting, if only to show what an accomplished incompetent urban farmer I am. We picked up two day old chicks – black, white and red – from the free-range farm and gave them the imaginative mundane names of Blacky, Snowy and Red. They grew into gorgeous hens. Well, two did. But more about this later. It’s Wordless Wednesday and I’ve already written too many words. More pictures…
Our latest chicks are growing fast, losing their fluffy feathers, gaining sleek ones.
Princess, Cinnamon, Lasquisha, Lacey.
Identical twins Cherry and Merry will start laying in about a month. Meanwhile they’re exploring the garden…
The hens might look pretty but for an urban farmer my gardening skills are amazing horrendous.
Image courtesy of: homeimprovguide.com
This is how I envisage the vegie patch.
Image courtesy of: ourlocallife.com
This is the reality.
However, The Orchard is flourishing alive . A lemon and an orange tree are clinging to life after the lime tree dropped dead retired. But who needs a lime tree when you can buy that nice condensed lime juice in a packet and keep it in the fridge? It never dies.
The Orchard (note metal sunflower – will not die).
Are you an urban or country gardener? Can you grow anything – herbs in a pot on the windowsill, tomatoes on the balcony? Any tips?
Linking up with Trish over at My Little Drummer Boys.
Is it just me? 
Brilliantly amusing as ever, MM 💚🍀
Thanks, MM, nice to see you. 🙂
Ha ha…. I’ve got a community garden plot, but as my gardening will go, I plant stuff and then leave them for dead. If they survive by their own resources, beauty! We’ve hit the jackpot!
Sorry Vicki, only just found your comment (I’m hopeless with WordPress sometimes!).
I love community gardens, they’re a wonderful way to share the ‘green love’. 🙂
Hi Leeanne, have the chickens done all the damage to your garden? I’m very keen for chooks but have heard they can do a lot of damage to gardens.
Hi Michelle, no the above dead garden isn’t mine, but that’s how a bit like how it looked when it died (the ideal and reality vegie garden pics are from the internet).
In answer to your question, yes, chooks do destroy the garden – they turn it into a bombsite, actually. I only let them out to roam under strict supervision! The rewards in having hens though, far outweigh any inconveniences – their eggs transform cakes. 🙂
I laughed when I saw your ‘imaginary’ and ‘real’ veggie patch images, because I think that’s pretty much exactly what I would end up with if I ever tried to grow one. I think my problem is that I get distracted and forget to water things. By the time I remember it’s too late.
Haha…yes or else, over-water and saturate the roots. A good friend who’s a brilliant gardener has offered to set one up for me but I think it would die a slow death under these fair…err clumsy hands! 🙂
Ha ha Lee-Ann – I have a black thumb so never listen to anything I say!! Love the chook. My kids would love to squeeze the chicks! x
LOL! We have to supervise the squeezing…I mean viewing, very closely! 😉
I love the colours of Princess, Cinnamon, Lasquisha, and Lacey!
Thanks Susan, it’ll be interesting to see what they look like as adults, with their big feathers (Poppet was instrumental in their names!) 🙂
I country garden. My veggie skills are lacking, I do try. I love my roses. My chooks have been moulting, so they look pretty scraggly. They’re also off the lay because of it, I wish they’d start laying again!
Hi Alicia, I love roses too, in fact I much prefer flowers to vegetables (even though they’re frivolous by comparison!)
My chooks always go off laying in Autumn…a protein-charged laying mix can help with this. 🙂
Oh thanks, I will have to look into that laying mix 🙂
Hey Lee-Anne, you garden just like I do! But, I can grow dandelions beautifully 🙂
LOL! I’m a big fan of dandelions (even included them in a post one time) 🙂
I had a Bonsai which we managed to keep alive for 3 years. I loved it and was sad to see it die. My garden looked a lot like the picture of the dead garden until we bit the bullet and hired someone to come and do something about it. We are very good at growing Bougainvillea though…and weeds.
I do need the professionals, Pinky, at least with vegies. 🙂 I love Bougainvillea but like wisteria, it takes over!
Great veggie patch – totally nailed it. (That other photo was just showing off anyway – who can really get a garden like that??)
I like your thinking, Lydia. 😉
Love your chicks! My vegie patch looks just the same as yours, clearly this is how it is meant to be.
Clearly…why interfere with the natural order of things?! 🙂
I like to think I can do a bit of gardening…
BUT I kill almost everything I try to grow.. lol
The only think I cannot kill is weeds. *snorks*
Your chicks are gorgeous. I love the idea of having my own egg laying critters racing around!
I think it would make a brilliant PHD thesis – to discover why weeds flourish and nice plants die! 😉
Those chicks are the cutest!
I saw my mum’s kale growing like it was weeds in her backyard. So, so envious! One of my goals this year is to grow basil and coriander…oh, and while I’m at it, parsley!
I should try to get on board with kale – I’ve heard it’s the healthiest, trendiest vegie! Agree with your goal, Grace, I too want those herbs in my garden. 🙂
I know nothing about chickens so the change in feathers etc I find fascinating! As for the garden… I can’t even grow herbs, so anyone who keeps ANYTHING alive has a green thumb in my book!!!
Haha…I like your flexible definition of a green thumb, Deb!
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