FreestyleFarm » AN URBAN FARM IN THE CITY

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Spring Cleaning

It’s been a busy time — spring is now officially here, and with the winter thaw comes the clean up (though after yesterday’s snow fall, I’m still convinced it’s winter). Here’s the list of To Do’s:

  • take down the hoop house (check)
  • check the fish in the green house and pond (done)
  • throw out the dead fish (ick)
  • clean the pond (check)
  • clean out aquaponics grow bed (done)
  • start seeds in greenhouse (Yes! Finally)
  • make raised bed (thank you Hubby)
  • start preparing for the lasagna garden (check)
  • build compost bin (kisses for Hubby)
  • spray fruit trees with dormant oil (done, followed by Googling…“what if you get it in your eyes & on your skin?”)
  • and most importantly…fence off an area for the chickens (my first task, check!)

The birds are enjoying their new found freedom since the hoop house went down; scratching for bugs and worms.
They eat less grain now that they are foraging in the garden.

Hoop house being dismantled – the ground is rich after all the “fertilizing” the girls did this winter.

The claws on a chicken are quite powerful as they scratch around. Poor spring flowers! Time for restricted access.

Black netting for the chicken area keeps them contained, even though Sunshine often “flies the coop,”
preferring to lay her eggs in the garage. I haven’t the heart to clip her wings.

Jenny is so funny, she always comes running to greet me. Who needs a dog when you’ve got a chicken.

Who needs a rooster when you’ve got a dog?
The ladies respect Betty as their rooster because she routinely patrols the perimeter for predators like cats (and squirrels).

And she’s right in there when it’s treat time.

Ava takes a bath while Sunshine tries to steal her spot. Amazing how a white bird can stay white, bathing in dirt.

Hubby building me an open air composter for all the soiled bedding (chicken’s)

Where it all begins…I should have started these vegetables a month ago.

All the bonsai trees that wintered in the greenhouse seem to have survived. This is a Larch tree, one of the few conifers that drop its needles in the fall. Here, you can see the buds of tiny new needles ready to burst with the next warm day.

An Elm & Pine tree — both these trees I’m guessing are about 80 years old, maybe even older.

The strawberry plants miraculously survived, in a few inches of clay pebbles, in our unheated greenhouse, and already has flowers. A new crop of goldfish for the aquaponics tank. This year we’ve sunk the tank into the ground to keep it cooler in summer and warmer in winter. We lost a few fish last summer to extreme heat, and the rest this winter to freezing temperatures.

Jenny keeps pecking at the fish, hoping for a treat.
I swear she’s half chimp, the noises she makes and her endless curiosity is very monkey-like.


 

  • france Simard - wow! stunning and fascinating! looking forward to your lasagna garden. betty and the chickens is priceless :ReplyCancel

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