Chickens!

This spring we adopted a small batch of chicks - a somewhat unexpected addition to our small family. We've toyed with the idea of backyard chickens before, but when we discovered the local co-op had unclaimed chicks, we just went for it.

This will be a learning experience: We've already figured out some basics, but are still researching, gathering advice and generally feeling our way along.

We got Comets, which seem to be an incredibly friendly and docile breed. It's either that or we are just chicken people at heart and O is some kind of natural chicken whisperer. They don't mind being petted and follow O around like he's a big hen.

Yesterday we finished the chicken pen and let the chicks outside for the first time. It was pretty neat to see them explore the yard - the outside world must seem like a pretty big (and windy, and bright, and loud) place.

Happily there are lots of great resources on the interwebs. Here's one I've been looking at recently. I'm sure I'll share more as our chicken-raising careers progress.

Squash Seedlings

We got most of our garden in early this year, thanks to some hot weather in the first weeks of May. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, beets, corn, lettuce, broccoli and brussels sprouts. That left out the vining plants, cukes and squash. Here are those babies now, just about ready to get transplanted. We will see whether the early weeks in the ground jump started our season ... or if Vermont's season is impossible to lengthen. The latter is my guess. 

Cherry Blossoms

Each year for our anniversary, my husband and I buy plants for one another rather than more traditional gifts.

We try to tie them to the year - for example, on our fifth anniversary we bought five dwarf lily plants.

As the years go by, we've realized the need for some creativity. Buying three clematis vines was easy, as was four blueberry bushes. Last year, we picked out two cherry trees that we estimated to each be about 4.5 years old. We were just guessing, but the idea remains ---marking our anniversary with a plant we'll be able to enjoy for the rest of our lives.

Sadly, one of the two has died, but Kevin and I are choosing to see no symbolic message in that. Although, I suppose you could say that not everything in a marriage works, survives, or bears fruit. And you just keep planting, watering, and caring.

Old Growth

We have three clematis --- often called Queen of the Climbers --- and they are some of my garden favorites. The plant pictured here is a Jackmanii - one of the most famous varieties, which blooms in large, dark purple flowers in early to mid summer. There are different types of clematis - some bloom from old growth, some from new. This picture shows well how Jackmanii sprouts from new growth, much of the old tangle will simply get covered by new shoots this summer. 

I'm glad to see the plant awaken this spring, but am now researching how to prune this queen because the skeleton of old growth is ungainly and top heavy. She'll get a hair cut this winter. 

Greening Up

I saw this tree this weekend (not sure what it is?) as K, O and I walked our neighborhoods for Green Up day. It was a warm, sunny day, too hot for sweatshirts and we got to see that the outdoors is in fact greening up.

This weekend we also tilled the garden for the first go-round, created a stone walkway in the front yard, raked the side flower bed, planted peas and basil and put annuals into the flower boxes on the front of the house.

Whew. We welcome spring in all it's fuzzy, frenzied glory!

Spring Finally

After the most brutally long, cold winter I can remember, it is spring at last. Weeks long stretches of sub-zero weather, little snow, frigid wind chills ... it all left me depressed. I never once wanted to post here about the landscape, the snowfalls, the bare branches. I only wanted to see it end. This year, even Easter was cold. We got snow that morning, and hunted our eggs indoors. This week, we've finally had a run of warm days and sunshine and these crocus blooms are the result. I almost don't believe it.