"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Sun, chicks and flowers.

 I love when the forecasters are wrong.  Sunday originally was supposed to be rainy, but instead we ended up with sun!  I didn't want to waste any of it so I headed outside to start working on the area we are going to put the chicken coop.   My husband was only a week post op from his surgery and couldn't help.  Sweet Pea had run a 5K the day before and then played a very rough indoor soccer game (a teammate of her's ended up with a broken rib) that morning so she didn't last too long.  While she was there we got quite a bit done.  Then I was left on my own, but it was worth all the work knowing why I was doing it.

 Before there was a plastic playhouse, a raised bed, a wine barrel planter and there was several inches of pea gravel that had to be moved.  In a couple of weeks we will hopefully start and finish building the coop during the kids spring break.

 The chicks are growing so quickly, just like the garden right now, they seem to change overnight.  Everything I've read and everyone I've talked to has told me the importance of handling the chicks and having them get used to us.  We all take turns giving them scratch (a "treat" for chickens) from our hands and we can now predict who will be the first one to come over, who will jump up on our arm and who will be the last to timidly squeeze in.  The Black Star ,which was named Stamatina by my husband, is now being called Tina Fey.  According to my husband her middle name is Stamatina.  Tina Fey rolls off the tongue a lot easier!  Wonder if she would be proud or insulted to have a chicken named after her?

 Sunny is already starting to sprout tail feathers.

 Chirpy is quite nosy and wanted to see the camera as closely as possible.

 Blossom, on Sweet Pea's lap, with Gracie checking her out.

On Monday we had sun again although I didn't really have time to work out in it, I wanted to take some pictures since so much is starting to bloom now.   These were tulips I bought in a box from the grocery store last fall.  They are so pretty!

Flowering Currant 'Prince Edward VII' is one I would highly recommend.  It has grown quickly, has tons of flowers and has survived under a big Cedar tree.  I have another unnamed Pink Flowering Currant that does well under a Pine tree, but this one is my favorite.

Navelwort 'Starry Eyes' is so sweet.  It is slowly spreading in the shady path garden.

Grape Hyacinth are starting to bloom.

Old fashioned Bleeding Hearts are days from blooming.  I think they are my very favorite spring flower.

Anemone blanda always surprises me each year.  They seem to just pop up and bloom overnight.

This Tulipa turkestanica is a little past it's prime but I wanted to show how pretty it looks with the sun shining on it.

We're back to rain again, but it looks like next weekend should be sunny.  This time I hope the forecast is right!
All words and photos in this post are property of A Gardener in Progress. Pin It

41 comments:

  1. Oh the chicks are so cute! Loving the constant photo updates.

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  2. I'm so excited for you about your chick purchase!! I'll be cheering you from the sidelines :) I'm hoping the weatherman is right and next weekend is sunny too! Cheers, Jenni

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  3. I am so looking forward to more sun! Wow, you work fast, you got a lot done clearing that space for the new chicks. I am thinking of getting some species tulips this fall. I hope you post lots of pictures of the coop-building process.

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  4. You got a lot done. Ready for the chicken coop. So glad Chirpy is living up to its name. Ha!
    Those Starry Eyes are really sweet.

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  5. Congrats on the chicks, I have had mine for just over a year now and it has been a great experience. Enjoy!

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  7. (My iPad is acting up.) The navel wort is really striking!

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  8. Your Lithodora 'Starry Eyes' is really nice. It is borderline hardy to our heat. Your chicks have really grown up since your last pics. It will be interesting to see how Gracie interacts with them as they grow and make more than just peep noises.

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    1. It's actually Omphalodes cappadocica, zones 6-9. Does that work? It's a really tough plant for dry shade.

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    2. I will check it out, sure is a cute little bloom....and I have lots of dry shade.

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  9. It just amazes me that you are so close to us, yet get spring so much earlier. You are seeing things that aren't even up here yet!
    You will enjoy you chicken-keeping so much - especially having raised them from chicks. They have more personality than most people realise.

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  10. I want chickens!!! Lucky you! I really love your flowering current. Gorgeous! :o)

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  11. Tell sweat pea to be careful. Soccer isn't supposed to be a contact sport is it? ;) It looks like a lot of work getting those chicks a nice home, but i hope its worth all of the trouble! The flowers are gorgeous. I love my flowering current also. The hummingbird has been visiting them lately and that is always a treat. Lets hope the weather gets sunny more and more!

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  12. Your little chicks are so cute! Looks like spring is in full swing up there! Yay!

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  13. Catherine,

    Those chicks look like fun! Loved the Omphalodes cappadocica will have to look for it. The chickens and your gardens, oh my. I have a friend that her chickens destroyed her beautifully planted back yard.

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  14. The flowers look beautiful in the sunshine! Great colour! The chick run is looking good. Won't be long until you'll have a supply of fresh eggs!

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  15. Fabulous tulips and blooms...can't wait to see these in my garden too...the chicks are so cute and can't wait to see them grow up and live in their new coop...

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  16. First my dear, I neglected to offer encouragement on your husband's recovery on the last post I commented on here...I apologize. I do pray 100% healing to his body. The first thing I noticed here was that rich black soil! YUMMY! We have already had our school springbreak, hopefully your weather will cooperate with your outdoor plans. Cute chicks! I love all your spring buds and blooms.

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  17. Wow Catherine you got a lot done for your chicken run. I remember the pictures of the raised beds you had there. It is such a fun project for all of you to grow the chickens and you get good eggs too. LOL! Those Navelwort blooms have the cutest blue stars on them.The anemones are just gorgeous!

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  18. Fairies must live in your garden... it's so beautiful!!

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  19. I love that you include the names of your plants with the photos. I'm always looking for new things to add to my garden and I keep a list of things like this that I see. Thanks!

    Dianna @ www.lydiastreet.com

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  20. Great photos. Glad the chicks are doing good. The flowers look great. Thanks for sharing.

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  21. Precious chicks. I know in our neighborhood you can't have roosters, don't know about chicks. Wonder if yours has any ordinances? I loved a rooster a guy had a few blocks away, but the neighbors complained so much , and found out he couldn't have them in the neighborhood. Bummer. take care! Gina

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    1. Luckily we can have chickens here, everyone I know that's ended up with a rooster in our area has found a new home for it. We're crossing our fingers these are all hens.

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  22. So many spring delights in your garden! I especially love that currant. Bleeding hearts are one of my favorites too - mine are up and growing strong but not ready to flower yet.

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  23. You have some wonderful things happening in your garden - gorgeous photos. Your chicks are adorable. A friend and her husband used to lease a property in the country where they had horses and chickens. The chickens were such characters and so entertaining. We all loved them and I know you will love yours.

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  25. Your flowers are gorgeous! I especially love the purple tulips with the yellow centers and the starry eyes are so cute. And the chicks are adorable of course. One of our family friends keeps chickens and they can be so entertaining, along with the obvious benefit of tasty omelets made with fresh eggs. :)
    Here's my blog link as your message requests: http://collegegardener.blogspot.com/

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  26. Those chicks are SO cute !!! It's the first time I've been distracted from your lovely gardens. :-)

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  27. The chickens look like they'd be so much fun! For everyone. Can't wait to see your coop. Happy Easter to you and I'm glad you had sun!

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  28. Your chicks are adorable. I don't think Tina would be offended in the least. I think she's got a great sense of humor. I am so envious of your flowering current. I just can't keep mine alive. I've got a small one in a pot and we'll see if it grows or if it dies like the rest of them have. I think you nailed it by placing yours under a cedar tree since this is where they grow in nature. It probably loves all that humussy stuff. Major score on those grocery store tulips!

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  29. I'm so jealous!! I wish we could have chicks. Our neighborhood association won't allow it.
    I'll keep that in mind when we move...

    Your newest follower,
    Margaret
    Two in the Nest

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  30. Hi from North East England. I love your garden and those chicks. One of my neighbours keeps hens and ducks and it was nice to get fresh eggs from her. There is only two chickens left out of the six now though and they stopped laying a while ago so she is going to get some more chickens soon. I would love to keep chickens, ducks and a couple of geese but I think my dogs would be a nuisance with them as they tend to chase birds and the geese in the park. They are cocker spaniels. I definantly will if I ever move to the country and get a slightly bigger garden as at the moment we are on a very busy road. I'm looking forward to seeing your new chicken pen.
    Melanie x

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  31. So good to see such color, and those blues...sigh. Love them.

    I kind of want to get chickens, just don't know what the regulations are up here...

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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  32. Great pictures, I am especially fond of starry eyes! So lovely that you can have chickens, it will be fun to watch them grow up. :)

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  33. Ooooooooo that navelwort is so beautiful. I don't think I have ever seen it before. I wonder if it will grow here in Texas. I will have to look into it. Your little chickies are so cute. I love baby chickens. They are so fun and such a fun accessory in your garden when they are older. I enjoy my chickens more than I ever would have thought.
    Debbie

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  34. All the gardeners are getting chickens these days, it's the in thing! No chickens allowed here in suburbia so I'll just enjoy yours. Your spring flowers are wonderful too, especially the bleeding heart. I don't have enough shade for it here, but I had a gorgeous one at my old house. Do they have one that stays small? That I might be able to fit.

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  35. Congrats to the additions to your family...sooo cute. You have lots of pretty blooms. Loving the Navelwort which I never heard of but wouldn't mine having myself.

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  36. Love all your beautiful flowers. We are so new to this - I have baby plants budding inside, but nothing really outside yet. We are in Southern Oregon, where people don't start planting vegetables outdoors until June. Although, I see lovely flower gardens all over town. We just haven't started that yet. However - we have our lovely chicken coop in - and it is filled with art for the chickens. They will love it and I'm sure their egg laying will be more joyful because of all the art!

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  37. Your new family members are so darn cute, Chiry especially. Maybe that is because Chirpy is so curious. I like the name Stamatina. I think your hubby picked a cute and original name.

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  38. Don't think my comment went through, so here goes again. Your new family members are so darn cute, Chiry especially. Maybe that is because Chirpy is so curious. I like the name Stamatina. I think your hubby picked a cute and original name.

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