Home Grown Chicks

My little cochin hen has hatched a fine bunch of chicks! Believe it or not, there are six babies under her! Here she is with the babies, already teaching them to eat bugs and seeds, and they are only one day old!

These chicks are not biologically hers. She was so determined to set, and I had not been saving eggs for her to set, that I got some from the local farmer's market.(She quit laying because she wasn't eating enough or getting exercise.) Their father is a brown leghorn rooster. I can't remember for sure what the mothers were. I think they were buff orpington, production red, and maybe barred Plymouth rock. It will be interesting to watch them grow and see what they end up looking like.

One of our goals is to get to the place where we can raise chicks with real mommas and never have to utilize a hatchery unless we want to try a new breed.

Special Iris

I bought my iris four years ago. The first two years they didn't bloom at all. Last year they attempted to bloom in the fall without sending up the stalk the flower is on. The blooms were down in the leaves where they couldn't open up very well. It was weird! This year, though, they must like our new home as much as I do, because they are blooming beautifully! I wish I had bothered to keep track of the names of them. This one is so dark purple it's almost black:
I call this one purple splash, for lack of a real name:

And these are the ones that were already here when we moved in. They were such a pleasant surprise! I fully expected them to be that plain, light purple that all iris seem to revert to over time. They are so pretty! Once they quit blooming I will clean out the bed and separate them.

The Chicken Coop

This is our chicken coop. It's a remodeled rabbit hutch. It's approximately 4' wide, which allows plenty of roost space for my flock of 14 semi-mature chickens, since I have two rungs for them. One of my many summer projects will be to give it a good scrubbing and a fresh coat of paint. I'd also like to put a tin roof on it.

Here is a front view with the lid up. This allows for easy access for cleaning and taking care of the chickens.

Here is a side view with the lid up. We added another wall instead of wire to help block the westerly winds.

This is looking down into the coop. We used broom handles because they were cheaper than wooden dowels. One was free! It was in the barn when we moved here, and the straw was all rotted off it. I would have preferred to harvest some green tree limbs, strip the bark, and allow the chickens to roost on them. I think it would be healthier for their feet, but the small size of this coop requires the uniformity of the broom handles.

This is another side view to show that the entire thing (except the back) is fully enclosed with hardware cloth type wire. I've heard of raccoons actually grabbing a chicken's leg and pulling it out through the wire and chewing it off. I hope we've used good enough wire that this will never be a concern for our birds!

Buff Orpington Chicks are the cutest ever!

I ordered Buff Orpingtons because they are a heritage breed, and supposed to be one of the most docile as well. They will get up to 7-10 pounds. They arrived yesterday. Wayne said they looked like a moving plush carpet. Dipping 104 tiny beaks in the water was quite a chore! :)

What's in a garden?

Edmondson Cute, 4" cream to light green mini cucumbers that are so sweet and tender, good for slicing or pickles. Vigorous vines set heavy yields, this family heirloom has been grown by the Clarice family since 1913.
De Bourbonne Tiny pickling cucumbers are ready in about 50 days. This old French heirloom is used to make the 2" long Cornichon pickles that are so tasty. Still popular in France for this purpose. High yielding vines will be popular with all those who preserve food.
Echinacea Purpurea
Stevia
Feverfew
Red Wonder Wild Strawberry This variety was selected to produce large, elongated red fruits that are sweet and aromatic. Perfect for growing in flower gardens and containers as the plants, flowers and berries are ornamental. So delicious, the fruit won't last long! 75 seeds.
Purple Kiwi (Actinidia melandra)A self-fertile variety that produces sweet, tart-flavored fruit with a unique purple-colored flesh! The vining plants are fast growers and hardy to 20 degrees, and produce 1 1/2" long fruit that will amaze your neighbors. 20 seeds. Zucchini - Black Beauty 50 days. The classic dark-green summer squash that has made modern zucchini of this type popular. Introduced in the U.S. markets in the 1920's and seed companies started listing it in the 1930's. Delicious fried or baked, best picked young.
Crookneck - Early Golden Summer 50 days. An old favorite heirloom, this is one of the oldest types of squash dating back to pre-Columbus times and has been popular ever since. Easy to grow and good tasting.
Kiwano (African Horned Cucumber)Very unusual fruit with spiny "horns." The green-yellow skin turns a bright deep orange when ready to harvest and the pulp resembles lime-green Jell-O. The fruit has a sour-sweet, banana-lime-tropical fruit taste and is good juiced. This fruit is appearing regularly in US markets. Native to Africa, it is hardy and easy to grow; can be grown just about anywhere you can grow melons. Beautiful vine and fruit! Tiny seed. (25 seeds)
Chinese Five Color Screaming hot little peppers turn a rainbow of vibrant colors; from purple, cream, yellow, orange to red as they ripen. Need I say ornamental? The plants are great for containers inside. Just pick a few any time to liven up your salsa.
Muscade A delicious North African carrot that produces blocky, 7" orange roots that have exceptional flavor and a crisp, crunchy texture. They hold up well at market, and are late bolting. Rare and almost impossible to find!
Black Seeded Ice Cream 90 days A sweet-flavored, pink-fleshed watermelon that has a pale greenish cream-colored rind. It is an old variety that was popular in the 19th century. 1881 D.M. Ferry said, "Medium size, scarlet flesh, and very sweet; a good variety for main crop." In 1927 Henry Field's catalog stated, "Round shaped melons with thin, ivory colored skin. Pink-meated and of fine quality. It will keep late into the winter. Very prolific; matures very early."Sugar Ann An early, edible-pod pea ideal for small gardens. Its short, bushy vines do not need support, and it produces about 10 days earlier than other snap peas. Delicious pods are a joy sauteed, fresh or steamed. An AAS winner from 1984.
Purple Podded Pole This delicious heirloom was discovered in the Ozark mountains by Henry Fields in the 193'’s, and is still requested by many oldtimers of this region. The pods are bright purple, stringless, and tender. Plants grow to 6’ and produce heavy yields.
Green Zebra75 days-One of my favorite tomatoes. Beautiful chartreuse with deep lime-green stripes, very attractive. Flesh is bright green and very rich tasting, sweet with a sharp bite to it, (just too good to describe!). A favorite tomato of many high class chefs, specialty markets and home gardeners. Yield is excellent. The most striking tomato in our catalog, a real beauty. Around 3 ounces each.
Soldier Bush A favorite of the Mennonite grower Elvin Martin, who brought this bean to our attention. It produces lots of large kidney type beans, even in the far North. The name comes from the red markings that resemble a soldier. A staple bean for many in historic New England, and now a popular heritage soup bean.
Doux D'Espagne or Spanish Mammoth This variety was introduced before 1860. In the 1880’s, this pepper was shipped to the large markets in Paris from warmer areas like Algeria and Valencia. In the 19th century the 6"-7" long fruit were among the largest offered, and popular with cooks. It produces long, cone-shaped peppers that are perfect for frying and salads. They are sweet and flavorful, but hardly ever offered in America. A good-producing pepper that is reported to be disease resistant.
Slo-Bolt Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) This is a slow-bolting version of Cilantro/Coriander that produces flavorful leaves over a longer period.
Lumpy Red 80 days. Austin Isaacs collected this red variety in the early 1990s from an elderly woman in Corbin, Kentucky, who said this dates to the early 1900s and was grown in Clay City, Kentucky by her grandmother. Named for its fruit which are rather "lumpy" in appearance, being ribbed and ruffled. These are popular for their strong, old-fashioned flavor and large size, making them a great tomato for any homestead. Rare.
German Red Strawberry85 days. Big, flavorful 1-lb fruit are shaped like a giant, red strawberry. These beautiful tomatoes are loaded with a rich, sweet flavor. With only a small amount of seeds and juice, they are great for canning and sandwiches. This superior tasting tomato is a family heirloom from Germany.

Black Aztec Sweet Corn Sometimes called 'Black Mexican''. It is believed to have originated in upper New York, possibly grown by the Iroquois nation. It was first offered in seed catalogs as 'Black Mexican' in 1864. The 6'-tall stalks produce large ears that are used as sweet corn in the milk stage, with the kernel being sweet, tender and very tasty! When mature, this corn turns deep blue-black and makes a very delicious cornbread. This hardy corn grows well in many weather conditions.

Fife Creek Cowhorn An heirloom that has been in the Fife family since around 1900 and believed to have came to them from a Creek Indian woman who stayed with them for one year in Jackson, Mississippi. Large, long pods stay tender longer than most; huge plants are very productive.

Thai Round Green Petch ParisaA 2"-3" round light-green eggplant, with cream stripes. Tasty in stir-fries, and sold extensively throughout Thailand. We've found this variety to be hardy and productive here in Missouri. Very rare in the U.S.; we are the only source this year.
They sent me these free. We are not big eggplant eaters, but hey, if it's free, I'll try it! Got any good eggplant recipes? :)
Canton Bok The typical Nai-Pe-Tsai type pak choy. Semi-upright plant produces thick white stems and deep green leaves. Good for warm areas as it is heat-tolerant.