Stunning foliage combination! Ninebark ‘coppertina’ & Hosta ‘New Dawn’(?)
A stunning combination
Chicken Coop Evaluation – In Search of the perfect chicken coop… May 8, 2013
chicken coop, wire mesh grate side view, the chickens enjoy the mountain view out of the 4 skylights on the other side of the roof.
here’s a link to the original posting that explains the plan with photographs. I believe it’s fair the call it ‘one of a kind’
What’s been good, What needs improvement
lets start with the good first:
- this new coop is a fortress, here has not been a single incidence of predator invasion… all chicks are alive.
- the deep litter method of keeping maintaining the pen has been a total success! It’s so easy to maintain and has produced some very nice compost! More about that later.
- It’s great having it located closer to the house and as part of the kitchen garden, I take them kitchen scraps when I go out to pick herbs. They also get whatever weeds I pull while working in the garden.
- Gravel path is terrific, No Mud.
- The living succulent roof does a great job mitigating the temperatures, whether hot or cold.
- all chickens are have been dry, healthy and apparently happy.
what will be improved upon:
- my husband will be building a new feeder, it’s currently in the design process. It will be space efficient, be easy to fill with at least 40 lbs of feed, it will keep the food dry and deliver the feed into a trough that will help to reduce the waste of the very pricey organic non gmo feed. It will also have a window so we will know when feed is getting low.
- We need to improve the watering system, it must be easier to keep clean and fill.
- We will plumb a water hydrant in the coop area
- We will put in power for overhead lighting as well as plug recepticles
- We are designing a gutter type system for fodder. This was they can have better access to greens during the winter when the days are short and we can’t always let them out to graze. (We must keep them confined for their own protection)
- We will also improve their perching possibilities. They really like to sit on the perch and look out the windows
With all these changes, we will have the nearly perfect coop for our situation.
Primula ‘veris shades’ May 7, 2013
Primula ‘veris shades’
blooming now in the shade garden, the beautiful red, orange and yellow primroses, Primula ‘veris shades’
WESTERN WILD GINGER April 28, 2013
Asarum caudatum f ‘album’
This evergreen groundcover, also known as long-tailed wild ginger, has beautiful heart-shaped leaves. The flowers peek out from beneath the leaf canopy. Our plants originated from western Oregon and the flowers on individual plants vary in color from purple to a less common greenish white color that we call “Album”.
It’s a very hardy ground cover that is best grown in a shady location.
Up-cycled Mailbox garden storage April 27, 2013
Up-cycled Mailbox gives you a bit of garden storage where you need it. I keep scissors to cut herbs, pruners, gloves, trowels, and kids tools.
Great Garden Storage, where you need it… wp.me/p2kNeQ-84
