Thursday, May 1, 2008

Around the House and Garden

Here it is! The front garden all cardboarded, newspapered and pine mulched!
Look how pretty the lantana is by the front door!
I'm going to put a bench in this area. I'd like to paint it bright blue.
This is one of six native mulberry trees that I planted. They look like blackberries but are longer. They also are sweeter when ripe and don't have any of the tartness of blackberries. Byron ate his fill on the Woodland trails path and just had to have some for the yard. This will help me keep my promise to use more natives and to create a permaculture environment.

Here's the baby figs peeking out!
Here is the beginning of the pears! These trees I am told, are over 70 years old. Our property used to be part of "The Old Star Plantation" as the elders call it. It was divided up and sold. The old plantation home (which I was told was beautiful) was torn down. All of the old plantation homes faced the river. If you ever travel in our area there is a wonderful plantation home that was turned into a bed and breakfast called "Woodland Plantation". It gives you an inkling of what it must have been like to live on the river back then. Woodland is also the plantation featured on the Southern Comfort bottle.
Look how big my girls are getting. They are 10 weeks old. This is Cocktail, Seleste's favorite chicken. I think its a Dominique. Although I have been wrong on most all of them, it is fun to guess.
This is Brownie, Talia's favorite chicken. Byron aggravated Talia while we were slaughtering the Cornish X Rocks with, "Brownie's next!!" Then an outcry from Talia, "You better not kill Brownie!!!" Talia then gave Byron a sound kick in the shin. Byron sent Talia to her room. Why do men get so mad when they get what they ask for? :)

This is Lu Lu now. I thought she was a brown leghorn. Now I'm not so sure. She's getting the side wisps of feathers on her face that resemble "Old Sailor Whiskers". Maybe she's an Araucana? We'll know when they start laying eggs. If any are blue we'll know it's little Miss Lu Lu.

6 comments:

Egghead said...

Cocktail looks like our barred rock hen. I love the beautiful feathers. They are growing so fast. Before you know it you will have eggs (probably by early fall). Your front garden look really good and I think a bright blue bench would look good.
Ha ha about Byron getting a good kick in the shin....my husband does stuff like that too and then wonders why they scream and stuff.

Betsy said...

Your yard looks beautiful..... Yummy, pear butter season is coming up....(hehe)
(hint-hint)

Betsy

Tiffany said...

Your pine straw beds look soooo pretty! *sigh* I couldn't find it around here. Even Potomac Garden Center didn't have it. I'm gonna have to budget for it earlier next year and just ship it if need be. Anyway, I had to settle for pine mulch. *yawn*
P.S. Talia, I would have kicked him too. Poor Brownie probably overheard and has nightmares now. lol!

Kristi said...

Thank you Egghead, Betsy and Tiffany! It's much more fun when you get to share your accomplishments with someone who appreciates them too. Betsy, you are first on my pearbutter list, and the leftover flower arrangement list too!

meboo said...

I REALLY like pear butter, too.

Melba

Kat said...

Absolutely lovely!