Growing Chicks & Growing Garden

Happy Friday!   This evening when I was out to water the garden and feed the chickens, I took a few photos. ( I started this post last night, and got sleepy, so had to finish it this morning) The chicks now spend the day time in the coop and run, but I keep them separated from the big girls.  They have grown so much.  And that one baby chick that they told me was a Lakenvelder, is not!!  She is a Polish.  Check out that frizzy hairdo!

She is much smaller, and will be a very small full grown chicken too.  She will also lay small eggs.

They love to have all of that room to play during the day.

I wanted a better variety in my flock, so I am thrilled to have her!  Now I need to get my Buff Orpington and Cuckoo Moran, and I am set.
The garden is really taking off.  I have oodles of zuchinni and yellow squash.

Can you see all of those squash peeking out in through the leaves?
After I harvested all of my cilantro, I planted more.  So the bare spaces that you see, will soon be filling in with more fresh cilantro.  I also planted another patch of sweet basil.

I have learned to utilize every inch of space I have in my little garden patch.  I use the chain link that is behind the boxes as trellis' for the the sweet peas, and green beans.
I even found a nice spot behind the squash boxes to plant a few more corn stalks, and a small patch of sweet peas.

My Pumpkin Patch is taking over! 

I can't wait to see those flowers open up, and begin to reveal their amber orbs!!!
I love the tendrils on the pumpkin plants.  They are so long and curl like perfect ringlets.

Every year that I have had my vegetable garden, which has been about 5 years now, I learn more efficient ways to plant and use space.  As well, as what companions well with other veggies, for optimal growth.  I still have so much to learn.  Most  has been by trial and error.  But one thing I know for sure is, chicken manure is the most fabulous addition to good soil and a successful garden!!
Below is my stacked drawers container for my cantaloupe.  The cantaloupe with climb up the chain links as well as spill out onto the ground in front. They need some space.  But you can use vertical space!!!

This next one is my stacked drawers container of watermelon.  The variety is a smaller melon, so they can be grown in this space, as long as I allow the vines to stretch out onto the ground and up the fencing.

Watermelons like the heat.  So even though these seeds were planted at the same time as the rest of my garden, they have gotten off to a slow start, taking off when we got the warmer days.
I did plant a few extry over on pumpkin hill, but they will undoubtedly get smothered in the pumpkin plants that are doing so well.

In the evening when I go out to water the garden, the girls all follow me over there to wait for me to toss them some fresh greens.  They LOVE spinach, and cabbage!  They especially love sweet peas, pod and all.  They also love my nasturtiums and have nibbled the leaves to the vine!  Naughty girls!!

Yesterday, I used my mandolin and sliced up a whole bag of apples, and dusted them in Stevia and cinnamon and put them into the dehydrator for 6 hours.  Oh yummy, what a delicious snack this makes!

Today I am going to a little luncheon at Citrus City Grille for a dear friend of mine who is celebrating her birthday.  It looks like it is going to be a beautiful day out there!  Go enjoy it!!!
XO  Kris