Thursday, April 5, 2012

Spring at Last

March 21, the first day of spring, was more like the first day of summer. Temperatures were in the eighties (F.) and every spring flowering plant was in flower. It seemed we were skipping spring and launching straight into summer. The temperatures stayed high for two weeks, but last night a strong cold front came through, dropping an inch and a half of much-needed rain.

This morning was cool and lovely, just the way spring should be. Kale is up and a few potatoes are breaking through the soil. The eight little broccoli plants seem to have survived the heat and taken hold. Next to them is a row of garlic and shallots racing toward July maturity.


While things in the garden are just getting started, lettuce in the cold frame is beginning to form heads.


The hens know that during a good rain earthworms crawl close to the earth surface to keep from drowning. All five of the old girls were busy scratching up worms and feasting most of the day. I took this photo in the late afternoon when they were scrambling for possession of some stale whole wheat bread Dennis gave them.



Why is the chicken yard bare? Because chickens love to eat greens so much that no plant can survive in their purview. In the wild, greens comprise thirty percent of chickens' diet. We try to feed the hens some greens every day. In the winter we can get boxes of lettuce and cabbage trimmings from Checker's produce department. Right now we're giving them dandelions and spinach that's bolting.

Raccoon raids late last winter left us with just five hens but the survivors are keeping us well-supplied with eggs. Several days a week each one of them lays an egg.


We're thankful to have some spring weather at last and we hope it holds on until June, when the heat and the chiggers inevitably return.

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