Hello Everyone!

[auxarc]

I'm from the Arkansas Ozarks, zone 7b, by the banks of the beautiful White River. I got to TEG from BYC. I recently got 26 new chicks. Got Black Australorps for eggs primarily, but they are meat birds too. Last year was my first garden experience. My husband built me six 4' x 8' raised beds. I grew lots of tomatoes, green beans, peas, lettuce, cantaloupe, soy beans, some ride de nice squash, bell peppers and nardello peppers (they were awesome). All of my garden plants are from heirloom seeds.

My true love is perennials. I love crepe myrtles, roses, peonies, azaleas, irises and daylilies. I have six David Austin roses ordered and just haven't decided how I want to plant them yet, either ground or containers????? Any container ideas would be appreciated. I have some climbers and some shrub roses selected so Hubby will have to build my containers.
Hoping to learn lots from everyone! Thanks guys.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Howdy neighbor from outside Prairie Grove. Sounds like you are a bit south of here.

 

[Smart Red]

Howdee, to you, @auxarc, from south-est, central-est Wisconsin.

It sounds as if you've gotten yourself a pretty good start. Many of us here have chickens. I started (this time) with 5 Australorps and 5 Light Brahmas pullets and of cockeral of each breed. They are a good all-round bird, IMHO. My first experience was with 100 cockeral leghorns some 20 years before that.

I also grow my veggies (all open pollinated varieties) in raised beds made for me by my precious spouse. I currently have 13 of them (10' X 5") and have the promise of 2 more. Your 4 foot beds are a much better idea. I have the center one foot space that must be planted with season long something or it's wasted since I can't reach it to weed once everything is growing, but I had no desire to tell Spouse his raised beds were anything but perfect.

As for perennials, I'm with you there as well. My Spouse always said, "One of everything is a good start." so with him to enable me I've been planting perennials to my heart's content for the past 40 years or so. With 30 acres to play with, there's little chance I will run out of room for the next new variety anytime soon.

So glad to have you growing with us!

 

[baymule]

Welcome from Texas. Glad to have you here, gardening with us. I also plant open pollinated heritage seeds. The different varieties are so much fun to grow and eat. I love crepe myrtles too. At our old house we had a 50 year old fushia pink tree that we loved. I gardened in the strip of dirt between the sidewalk and driveway.

We moved in February 2015 to 8 acres in northeast Texas. We wished we could have brought our crepe myrtle with us. We found a nursery that had dark burgundy blooming crepe myrtles and bought 4 of them. What color are your crepe myrtles? Got pictures?

 

[ninnymary]

Welcome! My garden is so small that I don't have raised beds. Just 3 4x4 beds and a little more space here and there. But I manage to cram quite a bit. I also have some fruit trees in large containers that seem to do very well.

I just planted 2 David Austin roses, Lady of Shalot and Sharifa Asma. I already had Sharifa Asma in a wine barrel but I just love it and couldn't have enough of it! The two new roses are planted in a small perennial and herb bed.

I have 4 Red Sex link chickens for their egg production but when I replace them, they will each be a different breed. I'm not crazy that they all look the same and I can't tell who laid and who didn't.

Mary

 

[aftermidnight]

hi from Vancouver Island, I don't have chickens anymore but used to have a few. My garden is small compared to many here but I manage to cram a lot in.
Although I grow a lot of perennials, clematis and other plants my main interest is in growing heirloom beans and tomatoes, mostly beans, I even have a family heirloom from a gal in Arkansas, your neck of the woods .
'Woods Mountain Crazy Beans' are a very prolific bush bean that bears and bears and keeps on bearing, hence the name. I mostly grow pole beans but I make the exception with this one every couple of years.
I think you're going to like it here, I know I sure do.

Annette

 

[so lucky]

Welcome from SE Missouri. Lots of good info and helpful folks here.

 

[lcertuche]

Howdy neighbor, I'm from Waldron. DH is always talking about moving to NW Arkansas. It is lovely and I do love the mountains but it just seems like such a huge endeavor. I'm sure DH could find work but I would hate living in a big city.

 

[Nyboy]

Welcome from NY used to have Red Sexlink ,now have a Bunny name Harvey

 

[thistlebloom]

Hi auxarc! Welcome!
It sounds like you had a great vegetable garden last year.
I'm a perennial lover also and a keeper of chickens. My only Black Australorp is an old girl now that I keep for sentimental reasons.

Looking forward to hearing about your gardening this season!