canesisters
Garden Master
I don't know if anyone remembers my 'great' idea last year to put the garden inside the chicken yard - surrounded by chicken wire, of course - so the chickens could help with bug control...
Well - I have NO idea if it was a good idea or not because I never got past planting some tomatoes & peppers. By the time I got back to them a couple months later, I had a nicely fenced plot of shoulder high grass. In THEORY - it will work.. but I had a BUSY summer and just gave up on gardening.
Anyway - I am DETERMINED to garden and replenish my canning cabinet this coming Summer!! And I have (I think) three choices.
1. garden in the chicken coop like I had planned - and fight the healthy stand of established weeds that I let grow there
2. move the garden to the other side of the back yard - and fight the healthy stand of established grass/weeds that is there
3. move the garden to the front yard where nothing much more than clover and some low growing ground cover sort of weed grows
Option 1 - chicken coop
a. I know the soil there is good. I've gardened in that spot for a couple of years and did well.
b. The drainage isn't so good and even a little extra rain makes it a muddy mess.
c. The weeds are BEASTLY there. I've fought them from the start.
d. Limited to a small garden (could be a good thing.. could be bad)
e. I'd like to actually give that 'chicken moat' idea a try...
Option 2 - other side of the back yard
a. Starting from scratch, grass.. grass... grass.....
b. SLIGHTLY dryer area - but closer to run the hose if needed
c. Would move me a GIANT step closer to my 'one day' goal of having the whole place producing something useful (or pretty) instead of growing lawn
d. Would cut the dog's yard to a 3rd of what they've got now (not great...)
e. Have to move the chick brooder/hospital pen - and that is H.E.A.V.Y.!!!!!
Option 3 - front yard
a. The deer frequent the front yard (no dogs there) and have NO fear of me yelling from the porch or out the windows
b. Starting from scratch - and that area will need some soil building for sure
c. great drainage
d. will be the only real 'improvement' I've made to that whole section of the yard - so a start to that 'plan' of getting rid of the dreaded 'lawn'
Your thoughts?????
Well - I have NO idea if it was a good idea or not because I never got past planting some tomatoes & peppers. By the time I got back to them a couple months later, I had a nicely fenced plot of shoulder high grass. In THEORY - it will work.. but I had a BUSY summer and just gave up on gardening.
Anyway - I am DETERMINED to garden and replenish my canning cabinet this coming Summer!! And I have (I think) three choices.
1. garden in the chicken coop like I had planned - and fight the healthy stand of established weeds that I let grow there
2. move the garden to the other side of the back yard - and fight the healthy stand of established grass/weeds that is there
3. move the garden to the front yard where nothing much more than clover and some low growing ground cover sort of weed grows
Option 1 - chicken coop
a. I know the soil there is good. I've gardened in that spot for a couple of years and did well.
b. The drainage isn't so good and even a little extra rain makes it a muddy mess.
c. The weeds are BEASTLY there. I've fought them from the start.
d. Limited to a small garden (could be a good thing.. could be bad)
e. I'd like to actually give that 'chicken moat' idea a try...
Option 2 - other side of the back yard
a. Starting from scratch, grass.. grass... grass.....
b. SLIGHTLY dryer area - but closer to run the hose if needed
c. Would move me a GIANT step closer to my 'one day' goal of having the whole place producing something useful (or pretty) instead of growing lawn
d. Would cut the dog's yard to a 3rd of what they've got now (not great...)
e. Have to move the chick brooder/hospital pen - and that is H.E.A.V.Y.!!!!!
Option 3 - front yard
a. The deer frequent the front yard (no dogs there) and have NO fear of me yelling from the porch or out the windows
b. Starting from scratch - and that area will need some soil building for sure
c. great drainage
d. will be the only real 'improvement' I've made to that whole section of the yard - so a start to that 'plan' of getting rid of the dreaded 'lawn'
Your thoughts?????