The debris piles are disappearing. We've been pulling branches, rootwads, and logs out of both upper piles and having some great fires. I cleaned out the ashes from three different fire pits and spread them all about in my very informal compost pit. The largest pile, which we started working on first, is more than half gone, and the large pile next to it has been chewed down, too.
Mike working on the debris pile and enjoying a fire
The space between these two piles has grown distinct. The walled courtyard we plan to build on the NE side of the house has been laid out with little orange flags. We can actually see the space it will occupy, and more importantly, the space it won't occupy. Mike is happy as he sees he has more room for irises on the west side of the wall, and I am happy to find room for a composting center right next to my garden and near the chickens.
We decided to dedicate the drainfield to the chickens. I'll fence in a yard for them that encompasses the drainfield and some space in the trees. Their coop will go nestled amongst the trees behind the garage, keeping it shaded and comfortable in the summer. I'm placing my garden next to the chickenyard, below the drainfield, and will fence it in so that they can wander among the raised beds and eat all the bugs.
Site of the future 'chickenyard' - currently simply our drainfieldSaturday, we hauled a number of rotting stump remnants out of the debris piles and arranged ever so artfully in the chicken yard. Not only does it provide some visual interest to the otherwise flat bare area, they will provide lots of bugs for the gals to catch. I'm making the chickenyard large so they can have lots of room to roam, and perhaps allow some greens to grow once in a while. While I want my chickens now, we probably won't have any until next spring.
Wiijii inspecting my stumpwork. She approves. She'd like a chicken now too, please.
Next to the chickenyard, just below the drainfield, are my two raised beds, which I built yesterday morning. Each is 4'x8' (roughly). I'm scavenging logs from trees cut recently to build a fence. I figure I'd bury each fence post about 3 feet, leaving me 7 feet of fence, which should be tall enough for deer. Digging a hole that deep will be a challenge, I'm sure - much less a dozen holes.
Veggie Garden 2.0Since I won't have chickens this year, I don't have to worry about fencing for them just yet. When it's time, however, as I build the fence for the chickenyard, I'll build a second fence inside the garden fence and around the garden beds. This will keep the chickens out of the beds, while allowing them to patrol the perimeter for slugs and other garden enemies. My garden will be simply two 4'x8' beds this year, but there is room to place at least two more, and perhaps as many as 6, if I do it right.
Wiijii naps after a hard day in the garden
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You might enjoy a book I recently read called "Still Life with Chickens", about fixing up an old house and learning to raise chickens. (Or "chooks", as they are known on the Moosey's Country Garden site.)
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