lavender

The Chicken Chronicles: Building The Coop Day 1

Anna Blankenheim Chicken Chronicles, Gardening , ,

Today I started on my chicken coop. My husband was super cute… he came down “to make sure I got started and show me tips and tricks”. I think he wanted to help a bit… he ended up spending the afternoon with me. It was nice to work together!

First, I cut and framed the wood for the floor… then covered it in 3/4 inch plywood.

The Floor
The Floor

That was the easy part… then we drove it down to the orchard (where the coop will be) and started trying to figure out exactly how to get it seated on the piers… it took some digging, measuring, and leveling, but we eventually got it!

The Floor & Foundation
The Floor & Foundation

I know it doesn’t seem like much, but let me tell you, that was the hardest part of this whole project. It’s perfectly seated on the piers, is perfectly level, and is braced. That spaced underneath is intentional… it’s a place for the chickens to go to get shade or get out of the rain (if they want to be outside the coop). I am so happy!

Tomorrow… the walls!

While we were moving things around, I noticed how amazing my lavender looks right now:

Lavender Pathway
Lavender Pathway
Busy Bee
Busy Bee

I leave you with today’s chick pic… I have a chick who already likes to roost… she hopped right up on top of the feeder and settled in!

The One Who Roosts
The One Who Roosts

It’s Winter, Right?

Anna Blankenheim Gardening

This weekend was unbelievably beautiful here in Northern California! I took advantage of the nice weather and satisfied the craving I’ve had lately to do some work in the yard. Since now is an excellent time to plant bare root, I headed to my local Lowe’s to check out their selection. I came home with two pear trees (for the orchard) and a weeping cherry (for Shadow’s pen). I’ve been wanting to plant one of those for a really long time now and thought it would make Shadow’s spot a little prettier. I also came home with roughly sixty little tubs of lavender.

Since we finally finished the patio and walkways around the house, I decided that it was time to get some landscaping in. The back side of the house has rosemary lining the pathways and I wanted something different. I have been waging war with the deer since I moved in with Mike several years ago, and finally came to the conclusion that I need to plant what I know they won’t eat. Rosemary, lavender, pine, and St. John’s Wort are all on the safe list (unless the deer are really hungry, in which case all bets are off). I saw a really pretty picture on Pinterest that showed a garden pathway with lavender growing all around it – that’s what I’m aiming to duplicate here.

Lavender In The Yard
Lavender In The Yard

I think it turned out really nice and will look even better once they fill in. Now I just have to contain my gardening impulse until spring comes around!