Backyard Projects for 2010
January 26th, 2010 | Author: Shannon
The sun is shining , the air is warm and I can feel a hint of spring. I let the chickens out early today and they are wandering the yard looking for tasty morsels.
Dare I say, “Spring is in the air?”
It is, yet this is the JANUARY thaw, nothing more. I know it, it happens every year and I get so excited I head out the back door to work in the garden, I want to put seedlings in the ground TODAY, and plan for baby chicks.
I am like a little girl in a candy store about the January thaw. But this year I am taming this excitement (a little) and have made a list of backyard projects and I want your input!
Project #1- Build a chicken house. I love my chicken tractor, but it’s hard for one person to move and it only accommodates 5 chickens. I want more. Here’s our chicken tractor under the snow of the blizzard of ’09.
Project #2- Expand my garden. It’s probably a little hard to see under the snow; but out there, is our garden. There are 4- 30 foot rows. It’s a nice size, but we need to expand for a good corn and potato crop and I’d like to plant some asparagus.
Project #3- Build a nature path. The pine trees in these two pictures mark the edge of our property line (although we have such great neighbors that it’s no problem to go a little outside the “boundary”). This is a project I have been dreaming for 3 years and now my son is old enough to help.
Project #4- Plant a milkweed garden. (An extension of #3) The last part of the nature path will go through our small back field. I want to plant lots of milkweed and butterfly bush* weed in hopes that our backyard will become a safe spot for migrating monarchs.
There are so many more projects that I have cooking up. These are the ones that are at the top of my to do list. This week we’ll be ordering seeds in my attempt to realize #2. I’d like to head out today with some strips of material to mark our nature path. And we’ve saved lots of butterfly bush and milkweed seeds.
Bring it on 2010. I can’t wait to get my hands dirty, brow sweaty and see what magic nature will bring.
I am excited to open my backyard project list up to my readers too. Those with tips and tricks to help me, please send links and I will post ‘em here!
Have a great day and enjoy the sunshine!
This is part of the Steady Mom 30 minute blog challenge. I must confess, my writing was interupted multiple times, it took under to write with these “breaks”. Next week I’ll write at night rather then first thing in the morning. I thought I’d get away with it today.
*Many thanks to Alison of Loving Natures Garden for correcting me… on butterfly weed vs. butterfly bush. Read her comment below for why.
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It looks as though you have an awesome piece of property to play with! You’re ambitious! I’m just hoping to grow my first veggie garden. We’ll talk about chickens next year
.-= turnitupmom´s last blog ..Our Children Are Watching =-.
Wow, you are a very productive woman. I wish I had your energy, and your backyard for that matter. It’s so good when we have a passion that reflects some of the good things in the world back to others.
Saw your link at the Steady Mom blog challenge.
Sincerely,
Mendy
.-= Mendy´s last blog ..Defying gravity is hard =-.
MJ- A great resource for a new garden is Square Foot Gardening. It outlines a great way to grow lots of food in a small space and gives really clear steps to do it. I think they have a website. There’s lots of info out there, but following SFG is a great way to start. Then you’ll find your own way.
Shannon, I love your idea of the nature path and the milkweed garden. However, I would encourage you to find a native alternative to butterfly bush.
While butterfly bush is great for nectar, it does not provide for the larvae of any butterflies. Larvae need leaves to feed on and they won’t use a non-native. Butterfly bush is also invasive in some states and has the potential to replace native shrubs to the detriment of local wildlife.
.-= Alison Kerr´s last blog ..3/50 Supporting Local Business =-.
oops… thank you.. I really did mean butterfly WEED- it’s in the milkweed family and has bright orange flowers and has mysteriously and miraculously appeared in my garden. here’s a picture for other readers (I’d bet you already know what it looks like).
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wildseed/21/21.4.html
I am not a fan of butterfly bush either.. can’t believe that typo.. gues I was going for writing in 30 mins! Thanks again!
Those look like really great plans. I’ve never heard of a milkweed garden before. I’m off to read about it.
.-= Jaimie´s last blog ..I Was a Mom Before I Was a Mom =-.
Ahhh…..if only I didn’t live in the dessert!
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Lest You Think We’re All About Pretty Hair Around Here……. =-.
Oh your projects sound so fun, I love plotting and planning!!!
.-= se7en´s last blog ..This Week (25 January) At Se7en… =-.
I can definitely understand your need to plan for spring! I’ve been thinking about what we’ll be planting this year. Your land reminds me a lot of Maine. I’m going to look up the butterfly weed. It sounds pretty and I’d love to attract more butterflies.
Like minds! We spent this morning drawing up plans for our spring garden, and last week we planted bulbs in the beds nearest our house. I am so excited for spring to finally get here!
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..Bad mama =-.
Oh good, butterfly weed is much better than butterfly bush. Native milkweeds are great plants. Just don’t let kids eat them or put them in their mouths, they are unsafe.
.-= Alison Kerr´s last blog ..Companion Planting Doesn’t Work! =-.