This has all meant, I achieved today

Beds dug, and path down
Wigwams for peas/beans up (so neighbours dont think I created just a giant mud pit for nothing!)
Potato and strawberry barrels built
Grape vines/potted trees  relocated to more permanent locations
Mini greenhouse built and fleece fitted
First Early potatoes into greenhouse for chitting (gone with organic Orla)

The chickens have been helping out, by eating any weeds and bugs that have been around (its amusing watching chooks chasing a caterpillar lol), so I managed to do a clear out of their house and run too.

On the chicken front, we found out one of our silkies (Ava) is actually a boy (so now renamed Dave). Dave will be going off to a new home next weekend, so for now, we’re settled at 2 black silkies and 2 gold line hybrids. We’ve had a bit of a nightmare on the health front, with them coming down with a viral chest infection (all better after a vets trip and a dose of Tylan), then Avril (one of the silkies) has been eating her bedding and managed to get some stuck in her throat so cue a night of a wheezing chicken in my kitchen *sigh*. Luckily they all seem to be better now, and touch wood, they’ll stay that way for a while now!

I’ve been kept busy here by the chickens, who will be 11 weeks old this week. They came down with mycoplasma this week (symptoms were runny nose, sneezing and bubbly eyes), but they are on a course of antibiotics now and are on the mend. They have been living in my kitchen in a travel cot for the last few days (recouperation, honest), and even though they are back outside now, Rosie the gold line still keeps trying to follow me back inside!

I spent some time today doing some tidying around the garden ready for the next stage of preparations. Desperately need to do a trip to the refuse centre to remove the items that cant be composted (or wont fit in my compost bin!). I’m still drawing up the final layout for the veggie patches this year, but fruit trees and plants are all in situ in the beds around the garden now.

Photos and videos coming soon!

But, big news! Yesterday I brought home 3 black silkie 8 week old chicks!
They are merryily wondering around their run at the moment, absolutely love mash, and I’ve already had them eating out of my hands. Not sure if they are boys or girls yet, but time will tell….

All the way from Thailand, someone was offering a cutting of a mangosteen tree. It wasn’t something I had ever heard of or seen before, so I did a little research. The fruit is fabled to be some of the most delicious you can get, however there are strong restrictions on importing it, so the likelihood of ever tasting it is ver slim.
Now, realistically, I knew that it was unlikely to survive the 6000 mile trip from Thailand to the UK, and even if it did, no way would it survive in the chilly climate we have here. But I still wanted it….

Anyway, after 3 very long weeks, it arrived, and more importantly, it had survived! I left itin the kitchen in the little parcel of compost it came in for a week, as I was convinced it would die on me. But a week later, it was still with us, so its made the transition from packet into pot (was amazed to see a lovely amount of roots growing already), and now it has been rehomed into the humid atmosphere of our bathroom windowsill

Time will tell to see if it can survive and thrive here, just dont go holding your breathe waiting though!

Its a big step on the journey to becoming a family with chickens, so hopefully in the next week or so (whenever I find someone with a van or car with roofbars), I’ll be collecting the Forsham Boughton 902 Ark I have bought…

Forsham Cottage Arks Boughton 902

I also arrived up there just in time to see the newest arrivals there too, and saw the teeny tiny few day old chicks, which in 4-5 weeks time will be coming home to stay. I’m really glad I didn’t take Lucy with me though, or she’d want to bring them all home with her!

Jona has come to life! There are a few tiny new leaves starting to sprout now. We’ve managed to harvest a grand total of 3 strawberries in the last few days. And the aubergine plant managed to survive the strong winds we had with only minimal damage and loss of one leaf.

On the chicken front, I’ve decided to go for 5 week old chicks who will be off heat when I get them. This’ll give Lucy to chance to get used to them (and them to get used to Lucy!) and she’ll be more confident when they get bigger. So it’s now 5 weeks and counting until the chicks come to stay!

All this trip did was confirm to me even more than I want chickens. They were just so amazing, and from what Annie, and one of her regulars, told me they are really easy to look after too. I’ve managed to choose the house I want to get (the Forsham Cottage Arks Boughton 902), as well as the hens (definitely goldlines, but Lucys trying to convince me into the Light Sussex).

Now just have to convince Nick, and manage to get someone to help me move a flat packed ark back to my house (hopefully my brother, since he has a van and all).

Updates soon!

As I was walking into the garden section of Homebase, I saw their reduced plants section. As you do, I wondered over to see if there were any bargains to be had, and managed to find a blackcurrant bush and a very large whitecurrant bush (which was a struggle to get into my little car), both with 50% off. So these have come home with me to be friends with Jona.
Anyway, heres some photos for you!

Jona aka Jonagold Apple Tree 28th Sept 09

Whitecurrant 28th Sept 09

Blackcurrant 28th Sept 2009

Once Jona is safely in her new home, I’ll post some pics for you all

I’ve been spending most my time doing research, reading books, online forums (yes there is one especially for chicken keepers!), and quizzing friends who already keep chickens. The house has been found (a sturdy british built raised coop with attached run), along with a local vet who specialises in chickens too, so all we need now is to finish off the area where the house will be going.

I’ll keep you updated with pics when I can!

PS. The names have already been chosen, so by February/March time, we’ll hopefully have Audrey, Ava and Avril come to stay