Iris are in full bloom along with Clematis Niobe. Early Spring dasies are good bedfellows.
Unbelivable that June has sliped in and pushing the third week allready. Each day that I venture through the gardens I find delightful surprises. I can hardly catch my breath going from one area to another.
Oriental Poppies share the highlights of this week. New colors besides the regular orange, like the pink and white showing here. I started them from seed three years ago. They almost look artificial until you touch them, letting you know they are not as fragile as they look. More poppies along the right side of blog.
Path That Takes You To Horse Barn
Steps that bring you down to the horse barn. Top.... Pillers with statue of Horse head in black. We live on a hill that slopes into a valley below that holds the horse barn, lower gardens, chicken coop & outside run, pecock cage and shelter, and then behind the barn there is a 9 acre field we let a farmer use to plant crops. Past that there is a wet land area, wooded area, and some open spaces inbetween that cradle a pond and paths that twine in and out of the whole area. The steps Dick built a few years ago and they are boardered with the tall old fashioned sedum with Golden Jenny ground cover
The right side of the path runs along the chicken coop and outside run. Benches line the path offering rest inbetween the many hours of work I put in down there. This year we put in a large blue umbrella in the run to shade the chickens and give the area a festive look. There are two fresh bales of hay put in there too so the chickens can hop up on them or use them as an escape from those pesky roosters that always are lurching around trying to jump on them. The two outside shelters Dick build last year are also in there to get out of the sun but still enjoy the breeze to cool them on those hot days of summer. The trees that line the path are crabapple trees in pinks and reds with a white one last.
The left side of the path going to barn is filled with many, many perennials bringing me color all season long. The spring dasies have their way and then get thined to managable size. Many people think of them as pests and won't let them wonder but I love their fancy free habits and after their show amongst the other prettys to behold, I clip, pull, and put them in their place, trying to get them before they throw out all those seeds. on the right side of path you can again see the chicken run with the white outdoor shelter. Barn is barely showing at the background. WHAT A DELIGHT TO TRAVEL THIS PATH EACH DAY AS I HEAD DOWN TO DO CHORES AND LET THE HORSES OUT FOR THE DAY IN THEIR PASTURES.
I count my blessings every day for the privilege of owning this beautiful land to work in! Below is a picture
of the front of the barn. A screen in the opening prevent the chickens from going inside and mess up my clean swept floor and lay eggs where they are not suppose to. On the right is an addition to look like an antique barn. The wood used was a grainery Dick and I took down at a neighbors farm. We hauled it all home and use it for different projects. The small windows is where the silkies have their cages and also the pair of Silver Laced Wyandotte chickens. It faces South and keeps the chickens warm in the winter. The addition also holds the hay we buy, stacked to the ceiling in the back part this area. Outside you can see the rock boat used to haul rocks, and antique wheel barrel and a couple benches. I try to grow hostas along the front but chickens do a lot of scratching and I am lucky that there are a few that survived.
Within these walls a silkie hatched out a pecock egg. I wonder how that is going to work out. Dick slipped the pecock egg under her when she was sitting on other eggs. She gradually pushed the other eggs off and balanced herself on the large pecock egg. It will be an interesting summer to see what she does with that chick as it gets bigger and bigger.
Next blog I will include the Pecock cage and how we got it to our place and show the struggle the guys had getting it up. Until then enjoy your world around you and look for the surprises that life brings.
Kate
