Baby chicks

The chicks have hatched.  We have 3 male and 2 female chicks.  The outlet that the incubator was plugged into at Ashley's school apparently had a short.  The heat was off for an unknown amount of time.  The eggs were supposed to hatch on Thursday, March 31.  On Friday, with no indication of any pipping, we thought they were all dead.  I went to the school in the afternoon to pick up the eggs and I was excited to see one egg was pipped.  I brought the eggs home and we had 5 hatch on Saturday.  The others were all formed but died at some point before they hatched.  The kids at school were thrilled to be able to see the 5 chicks on Tuesday. 

Chicks never stay small long!  This is a video at 10 days.  They are already trying to fly.  We are going to hatch a dozen eggs again so that Jenna's boys can experience chicks when they visit on Memorial Day weekend.

Kitchen Garden

 About three years ago, I decided to start a "kitchen" garden outside my back door.  The space was never developed with any major landscaping and I needed an herb garden that was closer than my main garden.  The idea has grown and changed a little bit every year.  It initially started as a place for herbs that was convenient to access as I was cooking.  That purpose has been fulfilled.  I have chives, cilantro, oregano, thyme, dill, italian parsley, curley parsley, basil, marjoram, tarragon, sage, rosemary and a bay leaf plant.  I know that bay leaf is not supposed to survive in our climate but my garden is a microclimate.  It is protected from the north winds and has a southern exposure.  The bay leaf dies back in the winter but increases its size each summer.

  Last year I started toying with an eye pleasing planting arrangement.  It is hard to tell from the pictures but the rows are diagonal.  I have lettuce, spinach, radishes and onions in the diagonal rows.  I planted small softball size cabbage at the back of the rows.  I will plant one grape tomato and one small pepper plant behind the cabbage.  I also had nasturtium filling in the space at the very back.  It is dry six inches from the foundation because of the roof overhang.  The nasturtium thrived in the dry soil and supplied flowers for garnish and salads.

The onions were planted last fall as bulbs and the spinach was sown in the fall.  The spinach only had about two true leaves when the cold weather settled in.  I wasn't sure if they would survive the snow and cold but the onions are looking good and I am picking spinach.  I will do that again in the fall.