Lazy?

My husband has spent the last few months working his head off. He redesigned the garden, redesigned the irrigation system, and has now nearly finished redesigning the chicken coop.

He has been so busy.

I've been playing the part of the support team as I cared for our kids, kept the house, and grew our garden in the greenhouse from seed.

We have both been caring for the lawn as mowing season starts.  We got it down to an hour and a half the other day!

We have been very busy.

But we are starting to see the benefits already.

We have been eating lettuce for a few months now.  The green onions as well.  The peas have grown and I saw a few flowering this morning.  The garden is planted with the exception of watermelon and canteloupe which are just waiting for a cool evening to transplant.

I have even snuck a few strawberries that were red before the kids saw them.

So I guess you could say that yes, this is a busy time of year. But this is also when it starts to really pay off.

I'm really excited for my Canterbury bells!  You have to know a few things to understand my excitement.  Canterbury bells are bienniels.  This means that they don't bloom the first year. you have to wait for the second year for blooms.  So last year I planted the seeds and then watered them forever and then transplanted them into my pea bed once the peas were done for the season.  And then I cared for them and then left them alone all winter, just hoping things would go well and they would come alive again in the spring.  And they did!  They even looked alive in the winter. They just turned a little purplish which was sort of pretty.

About 6 weeks ago I planted them in a permanent spot in my front yard. 

AND I saw a bloom just starting to open today! This after teasing me for over a week with all sorts of buds. It seemed like everyday there were more and more buds. But no blossoms!  But soon!!!!!  It will be all worth it!

I started more seeds this spring and the plants look good.  They are currently living in a spare garden bed for now and will hopefully bloom for me again next year.  And I found a new variety of Canterbury bells for next year.  Its a cup and saucer mix.  Should be beautiful!

We transferred the chickens to their new coop last night. It was disturbing that after I put the first few in they flew at the wire walls trying to get out.  I've never quite had that reaction before when moving chickens.  But after about 6 were in there it stopped and they eventually quieted down and now seem to be enjoying the space and dust baths in all of that new soil that we had to use to raise the ground and discourage flooding when we irrigate.

We will be working on a new 55 gallon water and a new feeder in the next few days.  this means that we won't have to water and feed every day.  We will only have to collect eggs.  So that will be one more chore streamlined. 

I just wish I could streamline my laundry!  Speaking of....