On-line Garden Planner

It's that time of year again when the garden slumbers and the seed catalogs arrive full of hope and promises.   So many choices and so little space and money.  If you are like me, it is always a chore to figure out what to plant and how much of it will fit.  This year is different!

Southern Seed Exchange has developed a fantastic on-line garden planner.  By using this planner, I can change my plans, plan successions, choose varieties and change my mind, all with the click of a button.  Best of all, I can get a color printout by month or season, with quantities shown.  I can even fast order or print out the plant list, which also includes quantities, time to sow and times to harvest.

Give it a try...the thirty day test drive is free.

Southern Seed Exchange Garden Planner

And what to my wondering eyes should appear....

But some creamy, dreamy Fluffy Butt eggs!   Yes, that's right.  My young Silkie bantams have finally grown up and begun laying.  I am so excited.  This will be my first generation of carefully selected and bred Silkie chickens.  I am so hoping one of the girls will go broody and hatch a batch of New Year babies, but if not, I will be gathering them all up for a New Year incubator hatch.

Here are the parents to be...Chardonnay the rooster, Priscilla and Snowflake.  Please pardon the muddy feetsies, it's been raining off and on all week.  This picture was taken yesterday and today it is raining/sleeting again.  Wish it were light fluffy snow instead!

Out in the run-in, the October and November hatches are growing out nicely.  Love this little Legbar roo.  He looks most promising of all with minimal chestnut coloration...so far.  He's also very inquisitive and friendly.

And FINALLY, I have two crested Legbar pullets (the orange chicks are German New Hampshires).  Can't wait for these girls to grow up and produce more cresties.

Other cresties include my Swedish Flower Hens.  The three I have were added to the Greenfire order of Breda Fowl as filler chicks, but I'm so glad they were.  So far it looks like my three are girls.  If they are, we'll be looking for a nice rooster in the Spring.  These girls are predominantly buff, blue and black with the mottling mille-fleur pattern.

The Breda they arrived with are also doing well.  Unfortunately, we lost one of the black young'uns to a particularly nasty cold snap.  I had to take their sleeping box away so there would be no more pileups.    The chick I'd hoped was a splash looks line a nicely laced blue.  Can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl.  So difficult to tell with a combless breed.

In spite of the fact that it's Christmas Eve and three days past the official start of winter (and the non-apocolyse), I'm already anticipating the first fluffballs of Spring and the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones at the swaps.  Please stop by and visit us at the Powhatan Tractor Supply on March 23rd.  We may have some chicks for sale and will definitely have some young Netherland Dwarf rabbits available.

And with that, I'll wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!