See where Clove got his name? I thought about naming the 3 female rabbits diamond, spade and heart. But I don't think it very fitting.
I have rabbits for their poop. Yep, poop. I built their hutch over my compost box to allow their droppings to fall directly into the compost. This saves a step. I don't need to move or mix it in. I feed my rabbits, rabbit chow everyday and add to their diet weeds. I also plant enough veggies to share with them.
This last weekend I returned to Home Depot and picked up some more seed packets so here's a photo of all of them plus my seed potatoes and onions. Teddy has been picking out flowers, he likes California poppies and sunflowers, so we have several packets of both. I like flowers like Daisies or ones shaped like daisies. So I got Black Eye Susan's and purple cone flower.
I also got more raspberry plants to add to the raspberries we planted last week. I ended up getting different varieties. So now I have 2 reds, Heritage and Brandiwine and 2 blacks, Cumberland and Logan, 10 plants each. I broke down and purchase once again grapes, 1 green and 1 red. Both seedless. This is the 3rd time I've boughten grapes. Sad, I know. I just think that someway somehow I need to have grapes. So I am thinking about building an Arbor that will go up and over the raspberries. This will be a nice warm spot next to the house and a good use of vertical space.
Last fall I brought home from work 4 truck loads of mixed leaves and grass clippings. You can't see it in the picture but it was steaming. Our landscaper's were happy to load it for me into the back of my truck. It cost them money to dispose of the stuff they put in their truck. Then that place will turn around and resell it as compost after a few months of letting it sit in a big pile. I know, quite the racket! They make money both ways. It's important to have a good mix of both green and brown product to compost together. Green: grass clippings, weeds. Brown: leaves or brown paper bags. Everything will break faster if the items you add are small. So chop or or break large items. If you are using paper bags instead of leaves make sure you tear them up, if you don't, whatever is under won't get oxygen to help with decomposing. On that note, newspapers and paper bags can be layered to kill grass without digging or using chemicals.
This is my humble kitchen compost bowl. It takes me about a week to fill it. I put coffee grounds, egg shells and raw vegetable waste like potato peels. With the leaves and grass, kitchen compost and rabbit droppings I'm making some pretty great compost. It's easy, just toss it into a pile and give it a stir every once in a while and wha la, compost.
I'm considering adding chickens to my garden. Chicken poop is great for the garden. I have looked at plans online and really like this style. I have a space in the back corner of the garden that is about 8 feet wide. I can have up to 6 hens, no roosters. I don't want it to be taller than the 6' fence, so it isn't visible from the other side or block any one's view. But, I like these plans because it's fully enclosed and covered and I can walk inside to maintain it and the chickens. I would also run water and electricity to it for connivance. I'm not sure yet if I will build this, I have another outside building project that I really want to complete this year. I want to build a cover over my back patio/step. Reason for this is, to shade the sliding door and help cool the house if it gets hot in the summer, but also because the dogs sit in front of the door waiting to be left back inside and it will protect them from rain and sun. I guess I will dwell on it some more and until then hope for more sun and less rain.
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