Mr. Robin...Your Late Leaving

Walking around outside today making sure the garden is put to bed for the winter...expecting snow tonight. Then we saw a lone Robin hanging around.

Not sure why he is still here, but he needs to get on his way before winter sets in. We had a few hours of sunshine today...it was beautiful!

10 Best Herbs for Indoors

A windowsill kitchen garden: Grow great-tasting herbs indoors.

You can grow herbs indoors this winter and add that just-picked taste to your meals, even when snow is drifting up against the kitchen window. You don't even need special lights—herbs fare just fine in a bright window. Here are the best herbs for growing on windowsills and the smart techniques you need to keep them happy and healthy until you can plant outside again.

Basil
Start basil from seeds and place the pots in a south-facing window—it likes lots of sun and warmth.

Bay
A perennial that grows well in containers all year long. Place the pot in an east- or west-facing window, but be sure it does not get crowded—bay needs air circulation to remain healthy.

Chervil
Start chervil seeds in late summer. It grows well in low light but needs temperatures between 65 F and 70 F to thrive.

Planting Onions

Perennial bunching onions, plant once and you have onions for years after.

Green onions to the cook, scallions at the super market, Welsh onions in England, ciboule in France, or bunching onions in most books, they all refer to Allium fistulosum, a very distinctive member of the onion family. Bunching onions form perennial evergreen clumps up to 1 ft (0.3 m) in diameter and about 2 ft (0.6 m) tall. The leaves are hollow and tube-like, inflated their entire length. The bulbs are elongate and not much thicker than the stem. After a cold spell, bunching onions send up hollow stalks topped with little greenish flowers in round umbels (clusters with all the flower stems arising from the same point), that are 1-3 in (2.5-7.6 cm) in diameter.

Location
The bunching onion was developed in Asia from a wild relative, possibly Allium altaicum, which occurs in NW China and neighboring Kazakhstan. It was brought to Europe in the 17th century.

Culture
Bunching onions are fast growing and very easy to grow. They are the perfect vegetable for the young "seedling" gardener.
Light: Does best in full sun, but quite well in partial shade, too.
Moisture: Regular garden watering for best growth, especially in the summer, but bunching onions can tolerate drought.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 6 - 9. This is a perennial and one of the few vegetables that can be harvested all year long. Bunching onions are grown as annuals in colder climates.
Propagation: Bunching onions can be grown from seeds, but once you have them established, all you have to do is divide them to make more plants. When you need some green onions, use a trowel to loosen the soil around a clump, lift the clump, take out what you need, and put the rest back in the ground. If you want to start another clump, just reset one of the individual side shoots in its new location. Plant it deep, so more of the lower stem will be blanched. I've had the same clone of bunching onions in my vegetable garden now for more than 8 years. They've been moved around a lot, but they keep on producing!

Hurricane Irene in New England

Well, we moved the chickens into the basement to save them from the high winds and rain from the hurricane. We still have power as of right now, which is amazing in the least. Brought in all the plants I could and moved all the outdoor furniture. We are fairing pretty well with the wind, but have had tons of rain. High tides will be at 11 pm. and hopefully there won't be any more flooding. Bless all the people up and down the east coast tonight.

4 Weeks Old

It looks like they found the way to the food!

Checking out one of the boxes. 

Well, the ladies are getting used to things outside now...Still have a lot of work to do on the coop, but it's coming along.

What to expect the first year and beyond from the new chickens

Chickens change the most during the first year of life. They start out as adorable little fluff balls requiring constant care and monitoring. Within just 5 weeks they are ready to make the transition to "outside" (the coop that will become their full-time home) and a fairly self-sufficient life.

At 3-6 weeks old, they become mangy and diseased-looking as their fuzzy covering begins to shed and is slowly replaced with mature feathers. Their wattles and combs grow and turn a deeper red. Cockerels (young roosters) make their first attempt at crowing. At 20-25 weeks old, pullets (young hens) lay their first eggs, which will be small and weak-shelled. Over time they will lay more frequently, the eggs will become larger and the shells harder. By 6 months, the pecking order, which governs who gets to pick on who, will be established and combs and wattles will be fully formed. What a busy six months this will be!

The New Chickens

So, we have decided to raise some Road Island Red chickens in the backyard. They are almost 4 weeks old now, and we built the temporary pen for them. The coop is going to be so cool!  My seven year old son Gabe is looking forward to collecting eggs, but it will be awhile yet before that happens.