my coop overfloweth

Today was spent in the garden.  Juju and I hit one of the local nurseries that was advertising buy 1 veggie get 2 free.  The starts were leggy and hail damaged, but I expected that.  I picked up 12 white cauliflower & 1 orange, 2 Brussels sprouts and 5 broccoli and 8 cabbage.  I also picked up a 2 pack of petunias and marigolds (at the suggestion of Earthchild Marie) that Juju and I planted in the Ppatch to hopefully give whatever is eating my sprouts second thoughts.  For this bonanza I paid $10.  Now I just have to get the brassicas into the ground before they die.

We got home from weeding and planting and watering the Ppatch just in time for a late lunch.  I am happy to report that all of our tomatoes and peppers are fruiting.  the dozen amaranth plants are growing (slowly) and the bush beans that made it past the initial sprout are thriving.

And the popcorn freaked me out.

When I planted sweet corn before we left on vacation I put 3 (new) seeds in each mound.  I had one sprout in most, 2 sprout in four, but none of the hills had all three seeds go for the gold.  So when I planted the tom thumb popcorn, from leftover seed from the history museum (I figure at least 5 years old) I expected maybe a germination rate of 10%.  So I planted the entire packet (intended for a small field) in two staggered rows 25 feet long.

Damned if they didn't ALL sprout.  I almost hate to thin them, but I am going to give it another day or two to see if  one or two stand out from the rest.

So anyway after lunch Juju and I took a break during the heat of the day (Iron Druid anyone?) before tackling the side yard and watering the lower garden.

Then the call came.

Would I be interesting in 4 laying hens from Aurora?  Their owner (a friend of a friend of a friend) got them about a year ago and her disapproving neighbor just noticed them and reported to animal control that she was keeping livestock.  (what a bitch right - not like she had noticed them for AN ENTIRE YEAR!)  so she had to find them a new home ASAP before they were confiscated by the city.

Like I had to think about it.

So during dinner a lovely and understandably melancholy couple (granddaughter in tow) came by to drop off 2 Rhode Island Reds and 2 Barred Rocks.

Am I ever thankful to have neighbors willing to be bribed with fresh eggs.  This brings our hen count to 16.

I hope the new girls are happy, Hubby and I moved them from the tractor into the coop after dark.