The quail coop foundation is done. Next we lay wire on the ground inside (to keep any predators or rats from digging up inside) and then fill the hole back in with dirt. And then…we can finally start building up! My mom, btw, is a champion stone-leveler. She laid most of the stones while I was at work.
Honestly, I think it’s already looking so pretty! And it kind of looks like the beginning of a small pond…which we are already thinking WILL be a project for next year!
The garden is also looking nice this Spring.
The below photos of are the shade/woodland area of my garden. I love it in Spring.
New in the garden, and just beyond the woodland, are our raspberry plants. They were a gift from Laura S. and they are doing great. We can’t wait until they begin producing fruit.
Along with getting quail, it is a goal this year to add more fruit trees, vines, and shrubs. Today I bought two grape vines, which I plan to experiment with by growing them in containers. From what I’ve heard, they do really well, and are easier to manage.
I got one, ‘Vanessa’, which is a red similar to the ones you buy in the store. It is surprisingly difficult to get grapes in this area. None of the mail order companies can ship to WA, so you’re at the mercy of what the local nurseries decide to stock. I was really set on this particular variety, so I called every nursery in the area. Only one stocked it – and they only had one plant left! One nursery said they couldn’t even get grapes in to stock at all! So I am very, very happy that I found this one last Vanessa.
The other variety I got is ‘Einset’. I had been thinking I’d get a green variety, but then I heard that this one has unique strawberry-flavored fruit, and I was hooked. Luckily the same nursery had this one as well.
If these do well, perhaps I’ll get more another year!
I also bought a yellow variety of raspberry, because I’ve always been intrigued by yellow raspberries. It’s called ‘Kiwi Gold’, and supposedly is one of the sweetest varieties around.
I also am planning to add gooseberries, hardy kiwi, Chilean Guava, and a peach tree to the garden. And an asparagus bed.
I am also excited because the rose I planted last year ‘Sombreuil’ has its first buds! And my new rose for this year is the ‘Semi-Plena’, also known as the White Rose of York. Since I am descended directly from the White Queen, it has been a dream of mine for several years now to grow this rose. I’ve been looking for it, but I could never find one for sale that wasn’t in Europe. Finally, however, I found one, and it’s looking wonderful so far.
I love these old roses. They are tough as nails, they don’t get any diseases, ever, and they smell the way a rose should. One single ‘Semi-Plena’ rose can perfume an entire yard!
And finally, the chickens approve of all the activity. Since several of the new fruit trees will go in their yard, they will get to partake of any extra dropped fruit. Right now, they have apples and blackberries, and love both!
Out of Eden 