Flower Lovers?

My favorite projects and kits for the AG are FLOWERS!
I would   to hear from others who are growing flowers in their machines..anyone out there among the 147 members? 

[Shawn]

I am quickly becoming one as I seem to always have a Flower Garden growing since the Pansy's.

I have some seeds coming but I did find some Watercolor Silk Dahlia seeds.  They are said to grow 12-18 so these may not be good for the Harvest.  But I do have an Extra not in use but I need to see if it fits where I want the Harvest to be.

I just received my order for about 16 dahlia bulbs for outside. Tey are so beautiful, BUT they require digging them up at the end of the summer..but for the beauty, it is worth the effort.

[Shawn]

I wish I had a spot to plant in the ground outside.  However the rabbits and the deer eat everything.  I am lucky they are not tall enough to reach the containers I hang on the deck.

Quick funny story.  A few years ago I bought a pepper plant from a home improvement store and had it on the deck itself.  One early morning I opened the blinds to the sliding door to the deck and there was a deer eating them.  I scared the deer, he scared me.  I yelled and he jumped over the rails and left.  Since then I keep a gate on the stairs to the deck.  This not only keeps the deer off but also Proxy in.  That was a one in a million things to see.  I wish I had my camera.

[Kate]

Imagine my shock one year seeing a moose in my greenhouse. She was so tall, she had to seriously stoop to get in a 6 foot doorway. They're huge. You don't argue with them though. I'm a Volkswagen Bug and they're a Peterbilt pulling doubles.

As for fauna..I live in the middle of a city. One early morning before the traffic began a deer ran across the Avenue right in front of my car and into a driveway of a municipal building and then....was gone before I could register what had happened! I figured a car would soon have an accident, as I almost did, so called 911. The cop cracked up laughing over the phone and said I was dreaming and wasn't yet awake. He did not believe me and thought it was a joke call.
After the weekend was over, I dialed the City Animal Control and asked if a deer had been spotted. She chuckled and told me that indeed there was a deer that had been captured that weekend over in the square and I was not dreaming after all.
My bro lives far out where they are building new houses and tearing down the trees. etc. He used to see fauna, but now sees none.
They are all being displaced and seeking shelter in the City.
Now I have wild turkeys parading up the middle of my street.
But, that's not my problem....it's those &*^% SQUIRRELS.

(   April 2, and would you believe it is snowing AGAIN TODAY?!!)

[Shawn]

I live in Horse County here and there are a ton of Deer around as well.  In the 14 years I have lived here we have seen two red Fox and a brown one.  We have had a family of ducklings with the mama circle my house and find its way to the park about 3/4 mile from me.  We have many Bunny hutches with bunnies (I posted a pic of some I think here if not the old forum).  Not to mention the groundhogs and gophers.

About a mile from here there is a house that has free roaming chickens and turkeys.  We have had to stop in the street waiting for them to cross. and further south have black bear, which thankfully we have not seen.

Now that I am typing and reading this, it is kinda funny and does not have the sound of truth but it IS, it really IS true LOL

I got a notice on our neighborhood listserve...Rent-A-Chicken.
If you like farm fresh eggs you can rent a chicken in the City and they will send you a coop, etc.
I wonder, though about City Ordinances and HAWKS!
I am sure they collect a lot of payments for dead rented chickens because of the hawks around here.

[MaryL]

Poor chickens!

[Shawn]

Rented chickens?  Why don't they just sell the eggs and keep the chickens?

another inner city novelty that is considered 'trendy'.

[Kate]

I was thinking the same thing, Corinne. Wait until they realize they have to clean and feed them. Way too much like work.

[chickenlady]

Rented chickens LOL i just found my new money maker!! 1 chicken would you give you 5-6 eggs a week.

Jan 18, 2020 20:44:54 GMT -5 chickenlady said:

Rented chickens LOL i just found my new money maker!! 1 chicken would you give you 5-6 eggs a week.

I haven't read any more posts about the rent-a-chicken on the list , but one thing I do know...if they are outside in the good weather they will attract coyotes and other preying animals which we are seeing in the city now.

[Shawn]

I know the Turkey Hawks love to swoop down on chickens, rabbits etc. 

[Jay]

I love that idea! We have eagles, osprey and hawks. They stay fat on fish but if I had chickens, I'm sure they wouldn't last long!

I'm working on a plan to install a food forest along one side of my yard. Waiting on spring to order a peach tree and some native flowers. I put a lot of milkweed in the bed in front of my greenhouse. I've been keeping Gerberas, sunflowers and geraniums going so far this winter in the greenhouse.

A food FOREST!  An assortment of  wild predator birds!  I will rent a  Rover and we can all take a tour of the flora and fauna!

[Jay]

It won't be THAT big! It's a 10x10 space adjacent to the driveway.

We reportedly have 4 eagles in the neighborhood. One seems to be a pair with "their" house in a big tree down the street. One of the pair spent most of last spring perched in the oak in front of my house. Every time I came home from work the chipmunks and squirrels would be yelling at each other because the eagle was in the tree keeping an eye on things! Still didn't keep them out of my garden though, they took out all of my strawberries, peanuts and peas...

I have trouble with squirrels. They bite my toms and drop them on the ground. That is why I grow plants that produce a lot of toms.

Some ,no...MOST for them , some for me!

[Sher]

Squirrels ate every single fig from two loaded trees last year.  The trees are too tall to get a net over.  Has anyone tried those ultrasonic repellers?