It's Bloom Day, but there is nobody here but
us,
chickens!
That's right, 10 cats and one small dog were not enough so now I've added a few chooks to the mix as well. They are Australorp chickens and hail from the land of Oz originally. There's 3 of them; Kylie (the blue one) and Possum and Skippy, the black grrls. Pretty, aren't they and great egg producers or so I'm told. They arrived chez Bliss last Saturday and are settling in nicely. Hopefully they will start laying eggs soon.
I didn't get the chooks for their eggs only, but also for the manure they produce which will be used to fertilize the potager and borders. Apart from that chickens are very handy when you want to get rid of kitchen scraps, especially those you cannot bung on the compost heap. One chicken eats about 50 kilo's of kitchen scraps per year.
But enough of the latest addition to the Bliss Team, here are some pretty blooms for your delectation:
A bashfull white Helleborus orientalis hybrid with purple freckles
Hellebore nigercors Emma, with upright-ish flowers instead of the usual droopy ones
Hamamelis intermedia Diane, in flower since last December
Primula vulgaris, one of many about to burst into bloom,
Bergenia cordifolia,
Violets,
Jasminum nudiflorum, it's called nudiflorum because it flowers on bare branches. This baby has been in flower since last November.
Viburnum bodnantense Dawn, she's been in flower since last December, and she has a wonderful scent, bless her.
Snowdrops and winter aconites flowering their socks off,
and not Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds but Crocus in the Earth with Diamonds. Aren't those brave little troopers gorgeous?
When I started the Bliss garden my aim was to have flowers in the garden all year round and so far I've managed that for the last 5 years. Flowers all year round are a joy and they are particularly precious at this time of year.
Happy Bloom Day!
copyright 2011 Y.E.W. Heuzen
19 comments:
That new hellebore looks yummy, it'll be a great addition to your other beauties. The jasmine has such a simple elegance. I can't imagine how wonder it must be to step outside in mid-winter and see it blooming. Good luck with the chickens.
Smart cookie having flowers blossoming all year long! It makes a huge difference! Bravo. And the chickies are very sweet. May they lay you many many eggs! xoxo
Wow, Chickens in the Bliss Garden! How great is that!
And Helleborous Emma is a real eye catcher. I love Helleborous in every kind.
Wonderful pictures from the first flowers in the year.
Kind regards
Alex
I am green that you got to have chickens. They are beauties. I hope they produce all that you need. Your garden is way ahead of mine with all those blooms. We are just thawing out here.Happpy GBBD.
I love the little hen house, or chicken coop should I say! I hope they appreciate their wonderful surroundings and pay you well in the egg department! It's good to see you have some spring colour. I was interested to learn the reason for the latin name for the Winter Jasmine, which I also have blooming at my front door. Good to hear from you, and I hope that you are able to blog again before too long so we can find out if the chickens are earning their keep...amazing how many table scraps they devour, though, so that's a bonus.
Wonderful photos!
Chickens are a great to have for all the reasons you state, and are so entertaining to watch as well.
I'll have to aim for flowers all year, at the moment it's 9 months or so. Flighty xx
so the day has come - congratulations! I will watch yr adventures :)
More chicken stories, please? One day I too will have chickens (or ducks), but until then I have to enjoy them online. ;-)
Welcome to the new members of the Bliss family! I hope their enclosure is cat-proof! Mind you, they can pretty much defend themselves with beaks and claws if they have to!
I like it how you start with three Yolanda! This time next year it'll be 30!
I really love this time of year, and your post reminds me that I must get out and see some of the early flowering bulbs in the local landscaped gardens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Flfs9Od_I
(Een van mijn favorieten, waar ik meteen aan dacht en even opgezocht heb!)
Leuk je chooks, ook nog eens handig om het onkruid te wieden ;-)
Als ik zie hoeveel er al bloeit in je tuin, verdenk ik je toch sterk van grondverwarming, tssssss
Chickens?
And what have the cats to say about your new additions to the Bliss team?
The flowering Jasminum nudiflorumis is very interesting. Floidata states Hardiness: USDA Zones 6 - 9.P
Perhaps I can try to grow the vine
in a very protective area.
Any comments??
Have a nice Sunday,
Gisela.
Hi there !
Really nice site, and great articles. Thank you I had a really good time reading all the articles and found many interesting advice.
Check out my site too (http://www.animali.tv/) about pets with updated articles !
Je hebt de helleborus Emma ook gekocht zie ik,
ik heb haar sinds 2 jaar, maar vind haar een beetje tegenvallen...
I'm back to comment and just wondering if you can see any signs of all those bulbs you planted in the fall? You inspired me to plant some too, and I'm so happy to see some sturdy looking daffodils popping up here and there. Thanks :) Hope you blog again soon ~ as spring is on its way.
Hello,
I would love to contact you via email
Thanks
Mey
Lovely bloom day; -- I missed because I was on vacation in Costa Rica and being blandished by orchids and tropical breezes.
Your chickens look lovely, and they are truly a wonderful addition to any garden.
My goodness! So much is going on in your garden. Congrats. I love the same plants you do, and yours are so pretty in spring.~~Dee
Lovely to read about your Australian additions! They are a good hardy breed and will be your friends, I hope, for many years to come.
You might even come to like them more than cats!
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