This is the first Sunday of November, it is Garden Update time. I’ll throw in a chook update because it is relevant to the garden this month. The sunflowers and catgrass are doing well –
The portulacas are a constant riot of colourful flowers. I’ve got a post just about them for next weekend. :)
One of the new nasturtiums is very very happy.
The other one was looking a little straggly. Then, the chooks found it. More about that below.
Chooks Are Good
Chooks love to eat spiders. So they have been getting a lot of free range time since we discovered we have funnel web spiders on the property. They do not stop with spiders – they will eat any kind of bug or moving thing. This past week, I saw Rosie chasing a cabbage moth across the yard, jumping into the air trying to catch it.
Chooks Are Bad
On Thursday my afternoon peace time was interrupted with a lot of trumpeting – when I went out to find out what was going on, one of the girls had a small lizard in her beak and one of the other chooks was chasing her around the yard trying to get it.
Then they took a fancy to eating one of the new nasturtiums, because it is right next to a spot they love to dustbathe in. That one was looking a little straggly to begin with, now it looks.. bad.
Also, one of the girls decided it was time to build a nest among the flowers – she laid an egg in there too – and consequently my lovely planter box now looks like this –
The girls were not let out on Friday at all. Saturday morning, we did this –
That is 10 photos, which is my limit for a post. I’ll update you on the planter box with baby spinach, brussel sprouts and silverbeet next month.
Would you like to join in with Sunday Selections?? The rules are very simple:-
1. post photos of your choice, old or new, under the Sunday Selections title
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Sunday Snap –
I’m also linking up with Sunday Snap over at JibberJabberUK –
Weekly Wrap Up –
I’ve been recovering from an injury this week so I have been taking things super easy. You’ll get to read about my injury on Friday this week.
I also ordered and received a new phone – the Samsung Galaxy s5. My old phone was struggling a bit to find a signal and the battery lasted less than a day, so it was time to upgrade.
Sephy sent me a package as well. When we were in Hawaii in 2013, I bought some antihistamines I had never seen in Australia from Costco which have been fantastic for me, they work really well. I ran out of them right before allergy season started here this year and it is a bad allergy season. Within 2 days of the drugs arriving, I am like a human again!
I guess the chooks are quick enough with funnel webs to not get bitten.
That was one of the very first things I checked into – funnel webs are not poisonous to chooks or cats. Which was a huge sigh of relief..
Chooks are super fast at killing their prey and their beaks are very quick – most of the creatures never even see them coming.. :)
I didn’t know that funnel webs weren’t poisonous to cats. Red-backs are. We lost a much loved family member to one.
Love your garden – and your chooks. Bad though they are from time to time.
I sent The Other Half off to search for facts on the cats and chooks because that would be a much larger fear than one biting me – at least if it happened to me I would probably be very aware of it, whereas I might not know it happened to a chook or a cat, especially the chooks because I don’t follow them 24/7 to make sure they aren’t being attacked by deadly creatures.
Then again 99% of the time, chooks will tell you if something is going on with trumpeting and loud scared noises. But they would not think eating a spider would merit that kind of kerfuffle. They would just eat it quickly hoping none of the other chooks found out. :)
What is that flower where the chook laid an egg? I have that exact same plant and love it. It looks a bit like a carnation, but isn’t. FUNNEL WEB SPIDERS. One of my biggest fears, but I still want to visit Australia. :)
Over here it is known as a Dianthus – I have seen it called a Wee Willem in garden centres. :) I’ve been here for 40 years and have survived it, so probably you’d be fine with a trip to Australia.. It is probably important for people to know all the deadlies when they come here, so they know what to look out for. :)
It’s a Dianthus? I thought it was twinkle phlox. It’s very pretty anyway, and so is the portulaca.
The chookens are very cheeky.
Definitely a Dianthus but wow, I googled those Twinkle Phlox.. they are stunning! Thank you for mentioning them, I will be keeping an eye out for those! ;)
So many wonderful flowers and an insight into your garden. Great pictures x
Thanks for dropping by my place, Susan! :) The garden is providing many happy moments this spring, interestingly I was not even going to plant anything this year. I’m glad I did, though!
I guess the chickens need a reward for dealing with your spiders. It’s just a shame they have chosen your lovely plants!
Ness – these are probably the most spoiled and rewarded chickens in existence on the planet. :) Every day they get several treats, usually a tomato, some egg slices, strawberries, and every day for the past 3-4 weeks they have received afternoon blueberries! We’re having an amazing blueberry season here and the blueberries are so huge and so cheap, it is actually cheaper than buying them greens and watermelon at the moment. Though I did buy a full size watermelon, it cost me $10!
When they see me at the back door, they sprint towards me like Olympic Athletes looking for their blueberry medals.. :) but truly giving them a reward is more like giving myself one, I love to feed them treats.. :)
We are amazed by how well our garden is still doing and it is now November, so far it has been so mild. We also have chickens but don’t let them in the garden, we keep them in the veggie area. Popping over from #SundaySnap
Those flowers are so colorful, and the chickens look cute, too.
I loved this update. I’m struggling to catchup on my blog reading but your chickens get the highest of priority!! Love them and their antics. xoxoxo the description above “they sprint towards me like Olympic Athletes looking for their blueberry medals” made me loud hard here at work. :)
Blueberry medals are the best ones.. I will try to get a video of the running because it is hilarious.. :) Especially the game hens.
Animals are so funny when they decide where they will make their nests! Good idea for your nasturtiums.
When they get an idea like that into their heads, there is nothing you can do to stop them, with the exception of not letting them free range.. ;) I tried not letting them out until later in the day because usually they lay early, but the first thing she did once I let them out around 4pm was go in there and lay her egg. Loopy animals! :)
Your nasturtiums look safe now with their caging. They are an all-time favorite here. I did not have much luck with my portulaca this year. Yours are looking festive and happy.
Thank you for sharing your outdoor post on this week’s Maple Hill Hop! Hope to see you again next week!
Just 24 hours later they were looking a lot happier already, and now it has been a few rainy days here it is taking off like a rocket again. The girls have pecked a little at the neighbour plant but not too much, they have many bugs to chase with the rain. :) I will be back next week with the portulaca post. ;)
Oops, naughty chooks! I need some chooks in my life. I hate the 8 legged monsters. Last weekend we went to a garden centre and I brought back one of them in my handbag. UGH!
You’d be much happier with a chook in your handbag, because they would eat anything 8 legged. :) I wish I could let mine free range out the front of our house because that is where many of our in house nasties originate from..