Chickens 2 Me 1 I will win...

When we first moved here, there was no garden. however there was this really nice, very large, raised flower bed behind the garage. So i decided that would be my garden!

We moved in early winter, so it wasn't my first worry. But I did dump leaves and scraps on it over winter. I also collected shredded paper which I layered on top. I went out to a horse farm and collected several totes of horse manure which I hauled home in my van...

4 tiny pepper plants

The first spring, I tilled it all up and planted. The chickens destroyed everything.

3 small rows of green beans

That second winter I added leaves and grass clippings. The chickens scratched it up year round. 

The worst corner of the garden.. corn and weeds

I planted using the square foot method. I had high hopes..

tomatoes and potatoes. My little potato patch is BEAUTIFUL! 

The chickens attacked again. Total loss.

Peas and weeds.. with some onions intermingled. 

I tried again that same spring... my zuccini and one tomato plant survived the chickens... 

lettuce

That summer I got a new landlord who put up a new fence by my barn. A fence that actually contained the chickens!

Broccoli and weeds

This year my garden is THRIVING!!!!!

my quiet garden corner...

We have a huge amount of lettuce and onions already. The peas will be ready soon, along with the green beans.

I planted everything in small little plots, takes less room and less weeding. I covered everything with wood chips. I think I have at the moment the perfect mix of a garden compost.

I have potatoes, corn, green beans, peas, onions, lettuce, both spring and romaine, radishes, cucumbers, zuccini, broccoli, watermelon, peppers, and tomatoes. I don't have large quantities of anything, but just enough for fresh eating for us. It saves us from running to the roadside stands and it gives the kids unlimited fresh veggies. Yes, they go out to the garden and eat produce straight from the plants.

It is strawberry season...

Friday Encouragement

Today we are remembering some great miracles that God has worked in our "unbloggable" situation. We are remember and trusting. 

God is our hope, our strength, our solid ground. In him we trust. 

So often life is great, we float along. We deserve all the desires of our hearts. We are obedient. We are blessed. It's the grand christian life.
But it's not. God wants us to rely on him. He wants us to trust him for our every moment. He cares about the big things and the little things. But he is more worried about our hearts and souls then about our comforts.

We tend to have entitlement issues. I believe, I obey, I go to church. I just expect to blessed as a result. I just expect to have an easy life. But reality is God wants us to find joy in the hard moments. He wants to hold us up when we can't keep moving forward.

I say this over and over, because I need to hear it over and over again. and again. and then again...

This is my journey. God and I are on this journey together. For that I am thankful.