Is it Spring already!!

It's snowing outside and all I can think about is my yard. As it's functional for the first time since I've lived here, I have no excuse not to do something with it. Let me tell you I'm dreaming big too. Maybe it's cabin fever, but if my yard turns out to look anything like it does in my head, it will be spectacular. So here's the plan thus far:


The front yard gets the most sun, so instead of having it be the kick the ball around area, I'm going to use it for the garden space. I'm planning 3-4 square foot garden boxes. When the city finished their mess last fall they put in sod. I having a feeling it died, so it should be easy to place the boxes in their wake. If the sod is still viable, I'll cut it up and put it on the side of the house where absolutely nothing grows because of the huge magnolia tree. The sod will grow because I plan to cut the tree down. It's old and losing branches and knocking down shingles from both my house and the neighbors house. I have no clue how I'm going to afford to do this, but I think it's an integral part to my 'fix the yard up' plan as well as the 'save my roof' plan.


The back yard is basically an L shape. in the corner there is a piece of an old something....some concrete structure, that will make an excellent place for a grill and a smoker...just FYI this is the year of smoked meat at the Countryman's. So in front of this grill area is a 10foot x 12foot grassy section that I will either leave as is and set a table and chairs on or try and put a small patio for the aforementioned furniture.


The other side of this L is a silly mess that is akin to a flower garden. It's slightly terraced and full of hostas and columbines and peonies and other odds and ends. It's never really flowed well. It was here when we moved in and I just left it, adding a plant here or there. This year, though, I'm taking it out and building Jasper a play house.


Now for the uber cool part that is quickly becoming my new obsession.


I'm going to get 4 or 5 bantam(small) chickens. I'm still researching what breed to get, though it will probably be an ornamental heirloom.


To house them I will build a movable coop, often referred to as a chicken tractor. Here is an idea of one.....keep in mind this one is like the Cadillac of chicken tractors .....