Chickens & Garden 2026 Update

 

Last year I added three new peeps (most likely my last set) to the flock as my senior hens were in their final year and egg production was minimal.  I am really happy to report these ladies have grown up strong, healthy and happy and they are excellent egg layers.  They comfortably reside in the coop and pen area I built fourteen years ago (hard to believe it is that old!) and expanded   years ago.  I continue to keep it well maintained so it holds up and keeps them safe from predators.

 

The ladies are enjoying a rather charmed life with good feed and lots of goodies to keep them healthy and happy.  I give them the leaves I rake up in the fall and the weeds I’ve been pulling up from the yard this spring to add variety to their diet and it helps to keep them from getting bored.  The leaves have the added advantage of keeping mud at bay in the pen area and become next year’s compost.  The weeds have given them added nutrients as well as some nice variety.  I can attest that the eggs they lay are delicious!

 

Last month I turned the soil with added compost and I am allowing it to sit for a full two months untouched to allow the earthworms to do their job.  Next month I will be turning it in just before I start planting and then I will rake it nice and smooth.  I will be using bunny litter to mulch and fertilize what I plant this summer, which is going to be rather minimal.

 

At this particular time I am blessed to be well stocked with food so I don’t have a need to plant out a full garden.  I want to put some zucchini seeds in the ground, cultivate what garlic I already have in the ground and perhaps a tomato plant or two, but other than that I am going to let the rest of the garden beds rest again this year and then re-evaluate things next spring.

 

My flowerbeds need some transplanting, rearranging and fertilizing so I’ll be working on those this summer.  The bunny will be helping me out by providing all of the fertilizer I will need so I won’t need to purchase that.  It’s too bad the farmers don’t have access to bunny manure because it is good stuff.

 

My fruit trees are healthy and I’ve sprayed them for insects, twice now.  My hope is that they provide me with enough fresh fruit to enjoy, share with others and maybe can some too.  I have an apple tree, a pear tree and a new plum tree.  I’m not expecting much from the plum tree as it is still quite young.  I’m super grateful to have these trees.

 

That pretty much sums up my 2026 garden plans.  I am keeping it pretty minimal this year as you can tell.  Will I ever plant out a full garden?  Probably not, but who knows?  Gardening really isn’t my jam, as I’ve mentioned before.  I suck at it, but I truly do love a fresh homegrown tomato.  There is just nothing quite like it.