After the harshest winter for many years we have now had record high temperatures for April. It has felt like summer this week. The garden is bursting with flower.
Tulips in bud
These tulips have been like this for ages just waiting to open. Again just look at the sea of pulmonaria that surrounds them.
The last clump of tulips have opened today
These tulips have been here since we moved in and are the last to open every year.
My favourite clematis is just getting started
It’s my favourite because I like the colour of this one the most.
The clematis opposite our kitchen window
This clematis is on the new fence that our neighbours put up last year and has more flower on it than it has ever had before.
Pot of daisies in bud a week ago
Pot of daisies today
I have been waiting for these daisies to open. All the recent buds in the garden have opened and the cherry tree blossom from last week has all gone already. The garden is changing day by day.
The chooks are loving the better weather too. Dandelion continues to lay every other day with good shells.
Cinnamon is over her broody spell after just one day so that’s good news. She stayed out of the nest box all day today.
Since the better weather Emerald and Speckles have wanted to stay out and perch on the perches at the bottom of the run at bedtime so I am now blocking those too. I hang some tarpaulin over them an hour before bedtime and as long as I do that they go into the chicken shed. I am not sure that I am going to break this habit though. I will continue to do this for a while but I am not sure what to do long term.
I am happy that the girls all look happy and healthy and that is the main thing. They are definitely enjoying the better weather as much as I am.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Lovely array of colours – what a difference a few days of sunshine can make! Pleased that Cinnamon is over it for now; Galdau has lasted only two days, but I have another 3 broody, including Cotton!
Dave how do you manage with all these broodies?!
I wonder that too! One broody at a time is quite enough for me.
I am so pleased that both Freckles and Cinnamon were over it so quickly. Dandelion laid today and then there was a mystery egg in the run. I think it must have been Freckles. It is only ten days since she went broody but I checked back against last year and she only took a ten day break when broody so I think it must have been her egg. It was round.
I too am happy with this weather!
Do the perches at the bottom of the run get used in the day? Would it be worth removing them and see what happens? Or maybe move them to somewhere else and see if that breaks the habit?
The perches at the bottom of the run are the most popular during the day as they are where the sun is so I am reluctant to remove them. All the girls hang out there during the day. Covering them at the end of the day stops the two bigger ones roosting there and is quick and easy to do so I think I will continue with this for now. I could just go out and move them on but as we are going to be away for two weekends coming up I am going to continue with this for now. It will either break the habit (although I think maybe not) or I will just cover them on the nights we will be away to ensure they go in on those nights. At least it is reassuring me that if we are not there it will make them go in.
YourPulmonaria are amazing, They even said on the news, the gardens are so full of colour, because the bad weather held it all back, now every thing is in flower, so lovely.
Glad the girls are all doing well now.
Yes, everything in the garden has been late this year but now there is so much colour. The weather is proving good for the girls too.