And what does your garden grow?

It's February. Most of the country is covered in snow and ice. Here in San Francisco, we're supposed to be wading through torrential downpours, but as global warming would have it, we've had a long streak of warm, sunny days with a sprinkling of rain thrown in.

And my poor plants are confused.

I noticed the confusion last year when our faithful lilac didn't bloom, but we had tomatoes! For those of you unfamiliar with San Francisco summers, we rarely see sun from June until Sept. Our summer tends to be an endless, gray fog with temperatures in the low 60's. Not ideal tomato weather.

Anyway, back to this strange February garden.

Currently blooming or growing plants: 3 blueberry bushes, a dozen strawberry plants, a dwarf improved meyer lemon tree, rosemary, thyme, and sage in my boxes. Oh and the faithful lilac is starting to bloom.

MyFarms boxes: Box 1 - ground cover, Box 2 Favas, Box 3 - I 'm not sure because it has the row cover on it, Box 4 - onions, garlic and lots of ground cover, Box 5 - favas, Box 6 - Favas. Random large square trench - asparagus.

Not yet sprouted or bloomed in my boxes: potatoes (banana and purple) and peas. Tulips have started coming up. Daliahs, fresia, and gladiolus are getting ready. Lavender is beginning to flower. Some of the primroses are flowering while others are just leafing out. And random little shrubby-type soft perrinals that I've forgotten the names of.

All this in a space roughly 25x60 plus a jungle gym, chicken run and 2 bee hives.

We're really making this little plot work!

Of eggs and hens

Anyone who has every had chickens knows that they will strip your garden down to dirt. I, sadly, did not - that is not until after not only was the oxalis banished from my yard, but so were the broccoli, the tender baby lettuces and all the carrot tops.

In my best effort to prevent the total destruction of mine and Courtney's (my MyFarm farmer) hard work, I wrapped my chicken coop in chicken wire thus making a run-within-a-run.

So far so good, but Cleo is devious and loves any challenge I throw at her. The above picture is of her enjoying few moments of freedom today.

As a side note, I think it's interesting that every hen has her own unique egg color. My dark eggs come from Lucky Clucky, my medium
eggs come from Figaro and Cleolays the
lightest eggs.

Anyway, here are some more pictures from today's work. Looks like Courtney dug a big hole (I think the asparagus plant is going here) and drapped a sheet on the sprouts to keep my crazy neighbor's pigeon flock out.