A Few Flowers for the Birds and Us

We got some of these iris from Doug's sister and some from a friend of mine from work.  We planted them against the fence to choke out the weeds from the farmer's field.  They are really doing well.

I planted the "Red Hot Pokers" for Doug the first year we moved here.  He said that the birds really love them.  They're hardy and hardly any maintenance.  This is one of the varieties that I got.  When I planted them they took forever to break the surface.  Doug, not liking any weeds, sprayed the area until I told him that there were flowers there.  I didn't hurt them too much.  We moved some and now the Orioles, Hummingbirds and  cedar waxwings love the nectar.  The smaller birds like the foliage for cover.  It's a win-win situation.

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Here's the red variety.  When they are mature, the bottom turns yellow and the top stays red.

Sunny Saturday

Today is a wonderful day. We let the chickens out of their run around 5:30. We planned on making their watering scenario a little more automatic. We purchased a float and DB attached it to our improvised water trough.

We hooked it up to a hose and is run from the house. We plan on burying it where it crosses the yard. I think this will also keep the water cool during the summer as it sits in the hose.

He made our water trough and feed trough out of rain gutter with endcaps. Then in order for them to not tip, he notched out some wood to cradle the troughs in. It's working great.



Next he moved indoors and installed my winder AC. Now he's playing horseshoes. He wants to hone up so he can play in some tournaments this summer. Me, I'm washing and hanging my clothes out. It's great to be able to have the sun out and the temps warmer.

Yesterday was wonderful also. I walked around our yard and just took some pictures of our flowers. Want to see?

The red hot pokers are a favorite of the orioles. We have a pair so far that like to dine on them.


How's your day going?