There's a Dragon Tongue in the garden!

Photo credit: Seed Savers Exchange

Made you look! Actually, Dragon Tongue is a variety of pole bean that I planted in the garden yesterday, along with a ga-zillion other things. It was a great day for planting - cool and cloudy. Hopefully we will keep having these spring showers so all my seeds and transplants can get off to a good start.

So, what did I plant?

clockwise from top left

Fennel

Mustard Tendergreen

Swiss Chard Neon Lights Mix

Sweet Basil

Cucumber Sumter

Summer Lettuce Glory Blend

Bush Garden Bean, Tenderpick

Arugula, harvested seed from last year's crop

Pole Garden Bean, Dragon Tongue

Bush Garden Bean, Contender

White Russet potatoes, not pictured

I'm also experimenting with efficient garden layout techniques to best utilize the "dead zones" between plants. For example, in the areas between my tomato cages I have inserted my fiberglass poles for the runner beans. In between rows of tomatoes, and underneath where my poles are crossing, I've planted bush beans. Hopefully, everything will receive adequate sunlight as it matures.

Other news - keeping chickens may be in our future!

I can't wait to be able to get eggs from our own birds. Plus, they are excellent composters and will thank us with plenty of manure for... our garden. It's all about closing the loop, right? We have plans to convert an old dog pen into a chicken run. Hopefully, we can build a coop to look something like this one:

Not sure how it's gonna go down, but I'll be sure to keep you posted. Has anyone out there raised chickens or have any advice or stories they'd like to share? Post it in the comments below.

Are you up for the challenge?