Years ago,I had free range chickens and the neighbors dog got loose and killed most of them.I keep mine in a coop in the winter with an attached run that has a top and roof.A neighbor lost all their chickens to dogs that climbed over the fence.In the summer,they go in two chicken tractors.I started out with a chicken tractor but it is cold here and it is really hard to take care of the chickens when their water freezes up almost immediately.I use deep litter in my coop(shredded leaves) and even began using leaves in their yard when it got so muddy earlier this spring.I only clean out my house 2-3 times a year depending on how bad I want their fertility on my garden.I have Ameracaunas(Easter Eggers)from a local hatchery and some I raised and some banties who love to raise chicks.I had some Rhode Island Red mixes I think ,who were nice too.I decided years ago that leghorns were way too flighty for me.I looked at a zillion pictures of chicken tractors before we built them.The first one is heavy to move but the chickens are safe from predators in it.Everything likes to eat or kill chickens(dogs,possums,skunks,racoons,foxes.etc.)Posy_Pet

Kayan, the picture of the raised planters gives me a good idea of the spaces you have to work with. Based on the above posts, I suggest making a list of all the different plants (veges, flowers, perennials) that you are considering based on preferences for flower/bloom color, food, etc. Make columns to list them by type: ornamental shrubs, flower (annuals like petunias, etc.),vining (climbing roses, jasmine, climbing veges like cucumber, peas, beans). Make a column for perennial (year around) vs. annual, height x width (how much room they need as they mature), by color if thats important, by food type and then by season, i.e. winter veges vs. summer.Make sure they all grow in your USDA Plant Zone. The plants will be your major elements so arranging them will be the most important and since there is alot of variety, the important thing would be to not allow it to get messy or unplanned. These types of gardens tend to look hodge-podge, cluttered and wild. Some people like this 'look' and call it 'informal' or cottage style. The ones you see in picture books are well planned and well maintained, so knowing how things grow is very important before planting. Decide on the structure of the space formal vs. informal. Formal with either straight lines or based on circular, symetrical shapes can be very space efficient which is a plus in a small space like yours. I like the bird bath focal point because its simple. I have your yard designed in my mind as I'm writing this, funny, if you were a client, I would just sketch it out in front of you. Paths and flooring could use those bricks you mentioned, spaced about 6' apart neatly though with creeping Thyme planted in between (grow from seed). Plant vining plants that need support or a trellis along the fence with a few perennials to break them up like dwarf Pomegranite or Butterfly bush (Buddelia) I would have a 3 foot path around the perimeter to access the vines on one side and the veges, flowers on the other which would be in raised beds. You can get creative with the raised containers and not make them so boring with squares and rectangles. Maybe make them into a 'cross' which would be two elongated rectanles that intersect in the middle. then in this center you could place a glazing globe,bird bath, sundial, etc. Next step is to draw the space out to scale and start sketching some ideas on paper or just use a white board, chalk board, etc. but try to do it to scale since you have a small space, scale is important when considering the width of the plants. Hope that helps get you going where you want to go. P.S. Use caution with Lady Banks Rose or Bouganvillea as they will get overgrown and overwhelm the space. Here is a link that might be useful: garden design ideas that give more meaning than simply the style of a garden

The three FoodSavers I've used since 1986 have all worked as they were intended for bags, jars and canisters. The first one, which happened to be a used machine, failed when one of the children vacuum-sealed a powdery substance and it was sucked into the motor. The second machine died when a friend borrowed it and I didn't realize they were vacuum-sealing a large amount of food, and they didn't follow the instructions to allow time between each use so the machine could cool down, and they burned the motor out. The current one has been in use for over a decade. I suspect many problems are due to failing to read the user manual and following instructions: -Drawing in liquids, powdery, or fine-grained products into the unit. You can place a coffee filter over powdery items in jars/canisters to help keep the fine powder from migrating to the lid during vacuuming. You can prevent liquids from being drawn into the unit by placing a folded paper towel at the top of the bag (but below the seal area), place the wet food in another bag FIRST, before vacuum packaging. -Failure to clean the rim of the jar/canister, and failure to heat the canning lids to soften the sealing compound before attaching it to a jar. -Heavy use it's not intended for - like vacuum-sealing a large purchase of meat one package after another. You need a commercial-grade machine for heavy use. -In the early machines you needed to place the bag in the machine with the rough side down, and "the bag should not overhang into the vacuum channel itself, or touch the rubber gasket" (outlined in the user manual, complete with pictures). -Failure to close locking clips on each side of the unit properly - on machines that had the locking clips. -Failure to wipe any excess moisture or residue from inside the bag surface at the open end. When possible, roll the side of the bag over to fill it (it's also helpful to use a wide-mouth funnel to help keep the top of the bag debris-free, then roll it back up when the filling is complete, in order to help keep the top edge of the bag clean. -Note how use of any other bags "may damage your machine and invalidate your warranty". -Sealing contents that are warmer than room temperature because the vacuum may cause the contents to bubble out of the container or jar. -Failure to leave adequate headspace. -Failure to set the sealing time adjustment switch (if your unit has one). -Sealing foods you shouldn't vacuum seal - like strong-smelling vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) and whole avocados with their pits. You can place a wad of plastic wrap, paper towel, or a piece cut out of a Styrofoam meat tray over bones. You can also double-bag meat - raw, frozen, or raw that you quick-freeze. For instance, if I purchase a bag of frozen chicken pieces, I'll package them in user-friendly amounts in small plastic bags, place them back in the original bag, and place that in a FoodSaver bag and vacuum-seal shut. For raw meat I'll portion it using a Ziplock product called "Perfect Portions" (7-3/4"x11-1/4" bags - 150 bags per box) and quick-freeze those on a cookie sheet, then place the meat in the Perfect Portions bags in a FoodSaver bag and vacuum-seal shut. I'll be interested in getting my next one to see if the new versions are a bad investment, as so many have experienced. If that happens, I'll resort to using Oxygen Absorbers to vacuum-seal canning lids on canning jars. -Grainlady

A little late, but this is our last tree from our favorite tree farm before the cornfields take it over completely. The tree skirt is, quite literally, a skirt! My quilted maxi-wrap skirt from that fashion in the 1970s (think Emily on the old Bob Newhart show). I simplified the mantle in keeping with this year's color scheme of green and gold and natural. The handsome deer are from a bottom shelf at Walgreens! The bells on the right are from the renaissance fair last summer. The little trees have battery-operated lights, carrying the light over from the tree. (Oops the cords are visible today, someone must have been fiddling with them) The Tom Thomson above it all is there all year, but the snow field is especially fitting this time of year! Where are the stockings, you wonder? They hang on the kids' bedroom doors so Santa can fill them and slip them onto the beds, keeps them busy for a few more minutes on Christmas morning!