I was able to find the City of Santa Rosa's zoning codes here: http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/communitydev/zoning/Pages/ZoningCode.aspx You want section 4, page 17. It basically states that you can have up to 25 chickens on a certain sized lot, and does not specifically exclude roosters--but that online code is dated 2004-2005, so it may have changed--call the City's zoning department and check for sure. Usually chickens/roosters are a noise nuisance and that's what they fall under for most cities' zoning codes. As has been said, FENCE AND COOP your birds very securely. Loose dogs WILL kill your birds rather sooner than later. Do not EVER use chicken wire/poultry netting, it's way too flimsy. I use welded wire hardware cloth and have never lost a bird or had to repair the wire in the 13 years here. With roosters, the big issue is not daytime noise, but that 4:30AM crowing that is the deal killer for the neighbors. If you do keep a roo, make sure he is securely cooped at night in an enclosed area that deadens the sound, you and your neighbors will be happier. Hens are quiet at night, but do cackle when laying an egg. You MUST keep your birds in a secure coop at night, one that has a floor. The tractor is great for daytime, but predators can and will dig under wire at night. There's nothing more heartbreaking than coming out to a massacre in the morning and knowing you could have prevented it--we've read numerous stories to that effect here. You'll become very attached to your birds. :) Especially Silkies! Silkies are small, docile, calm and sweet. I currently have two Silkies hens in my flock. But be aware that your terriers may not be able to overcome instinct (you know your dogs better than anyone) and Silkies tend to not see too well because of their crests, and can be easy prey. I'd keep chickens and dogs separated to eliminate any possible problems. We have possums here, and they are nasty nighttime predators. They killed one of my hens one night when we got home a bit late and hadn't closed the coop door before dusk. :( Our birds free range in the backyard during the day, and are cooped at night. Our yard is surrounded by a cinderblock fence. You're going to love keeping chickens. :) It's a blast, very entertaining. Plus nothing beats spending time petting a chicken, it's an instant stress reducer. Chickens have loads of personality and make great pets, which comes as a big surprise to most people who tend to think of them as dumb animals. I have a chicken info site here that might help: http://jackshenhouse.com/ I'm in the suburban Los Angeles area and also rent, the neighbor kids call our house a 'farm' just because we have chickens! Velvet ~:>

Since I almost completed my fence, I decided to start planning the back yard. Im 90% sure I will build some kind of fence... I read a large article on shakkeii and they introduced be to some interesting ideas about perspective, catching the eye and so forth... I have two questions I figured I bring up: 1)About my pond... Im beginning to fear that the rocks I placed around the pond, makes it all very unsettling. When I look at ponds in books and pics where they place only 2-3 big rocks around it, and a waterfall and tree as focal point and then the other is just grass/moss/gravel. You know, I think it make the edges more uniformed... When looking at my pic... the eye doesn't catch a specific item (as the willow, or the waterfall) because there are so many bright colored stones around it. If I remove the stones and add grass instead, it also makes it easier to sit by the pond. (Actually I would like to remake the pond all together, making it kokoro shaped...) 2) At my local store I found THIS:: It is really cheap, only 80 USD!!! it is quite big, made out of granite and the details are very good! I want to buy it right away, but then I fear I have no knowledge of where to place it. I have no islands in my pond, and adding yet another focal point to the pond will make it look like an amusement park, with all different attractions!!! I need your humble advices on what to do? I also feel that the pond is too smakk for that lantern. As I feel, I should create another scene behind the pond, between the pond and the wall (when i make it) There I could make a hill, plant some pines and other evergreens, and then at a good location, place this lantern. Possibly a kasuga would be more appropriate? I feel like I dont have enough vegetation in my garden to create a pleasing scene with this lantern.... but yet, I cant resist that price!!! As I feel I have 2 choices 1) Redesign the pond so that it can have a yukimigata close to it 2)Add additional "hills" with vegetation in my garden and find a good position for it somewhere. I have no paths in my garden.... /Henrik - feeling unsettled right now!!!

I've noticed no particular fragrance from the Trillium luteum. They seem to do very well in my wooded area but the summer heat and a three week dry spell forced all of mine into dormancy early this year. I live on top of a chert ridge and short of a little leaf mold the soil in my yard hardly deserves the name. The Trillium seem to do OK in it, I must confess that about 17 years ago when we first bought the house I had dreams of pathways, rock walls and a native garden at the bottom of the yard. In a year long burst of energy that was only halted by a bout of bad health I seem to remember destroying a number of rattlesnake ferns myself while chasing those dreams I still have plants down there I have yet to identify so might be posting more pictures of NOIDs.

Nice! I'm looking forward to spring as well. Here's my back yard. This is last fall after I finished planting the back of the yard. It's on the edge of the property looking toward the house. In the foreground are two nannyberry shrubs (a viburnum related to cranberry) and then an area where I've planted a prairie garden and covered it with compost. You can see where I've left space for a path to walk through, and I plan to put a bench there. Back towards the house there is where the garden starts, and I had started planting there last year. It's nice in the summer sitting out on the patio, where I can watch the bird feeders and enjoy being surrounded by native plants. The area where I'm standing, with the nannyberry and the small post right beyond it, used to be completely infested with buckthorn and many invasive weeds. It took me 2 years to clear it all out. Now that the area is opened up a bit, I'm hoping that I'll have bluebirds nesting again (saw many here during fall migration.) I left this post standing as a spot for the bluebirds to perch, and to hang a nice sign. The post used to be completely obscured by buckthorn.