Of all the low hassle animals in the world, chickens are the top. They eat the leftovers. They make eggs. No food is wasted in our house, ever. My kids are free to never clean their plate, because we have chickens.
Also, still worth it, mini-goats. No, we don’t milk them, but they’re so darn useful! No mowing. No smell. No biting. Eat all kinds of vegetable-end leftovers the chickens would ignore. All we do is make sure they have water. That’s it.
Also still worth it. Perennial herbs. Mostly because they haven’t died in the face of serious neglect, and my daughter likes to make fresh hot tea all the time.
It is a good time to think about next year’s perennials. I might try a few herbs. Thanks for the positive thoughtful post
I agree with Judy S. It’s nice to hear someone who is happy with their animals and plants. It’s easy to gripe about the work, but let’s look at why we do it-they are wonderful creatures!
As a beginner gardener, can you tell me which herbs are perennial? I already know that basil is not, but my mint did come up after a frosty winter.
Claire–The best way to get a customized list for your particular garden is to do a search on a search engine using your hardiness zone and words to the effect of “perennial herb list zone ____.” If you don’t know your zone, go here and find yourself on the map:http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ Good luck!