Update on the Science Project about the Old Wives Tales of Chick Sexing

Update on the Science Project about the Old Wives Tales of Chick Sexing

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I just realized I never posted an update to my daughter’s science experiment on the accuracy of old wives tales of chick sexing. With Spring baby chick season just around the corner, I thought other backyard chicken keepers might be interested in the results of her odd little science project. We split the shipment of assorted bantam cochin chicks up between two broody hens so everyone would have plenty of room to grow, with one mama hen at my house…

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Backyard Orchard Class at Local Plant Nursery H & H

Backyard Orchard Class at Local Plant Nursery H & H

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If you are interested in maintaining or starting a high density, mini backyard orchard, or even just learning what is the best variety of low chill fruit trees to plant in your SoCal backyard, this is a very informative free workshop hosted by H & H nursery in Lakewood, California.  Although I already have my own mini backyard orchard, I attended with my mom last year and learned a few new helpful tips.   The class included demonstrations on initial…

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My Favorite Flowers From Bulbs That Come Back Year After Year in Our Dry Garden

My Favorite Flowers From Bulbs That Come Back Year After Year in Our Dry Garden

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More than a decade ago, in early October, I began planting many of the bulbs that have since naturalized in our Southern California garden, including freesia, bearded Iris, Amaryllis belladonna.  All of them are tolerant of our long dry summers.  Each year I add a few more bulbs.  Planting varieties of flower bulbs that are known to naturalize in our Mediterranean climate saved us money on the garden over the long run.  They slowly multiplied in number and continue to…

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how to stop a hen from crowing
Crowing Hen…How to Get Her to Stop!

Crowing Hen…How to Get Her to Stop!

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Backyard chickens make great pets and wonderful fresh eggs in suburban gardens, as long as a hen doesn’t start to crow like a rooster. Hanbury House shares what works and what doesn’t to stop the crowing.

Vintage Vinyl Upholstery at Discount Fabric Store

Vintage Vinyl Upholstery at Discount Fabric Store

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Disclosure: Just so you know, Hanbury House blog is supported by its audience.  Hanbury House may receive a commision from the affiliate links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you anything extra. For more details see my Privacy and Disclosures Although I would love to live out in the boonies on a few acres or at least far away from all the L.A. traffic, there are times I am…

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Edible arrangement
Christmas Party Potluck Dish: Homemade Fruit Flower Arrangement

Christmas Party Potluck Dish: Homemade Fruit Flower Arrangement

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Every year the ladies on my block get together for large Christmas/ Hanukkah dinner party.  I was signed up to bring fruit to the party, and I decided to make something different than just run of the mill fruit salad.  In the past, I have always brought a giant floral table center piece to the same party, but I didn’t bother to volunteer to make one this year, mainly because dinner was going to be buffet style this time around….

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Our Alternate Bearing Mandarin Orange Tree – Feast or Famine

Our Alternate Bearing Mandarin Orange Tree – Feast or Famine

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Nestled in our backyard micro orchard is one of my favorite winter fruit trees, mandarin, that we planted in 2000.  At the time we planted it, my toddler son and I were going to two different farmers markets a week during peak mandarin season because we both loved them so much, eating as many as 4 or 5 at a time.  Now a days, it is easy to find “Cuties,” in the grocery stores, but they are nothing compared to…

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Small Home Improvement Project: Refinishing Our Vintage Bathroom Cast Iron tub

Small Home Improvement Project: Refinishing Our Vintage Bathroom Cast Iron tub

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This fall we decided to have our old 1944 white bathtub refinished by a professional tub reglazer.  It has been needing it for about five or six years.  When our kids were younger and still liked to use lots of bath toys, it seemed pointless to waste the money any sooner.  When we bought our house fifteen + years ago, the sellers unfortunately already had it refinished just before listing the house and we didn’t realize it at the time. …

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Retro Kitchen Images From The 1940s and 1950s Scrapbook

Retro Kitchen Images From The 1940s and 1950s Scrapbook

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For the last few weeks, we have been without a working printer/ scanner but finally bought a new one this week.  I decided to try it out by scanning more images from Mrs. Crabtree’s 1940’s and 1950’s home decorating scrapbook.  If you want to read my post about how I ended up with the scrapbook and what’s in it, click here.  It takes a while to scan and crop each picture, so I am just working on the images in…

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Vintage Tile Mosaic Floors

Vintage Tile Mosaic Floors

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  Up until a recent renovation at the Long Beach Airport, underneath the carpet a series of beautiful floor tile mosaics were buried for decades.  The floor tile mosaics were designed as part of the Southern California Art Project of the Works Project Administration in the late 30s and early 40s.  Some of the mosaics have been visible on the staircase and in front of the upstairs restaurant, but the remainder of mosaic tile was covered over by carpet for…

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