I hope you've learned your first lesson, the one about Roots, Shoots, Fruits and Leaves by now, said Mrs Brown. If you have, we're ready to move to the next lesson, what to do each day. Take a perch and I'll cluck it to you very slowly. Because a chicken has a short memory span and can only look ahead for 4 weeks at a time, we also need to have a weekly plan where every day of the week has a different task. For example every Monday we sow seeds. There are 52 Mondays in the year and, on every one, we sow seeds. Isn't that simple? I'll show you the weekly plan and once you've remembered it we can put it into action. Monday - We Sow seeds. Tuesday/Chooksday (my special day when my house is cleaned and the sheets changed). I love going to bed on a Tuesday night - you'll can't beat the smell of fresh woodshavings. I digress, its also known as Fruity Tuesday when we play about with out fruit trees and bushes, giving them a good peckover. Wednesday is Weednesday - when we free range around the garden looking for a specific weed - like dock. The aim is to find every single dock and weed it out. Some are quite tasty but, even I can't eat every dandelion leaf. Thursday is T'Herbs day - when we care for our herbs - sowing, planting out, taking cuttings and generally end up smelling nice. Its one of my favourite days, said Mrs Brown, closing her eyes and remembering when she was younger, rolling around in the mint, but staying well away from the parsley and thyme, as her mother had warned her about them. Friday is for Flowers - sowing and planting picking and sniffing. More memories. Saturday and Sundays are for catching up on anything we've missed as sometimes the weather can spoil the best laid plans - and eggs. That was a joke, you can laugh if you like! That's it, the week is over and on Monday we start again. This is your homework tonight - remembering the names of the week and the little jobs that Chickens do. We chickens may look as if we're aimless, but, underneath this feathery exterior, there beats a cunning plan.!!

Are you ready? said Mrs Brown, cocking her head and fixing me with her beady eyes. We Chickens have a 4 week sowing schedule, which repeats and repeats itself for ever. How simple is that? We divide our crops into 4 groups, depending on which part of the vegetable is eaten. Week 1 is Roots, like carrots, beetroot, radish. Week 2 is Shoots - the green growth above ground like leeks, spring onions and all the alliums. Also Things with funny names - mainly the Oriental vegetables - Mizuna, Pak choi and so on. Week 3 is Fruits - peas, beans, tomatoes and all the cucurbits. Week 4 is Leaves - brassicas, lettuce etc. So that's it. Sow Roots, Shoots, Fruits or Leaves, one group a week, every 4 weeks for ever. Now, repeat after me - Roots, Shoots, Fruits and Leaves; Roots, Shoots, Fruits and Leaves............... There will be a test!!

Mrs Brown wants to teach me about the Chicken Calendar, a Calendar that has no Dates as chickens can only think 4 weeks at a time. "All you need to know is what to do each week", she says, "and do it again 4 weeks later, over and over again until you know the routine and it becomes automatic, part of your nature." "I'll tell you more tomorrow, its dusk and I need to go to sleep..........." Goodnight, Mrs Brown.

Nobody gardens like a Chicken............

Its April 1st (All Fool's Day) and I'm in isolation in the garden - if being alone with 3 dogs and a chicken can truly be called isolation. I think I'm metamorphosing into a Chicken. She wanders around, pecking at this and that, giving a little scuffle of her horny feet and wandering on. That's the way I garden, wandering aimlessly, nibbling on whatever looks edible, pulling up a weed, snipping back some undergrowth and poking around with a trowel. In case you're wondering, my feet are not quite so horny. I feel I should make that clear at the outset. The Chicken's name is Mrs Brown . She likes to be treated with respect! Mrs Brown is going to help me to help you to garden like a Chicken.