Hugelkulture redemption

I built my hugelkulture Summer 2019. In total honest it has been a huge disappointment.  It started off great. The pumpkins and gourds grew well. Maybe a couple months in my chickens took it it down to wood level. I continued to have this problem until I put a fence around it.
Even if I manage to keep the chickens out I still had mediocre results.  Basically it was extra garden space, but I had to water it just as often as my regular veggie garden.  The only thing that has thrived instead of just surviving has been lavender and kale.
Did I mention at least once a year I forget to shut the gate, and the leveling crew, AKA chickens do what they are best at.  
This year I had high hopes. We got more rain in late winter, and spring then we have had in a very long time.  Maybe this is the year.  I planted lots of veggies. Tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper, and lots more.  Most didn't make it. I planted a bunch of melons in peat pots, they came up, looked great for a bit, then died.  I have been so disgusted I have just been ignoring it.  It's just not meant to be.
I have quite a few extra veggie I started from seed. They have been in the pots to long and have had times when they didn't get watered. So as you can imagine they don't look very good. I feel they deserve to be planted just for surviving.  Some have to go on the hugel. I will just have to be better about watering it.
What I find is a total surprise.  Not only did lots survive , they are growing, and look healthy. The cucumber actually has a cucumber growing on it. The cucumber in my veggie garden doesn't have any cucumber on it yet. I haven't watered anything on the hugel for 4, 6 weeks? I don't know, but it's been a while.  I'm so happy. This is what I wanted, this is the reason I built it in the first place. To have a garden that doesn't need constant watering.
Our weather has been unusually cool for this time of year, so it wouldn't surprise me to still have to water once it gets hot. But I hope I will be able to water a lot less than my veggie garden.
It's a happy day on the hugel.