Monday 27th May: Bank Holiday. Although it looked like rain threatening all day, it never came.
We did some cleaning out this morning, John did the the two big hen huts while I cleaned out the now vacant rabbit pen. The other rabbit is still looking fine which rules out my two suspicions of how they might of got infected, one being the forage I collected from the field but she also had it so canāt be that, and two, taking her for a walk, her contracting it and passing it to them through the grille, obviously not. Their pen can easily be reached by wild rabbits and maybe some nose to nose contact through the bars, her pen cannot be reached so thatās the conclusion I have got to so far.
In the afternoon we went to the local steam and vintage rally which was a nice break although the wind was a bit chilly, great to see all the old vehicles and steam engines, from a bygone era. When we got back I watered the poly tunnels and the recently planted stuff and that was it for the day lol.
I took some Clematis cuttings, I have been taking cuttings of everything and anything š¤Ŗ
All the things I am growing at the moment š² no wonder Iām busy!
Garlic, onions, beetroot, bulb fennel, dwarf beans, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, turnips, swede, broad beans, peas, tomato, cucumber, melons, carrots, salad leaves, spinach, radish, spring onion, strawberries, parsley, coriander, peppers, cape gooseberry, grape, lemon grass, raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, kiwi, apricot, cherry, apple, pear, honey berry, Logan berry, runner beans, pumpkins, courgettes, potatoes, garlic, chives, mint, fennel, caraway, sweet cicely, horseradish, rosemary, oregano, sage, lovage, lemon balm, lemon verbena, asparagus, rhubarb, artichoke, red currant, cranberries, olives, fig, peach, plums, choke berry, loofah, gooseberry (red and green) mulberry, Angelica, bay, thyme, amaranth, quinoa, tree spinach, and then there are things like small leaves limes, Hostas, day lilies also edible, flowers/trees and shrubs for the beneficial insects a mixture of native wildflowers and trees and of course weeds š something for every living thing here š
The rain came at 9pm and yessss it came down in bucket loads which will help to fill the rain tanks ready for more hot weather predicted for next weekend. It got torrential just at the time that John went out to put all the birds to bed š¬ ooops, I put the fire on and made a hot drink for when he came back in, he was soaked! It just happens that itās his job to do the putting away as Iām am usually clearing up or washing up or typing up my blog notes š still I spent many years walking the kids to back and forth to school and clubs in the rain so do I fell bad…..nah š¤Ŗ
I have been reading up on biochar, the good and the bad, I havenāt made up my mind which wins yet yet but I do think that with practice you could make it yourself rather than buy it.
There are four geese sat on four nests of goodness knows how many eggs in them! Typically because I wasnāt planning on having goslings this year it will probably be a successful hatch and there will be loads of them š
Tuesday: Itās half term so Sam is not working and I donāt have Mia today, I can crack on with a few jobs, John is also home so he can get stuck in to some work as well. After doing the morning stuff he started to make a base and fit one of the IBC tanks on the POL pen, this had a water barrel but it doesnāt hold much so a tank of this size (1000ltr) will be great. Then he started adapting the pen so we can put the ducklings out in it. Some draught proofing is needing but thatās about all it needs, the remaining five hens in there will move out into the paddock with the laying hens. Meanwhile I started tidying up the orchard pen, raking the ground and moving stuff that had been used and just got left and cleaning out any cages that are now also vacant. The little light Sussex that I hatched out, are inside a pen, inside the orchard pen if you see what I mean but I have been letting them out into the bigger area which they are loving.
In the afternoon, Shelley came over with Josh and Florence, Shelley and Martin have both got a vomiting bug š· so I took the kids out for a wander round the farm for an hour or so while Shelley got a bit of sleep, it got them out in the fresh air and running off a bit of steam as well. We saw a Little Blue butterfly which are quite common here and another small pretty one that I donāt know the name of and I didnt have my phone with me so couldnāt photograph it. One year we had some orchids growing in the big paddock so I had a look for those but couldnāt see any sign of them, maybe one year they will appear again. I may go back out later with a camera and see what I can photograph.
I have just been reading an article on how it would be possible to be self sufficient in fruit and veg in this country. I have had this conversation with people before, some saying it isnāt possible but I really think it is, if we utilise what spaces we have well, then food can easily be grown in the garden. There are small patio fruit trees and bushes these days making it easier for small gardens and you would be surprised with just how much you can pack into small areas. We import 70% of the apples consumed into this country, which is ridiculous given that our climate is perfect for growing them and in Autumn the amount you see lying on the ground is criminal. The same can be said for nuts, perfect climate, they grow in abundance yet we are importing them, go figure š If you want to but think, I canāt, I donāt know how, then just push yourself a little bit, learn or just try and see what happens, most plants want to grow they just need you to look after them, water is essential for all plants and some need more warmth or a bit of protection from birds etc but itās really not that hard. Start with the easy stuff like herbs, this time of year even tender herbs will thrive, Then there are tomatoes, given plenty of water they will do well in a grow bag by the back door and there is nothing better than a sunwarmed ripe tomato, dwarf beans, easy again, get the plants make sure they stay watered and voila fresh veg. Ok you will still need to go shopping but you may just get the bug and want to learn/grow more š There is no magic, green fingers help but we donāt all have those š¤£ yes you need to water but imagine standing outside with your wine or tea in your hand while doing it, perfect.
If you want to know more or learn I am more than happy to show you round my veg plot and you can ask as many questions as you like and endeavour to help you get going š
We moved the ducklings to their new abode, they are loving the extra room.
John moved a load of muck with the tractor from the back to the front, hopefully we will get the back cleared and a fence up, thatās the plan anyway.
We have an old caravan which was here when we came and it has lots of stuff stored in it mostly crap lol, I made the mistake of going in there and then one thing led to another and I started going through stuff š Itās been on the to do list for about 8 years š¤£ you never know I may finally complete the job.
I donāt need to water today yay, so after dinner I got a few hours off š
Wednesday: Rain again today so thatās fabulous, we are heading to high temps at the weekend apparently.
John has gone to work today so I get a bit of peace and quiet š¤Ŗ Did all the morning feeding, letting out, filling up water troughs etc, the ducklings are fine despite being outside overnight so thatās good. Then I collected a couple of bucketfuls of herbs and weeds, one for the rabbit and guinea pig and one for the hens in the stable, not sure what I am going to do with them yet but I canāt have them on the veg garden so for now they have to stay there.
I moved the big poly tunnel around a bit so that I could plant some more cucumbers in the ground also a couple of tomatoes and some dill. I didnāt really think it through when I said no rush about finishing the greenhouse because everything that was in there is stored in the tunnel, including a very long potting bench and now I need to be planting into the ground I canāt š¬
The rain came so I went indoors to do a bit of cleaning, polishing, hoovering, washing all the boring stuff lol.
On Friday we are going to Llandeilo in Wales to see Dad and Sue, we are using Airbnb for the first time and staying on a smallholding which I am very excited about, I will tell you all about it later. Shelley and Sam will be here for the day on Friday to look after things then Charlie will be staying here Saturday and Sunday to look after things. It means I have to sit down and write a list of the routines and jobs that need doing, fairly straightforward except for the idiosyncrasies that everyone has lol such as the tap that is connected to the rain water tanks. It is connected to a pump but that is playing up and you have to turn it on then off again before connecting the hose otherwise the pump wonāt kick in, then when you turn it off the pump keeps running so you have to listen out for that and turn the tap on then off again and it goes off, if you donāt it will blow the electrics by keep running, haha these are things I know but need to remember to tell others!
Quick cuppa and a natter with my neighbour in the afternoon who bought me a bag of bottom shearings (they are off of her sheep not her š) which I will use as a mulch, added bonus are the dags which are basically poo caught up in the wool, extra fertiliser š
I made a schoolboy error of not putting my wellies on when I went to do the afternoon feed and egg collection, I know have wet feet and trouser bottoms, div š¤Ŗ
When John came in from putting everything to bed he said he couldnāt find one of the light Sussex hens and she hadnāt gone to bed by herself, he looked everywhere š I went out and found her fairly quickly, you have to think like a chicken, she is too heavy to go up so she will hunker down in a corner somewhere which is exactly how I found her.
Thursday: The sun is back this morning after a couple of chiller, wet days. John is home again today and we did the morning routine between us.
This morning I have a blackbird that seems fascinated by the bag of sheepās wool, I have now idea why by it keeps hopping up to it tweeting away, maybe it wants some of it for a nest.
I have been giving a lot of thought to the forest garden approach, Iām struggling with letting go of the control of the garden, itās better for me because Iām not stressing trying to keep everything together but still there is that part of me that wants to clean, tidy, hoe, rake, cut back lol. At the moment it looks like organised chaos, eventually, and I know itās a process that canāt be hurried, it will all make sense but getting there is taxing me š Of course is going to be so much better in the long run, especially for the wildlife, I can see the sense in it, even though I havenāt used pesticides or artificial fertilisers etc for years the difference that not having bare earth between veg rows makes is noticeable both for the plants and the insects/birds. One day I will achieve āforest gardenā gold š Meanwhile I am busy learning as much as I can about it.
Friday: We were up and busy doing the feeding and letting out before we set off for Wales to visit Dad and Sue.
We had booked through Airbnb to stay on a smallholding which was absolutely delightful, very rural and very quiet. We had a homemade honey topped cake on arrival which was delicious and ate heartily at Dad and Sues plus a trip to Aberglasny gardens.
At the smallholding old habits die hard and I was up at 6am each morning sitting outside on the patio with my coffee, just the birds, a few sheep, a goat and some cows a couple of fields away for company total bliss š On the first morning John got up about 7 and we went for a walk along the lane lol, not a soul around, we will definitely stay then when we go back again. Doug and Stella were our hosts, friendly and very easy to chat with and āThe Cartshedā was just perfect.
BIG thank youās to Shelley, Sam and Charlie for looking after things superbly while we were away.
frieslandfarm (flowers) 