Lush

Pretty much describes the garden at the moment. Everything is beautifully green and growing rapidly.

The angelica has shot up in the last week or so.

Many visitors to the garden today. Loads of fledglings, (dunnocks and a robin), which are a joy to see. Also, the honeysuckle swag is finally established enough for the birds. Today the blue tits and great tits visited it several times. They appeared to be feasting on something on the branches, but I’m not sure what.

The honeysuckle swag is nearly there. There are seven posts altogether.

It would seem there was also an unwelcome visitor in my new shed overnight. Note the footprints on the walls! (There is no glass in the windows yet).

The recent rain has brought the slugs and snails out in force. A couple of days ago I lost virtually every salad leaf seedling I planted out. Yesterday night I went out slug hunting and although I only managed to find 12 the damage by the morning was minimal. I think, if I want any salad other that welsh onions, rocket and sorrel then slug hunting is going to have to become part of my routine :sigh: It’s worth it though, and the chickens have some sport the next day (I throw the slugs and snails in their enclosure).

A couple more pics from today.

My poor wineberry – the hazel arch snapped, but it’s hanging on in there. I really must collect some more hazel to make a new arch for it.

Lush. Just how the snails like it….

A Little Chaotic

Too many things going on a once at the moment – inside and out.

Chimneys, re-wire and damp problems inside aside, my garden, my haven, is also in chaos. The new shed (destined to be a cavery) is in the process of going up. It’s a tight squeeze to get it between the wendy house and the fence, but we’ll get there. Then, the old shed next to the chicken enclosure has yet to come down, so consequently the second chicken coop (now painted to match the other one) has no home, so is taking up room on the small patch of lawn, which is now also home to a guinea pig tractor / ark. Plus, I’ve just bought a ‘bargain’ second hand metal patio set that I’m in the middle of repainting – also on the lawn! The patio set was a bargain, but my goodness painting it is tedious work. The photo should give you a clue – straightforward it is not.

Patio table – mid painting

The chairs – yet to be painted

I’m trying to protect the garden as much as I can from trampling feet, but it’s not easy with so much going on in such a small space. Some bluebells have suffered underfoot and the wineberry is bearing up as best it can having had it’s hazel arch support snapped and moved to one side to allow materials to be brought through. But when I stop pulling my hair out and look around, things are, basically, coming along nicely. I’m hopeful that in a month, when most of the work is behind us and the garden has had a chance to recover, it will look better than ever.

Some photos from today. Some showing the chaos and some pretty ones of the plants and wildlife too.

BTW – So happy for the bees today – the EU has banned neonicotinoid pesticides. Yay!

Rhubarb and Angelica

A bee on the hardy geraniums

The wildlife pond

Rosemary (Mrs Jessop’s) in flower

Recently planted clematis. I hope to encourage it to grow up the old (nearly dead) plum tree.

Bluebells, garlic, autumn raspberries, amongst others.

Chaos :sigh:

Pulmonary

I’ve no idea! Any suggestions?

Woodruff – relieved to see it coming back.

The medlar looking well in the mini forest garden.

Lady’s Mantle

Edibles, inc. rocket, chard, gooseberry, garlic and strawberries.

A view over the mini forest garden

Seed Sowing Has Begun

The seeds I ordered have arrived and seed sowing has begun in earnest.

I only have very limited room as I don’t have cold frames or a green house. I might consider buying a couple of narrow seed trays that will fit on the window sills for next month (I’ve quite few seeds to sow in April). But, for now just three standard sized seed trays have been sown. Tray one with Perpetual Spinach, tray two with Nigella ‘Miss Jekyll’ and tray three with Chinese Broccoli. Unfortunately, I hadn’t realised we were out of mixed grit, so all I had to top them with was the remaining crushed oyster shell. Not sure how well that’s going to work out… I’ll give them 10 days or so before deciding if I need to start again.

The Daubenton’s Kale cuttings seem to be doing OK. They look alive anyway – no signs of them wilting or rotting so I’m hopeful they will take root. Below is a photo of the variegated variety.

On the livestock front Lil’Bea (dog) is back to normal, Winnie (pony) is very nearly sound, and no signs of illness in the bantams, which is a huge relief.

As for me, more antibiotic and steroids (I still have vertigo and a possible chest infection). Spring and warm weather can’t come soon enough for me.

Save our Bees!

Reblogged from The adventures of timbertwig in the forest of Burnley and the Rossendale Valley:

Just a quick post to encourage people to send a message out to help stop toxic pesticides and protect bees under EU regulation.  European Countries vote in 36 hours!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bye_bye_killers_uk

Please consider signing if you haven't already.

Mother’s Day Weekend – College Open Day plus Potato and Seed Fair

On Saturday we took L (14) to look at a local Land Based College. L isn’t sure exactly what direction she wants to go in, other than it being land based. So, we looked at the agriculture department (mostly dairy, pigs and sheep), the horticulture department and the conservation & environmental management department. We were impressed with all of them and it was good to hear that job prospects are good for level 3 leavers. There are also plans to offer a course that allows students to mix and match subjects across departments. At this stage L thinks that’s the way she’d like to go as it might be a way to taylor things towards her interest in permaculture / sustainable agriculture. They don’t take students until age 16, so she has a while to think about things / change her mind.

On Sunday (Mother’s Day) we went over to the village my eldest daughter lives in. In the village hall there was a potato day and seed fair. We bought the following (mostly to be planted over at my father’s place):

• 4 Jerusalem artichoke tubers
• Potato ‘Kerrs Pink’ (1917) x5
• Potato ‘Premiere’ (1979) x5
• Shallot ‘Red Sun’ x5
• Shallot ‘Golden Gourmet’ x5
• Shollot ‘Pikant’ x5

Afterwards, we popped over the road to the pub – baby W and R were already there. I’ve a feeling baby W is a regular already, lol. Then back to D’s for a cup of tea. D gave me a garden centre voucher for Mother’s Day – for once I’m not sure exactly how to spend it. But I’m sure I’ll find something interesting.

Perennial Vegetable Potterings

I did have a list of perennial vegetables I’d hoped to buy as young plants (http://wp.me/p2Po1H-6Y), but they were either not available or they were only available from a variety of different suppliers, therefore pushing up the postage costs. So, I have opted to buy what I can, plus a few extras, in seed form, all from ebay!

Here is a list of the seeds I’ve ordered:

• Chinese Broccoli
• Good King Henry
• Field Forget Me Not
• Kale ‘Nero di Toscana’
• Scorzonera ‘Giant Rooted Maxima’
• Nigella damascena ‘Miss Jekyll’
• Sweet Cicely
• Marsh Marigold
• Meadowsweet
• Red Common Field Poppy
• Kale ‘Red Russian’ / ‘Ragged Jack’

I have also been lucky enough to get hold of three different types of Daubenton’s Kale cuttings. They were generously posted to me, completely free of charge, just with the promise  that I will pass cuttings on myself once my plants are established, which I’m more than happy to do. The first type is green flushed with purple and grows to at least 4ft x 4ft. The second type is variegated and somewhat smaller, and the third type is plain green and smaller again. I have pushed the cutting into pots of compost. Fingers crossed they take.

At some stage I still hope to buy some sort of perennial tree / walking onion and also some nine star broccoli.

The girls are taking part in the Potato Council’s ‘Grow Your Own Potatoes’ scheme again this year. Yesterday, they put them out to chit.

I potted on the Chilean Guavas. Such attractive plants, despite being in need of a prune. I wonder how soon I can expect any fruit?

Oh, one last thing. The goldfinches are back – they generally only visit the garden during the summer, so it was cheering to see them today. I do hope they stick around.

The Garden Is Waking Up

I love this time of year. Buds and new growth everywhere. The sun came out today too, which was wonderful. I think the birds thought so too as they were out in force.

I took the opportunity to take some photos of the garden.

Bluebells

Crocus

Daylilies and Cyclamen

Wineberry

The view above my head

Columbine

Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s mantle)

Sweet Violet

Blue tit

Sempervivum

Angelica

Chives

Chard and Rocket

Sweet violet, bluebells, ramsons and cyclamen.

Garlic

Rhubarb (Victoria)