Spinach, Spuds and Sprouting Seeds!

I got outside and did a bit today in between the few rain showers we had. Bit more sowing and growing news.

I was reading a magazine and I saw a spinach and ricotta recipe and I thought I'm going to grow that, spinach not ricotta,  if I can do it in a container. I had some seeds in my box so these have been started in the Poly House with a plastic bottle cloche to keep them warm.

At the far end of the garden we have loads of snowdrops!

I have been looking as my spud campaign which, to be honest is something I am a bit nervous about because it is such a big part of the sowing and growing. Here are my three lots of spuds chitting nicely.

Not sure that the Arran Pilot should have black sprouts on them. The others have been in the cellar until today but are now in the conservatory. If they start turning black I'll put them back there!

 I creosoted the base of the Belfast sink today so that is another job properly finished. I also measured it today and at 96 x 53cms so it is a really good size for the purpose for which it will be used.

Some exciting news on the seed front. I have spied shoots on both the cabbage and beetroot seeds which were sown on Feb 3.

I have put to soak both Alfalfa seeds, keep calling them Falafal😆 and Spicy Salad Sprouts.
I had some muslin, not Muslim! and a couple of rubber bands so job done until tomorrow.

I have also pruned the apple tree, for what it's worth so chuffed with a few jobs completed.

Oh and in other news, I went to my SW weigh in on Monday and I lost 6lbs! This is quite normal to somebody new to the plan but I fully intend to lose at least 1lb so I have lost half a stone by next week!

Right that is for now. Looking forward to planning some jobs for next week when the boys spend half term with the Gramps; we'll miss them but they'll enjoy themselves and we have some tidying up in their rooms to do.

By for now. 

Lou.xx

Pounds, Sinks and Fence!

On Tuesday evening we were in Aber and on the spur of the moment I decided to join Fat Club

I have always been a Weight Watchers girl since I first attended to lose a few pounds before Jon and I were married, then after having and losing babies. However, I enjoyed the meeting and really did need some structure to shifting the weight - a bit more than I thought after my initial weigh in to be honest but never mind. I have joined I guess what you would call a virtual fitness challenge by pledging to walk the equivalent of the London Marathon. I has already figured out a two mile walk so I am using that three times a week, two done already and with the weather being bright and cold it is a lovely time to be out. So watch this space for some, hopefully, positive updates.

So out on my walk out on Wednesday (second of the two so far) I saw the first daffs near to home that are in flower along with some snowdrops. (No photos as I try to have my walks free of everything apart from what is around me.)  Love it! Spring is surely on the way and I have so many daffs in the garden, more than I thought I had which I think have been churned up with recent work which is great.

Jon has finished the fence building in the back so my task was to do the creosote painting. Had great weather for it this last week so got my radio, a seat and set to it. I ran out of the stuff with just a few panels to go so purchased another container when out shopping on Friday so this coming week I am on it, hopefully.

Yesterday the boys began helping Jon clear the woodpile before it was being moved.

This is how the spot looks now...

and here is its new spot where the four of us moved it to this morning.

This will make it so much easier to fill up the house piles/baskets via the conservatory and we plan to build another kindling store and alongside that a coal bunker;  this be abe to be filled from the roadside. A really useful project that will be ready and in use next Winter.

This morning I have also got ready the Belfast sink for my spring onions and lettuces. I'm so chuffed with this and just hope they grow as planned.

First of all I put a layer of stones for drainage on the bottom; there is of course a plug hole, quite a big one, but as the sink is level this does not help too much and it is in the corner.

Then I put in some bought compost, some of my own and some blood and bone meal along with the compost from our not very successful mushroom growing kits.

Final result is a really useful sink full of earth ready to grow in. I plan on creosoting the base so, hopefully, snails and slugs find it tricky to climb up if they fancy a nibble on the lettuces!

Also today Jon has made me a new gate so we can keep the chickens out of the growing area; a little rustic affair! You can see where the sink is from here, too, and where the water butt has been moved to the other end of the room to let. 

We are chuffed to bits how things are coming along outside and all of our achievements! I can't begin to go into all the talk we have had today about the plans we have for the future; we are fit to burst about how we know it will all work out for us but I am sure I will share it at some point!

Right must dash as I can hear the drier beeping and me and Alfie are heading out for his piano lesson at 6pm. I normally wait in the car but it is soooo cold tonight that I think I will sit in this time!

Bye for now.

Lou.xx