Mindful Thoughts For Gardeners

Good morning!

I'm reading the book in the title of this post, written by Clea Danaan; I've been dipping in and out and really enjoying it.

This morning over breakfast I came across the chapter concerning harvest. Now I know gardeners in many parts of the country are praying for some Spring-like weather; some let up in the wintry conditions we are still experiencing would be wonderful.

However I found the words about harvest similar to our hopes for the change in the current season, for whatever the reasons are behind the slowness of Spring's arrival, We have to be patient because the ground needs to be ready for the journey from planting to tending and back to harvesting the land to begin. In ourselves we also tend to want life to hurry up! We want immediate improvement in our lives in every aspect because life is now so very instantaneous; we have 24 hr news, constant communication and food delivery right to our doors if we so wish.

As the author says
"The garden teaches us that we cannot hurry...We can only sit and allow things to unfold, meeting them where we are with the watering can".

I can thoroughly recommend this little book and it is perfect to pop in your pocket; when you have a moment take the time to enjoy it and your garden.

Bye for now.  

Lou.xx

Life Is Good!

What a GOOD day to be alive! The sky is beautiful, the air crisp and no rain!

These are the sights which greeted me as I opened the back door this morning as I walked out to feed some keen ladies. 

I love living here so much, but obvs the weather being better always helps.

Jon had let the chooks out for a wander around the garden as he headed down to the style we have between us and our neighbour and I couldn't help loving the sight of daffs, snowdrops, and the odd crocus, showing Spring WILL come soon, promise.

This morning our plans were to help Mansel, our sheep-farming neighbour. He is such a lovely Welshman, uses some failry fruity language at times and was 80 in the summer. We hosted a bbq for him with family, friends and even our Airbnb guests who were staying with us joined in. Due to health problems, now sorted, and his age Jon does most of the work with the sheep for him - he just wants to be a sheep farmer! In the early, dark mornings the sheep are fed to save Mansel doing it and my youngest loves being involved with the lambing so will get up with Jon, plus he loves to walk the field after school to check on the ewes and any new lambs.

So this morning's job was to give the last injections to the pregnant ewes with Covexin 8. 

Me, Jon and the youngest headed out. I was on syringe-filling duties whilst Jon got the ewes into the race, 

and Alf did his first lot of injections, which he loved,

then back out into the field.

This weekend we're not going into Aber, yay! I just want to stay here and sooo love not having to battle with Saturday crowds. Plans for today apart from that? Not sure really, but just looked at the forecast and we're apparently due some fairly strong wind from about 2pm. I think I need to have one more brew and make a little plan! Our one-night Airbnb guest left early, one load is already out of the washer so may attempt to have some of that put out before any rain....

As I write this post the door into the conservatory is open with the sun streaming in, if a little chilly as I am yet to light any of the fires but lovely all the same.

I do hope you are managing to enjoy your little patches of paradise between the weather a lot of us are dealing with just now. Think positive because Spring will eventually arrive and when it does we will be ready!

Lou.xx

Spuds, Seeds, Storms and Spring.

Bore da, good morning.

It's been about a month since my last blog post so I thought I would have a little ramble and a catch up.

I am gradually regaining my mojo, well I was until Storm Ciara arrived (more of that later) so I have managed to get a few things done inside and outside.

I have bought my first early spuds, Arran Pilot, and these are currently chitting on the window sill in the conservatory.

The main bed in the growing area is FINALLY covered with a mixture of chicken poo, leaf mulch and homemade compost; this has taken me soooo long to do so pleased this is crossed off my list.

I have exciting news about this area, too. We are going to buy a poly tunnel, a domestic one, and we have seen one which is just about the same size as this area, 19 x 6 foot. It will go over the bed, be strongly secured to it and I'm now having to re-jig where I intend to sow/plant/grow things! Tracy over at Our Smallholding Adventure has one the same as we're going to purchase so really great to have a first hand account/review before buying. We hope to have it in position by the end of April.

I'm attempting to turn the bed outside the poly house into a cutting flower bed. For this I ordered some new seeds to go along with the ones I already have. In the same order I chose some dwarf beans, which I love growing, and there was an offer for 24  begonias which I plan on putting in the hanging baskets and maybe the planters outside the Airbnb listings.

Back to Storm Ciara. It began late Saturday afternoon after what what really was a lovely day. I completed the compost job I talked about at the beginning, collected up some leaves to mulch in a corner and put fresh bedding in the chicken house which I had cleaned out on Wednesday.

The chickens were put back in there from having been in the pond enclosure for quite a while. I was really pleased at getting these things done as we couldn't believe how quickly the storm came in. This was on Friday afternoon, before...

and this was yesterday afternoon.

I'm holding back on starting any sowing too early this year, for a number of reasons. Firstly I don't have my poly house, as I am sure you are WELL aware of, so will be using the conservatory in which to start things once I have cleaned the wooden stools and tables I normally use along with the staging . Secondly there is the poly tunnel to be made use of. A big part of it is connected to being lucky enough to  go and hear Charles Dowding talk back in November; this was arranged by Maryline of Rural and Rustic. I dug out, no pun intended, some magazine clippings about the sowing schedule he uses alongside his no-dig approach. Not really starting until March/April time when hopefully the ground will be warm by the time I am planting out; I'm also going to try his multi-sow idea, too.

Jon has acquired a new quad bike, when I say new I mean pre-loved, and it is already showing its worth with jobs around the place and helping with the sheep, along with our youngest having his own beast.

Jon has got back to working on the 4th Airbnb listing/lodging unit getting on great guns with insulation and plaster board.

Again before the storm I saw signs of Spring, if a little early. I do hope the magnolia tree Strellata doesn't flower any earlier than normal as it has a very short flowering season under normal circumstances.

Last night we were supposed to be heading out to take the boys to their Monday night activities but the weather made us think we really didn't need to leave the house. Boy was I pleased! We sat by the fire with a pot of tea, Jon strumming on his guitar and the boys being very grateful for not having to go out in the cold.

I was generally feeling a little overwhelmed yesterday as I seemed to have a lot to do and too many places to go. Mother nature seems to have stepped in to make me slow down a little and I am very grateful for that. Today I have nowhere to go so just plan on finishing this post, getting on with a few jobs around the house, bake a cake and be grateful that we are safe.

Hope you stay safe, too, and have enjoyed my ramblings.

Lou.xx

Seasons And Colours Are Changing.

Autumn is in full swing now, and I love it! The colours around the house and garden are changing. The creeper on the front is this fab red.

Then the tree I always wrongly call a wonky Willow but is actually a Hazel is looking great and I can't WAIT to bring some of this in as part of the house festive decorations. Eeeek!

And talking of decorations the big, varigated holly bush is looking fab so there will be plenty for cupboard top and table centre displays. 

Can you tell I'm getting excited? 

I've already printed off my Christmas planning sheets - see here.!!! and created another decoration for the house.

On Sunday morning it was a little chilly so we lit the woodburner in the living room whilst we had out first brew of the day before getting on with a few jobs. Have to admit that this view, which is from my regular spot, will be even more wonderful soon as the tree will be placed for Christmas where the small table is in the far corner. I am getting excited which I normally hold back on until after Halloween but this year JUST can't seem to do it! 

Anyhow the weather for the last couple of days have been bright, dry and cool which I absolutely love but today is damp and we have a wet weather warning here for tomorrow and Saturday. The Rayburn is already lit, of course, but I may light the woodburner for when the boys come home; we are going nowhere this evening plus they break up for half term today so perfect night for a cosy time by the fire.

Cracking on. In the week I shunned the ironing board and headed out to the garden. I'd already cleared this bed, no. 3, so set about preparing it by filling it with a mixture of chicken poo/bedding, bought compost, some of my own made black stuff along with some I'd taken from planters to use as a mulch. This bed is now ready to plant with garlic and onions. (Please ignore the weeds surrounding this area!)

This is the bed behind the poly house. I've done the same preparing this one but it will be covered over soon ready for Spring.

I'd put two planters behind the lettuce sink which last year had tulips growing in outside The Snug. If you look REALLY, REALLY closely you can JUST see new shoots growing through! 

Talking of bulbs I did more preparation by clearing the planter outside the Studio. I  planted a selection there including some given to me by my lovely gardening next-door-but- ones.

I'm quite pleased how it turned out but obvs can't wait until we see the colours coming through!

Sorry if you saw this on my Twitter feed but for those who didn't....

#SMEGFEST ALERT!!!

Jon found on Facebook a Smeg fridge freezer that looked a bargain, to say the least!

It was priced at £62, apparently needed work as the thermostat wasn't working, the top cover was missing and one of the doors didn't close properly. It arrived home with Jon, confident as ever that everything could be fixed. After about an hour working on it, sitting over night then switched on for 12 hours or so... ta da!!

The blue lights, which apparently help to keep the fruit and veg fresh, flash on and off when you leave the door open for too long!

I absolutely LOVE it.

I've been suffering with swollen glands and a cough etc. for about a week and I still don't feel my best. I started my new Welsh class last Thursday, da iawn a mi, but I'm not sure I'm going to go today; piggin' shame as only week 2 and it's half term next week... I'll see.

The odd Airbnb booking is still coming in with three last weekend and one this weekend so the chalet will be ready for them shortly.

Well that is my little catch up.

By for now.

Lou.xx

Chilly Day Catch Up.

Hello!

Today we woke up to a frosty start but a clear sky across to the church and the Canolfan.

I thought I'd take a few pics of what's going on around the place; nothing too exciting but just a record of the start to the year.

The Alliums are ALL doing really well so I'm very pleased about that - the garlic,

onions

and shallots.

I have more onion sets to plant out in Feb but soo not yet sure where I'm going to put them!

Yesterday Jon started the tree-cutting-back project that we have in mind before Spring arrives. He began by starting in the far corner near the small veg patch and hopefully within the next couple of weeks he'll get the roadside done; he also plans on taking a couple of trees down in the chicken enclosure ready for when we replace the taken ones next month.

Now, Spring cabbages, these will, hopefully, be ready to harvest in May or thereabouts; I was quite worried about them when I first planted them as they took ages to look like they were doing anything!

The temperatures in the greenhouse and poly house respectively were

In the poly house I planted the dwarf Meteor peas and really pleased with them.

These will harvest in around May with any luck, too.

A few outdoor shots - down the side of the poly house

and over the wall to the field across the road.

and I love the view over the gate of our neighbouring farm.

The flat leaf parsley has bounced back after it was cut back...

and I'm chuffed the snowdrops I moved from the bottom of the garden last year settled well

and the ducks continue to be happy.

My niece had an operation recently so I've made this card for her and l'll be posting it today.

Ok I think that is it for now.

Bye.