Good Jobs!! Even With The Rain.

A little up-date on the sowing and growing - what else? We have had some much needed rain but still managing to get some work done outside.

On Friday I took a proper inventory of how many seedlings I have which will ultimately need moving to their final growing places; best case scenario of numbers, what they need to be in and where they will actually go/fit.

I decided to take the poorly performing salad leaves out of the Poly House drainpipe as they just didn't seem to thrive. The sink outside is fab for lettuces so think I'll try the leaves in there, too. 

Probably will try radishes inside as outside they don't seem to work for me.

I also moved the sunflowers, which were in a small trough, into the bed with the cabbages and broccoli - may sound weird but there are only four of them; at the same time I realised there is a bit of room between said brassicas so I have also moved the spinach there, too. Bit of a squeeze but I'm sure all with be well.

The trough that was freed up from moving the spinach meant I could put the rest of the Dwarf Beans in so that was another good job. 

Beef toms were potted on and both Butternut Squash and Courgettes are coming on with good, strong leaves so potted on both of those, too.

Whilst in the brassica bed I did a bit of weeding and also in the main bed and potato tyres. Talking of spuds my Sweet Potatoes, not spuds I know, arrived yesterday so can't wait to get those in!

And look at these beauties! They are the salad blues kindly given to me by Tracy over at Our Smallholding Adventure. Don't forget to pop over and see what great stuff her gang are doing down on The Farm.

I've also planted my last five Maris Piper spuds in a spare compost bag, putting them outside along with the ones from the Poly House and the planter of carrots.

You know when there is that elephant in the room, that job you have been putting off? Well I finally go round to emptying the food caddy I had put a remedy in for the broccoli last year - didn't work. It had been lurking near the compost bins but no more. Yay!

These are the bunch of containers I bought at the weekend to go with the ones I already have including a large pot for the lime tree offer I ordered; I hope it will thrive in this. 

Yesterday Jon delivered the chicken house, with the help of some pals, to school and just has to put the fencing in now; he included a glass panel so the children can see the hens.

Also we have sold the ride on mower through a Facebook smallholding page, it IS the devil in my opinion, so probably won't use that again; the money will go in our holibobs pot. After work today he is fetching a pig ark that is going for free so we'll keep that until we need it in summer. Bring on the porkers.

On a family note I received the dates for what is going on at school from now for the next nine weeks or so until the boys break up for summer; residential trips to Cardiff, sports day, school fete etc.

I came across this article the other day -Embracing Life On The Homestead. It is a good read and I especially like the bit about dirt under nails. I often find myself coming in from the garden to put my bread on its next prove; I can get confused about whether I should be kneading the weeds or weeding the bread!

Right this post has been a real pain as have been having probs with my photo downloads so will leave it before anything else go wrong!

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Good Job!!! A Lot More Than One!

There's nothing like getting a few jobs done.

On Friday I had a baking day due to a plan change re food shopping; I baked bread, rolls and loaf, plain shortbread and I think my best yet Millionnaires Shortbread for Jon.

On Saturday after food shopping and lunch we got ourselves outside and made a start.

Jon was finishing the verandas outside the Airbnb room; here they are from start to finish - with a little help from Alfie.

We are really pleased with how it looks.

I was busy in the Poly House and got lots done. I bought new sweetcorn kernels to sow as the others all failed but one and I must have them growing this year.

I potted on and sowed some more French Marigolds and put three Beef tomato plants in their final big pots.

On Sunday I decided to put the sweet peas in with the climbing peas as planned and at the same time set up a little netting for them at both ends, you can just see I think.

I sowed parsnip seeds as I've decided to put my cucumbers inside and use that outside space for something I can't grow indoors. I still had to dig the spot over, again, and take out more stones but done in the end.

We decided to go to Aber to get a second table and chair set to match for the next room and pick up a few things including this for my Poly House.

We finished up and had a quiet night watching the Durells and the finale of Line Of Duty.; it was soooo good!

Today, Monday, we were up quite early and after breakfast I headed to the Poly House. Jon was in the shed making the beginnings of a chicken house for the boy's school; they ordered one, the company went bust and they lost their money; he will make them a run, too.

I went straight to the potatoes as the frost caught the leaves the other day! I cut off the black ones but new green ones are already coming through so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! 

I didn't do very well with my sunflowers last year so hope for improvement with the four I put in a trough.

Due to a few failures with my sowing I decided to re-sow the following:

butter nut squash
sweet peppers
peppers boneta (should be grown outside)

I gave the spot for the swede a good turning over, as I did for the parsnips, then sowed the seeds.

When I look at my growing area I sometimes can't believe my eyes. It looks pretty much how I have dreamed of having a veg garden - I just hope it all comes off this year as I have worked so hard on it all.

I am very pleased there are signs of the carrots coming through, as with the shallots, in the new patch and I can see the rows of teeny, tiny leaves where the turnips are germinating.

The weather is glorious just now so Jon and I have taken a turn around the garden. The wild garlic is in flower and I have picked some to dry.

Here is some information about ways to eat and use the garlic; it is all but done by June so I need to keep an eye on it.

I have been looking after the strawberries now they are in the cold frame. I have lost a few of the plants but I can see some little fruitlets on the ones I still have.

I've been looking for a before photo of the gate. Reason being that we power washed it today, mainly me, Alfie and bit and Jon finished off. Trust me it looks sooo much better. We were going to paint it but I just like it like this. It was covered in green mossy stuff and looks like a new gate now. It will need preserving with something at some stage. 

Right, I'm going to close the gate on this post and look forward to catching up with what everybody has been up to over the last couple of days.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Bank Holiday Bonanza!

Hello. Hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend.

We did and we were also able to get a lot of things done in the garden along with having some guests in our Airbnb room.

On Friday the boys were helping Jon get rid of the bamboo roots we had been keeping in the far left corner of the garden. Now was the time to get them down to the field to be used there as a barrier and to make good the land they had been sitting on. Get ready for some before and after photos.

This is how they had been for what seems ages, on the left of the photo..

 

there are the boys helping Jon make mincemeat of it - axes, saws and chainsaw in hands...

and finally how it looked today when Jon had cleared the last of it and raked it all over. Fab!

This is a really important thing in the garden as the bamboo has been a real labour to get rid of and make the ground usable. There will be some new fencing at some point but for now we are super pleased with the result. I may put some roses in this spot, too, not sure yet.

I made a start on the rabbit proofing as the little blighters had been nibbling my climbing peas.

I also had to top and tail the room as we had guests booked for Friday evening arrival.

On Saturday we gave the boys a day off as they had been very helpful, Jon continued with the bamboo of course. 

I got some good jobs done in the Poly House and outside. I planted out some of the broccoli and did some more rabbit proofing. This was finished by Sunday with some help from Jon and it now runs the length of the picket fence and they really should not be able to get in anywhere now.

I also sowed the cucumbers, again; do hope they take this time. Between wanting to be in the garden I had to get the room ready again as we had Saturday evening arrivals! We decided to take a drive out as the weather was sunny if a little windy. We went to Borth and had a walk on the beach followed by ice cream and cake.

On Sunday morning we were expecting Jon's dad and his wife as they were staying over and then taking to boys to theirs the next day for a few days away. I managed to get two rows of the beetroot planted out and weeded a second spot for wild flowers near the new veg patch. 

I also had to top and tail the room, again, for the in-laws and they arrived after lunch then we had a lovely day and evening with some yummy roast pork.

This morning the boys had left with the Gramps by about 10.30am so Jon and I headed outside. We did some work then went to Aber to buy more compost - hopefully the last lot - and a couple of other things and also had some lunch and a walk along the sea front before coming back and getting stuck back into a few more jobs.

I managed to scatter the second lot of wild flowers, planted up three pots of freesias,

and the sweet peas to go at the front door.

I re-sowed the pepper bonetas, as the first lot did not take at all, sowed some more beetroot and beef tomatoes (a variety called Marmande). I potted on the gherkins and the Cuor di Bue tomatoes and hoed the main veg patch.

The raised bed in the Poly House is now full and ready for planting.

Jon made this chair for me last week so I can sit and admire all my hard work in the garden.

When we got back from Aber I did my Poly House bits and pieces whilst Jon made a start on the little verandas that will be in front of the rooms. There will be steps up to them with room for a table and chairs. They will just extend the space for each of the rooms.

I'm really pleased we got so much done. I still have a list of things to be done by the end of the month including last lot of spuds to be planted out.But, with Jon going back to work tomorrow and the boys away I am going to try and find a little me time. I am working my way along my craft bench in the cellar cleaning and tidying it up, a lot! I've made a good start and really want to finish that and I may do some baking to put in the freezer, too.

We'll see what I can manage.

Look forward to reading what everybody has been getting up to over the weekend.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Brrrrrrr But Bright, Yesterday!

We were very pleased that the weather was lovely yesterday. It was the kind of day that started off with you needing a coat but after you got into your jobs it soon came off. Jon and the boys were working on the fencing that will edge what will be the parking for the B and B rooms; it looks fab. Still a bit of work to do as I am on creosote duty when we get a dry day and the actual area for parking will have stone chippings down eventually.

Jon then made a start on some steps so we could get down to the chicken house instead of going through the gap at the bottom of the garden. The boys were taking the dug up earth away in the barrows to the other end where we needed to level up the ground at the gap.

Jon decided to take a tree at the end of the chicken enclosure down whilst he had the chainsaw in hand. This of course means more logs, but also immediately, of course, the boys began whittling branches into swords!

I did more work on the fruit patch and I'm really pleased with the effort I have put into it. You can really see how it is coming along now. My Grow Your Own magazine came this week and on the front was an offer for 3 blueberry bushes, all for the price of the p and p at £5.95; sorry Tracy, didn't mean to sound too smug, chic! I was chuffed with this as was exactly what I wanted for that area when it is finished. Photos soon.

I went out to the Poly House on Friday morning - YAY!! with a cuppa of course.

As shopping day was moved to Saturday I had some spare time so I sowed the following: three trays of seeds for beetroot, another spring onions, cucumbers, Italian beef tomatoes and cabbage. On Saturday morning I sowed 2 types of aubergines. I am moving them between the top kitchen window and the conservatory as it has been very sunny in the latter. 

Alfie's group, along with the others at his Stage School, are putting on a production of Thoroughly Modern Millie in June. He is really looking forward to it but also knows there will be a lot of practise and hard work required. God help me if I turn into a Dance Mom!!

I noticed over the weekend that NOW my Poinsettia decides to start growing red leaves!!! 
I will find somewhere for it as i will keep it going until the festive season, sorry for that.

That's all for today.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx