We had a great family weekend. On Friday evening we travelled to the Gramps and came home with the boys on Saturday morning. We stopped in Aber for layers pellets - bought with proceeds from the eggs sales - and more importantly to book the flights for our summer holiday. We didn't manage the latter but came home and did it online instead at a better deal so we are now good to go. Yay! We have arranged for both sets of kindly neighbours to take care of the chickens, the egg collecting and the watering of the Poly House as it will be a bit of a crucial time, hopefully, with things really coming on.
When home Jon and I went outside and got a good lot of jobs done.
I planted out more broccoli but have a couple more I have to wait on for a bit more growth.
I have almost completed my potato campaign! ending with the Maris Pipers.
I set to putting five seed spuds in each of the three remaining tyres plus four in an old compost bag in the Poly House as a bit of an experiment. Jon is hopefully to get me the last tyre I need for the final five tubers next week then I AM DONE! until the ones for Christmas!
I started to weed and de-stone around the fruit trees, slowly slowly catchy monkey!
I planted out another few climbing peas and sowed some more inside.
I put the sunflowers outside for a little while but put them back in later.
On Sunday we had to go food shopping but later in the afternoon we had great weather so were able to get a good few hours outside.
I planted my gherkins in the Poly House raised bed; I have three of them and then should be room in the bed for the aubergines, too.
I now have three Gardener's Delight plants in their final growing spot so will have to look out for pinching out now and get some support sorted out in a few weeks.
The boys, Jon and then me all helped with each stage of putting mushroom dowels in three tree logs outside; these are how the dowells came when delivered.
Alfie went to the field with Jon, chainsaw in hand, to get the wood then both the boys helped to put the logs in the best spot near the second veg patch. The one on the right is the Shitake and the other two are for the Chicken of the woods; the latter apparently have a texture like cooked chicken!
Jon drilled the holes in the logs....
then between the four of us we hammered in the dowells.
We gave them a good watering and now need to keep an eye on the level of moisture. It is a long term thing as our first harvest won't be for 15 to 18 months but very exciting to have projects like this in place for the future.
For Sunday tea we have pork chops, new potatoes and our salad leaves (not that many yet but soon) plus my pickled beetroot. Jon and I both thought it will be fab when we can have all of those things when we have grown and raised them ourselves.
Jon was back to work today and my boys are back to school tomorrow so I have been baking for snacks and packed lunches - fruit cake, lemon muffins - half in the freezer - and bread rolls (still proving but will be the same as these with mixed seeds on top).
The last of the washing from their trip to the Gramps has been done so of course there is a little ironing to do.
We went to the dentist this morning and, after checks and x-rays, their next appointment is in a year; maybe all my nagging for them to clean their teeth, not letting them drink endless glasses of fizzy drinks and making sure they eat a sensible amount of fruit seems to have worked. Go me!
I'm looking forward to a bit of a me day tomorrow as I am properly Spring cleaning our room on Wednesday, TOP TO BOTTOM, and need to prepare myself for that! there may be one little thing I share with you but won't know until later.
Right, going to catch up on what everybody else has been up to over the weekend.
Bye for now.
Lou.xx
