A Busy Sow And Sow!

Hello and bore da!

This is what I've been up to over the last few days. 

On Friday I re-sowed mixed Sweet Peppers and Sweet Romano peppers. the first lot really didn't seem to do anything so the new lot are in the conservatory still but covered over with a plastic bag; we'll see how they get on.

Sunday was great as I was in the poly house (PH) at about 9.30am making the best of things before it possibly rained and I set about getting a few jobs done inside and out. In my RAF surplus flying suit I was good to go but when you need a pee it's a bit of a bugger so in I went, twice(it's my age) and also put on another pair of socks as my feet were cold!

First I needed to cover over the veg beds, again, whilst taking up the odd weed; sooo bored of this wind.

I sowed my first tomatoes, three varieties - Cuor di Bue, Outdoor Girl and Yellow Delight. The PH was 20 degrees, as was my homemade propagator but need to increase that some how.

So I have some in there and some just on the bench to see if they germinate ok or if they need to go onto the window of the kitchen or conservatory - just about the extent of any trial work I do!

Getting a few things on the poly house benches now! 

I then set about sowing Kale Curly Dwarf outside in the bed with the shallots which is at the back of the (PH); I love Kale, managed to grow a bit last year so hoping to do better this time.

In a recent post I said I was trying to grow more flowers, well today I sowed some of the newly bought Nigella Persian Jewels in a terracotta pot in the PH. They grow to about 
45 cms so not sure now that will work out but we'll see!

I had two fruit trees which in a word died, doing nothing, so I've taken those out. The fruit area is definitely something which needs looking at; it is very, very overgrown.

You may remember Jon built me three new raised beds some time ago.

and these, too, have stayed covered over for a while; I decided to sow some turnips in one of them; turnips are another thing I love, sliced thinly and fried with garlic. Nomnom!

Because of the rain I had my youngest help by filling up the watering cans and bottles for the PH and he moved the wheelbarrow back where it belongs after being used to move logs and kindling. 

I've got quite a few strawberry plants to pot on; there are the 12 from my Thompson & Morgan bargain fruit bundle still in the small middle pot but the others are looking quite healthy; the drainpipe with strawbs in is now outside resting on the raised bed just outside the PH.

I don't think I've shared my seed potato plans for this year.

Swift and Charlotte earlies...

then maincrop Cara are all sitting in the conservatory.

I plan on growing most of them in open ground this year but there will be the odd growing bag, too, I'm sure.

Also on Sunday, Jon was managing to work on the fencing for the bird enclosures, thanks to a break in the weather, but he was still out there in the rain at times - he is very tenacious!

After the fox attack on both the chickens and ducks we  he is raising the height of the fencing. This means, of course, that the gates will be taller, too. (The tree seat came in useful as an extra support!)

Here is the gate into the ducks, love it...

and the one for the chicken area will be the same; this means we can let the chooks free-range at times without letting the ducks out; still a bit to do but a great job to get started on.

We are all very excited about getting the birds again.🐔

Today, Tuesday, I've been outside and potted on the two blueberry plants which also came in my T & M fruit bargain bundle. Does anybody else feel like ericaceous compost is like gold dust and shouldn't be wasted or is it just me?

Ok, that is it for me, finally got this done. I shared this on Twitter yesterday but what the heck. I got round to a bit of baking and for tea made a beef and spud pie in my skillet, in the oven for the first time, and was really quite pleased with the result.

And finally, I received in the post yesterday some new crochet hooks thanks to inspiration from Emma over at Farmer's Wife And Mummy and SueArcher6 over on Twitter. I've tried in the past as I sooo want to be able to do just simple projects. I'm going to give it another go today with the help of an internet tutorial.

Right that's it I think.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Monday Mumblings.

Hi. My last post was only on Wednesday but it seems ages ago to me.

This is a bit of a random post, no change there, with a few things I've been thinking about and doing.

Jon's cousin and other half came on Saturday lunch time and we have a great time. Our boys are away with the Gramps, thanks to our guests taking them back with them yesterday, until Friday so I have no time constraints for when they are due home, like snacks and tea making. Right here we are then.

My beetroot is shooting up well so I've decided to cram into the veg patch as much as I can when I plant it out.  Last year I grew what turned into approximately 3lbs and this made almost three jars when pickled.

I figure that as it is only really eaten in the summer if I grow twice, or three times, as much as that this year then I won't need to grow it next year; that is the plan anyhow!

I have been looking for seeds to grow sweet chilies but not been very successful so asked Dawn, you know who I mean I'm sure, and she gave me a good list to look for; this is one of the many jobs on my list of things to do!

As I got it into my head the other day to sow some spinach seeds the other day, a little thing came into my head

Think where things will go before you decide to sow! 

and

Label everything where possible or necessary

I decided to give my seeds in the house a little helping hand this week so...

this lot and those in the kitchen have been given some extra warmth; things are coming along well and can't wait to get them into the Poly House.

On Saturday I received a lovely parcel in the post; I have joined up with a Stationery Swap together with Jocelyn from The Reading Residence and here are my goodies...

In my parcel were pencils, a pen, post it notes, note cards with envelopes, a mini stapler, bookmarks, stickers, a notebook and stickers. All just lovely from a lady called Amy.

This Friday my blueberry bush offer arrived from my Grow Your Own mag. This morning I unpacked them and gave them a good watering, a little time yet before I get them in the ground.

A couple of photos from the garden. The herb sink is slowly coming back to life

and the garlic is doing really well.

The green picket fence, which you can just see at the far left of this photo, has been extended right up to the new gate Jon built. This is another creosoting job for me but to be honest I find it quite satisfying. When this is painted I have to do another coat on ALL of the fencing but I'll get a cuppa, my little seat and radio and be off!

Can't wait until I can see lots more things through the window of the Poly House!

I don't have photos of the process as I was too scared to look, but Jon and the boys took down a tree on Saturday morning and he is half way through logging it ready to season for next winter; he is LOVING filling up his newly positioned woodpile! (I heard about this book on the radio and I think I may have to buy it for him!


Great excitement, well at least from me, on Saturday morning. The girls gave us 5 eggs, and three today so far; things are on the up it seems.

After the boys had gone to the Gramps on Sunday Jon and I had a bit of us time in Aber. The usual, buying work socks, rodent killer and a PH soil testing kit. As you do!

We also sat and had a coffee, well Jon did. I was very good and didn't have a coffee as they had run out of skimmed milk and I watched him eat a caramel shortbread, too. (It is my weigh in tonight so looking forward to some good news and also going to the earlier meeting as don't have to get tea for the boys.)

Right, better get on. 

Bye 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

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