Progress, Plants and People

Hello.

It has been over two weeks since my last post - sounds like I'm at confession!! so settle down with a brew as this may take a while!

Things have been pretty busy recently in all aspects here on our little homestead.

You may see in my left side bar the latest of our Airbnb listings. We are so very excited to finally have this available. The progress of the project was great fun when putting it together because of the theme and we absolutely love it. It isn't like the other two rooms we have as people book those last minute for a night away or a couple of days when the weather is good. Because this new listing is a self-catering unit I think we have to be a little more patient for bookings; we expect people to come and stay with us for a few days which obviously needs a little more planning on their part but are optimistic for a good season once we get some reviews in.

Talking of reviews, we've had fab great reviews from all the guests over the last two weeks; we were busy in the run up to and over the Bank Holiday of the year which was fantastic.

Now, the garden. My little patch of paradise is coming along very nicely thanks very much. Due to the wet and warm weather we've been having recently it seems all the plans are getting what they need.

This is the main patch with the maincrop spuds; (they're actually a bit bigger than this now)

obviously I'm having a bit of a potato panic due to there being so much foliage - praying (back to the confession theme) the spuds themselves come out ok especially after last year's dis-ar-ster dhaling!!

I have to admit that these seem to be doing better than the early ones...

In the background you may have seen the onions..

which I'm chuffed with; they are looking so healthy and I'll be keeping an eye on the tops dying back in the coming weeks ready to take them up, hopefully when they can dry out in the sunshine.

As usual I've planted quite a few courgette plants! This is the first of two outside which are currently flowering very nicely.

Yesterday I took the peas up out of the poly house ready to plant two cucumber and a squash plant. I harvested the last few peas - the plants I had in there gave me almost 1.5 lb of peas which are in the freezer. I have more plants in bed three and the one outside the poly house so hope to get another couple of lbs. I had a nice little harvest to take indoors.

The sweet peas are growing really well, I'm cutting them regularly and I just love the fragrance, 

here are some with one of the front door roses, eeek I love them!

Salad leaves are having their best year yet; I think I've finally got the successional sowing of these figured out. Yay, go me!

The turnips are one things that didn't do well with the wet and warm weather; they had all pretty much gone to seed so I picked one and gave the chooks a treat of the leaves. I've already sown some more in with the cabbages and will probably re-sow the bed.

The cabbages have been a real revelation. These were overwintered in the deceased greenhouse and planted out in about February. These were only about five and some were sold or eaten as Spring greens, some given away and we are still eating them now - just two left. Nothing nibbled them, they have grown really healthily so I think I'll go for them again.

I was given some begonias and trailing plants so I bought hanging baskets to make up for the rooms. I'm quite pleased withe them for my first effort.

Something else not quite so welcome but here due to the wet and warm weather were the weeds. This is the far end of the growing area where the weeds had consumed everything...

and then Jon strimmed it for me...

and NOW you can see the planter I'll be using for the outside tomatoes - I love a before and after photo!

I have two fruit trees and two blackcurrant bushes towards the back as well as the raspberry buses which run alongside veg patch 3 (2nd early spuds on the very right). I'm very grateful the ground elder hasn't spread from near the poly house and if we do our best to keep on top of the weeds and grass it should be ok. Because the far right hand side of patch 3 is stony with lots of tree roots I'd love to see if I can use the area to grow borage.

Ok, I've rambled on enough I think and anyway its lunch time.

Bye for now.

Lou.x

Snow, Seeds and Stuff.

Morning.

We have had our first significant snow of the year. This was yesterday; apologies for Radio 4 travel news in the background!

The boys have both got to school but one came home early; they are both praying for a proper snow day.

On Monday I received both of my gardening mags which is always fab and this month a mountain of free seeds came with them. Sowing and growing will commence soon!!!!

I've just ordered from Thomson and Morgan, thanks to Martin Lewis's Money Saving Expert website I have to say, a selection of fruit canes/bushes as it was an offer I just couldn't resist. Instead of paying £52 + p n p I got them for £17.49 total. (Sorry about the poor photo.) 

The offer I think is still available until early next month/whilst stocks last and they are posting out after the cold snap. The temp in the poly house yesterday was 5 degrees but I think these will have to stay indoors for a little while. 

I'll also have to get my bum in gear and tidy the fruit area in readiness for them. A bit of strimming is required and I REALLY do want to get it covered with matting of sorts and then wood chippings to properly keep the weeds down; soooo many jobs/plans.

I am also waiting for delivery of my seed spuds also from T & M. 

This year I have gone for:

- 1st early Swift (approx 16-18 tubers)

- 2nd early Charlottle, including some growing bags as part of an offer (approx 16-18 tubers)

- late maincrop Cara (32 - 36 tubers)

The spud order has prompted me to really get a grip on where I'll be planting things out. I'm not always very good at timing so planting out can continue once something has been harvested, but I am trying! 

We've had to put back the plan of making a new veg patch due to the work on the new Airbnb listing taking priority -  we it will be listed for the summer. Talking of which, here are some photos of the interior; Jon is well on the way to getting the plaster board up in the kitchen/living area which always makes things look great. It will be a lovely light space with 2 Velux windows, a door and a window in there plus a row of three windows in the bedroom.

We also recently celebrated my youngest's birthday, 11, how did that happen? Compared to my first boy which is always a struggle for most people I think, this one came into the world at 3.40pm in just over 5 hours from start to finish; it was a lovely birth being in the day time where as the first was night time as he arrived at 6.30pm with the experience taking a lot longer than that. I'll stop there as I could talk about my pregnancies for ever and it isn't everybody's cup of tea!

So pancakes with blueberries were requested for breakfast.

We're not given to big celebrations in our house but we asked him what he wanted to do. He asked for Domino pizza and this is a real treat for everybody as we have a 26 mile round trip to collect them, but worth it. This is his cake I made; he is not keen on lots of butter cream so we went for a Victoria sponge with a jam filling a couple of twiddly bits on top.....

As I write this we are expecting more snow this afternoon and possibly tomorrow. The temp is 0 degrees just now so really feel for people who still have very cold weather after the very chilly night most of us had, not to mention what is happening in The States! Brrrr.

Right, that's is all my ramblings for now. Off to get a few jobs done and then some leftover yummy homemade butternut squash soup for lunch.

Bye for now.

Outside Work For Once, And Welcome Back Brownie!

Spring is sooooooo close! These are the first daffs to burst into flower in the garden....

and these are first of many to be brought into the house!

and to finish off a carpet of snowdrops at the far end of the garden. Lovely!

I'm starting this post on Friday morning and I'm going to add to it as the weekend goes along. Friday is always a bit weird as when the boys are at school I have time to get just a few things done after they leave then I head out to do the food shopping at 10am. But as they have been away all week I've much longer in the morning every day before I feel I HAVE to get to grips with the jobs of the day, and today I am not going shopping until the weekend, so even more time! The boys are only away until today really YAY! as we are soon going to the Gramps at Nantwich to bring them home!

Today there is nothing left of Storm Doris; we thankfully managed to survive apart from the odd daffodil I saw today looking a bit battered. Any damage to those who weren't quite so lucky I hope is not too serious.x

As I didn't have to go to Aber I decided to get outside as, even a bit cold, it is lovely and bright today, as you can see. 

I've been looking at the seeds in the house this last couple of days so potted on the cabbages today which will be going in the prepared brassica bed, not the main one, about which I was getting myself in a twist the other day! I've put the cherry tomato seedlings in the Poly House at the same time; I'll keep an eye on them but they are looking quite strong.

By the way, these came the other day so I will know exactly what is planted where now!

I also finished the weeding on the main veg patch so both ends are now covered; maybe a bit late but all helps to warm up the soil, I think. (The hole in the yellow plastic has some black plastic underneath it so all is covered!) 

This is a great spot now; nearest end will be for beetroot and cucumbers, plus I sowed the climbing peas in a drainpipe today, too and they will go at the far end.

I've also sown a couple of lines of spring onions in the sink and popped the two trays I had in the Poly House along side them to see how they do. 

I think the reason my spring onions failed last year is because the Poly House was too warm for them.

After Jon finished work on Friday we headed to Nantwich to get the boys. We decided to stay over and go out for Chinese then come back early Saturday morning; Jon and I were awake at 5am due to an unfamiliar bed, he pruned his dad's apple trees then we left after breakfast managing to get home by around 10.45am. When home we had a quick lunch of sausage n mash then went to Aber to do the food shopping.

No outside jobs as we were all just glad to be home together!

This morning, Sunday, I made breakfast then Jon and the boys went out to finish logging the tree - has been quite a big job as a big tree. They stacked the woodpile and made a fire pile, too, ready for a drier day. I popped into the Poly House and did the second of two PH soil tests this week I was pleased to get done. I found the soil in the main veg plot to be 5.5 and the soon-to-be fruit patch was 6 - 6.5 so I guess the latter bodes well for the blueberries which have been on my mind recently. I also took a peek at the spinach I sowed the other day and it is showing its face a little!

Our water has been off since first thing so no washing-up has been done and it is piling up!! Adding to it is the tray from the chocolate brownie I made this morning. I have filled the tin and put some in the freezer for another day.

The boys have really missed them as I have been unable to do my regular amount of baking for AGES due to lack of eggs -  (it takes 6) -  but now things are on the up as we are getting back to normal. In fact last month we collected 34 and with this month almost at an end we have already collected 42 with 2 days still to go!

The weather is not good today, very wet, and the forecast is a bit the same for the coming week but the temperatures look as if they are improving  a little so we mustn't complain.

Right, I think that is it from me. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I look forward to catching up with what everybody has been getting up to.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

(Apologies for the differing colours of typing but I cannot get it all to turn green!)

A Lot Going On - And Some Exciting News!

Right. Today is Friday but what has been going on this week?

I think it was Monday that I picked two of our corn cobs for tea and they were gorgeous. I am still AMAZED that I have managed to grow these!  

On Tuesday I had a bit of an admin day as well as a bit of baking and cleaning out the chikens,

On Wednesday I had a lovely visit from Dawn at Doing It For Ourselves In Wales and she brought me some lovely things. These fantastic chicken plate holders? to use with the Rayburn....

a pile of magazines...

and a bag of chilies. 

She came to help me with my sowing and growing and now have a plan up to around July of what to plant and when. I am continually grateful for her advice and she never thinks I'm completely daft with the things I do, like being too careful with some plants and treating them too kind, well just a bit!

Thursday was a glorious day here.

I used the Rayburn to get a few things done. It is hot enough to use the top so I made the mix for a meat and potatoe pie, the pastry top (with a bit of grated cheese under the pastry top and in it, too...

and it came out very nicely.



I've been given a list by Jon and the boys for some new things to bake so I started off with creamed corn and cheesy bacon muffins. Mmmm.

Whilst all this was going on I had the egg shells for the garden in the warning oven, too.

And then the outside jobs consisted of giving the Poly House a good tidy and sweep after I had taken out the cucmber plants and mixed some of my compost through the bed.

Oh, I've been meaning to post a picture of  this tool which Jon made for me when he found the head of it in the shed and fashioned a new handle for it. 

Now, what else. I've started off some cauliflowers which can be sown in September/October and also a few more turnip; taking a chance on those just because they seemed to grow really well for me. One of the other trays is a salad leaf mix at the suggestion of Dawn; it has rocket, radichio I think, beetroot and mixed leaf seeds all together.  I have spring onions and lettuces in the drainpipes still.

My Father in Law was kind enough to bring me these fruit bushes which I have not moved outside, Dawn! There are two each of Spring and Autumn Raspberries, two Blackcurrants and one of grapes. The patch where they are going needs some attention next week.

The dwarf beans are coming on a treat and a flower appeared on Wednesday.

Now, the exciting news is that on Tuesday night we received an email via Airbnb to say we had a booking for the room this weekend! This is it but there are also two tub chairs and a coffee table.

The room had been advertised for about 10 days but was not available until Tuesday, and we got the booking at 9pm. I am amazed, grateful, nervous etc so we are preparing to welcome our first guests this evening at about 10pm. I have been into Aber this morning to buy a few things as we plan on giving them a compementary, continental breakfast tomorrow morning. The couple are also Airbnb hosts so hope to get some useful feedback from them on our efforts. They COULD be repeat guests if they like what we have to offer as they are coming to view porperties.

Anyhow really must go. I'm getting this post done just now as I have a bit of tidying to do in the garden and have bread to bake, too, then a final check on the room later this evening but the guests are calling when they have a more firm time for their arrival.

Ok, I'll be checking what everybody is up to, as usual, and then I'll see you on the flipside of the weekend.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx