Poly House, Crafting and Christmas.

 Hello.

I'd hoped to get this post published on Monday when here in Wales we came out of our circuit breaker. I'm hoping people will not see this as a time to celebrate the end of restrictions but to instead keep asking themselves what they can do to keep the virus at bay and from spreading.

Also in the news this week there has been real progress with vaccines. It is said there is a chance of maybe two being available by the Spring; this is wonderful but in the meantime we need to keep up with the rules:

                                                HANDS                  FACE                SPACE                                              

Moving on. Here on our little homestead we're been cracking on with jobs and the most exciting one is the re-covering of the poly house. I'm not sure how long it had been in such disarray but it is months. 

The job was started last week, in the wind and rain.

Because of the weather this last week we had to wait until Satruday morning to start again so Jon fetched new battens and he and the boys set to work et voila!! 

I am absolutely chuffed to bits that it is useable again and in the afternoon I set about tidying up, putting all the pots above the door where they belong and gave it a good sweep out. 

I'm sooooo looking forward to getting back to doing inside outside jobs again, but also to just spending some me time in there with a brew, thinking about the sowing and growing I'll be able to do in there in the coming months.

I didn't actually wait that long to get in there to do something as on Sunday I planted 62 red onion sets in individual pots! 

I had ordered variety Electric but I was sent a replacement vairiety called Roelin which I'm asured is a suitable substitute. They are Autumn planting ones but I just thought I would experiment and plant them like this and then put them out later, just because....

I received a fairly big order of seeds last month which I talked about on my last post and I'm hoping for that my last order, I think, will arrive in the next couple of days. (Post man has just been so won't be today!) I'm waiting for the following:

courgette Gold F1

tomato Big Mama F1 

cucumber Diamant (gherkins)

Nasturtium Alaska

sweetcorn Swift F1

I've been getting back to a little more crafting after taking a break after finishing my mammoth project of my festive journal. You can see a flip through of it here on my YouTube channel. This shadow box is something I've been working on for a while until I had the special lights. You can see how it makes such a difference to the effect.

We're really looking forward to celebrating Christmas this year, even though it will be a little different. We normally love having friends and neighbours round on Boxing Day, kitchen table heaving with food, treats and a few glasses of bubbly but we won't be doing that this year. It won't stop us having a lovely family time, though, as we always do and a part of this is me decorating in my own, special way which I can't WAIT to do. 

With the cake already sitting in the cupboard waiting to be fed, which is normal at this time of the year, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I know some people don't like to think about  Cristmas too early but I'm just thinking what the heck. The turkey is ordered, there is mincemeat in the cellar store room from last year waiting for the first lot of mince pies and even a box of crackers we didn't get round to pullng and our youngest has got his music playlist sorted. Doesn't seem to be a way of stopping the festive juggernaut and frankly I'm not too concerned in doing so, but I do draw the line at Christmas songs being played before December 1st. 

And to that, in the words of the fabulous Matthew McConaughey, I say "alright, alright, alright"!

Ok well, enough of my ramblings. Today is Jon's birthday so better get that cake iced.

Take care of yourself and each other.

Bye for now,

Lou.xx

Post-Christmas Garden Procrastination.

Hello there.

I didn't feel inclined to the panic and rush of a New Year's Eve/Day blog post so feel more relaxed to attempt it now. Such is my relaxation I am beginning it on Sunday afternoon and will be hopefully completing it tomorrow. All my men return to school and work tomorrow so as well as starting this I will mostly be ironing so I can have a me day from 8.15am until 3.15pm when I will probably be fetching our youngest from rugby.

FYI, it is now 11.5am on Monday morning. Just had a nice surprise as Jon popped in to get a brew to go whilst collecting some tools for a job, I've done a few jobs around the house and now here I am.

So where to begin? A belated Happy New Year, Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.

...and little about last year.

We had our best Airbnb year to date including hosting family members in all 3 listings over the Christmas period; we received this lovely card from one of the couples on January 4th.

 

and we started preparation for creating a full-blown business out of the listings by having new signage made; very exciting.

I made my first attempt at hanging baskets for the listings and also improved the planters and I was very happy with the results.

The third of our listings had its first visitors in July and from then on was busy right through the year give or take the odd week; we didn't expect that at all. Here is the link.

We are super excited that we already have bookings for the 2020 National Esiteddfod which is taking place in Tregaron, just eight miles away from us from 1-8 August.

In the garden, even though it was neglected slightly due to the first item on this list, I did get a great, continuous harvest of red and green lettuce, my best garlic yield yet, the first very successful growing of Spring cabbage and cauli, although there were harvesting issues with the latter. Here are some other minor treats from the veg patches.

Just before Christmas Jon got round to a little project in the kitchen. We bought a job lot of Laura Ashley tiles and he did a fab job on the sink area.

Now, onto the title of this post. I am so suffering from said title at the moment. I just cannot get myself outside but today I thought I would go out and look at the state of pay. I took a few photos when I went out to feed the chooks; they got a few extra treats over Christmas and although they are in low yield mode just now the eggs are massive.

Here are said chooks; we put down some of the bamboo in the week as they were laying behind it and I had trouble retrieving the eggs; they also have something different on which to chow down.

This is the rather gloomy view of the growing area - not an attractive sight at this time of the year to be honest.

I have fresh compost in the six tyres as well as the other two large ones; there is still some work to be done there. I did manage to cut back the raspberry canes before Christmas but not much else...

Obvs not much sowing and growing happening just now. Here are the onions? These are planted in the right hand side of the bed in the far left of the above photo. They have been constantly brought to the top by the rain and then got at by birds, possibly. I'm leaving as is until I get some February planting sets and then I will sort out the bed; at least one seems to have taken!

Also in the same bed on the left hand side is the garlic; this sort of had the same problem but has taken much better.

Whilst looking for evidence of snowdrops at the far end of the garden, which I found yay, I also spotted some of the garlic cloves which had taken flight, by one means or another, from the bed and across the fence!

Outside the polyhouse (far too embarrassed to show you THAT) are the planters I had nearThe Snug last Spring/Summer; they are happily coming back to life; I have to be very honest and say there are new bulbs which I have not got round to planting yet.....

On the way back up to the house I spied some buds on the Magnolia Strallata. This is my very favourite thing in the garden but I only wish it was in flower for a longer time.

This is how I very much look forward to it showing later in the year.

So that is a little ramble about stuff. 

Last night I began some planning of what will go where in the growing area. Not even THINKING about sowing anything yet but do like to know where things will be. Trying to make sowing and growing easier for me this year, manage my time better along with looking after the Airbnb listings. I don't want the former to fail whilst the other is thriving - just need to be organised which I really am good at normally....

I do need to order the February garlic and decide which spuds I'm growing this year but that is about it for now, despite the seed catalogues regularly flying through the door at a fair rate of knots! 

Jon brought home a mahoosive amount of wood for logging just before Christmas which should keep us in wood beyind next Winter. It came with some lovely composted down wood chips. Hoping to get this on the beds when we have a dry spell in a couple of weeks; we have already given a good few barrow fulls to our next but one neighbours and they are very happy with it.

Along with this I have been going through the multitude of seeds I have collected; I'm ready to give some away to a deserving project somewhere hopefully in Mid-Wales. I've just cancelled both of my gardening magazine subscriptions; it's part of the cutting back on the budget as usual at this time of the year - every little helps - and this is also where most of my seeds come from.

Right, getting on for lunchtime now so hope this reaches you with not too many mistakes and that you enjoy my first ramblings of 2020. I'm also returning to my Slimming World group this evening to deal with the food slump I have found myself in.

Bye for now, Lou.xx

Random Bits and Pieces

Morning.

Today is Dydd Santes Dwynwen, the Welsh version of Sta Valentines Day. Here is her story.

Other things going on around our little homestead are a few signs of Spring. I left some daffs and hyacinths in pots in the Poly House over Winter and they are showing signs of life.

The strawberries that were sitting outside are looking ok, too.

Obviously nothing can actually be classed as being IN the greenhouse with the amount of natural ventilation it is getting at the moment!


The sink outside the Poly House has been tidied up and looking good for the coming months.

I need to sort out the old loo on the other side of the door and sow some new seeds when the time comes and also hope to put some rosemary in.  

Jon was at Charlie's recently and he came home with these boot for me which were in the sale at £9. They are a size bigger than my feet but with a good pair of socks they will be great. My walking boots which I live in are starting to fade so these will help, but a bit big for driving in!

The beginning of sowing and growing is here as my seed potatoes have arrived from Thompson and Morgan; always fabulous service from T and M - I'll be putting these to chit next week.

A variety you can't see close up is Vizelle. They are a brand new early maincrop, a miniature early potato which apparently have a good yield and flavour.

I have gone for Arran Pilot 1st earlies as I liked them last year and Cara as they were a recommended variety and are a new one to try.

Jazzy are a 2nd early and Tracy is trying these this year, too, so look forward to comparing results! I have Charlotte 2ns earlies, of course, you can't not have some of these - were an offer from GYO magazine came with....

three growing bags and some incredicrop.

And with the order I got another offer of seeds if I ordered something I think or it might have just been a special price; always good to have a few spare seeds.

Also outside there are signs of life; here is my Lautrec garlic...

and the beginnings of White Radar onions.

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!)