Nick and Janette - our allotment (and anything else)

Such a perfect day

2011-05-01T04:09:00.003Z

before, during and after.

Bartons Mill was the most wonderful venue and beautiful weather.

Normal service will be resumed shortly

2011-04-20T01:09:00.002Z

Due to Wedding planning, our service has been interrupted but will resume shortly. We apologise for any inconvenience during this time.

A different sort of bird

2011-02-06T17:13:00.002Z

I have been very diligent throughout the Winter in making sure the birds have plenty of food and water.

It is lovely, not that it is Spring to see the Long Tail Tits back and a new bird that I haven't see non the bird table before.

Now that's what I call and icicle

2011-01-06T21:56:00.003Z

Under the railway bridge in Old Basing near the Millstone PH.

Allotment update

2011-01-06T21:42:00.004Z

We took the opportunity to reclaim the allotment over Chrismas as it was in such a terrible neglected state.

It actually didn't take that long to get the beds weeded and dug over. We had 5 trips to the tip with the trailer loaded of Jewson bags full of weeds and one full of rubbish so a very refreshing clear out.

I also took the opportunity to give the greenhouses a good clearout. They were both packed with old pots, many of the cracked or damaged so any that didn't meet a very stringent vetting process, went for recycling. The soil in the beds is getting a bit thin and lifeless so my next job is to shovel it all out into a raised bed (work in progress) and get some new good stuff in so hopefully we will get some good crops going this year.

One great surprise was that I had forgotten about a row of carrots I sewed in July. As this is after the risk of carrot root fly damage, they should be good. Unfortunately I forgot about them in the Autumn but the frost and snow doesn't seem to have done any damage and we have a great box full of lovely little carrots. Not as sweet as they would have been but still lovely.

Remember this

2011-01-06T21:30:00.005Z

You may remember this. A few months ago we purchased this cabinet from May's auction.

It has been on the bench in my shed for a few months undergoing transformation but I haven't been able to show it to you as Katy caught a glimpse of it in the early stages of transformation and just happened to mentioin how well it would fit in her porch. Not being one to miss a hint, it was on her Christmas list.

It also served as a perfect hiding place for her other Christmas presents.

One 70's Beezer annual and a new handle later - it is transformed.

It was too heavy for her to take away on Chrismas day so Angel tested it out for Tiger and full approved of it as a lookout post.

Grey or Red

2010-12-05T17:58:00.004Z

We had a couple of visitors yesterday who decided that they liked the taste of hawthorne berries. There were two cheeky squirells who spent the afternoon filling themsleves up. I was really surprised by their colouring as they were both grey with red heads and backs. They looked like youngsters to me so I am surprised that we haven't had more damage to the bird feeders as a family of squirrels would soon strip their way throught a feeder.

Maybe they keep their distance from the ducks.

Back to the snow

2010-12-02T19:12:00.003Z

For the second time this year we have snow. This time we are well off compared to many areas of the country as we only have about 6 inches.

I have been distracted from working all day but a cheeky blackbird who found the apples tht we had left hanging on the tree.

He has munched his way through most of the apply by returning every few minutes. He did take a break in the middle of the day but was back to fill up before sun down.

So sweet

2010-12-01T19:36:00.002Z

One bonus from the allotment is some carrots that I sewed in July. Waiting this late means that they don't get carrot fly but they don't get time to get very big. They are soooooo sweet though.

This is just a small part of the row so lots more where these came from.

Deralict allotment

2010-11-27T18:18:00.005Z

This is the allotment when we got there yesterday. It certainly looks as though it has been abandoned. Quite a depressing sight but it didn't take us long to get started clearing. As it was cold and dry the weeds came up easily and it was lovely diffing.

We only managed about an hour before it got too cold and was starting to get dark (about 3.45) so we packed out tools away and came home to a lovely warm fire which had been burning since about midday.

Back again today. After another hour it is a very different sight. We have cleared one side of 52 and as we are giving up 51 in the Spring we will just strim all the weeds back, take down the netting and frame and clear everything away. The other side of 52 should take us another couple one hour sessions and then we can make a start of 53.

A good job done (so far)

Getting bigger

2010-11-26T14:34:00.001Z

My quilt is getting bigger. I intend to add one more round and stop there.

We are off to the allotment this afternoon as it is sunny but soooooooooooo cold. Update to follow although it won't be pretty as it is a long time since we have been there.

Keeping me busy sewing

2010-11-05T13:43:00.007Z

I had a mad moment and joined an online sewing group to ultimately make this quilt. It starts with a block in the middle and then grows with 12 different borders.

I had made the centre block that I found on another group on the internet. I am already up to round 5 and there are over 1,000 pieces of fabric. I have cut for round 6, 7 and 8 so more sewing over the next few days and regular updats to follow.

Which religious holiday is it?

2010-11-05T13:40:00.002Z

Is it a Christmas Cactus? Is it an Easter Cactus? No..... it is an October Cactus.

The plant looked very boring one day and the next time I looked it had burst into flower. Strange considering it hasn't been watered for a month. Maybe the flowers were a plee to get moved to a place of prominance next to a supply of running water.

Little surprises

2010-11-05T13:36:00.003Z

We haven't been able to get to the allotment for a while but I had been doing some tidying up in the garden and planting spring bulbs. I sewed some beetroot seeds in a pot so that we could use them as salad leaves but as the season progressed they got a bit woody so I consigned the pot to behind the shed. I dragged it out at the weekend and found a lovely bowl full of baby beetroot.

Eaten warm, they were a burst of taste and didn't quite make it to the plate as I had demolished the lot as I was skinning them.

The bowl was in a box of assorted item that came from an auction and it is currently my favourite bowl.

Not quite bird watching

2010-10-14T12:52:00.002Z

While I was working at home yesterday a butterfly decided that I needed help and landed on the edge of the window right next to me. I was really surprised and it was complete coincidence that I had the camera on the desk.

I hope he/she survived the night as it was very chilly and late in the season to see them.

You can tell I am not a butterful expert as I don't even know what sort it is.

p.s. Happy Birthday Cliff

Brilliant design

2010-10-01T08:16:00.003Z

I love it when I find something that is a different take on a utility item. Bike locks serve their purpose but why are they so boring.

Not anymore thants to sono mocci

A rainy day out

2010-09-29T18:47:00.008Z

A couple of weeks ago the weekend was forcast to rain, and true to its forecast we woke up to rain having planned the day at the allotment. Instead we took a trip down the A303 to Shipton Bellinger to Mays Auctions where they had a general auction. It was a lovely morning out and we got to see what life is like in a true auction house rather than one which takes over a village hall for the weekend. We had a good look round, marked which lots we wanted to bid on, found a comfy seat and had bacon rolls and tea for brunch.

After loading up with our buys (more on this later) the weather had cheared up and we took the scenic route home past Wilton Windmill. We had forgotten that it was heritage weekend and it was open free for the day. By then the sun had come out and it was a lovely surprise to get to see it working as there was a good breeze aswell.

Now for the auction, among the things we bought were two project which I will keep you updated on their progress. The first was a pretty ugly show box. The front flaps down and there are shelves inside. Lot number 83 isn't much at the moment but it has now today its place on the bench in my shed, been stripped and sanded and is on its way to a pretty amazing transformation.

Lot number 105 was a bit of an impulse and certainly a longer term project. A bargain at £10 plus commission and I can see its potential.

I admit that it needs tidying up a bit and has seen better days but the wood is sound with no sign of woodworm. It has obviously had a few recoverings as there are so many staple and nail holes around the edge of the fabric and the webbing and springs are in reasonable condition.

This is it when we unloaded it from the car.

This is it an hour later.

It has a label on it from a previous auction which looks decades old and the base canvas looks good so that can stay as it is secure and the shaping for the back. I have taken photographs throughout its stripdown so hope, once the wood is refurbished that I will be able to make patterns and recover.

The next day, still being heritage weekend, we went to Bramshill house which was a once only open to the public. It was fascinating to see inside the house we lived near for so long, and remember my childhood years walking the dog around the grounds. Unfortunately it was not designed for step free access so was a bit waring for some people. It was well presented and great to see how the house has been used through its life and a fantasti history of the police force both in the UK and visiting forces from worldwide. After looking round at the history of the house we did at least get a chance to sit down and have an ice cream before the walk back to the car.

Apple harvest

2010-09-29T18:41:00.003Z

The apple harvest is in full swing and we have the best crop from the cider apples, although Nick loves them as eating apples but that might be because he is depriving himself of cider to drink.

It isn't a very big tree but we got a whole bucketfull.

The oooking apples are huge a well so I might have to find a recipe that used squash and apple.

Thats what I call a pumpkin

2010-09-29T18:35:00.002Z

We haven't had great success at the allotment this year but with all the rain we have had in the last few weeks the squash have filled out a bit. I am not sure what I am going to do with it as I couldn't actually pick it up, but I think I will get a saw out of the garage and cut in into sections, get a mass of pastry and make a load of pumpkin pies.

We have another not quite as big as this as well and a couple of butternut squash.

Prototype

2010-09-29T16:18:00.006Z

I decided that I needed more carrying space on my bike so the obvious solution was paniers. I was so disappoined to find that the fabric I used for my basket cover is no longer available so decided to go for something very different.

This is the prototype and I already have many changes that I will made. Firstly the pocket covers could be shorter, the handle needs to go the other way round, I would use ties instead of velcro for the bag closings and I would make it a bit narrower so that it fits inside the carrier on the back of the bike rather than overhanging at the back.

It attaches to the bike with velcro strips that attach at the back and front of the carrier and I will also add a tie which is long enough to go around the saddle stem to stop the risk of it slipping backwards.

I might swap the two fabrics around a bit as well so watch this space for version 2.

Autumn

2010-09-26T16:47:00.002Z

It is sad to see the trees losing their leaves and the plants looking a bit shabby but there is one good thing about Autumn and I think Angel will agree.

We went to Scatts today and stocked up on coal and firelighters as well as a bag of logs until the delivery this week. The fire is blazing beautifully so we are nice and toasty.

Neglect

2010-09-18T20:42:00.007Z

We have been guilty of neglect this year so have made a decision that the allotment will have a new lease of life for next year. We are going to start closing down for the year and spend the rest of the Autumn and Winter preparing for a bumper harvest next year. We are going with our harvesting baskets next weekend to collect apples for storing and the cider apples and windfalls to start making cider ready for Christmas.

Far too much allotment time has been spent selling on ebay and unfortunately this has a knock on effect on our time as we then have to send far too much time wrapping and Monday and Thursday evenings are a trip to the post office.

Pond update

2010-09-09T15:02:00.009Z

As we got home with two days before going back to work, the priority was finishing the pond. Nick finished shaping the hole and we put in a few layers of padding before the liner. We seeemed to have slightly overestimated but it is better to have too much than too little.

Angel was fascinated by the water going into the hole in the ground that she had been patrolling for the last couple of weeks.

We also had a little helper who was determined to get to any grups and worms before the ducks were let out.

We let the ducks out expecting them to be straight in the water, but they were more interested in the pile of new soil on the ground as there were rich pickings to be had. Fennel was the first to realise what they were missing and the others soon followed. It wasn't long before they were all in, dive bombing, swimming underwater and getting the cleanest I have ever seen them.

We still have to decide what to do with the edge but the intention is to have quite a wide paved strip all the way around to hopefully stop them dragging too much mud and muck into the pond.

We are definately going to need a pump and filter but I don't think there will be any need for an aerator.

I am hoping that once we have the paving in place, the pond will look smaller as it looks huge at the moment. Before that though we have a lot of clearing up today as we have eight tubs full of soil to take to the allotment. I don't think we will have any problem filling the raised bed.

While in Gloucestershire

2010-09-09T07:13:00.008Z

Our trip to Gloucestership happened to coincide with a general auction at Phillip Serrell Acution rooms so we took a trip north to Great Malvern for a viewing on the first day, calling in at Gloucester on the way, and on our second day, spent the morning at the auction and then travelled back to Tortworth through Wales and across the Severn Bridge (not the crossing that is the M4).

We just went along to view but couldn't resist some bidding and came home with some wonderful items.

It was a great morning and seeing Phillip in action was great. I must say that he doesn't have a TV persona and is the same person on and off screen, behind and infront of the rostrum.

We had two dramas during the sale, the first when somebody fell off their stool and another when a young girl collapsed. The man himself was on hold to help the girl to a chair and call and ambulance so I hope she is OK although she was very very pale.

The best buys of the day we some Sylvac dogs, a box of crested china, a signed Worcester 2010 cricket team bat, and my favourites - two old metal advertising signs. They are shown here together but not to scale as the Wall's sign is much bigger than the NGK. I think they might be up on the wall in the office when we refit it.

A few days away

2010-09-09T07:01:00.004Z

We treated ourselves to a few days away last week. It was a lovely break and to an area tht neither of us had visited before ....... or so we thought.

The hotel was Tortworth Court in South Gloucestershire. When we got there we found out some of this history of the building and it had quite a history. It was an american air base at one time andthey built a hospital in the grounds. This hospitl was then taken over and became Leyhill Prison, a place where Nick spent some time in his erly days!

The house lay as a ruin for many years until a consortium took it over and renovated it to its former glory. It is a magnificent building and has been very sympathetically extended and turned into wonderful 4* hotel.

Now for an explanation - the time that Nick spent as Leyhill prison was the first few years of his life as his father was Prison Governor at the time that he was born so he spent his first few years of life there (not as an inmate).

The allotment

2010-08-29T21:44:00.002Z

Now that we have decided to gut down the allotment size we have a much more positive attitude to be able to manage it and keep it looking like a space to be proud of, we have started in prepration for next year. The first step is to build the first raised bed which will also give us somewhere to put the soil out the duck pond hole.

As I don't agree with spending money for anything on an allotment (other than plants or seeds) we are using up all the wood we have, which includes some heavyweight planks which have been lying around for a long time.

More to come later as we try to work out how we are going to fill it as it is going to take tons of soil.

Pashley Poppy in Pink

2010-08-22T16:23:00.002Z

This is the reason why Katy called to visit. Last week, Rebecca got a beautiful new bike from 'Brian's Bikes' of Tonbridge. When she was there she spotted a pink bike and knowing that her sister had been looking for a bike Matt mentioned it to her.

As we were going to Kent to the Sissinghurst Smallholders Fayre this weekend we said that we would pop in and have a look.

As you can see, once we got there and saw it, a quick phone call to Katy meant that it was soon paid for and in the back of the car.

She is now the proud owner of the Rolls Royce of bicycles - a Pashley. This model is Poppy and it could have been designed especially for Katy.

Trying saying it 10 times quickly - Pashley Poppy in Pink.

Katy's plums

2010-08-22T16:18:00.004Z

Katy visited today (I will tell you why some other time) and brought a bowl of surplus plums from her tree. I think they are Victoria. The taste is the most beautiful I have ever experienced in a plum.

After removing the stalks I weighed them and there was exactly 3 pounds. There may have been 4 when she brought them but I may have eaten quite a few between then and now.

They are now in a pan to make a few jars of Pyotts Products Katy's plum jam.

Figs

2010-08-19T09:34:00.004Z

How about these boys.

We have already had two figs from the fig tree (not sure which other trees have figs) but there were also some hidden that I found when they were slightly over ripe. I don't think it would do Nick's digestive system good to eat this number of plums in a few days so I have been searching for a recipe for fig rolls.

While searching I found a recipe for Fig and Almond tart which should look like this. Here is the recipe from BBC Good Food:

1.Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a shallow loose-bottomed 25cm flan tin (watch our video to see how to do this. Make sure the pastry comes above the rim - it may shrink in baking and the filling could spill. Chill for 30 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, cut the figs in half lengthways and sit them cut side up on a roasting tray. Mix the orange juice and honey in a bowl, pour over the figs and roast for 10-12 minutes until just soft. Drain off any juice into a saucepan and reserve.
3.Prick the base of the chilled pastry case all over with a fork, then line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to fan 130C/conventional 150C/ gas 2. Leave the pastry case to cool slightly before filling.
4.Cream butter and sugar in a food processor or with an electric beater until smooth and pale. Tip in the ground almonds and zest and whizz briefly to combine. Add egg yolks and 1 tbsp of the reserved fig juice and whizz again until smooth. Spread evenly over the pastry case.
5.Gently press the figs cut side up into the almond mixture. Bake for 11⁄4 hours or until it's golden all over (don't worry if the centre still seems soft - a little gooeyness is good). Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove sides and transfer on its base to a wire rack to cool.
6.Before serving, take the tart off its base and transfer to a flat platter or board. If you have juice left from roasting the figs, bring it to the boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes until sticky and syrupy. Brush this over the figs and serve as soon as possible, while the syrup is still glossy on the figs (it will start to seep through into the filling if you leave it too long).

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1460/honey-roasted-fig-and-almond-tart

Year of the fruit

2010-08-19T09:25:00.004Z

It is definately a fruit year. We went to the allotment to get every tub and bin we could find for the spare soil out of the pond hole. We will use this to fill a raised bed (one we get round to building the raised bed.

We have decided to give up 51 as we have the duck compound of 53 to use for growing so will have a much more managable space and will get organised with making it easier to work - wtch this space for updates.

While we were there I picked some blackberries, raspberries and blueberries to eaer that day and realised that there was a glut of raspberries ready to pick. Unfortunately there wasn't a container in sight but..... I did have some large flower pots which would hold plums so we collected the reasonable ones that had faller and picked the ready plums on the trees.

Two big flowerpots later I realised that I was going to have to do something with them and as I was in Southampton on Tuesday and London on Wednesday, they had to be kept cool until today. That means today is officially named - Plum Jam Day.

Once again, good in theory but I didn't have a pan big enought for all of them so they are being done in two batches. Here is the first.

Busy sewing

2010-08-19T09:17:00.004Z

I might not be doing a lot at the allotment at the moment but I have been busy in the sewing room. As I am working at home I allow myself a 1/2 hour lunch break one day to cut and the next day to sew. I have been following a sew-along where instructions for two different blocks are published every Tuesday. After 6 weeks there were enough blocks to make a quilt top.

I couldn't decide on which fabric range to use so I made two versions. All I have to do now is trim them so that they are the same size, sew them together, choose a backing, sew the three layers together with the wadding, bind the edge and then keep warm under it. Easy peasy.

Major excavations

2010-08-16T19:58:00.005Z

Yesterday was duck pond digging day. All started well for the first foot but I soon found out why I had trouble growing well in the garden when the soil stopped and it became stone. Brian had to resort to pickaxe rather than spade but after an exellent work out there is a fantastic hole ready for the liner (which is now on order).

The pond is approxc 12 x 7 feet and just under 2 feet deep with a slope at one end for the ducks who like to just paddle. We are going to lay paving slabs around the edge on all sides which will hopefully go some way towards saving the lawn.

The ducks have done an excellent job of clearing all the soil of worms and grubs and Angel has done her inspection. It shows that she is taller sitting down than standing up.

You can see the quality of the ground behind where the stones are piled up. There is a small layer of just soil and then the stones start.

After the expense of the liner, the next on the agenda is a pump and filter and then a lorry load of topsoil for the garden.

Another birthday present

2010-08-16T19:56:00.003Z

For my birthday Katy made me a beautiful mosaic bird . I haven't seen any birds bathing in it yet but it makes a wonderful drinking bowl.

The shed

2010-08-16T19:43:00.004Z

You will see from the title that there is a bit of an ownership issue with the new shed. I call it my shed but Angel thinks otherwise. Whenever I am working in the shed she keeps guard outside the door and when I leave she goes in and checks her various sleeping positions to make sure I haven't disturbed anything.

Anyway.... I have been busy on the outside and wanted to put a flower bed in front of the shed but found that the ground was so solid that I couldn't even get a spade in. As a temporary measure, I used the blocks that are still staked up from when we took down the raised bed and put some lovely big flower pots on them. It is a bit late to plant them up but I have put some perenials in so next year they should be lovely.

I also put up two of the bird houses that I got for my birthday and hope that being under the tree and near one of the feeding stations that I will seen get neighbours.

The third house is going up on the side of the duck compound as this is also near a tree but out of cat reach.

As a special treat I will also show you the inside of the shed. There is a Lloyd loom chair, a tall cabinet with small drawers and some shelves near the door that you can't see. I have two bins one for rubbish and one for fabric scraps. I have also marked Angel's sleeping spots. It seems to vary depending on time of day, termperature and how much of a look out she needs.

Don't be fooled by the sewing machine on the bench, this is just for show as there is no power so I have to cut in the shed and sew in the sewing room.

Allotment clear up

2010-08-09T13:58:00.003Z

A couple of weeks ago we had a very special treat when Matt and Rebecca visited in that Matt was spared to spend some time at our allotment. The main job that the boys tasked themselves with was having a big clear up - mainly No 53 and the area next to the little greenhouse on No 52.

Both areas look fantastic but one of the things that it brought home is what a fantastic job the ducks did of keepingthe weeds and grass down in No 53 (now known as the orchard). This is the bag of weeds and cuttings that Matt put in a bag.

One big problem is that he has now gone back to his own allotment leaving us with this bag which is so heavy we can't move it, so it is going to stay where it is and be a permanant feature for greenery that can't be composted and as it rots down we will just keep adding to it.

Bonus.

A new cook

2010-07-20T11:17:00.005Z

I had a lovely surprise yesterday when Nick said he wanted to make a cake. I sat at the other side of the kitchen giving instructions but didn't help. We ended up with a wonderful coffee and walnut cake.

Another lovely surprise was a box of flowers that came from Sue and Joanne. They look even better this morning as the flowers are opening. They have pride of place in the fireplace next to my cauldron.

Meet Marigold

2010-07-19T15:11:00.004Z

When my mother asked what I wanted for my birthday I had to tell her the thing I wanted most. I had a lovely surprise yesterday to find that he had managed to find just what I wanted.

Meet Marigold, the new addition to our family. She is like Angel and has sort legs and is very cute. We also grow enormous Bizzy Lizzys in Basingstoke!

We also have new names for my parents - they are now known as Nanny and Billy!

A bigger container

2010-07-19T15:07:00.002Z

I had to pick yet more fruit at the allotment at the wekend as the Whitecurrants were getting overripe. I ran out of plastic boxes so had to resort to the tin bath. We have a whole basket in the freeze with just Whitecurrants as I didn't have the opportunity to cook them so it will be a job for later in the week.

There was also loads of blueberries ready and still more Jostaberries which I also had to freeze as there is a limit to how much we can eat.

Fly past

2010-07-19T15:06:00.004Z

The red arrows must have known it was my birthday today as we had a fly-past with the Vulcan Bomber. They seemed really low and slow and with the fabulous clear blue sky it was a fantastic spectacle.

I would like to think it was for me but actually it is the start of Farnborough Air Show and we are on the route in and out.

I didn't get a picture but borrowed one from Google Images to show you. Thank you http://thevulcanbomber.blogspot.com/

Not long after the Vulcan Bomber came back over so I think the Red Arrows must have stayed to do a display. This time I caught it. It made me realise how much I miss Concorde which used to go over at 2pm every day.

Who's shed?

2010-07-15T13:19:00.002Z

It seems that Angel has taken over my shed. She loves to sleep in the boxes of fabric on the high shelves. If ever I go into the shed she is there checking that I am not making a mess or disturbing anything.

She even has the cheek to sit and watch out of the window while I am in the garden.

At least this is a way to show the hanging basket on the side.

Much needed rain

2010-07-15T13:12:00.004Z

We have had a lovely lot of rain over the last few days. The allotment will be really grateful.

When we were there at the weekend I found that the pond that the ducks used to love swimming in had totally dried up in the hot weather.

All that was left was a thick layer of silt deposited by the ducks, and two balls which at onetime, were full of barley straw to try to keep the water clear.

It will be interesting to see how much rain we have actually had.

Regular breaks

2010-07-14T21:10:00.003Z

Now that I am working full time from home, I need to take regular breaks. I had a good clear out of all the scraps of fabric that I have acumulated over the last year so my break consists of making a cup of tea and 15 minutes in the sewing room.
EaEa
I can't belive that I had 8 breaks yesterday but this is what I produced. Each block is 6 1/2 inches square. I am not sure what I will do with them but I will just keep stacking them up.

Noe that's what I call a fruit harvest

2010-07-13T16:02:00.003Z

Sort fruit is amazing this year. I picked white currants, red currants, loganberries, jostaberries, gooseberries, blueberries, a couple of blackcurrants a few raspberries. Yum

I also have some broad beans that I picked and I swapped a box of eggs for some French beans and courgettes with Maria.

Not so bad after all

2010-07-13T15:51:00.004Z

The garlic has been drying for the last week or so and I sorted it to see what was usable now and what would store. The news was better than thought and I have three good strings to hang up.

There were about 10 heads that won't keep so I will prepare and chop them and store them in jars of olive oil. It might be a good solution for Christmas presents.

As well as a plait of heads of garlic I seem to have included a head of Nick (look closely and you will see what I mean).

Gooseberry

2010-07-08T15:44:00.003Z

Now that is what I call a gooseberry. This punnet of fruit came from the tinies little bush we have. The branches were weighed down with fruit.

A weekend away

2010-07-07T09:11:00.008Z

This weekend we went to a Golden Wedding Anniversary party in Streatly, staying at the Swan hotel. In the afternoon we had a boat trip from Streatly to Wallingford. It was a great chance to catch up with all Nick's family but it was also a chance for some great bird watching.

It is a beautiful stretch of watch with some lovely islands, houses and boat houses to see on the way. It is obviously good feeding ground asthere were large flocks of Canada Geese grazing in the fields as well as heron standing in prominant places along the banks. They were loving the sunshine and seemed oblivious to the attention from the passing boats.

The most amazing site was the Red Kite that seems to have spotted the canapes and was circling around the boat. I really was glad that we had a good zoom on the camera and that he was such a poser.

It was also a photofest for duck and swan lovers. Our balcony was on the river side and it was just like being at home, as we were woken up to ducks quacking. These two had found a lovely shallow spot under the bridge to start the day.

I just kept thinking how much Emily would have loved a swim inthe river.

Seeing red

2010-06-28T23:21:00.002Z

I picked the redcurrants yesterday as they were already overripe. I am not usually one for measuring and boasting but this is the exception.

After sitting for over an hour with a fork stripping the currents off the strings and picking out the leaves, I have 1.8kg. For those of us who still think in old money that is just under 4 lbs.

They are now in the freezer and next time I have a spare hour of two I will make jam or jelly. Maybe raspberry and redcurrant jam.

I would have had quite a few raspberries but I ate tham as I was picking and felt a bit sick afterwards so that shows how many there were.

Feeling blue

2010-06-27T15:20:00.006Z

What do you do when it is too hot to garden or go to the allotment, you are not a football fan and a very long extension lead is sitting redundant in the garage?

Fix it up to your shed of course.

I moved the sewing machine into the shed and sat happily for a couple of hours cutting and sewing until I made this. I had the blue blocks made already when I needed practice at making 'Pinwheels' and found a bit of lightweight denim that was a perfect shade to tie them all together.

Unfortunately, it seems that I can't count to 20 as I was one block short but the cunning person I am I came up with the idea of a plain blue block which I will embroider with my name and the date. A future heirloom!

Hopefully England will get through to the next round so that I can quilt and bind it.

The squirrel returns

2010-06-27T13:23:00.002Z

He is back......

As Angel was asleep I got a chance to have a close up look at our squirrel. It is amazing to see how much red there is on him. I realise that he/she has been coming along the fence to get the bird nuts and there is a big hold chewed in the side of the feeder. Bless him/her.

Doing our bit for charity

2010-06-27T13:14:00.003Z

We got an email earier this week to say that they were having a charity car boot sale at the gym attached to the hotel up the road and were looking for cars. Always wanting to do our bit for charity we took a slot.

It was very sad that she sent over 1,000 emails but there were only six of us selling. This is a first for us as we have never done a car boot sale before but the vultures pounced on us and started rooting through the boxes as we were getting them out of the car. It was quite scary. We did eventually get sorted out with a few pounds in our pockets already.

After donating our £5 to Asthma UK we still made £70 profit from the items we sold. This included three boxes of duck eggs which went within seconds of us putting them out. They were definately the hit of the day.

A very proud moment

2010-06-20T19:23:00.004Z

It was a lovely surprise to find that Aaron and Brian had been very successful in the Hampshire County Amature Swimming Association Championships 2010.

Between them they have 23 mentions in the results table. I am a very proud sister and aunt.

Hampshire Masters 2010 results

Not so good news

2010-06-20T19:18:00.003Z

One evening this week I met Maria as she was leaving the allotment with her bike basket full of garlic. It seemed very early to have dug it all, and as Maria is Italian and has had her allotment for over 20 years, I knew there must be something wrong.

She had white rot. This is disaster to garlic as it is OK to cut away the rotted bit and use straight away but it won't store over winter.

I decided to check mine as I had the same rust on the leave and I had the same problem. About 1/3 of the crop is affected so I dug it all so that I could hopefully save some of it.

There are about 60 heads of garlic so you can imagine how the car smelled on the journey home. I will hang it up to finish drying and the bulbs that are affected I will try to chop and pack in jars with olive oil to preserve them.

You might want to keep away from me for a few days and I will have to make sure I wear rubber gloves.

The first fruits

2010-06-20T19:11:00.003Z

The red currents have responded to all the sunshine we have been having and turned red suddenly. I picked a whole box full so just need to get home and find a fork to strip them off the stems.

This lot should make a couple of jars of redcurrant jelly (not sure what other jelly it will make) which should be lovely with baked Camembert. It is making my mouth water thinking about it.

The trailer is finished

2010-06-20T19:08:00.004Z

Nick has spent some time working on the trailer. He painted the wood to match the sheds, added mudguards and the cover. All the reflectors are not on the the wiring fully working.

I think it looks very smart.

Is somebody not pulling their weight

2010-06-17T20:03:00.002Z

Pixie finally ventured off her nest today and it looks like she has rejoined the other ducks.

We had five eggs this morning, somebody always lays late so I check when I let them out - so that made six.

Late in the afternoon there was, what looked like, an egg in the grass on the lawn. It was a bit strange as the grass had been cut at the weekend. I found that it was actually a very tiny egg that one of the girls had deposited late in the day.

I can't imaging there is room for a yolk in there and we certainly wouldn't meet any sort of standard egg size gauge. Katy called and took away a box of eggs so here it is shown with yesterday usual six.

A close call

2010-06-17T20:01:00.001Z

I was sitting dosing yesterday when I just happened to catch Angel out of the corner of my eye as she jumped up onto the stone planter. She had obviously spotted something but it took me a moment to realise what.

Thankfully my trusty camera is always at my side. I must move that plant though.

I am not sure who would have come off best in a fight.

Salad days

2010-06-14T18:04:00.004Z

I am hoping that we will have plenty of salad for a while. The tubs at home are recoving from the pruning that the ducks gave them and we have a lovely lot of hearing lettuce at the allotment.

I cropped some to thin out and they are really tasty. Nick cleared a bed for me and it have also thinned out the green and red so have planted up another bed with good pigeon protection.

For a while it will be lettuce only as the cucumbers will to do a bit of growing before they are ready. There are two growing at once so I may make a rosette to award to the one that grows the fastest.

The tomatoes are too pathetic to even warrent a mention.

Update from the allotment

2010-06-14T17:57:00.006Z

It is a while since we have been to the allotment but we managed a few hours at the weekend. The greatest success we are having this year is with fruit, which just tends to itself. Now that it is carpetted (work in progress) the moisture keeps in so the only watering is to the strawberries that are in the old duck ponds. The end that hasn't had carpet put down yet is being taken over by raspberry canes so we are going to have to do some selective cutting back

The goji berry is going mad and the Kiwi fruit have recovered from their frost and are growing up the posts but there is still no sign of fruit.

The red currents are turning red and the white currents are weighed down with fruit. I really do need to start using up the bags still left in the freezer so may have to turn them into jam.

... and what about them figs!

Broody duck

2010-06-09T16:41:00.004Z

Emily has been missing from the garden crew in the last few days as she has gone broody and spends all day taking care of her eggs.

We couldn't leave the eggs for her to sit on so substituted them with the clay eggs that we bought earlier in the yeat to give them the hint of laying.

This is only the second time we have had a broody duck. The first was Emily the first year we had ducks and it lasted about two weeks so we are expecting the same from Emily.

The garden will be pleased as she is usually the ringleader if there is mischief about to happen.

Tom and Barbara junior

2010-06-09T16:38:00.006Z

We had a trip to Kent at the weekend and a lovely surprise to see how well Matt and Rebecca had got on with establishing their allotment. They have put us to shame as they are harvesting peas and strawberries, have beans forming on their broadbeans and cabbages which look like show standard already.

They really do deserve the title of the Tom and Barbara of their generation.

To say this started as a spare bit of waste ground this time last year they have all done wonders to make a fantastic community project.

The first Clematis flower of Summer

2010-05-30T20:38:00.003Z

Summer must be on its way. The weather is cooler, we had to light the fire last night, it has been the sort of miserable drizzle that brings tomato blight and the first Clematis flower is out.

Ranunculus

2010-05-27T18:16:00.004Z

I have some beautiful blooms appeared near the front door. I think they are bulbs that Katy game me and I put them in there for lack of space elsewhere.

They are Ranunculus and in lovely colours in shades of pink and yellow. I can't imagine that Katy would have parted with them apart from the fact that they are ugly bulbs with tentacles but they have turned out to be lovely flowers.

I decided to find out more about them by looking on Wikepedia. I didn't get any further than the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) way of how to pronounce the word. I didn't have any trouble with Ranunculus but I certainly do with the IPA. ræˈnʌŋkjʊləs

Feast of fabric

2010-05-18T20:19:00.003Z

You may remember that a few months ago I bought some Martha Negley fabric. I also recently treated myself to a new book - Kaffe Fassett's Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts.

I though I would start with the easiest so using the fabric and combining it with some others that I had stashed away, this is what I created. I have some duck egg blue fabric that I am going to use as a border and then a narrow strip of these fabrics and it should make a quilt to fit a king size bed. That is the theory anyway and I have a few months to work on it before Winter sets in.

Date for you diary

2010-05-18T09:19:00.005Z

Starting tomorrow - be nice to nettles week.

http://www.nettles.org.uk/

I hope that they won't mind but I have quoted from their website.

.......Almost everyone is familiar with the nettle having experienced its formidable sting. To many it is a troublesome weed that should be eradicated wherever it is found. This point of view has only recently developed. Indeed the humble nettle has played, and continues to play, an important role in the natural world.....

The bit I am especially tempted with is nettles as clothing and I might get in tought with the Northumberland Cheese Company to try some of their nettle cheese.

Hour of fun

2010-05-16T20:33:00.004Z

http://www.wordle.net/

This is what I got when I put my blog url in to create. You get something different everytime you create.

Cuckoo

2010-05-16T19:49:00.002Z

At about 8pm today we heard a cuckoo. The first this year.

I have really missed hearing the cuckoo but the one we are used to was from Katy's cuckoo clock that got for her birthday. I had it hanging in the kitchen to check that it was working OK, and as it was her birthday on Thursday I had to give it to her.

It was a really old Herber Herr clock which we got from the auction and had repaired at Porters the clock shop in Hartley Wintney so hope it will keep going for many many more years.

I didn't think I would but I really quite miss it.

Fartichokes

2010-05-16T19:13:00.002Z

My new TV obsession is Aly Fowler in The Edible Garden which is broadcast on Friday;s at 8pm on BBC1. This week was the Winter Larder in which Alys grows Jerusalem artichokes to harvest in the Winter.

Alys renamed them Fartichokes, and if you have eaten a platefull you will know why. I have found a lovely reference in Wikipedia 'Gerard's Herbal, printed in 1621, quotes the English planter John Goodyer on Jerusalem artichokes:

"which way soever they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men."

I certainly agree with the first part of what he says but not the last but as they are really tasty and nutty partucularly if in a mixture of roast ground veg.

The other problem with Jerusalem Artichokes is any bits left in the ground will regrow and as we didn't get to the allotment much at the end of last year loads were left in the ground so here is the artichoke patch for this year. We might have to start a market stall.

They are actually a member of the sunflower family so these plants will grow to about 9 feet tall with lovely yellow flowers on the top which look nice in a vase.

Fruit update

2010-05-16T19:00:00.005Z

The Kiwi fruit which were growing beautifully last time were were at the allotment were also hit by the frost but as you can see new shoots are appearing so I am hoping for a bit of warm weather to get them on their way again.

One fruit that is doing very well are the whitecurrants. Unlike blackcurrants (which are also covered in fruit) the whitecurrant grows in 'strings' so are much easier to pick as one string has about 20 berries. I love them and can't wait for a bowl of black, white and red currants with some home made ice cream. Roll on Summer.

Potatos hit by frost

2010-05-16T18:52:00.004Z

We got to the allotment as the rain started so couldn't do any work except water (sound sill I know but it has been dry for a long time especially in the greenhouse). We did the usual full inspection and were shocked to find that it was a lot colder than we thought over the last few nights and the potato shoots had been blacked by frost. They will recover but will be a bit late this year.

I hear on the grapevine that Kent was hit as well and it must be unusual for The Garden of England to have frost in May.

Before you ask, yes the grapevines were cut back by frost as well.

I have just found out that aparently London was colder than Moscow, Prague, Copenhagen or Stockholm on Tuesday night!

Roof and paint

2010-05-16T18:46:00.004Z

Nick worked hard yesterday to get the roof on the shed and just as well as we have had rain today.

The day started sunny and bright but soon dulled until we went to the allotment and the heavens opened on the way there.

Before we left I got the first coat of Cuprinol Garden Shades 'Wild Thyme' which is a heritage colour of wood stain. It will need two coats but will match the other shed in colour at least.

I still have the back to do but that will have to wait for a day when I am prepared to have green hair as it is a bit of a squeeze behind the shed and I am sure I will be using my head as a paint bruch.

Once we have had a tidy up I will show you the wider view.

Nearly a shed

2010-05-14T20:32:00.003Z

As everything was prepared we decided to move the shed parts round and fix the sides together.

For anybody who has put a shed together it is not as easy as just putting the sides together. Nothing seemed to fit as well as expected and I seemed to be pushing from one side while Nick was screwing the panels together.

The roof should go on tomorrow ready for the roofing felt and for the shed to be painted to match the other one.

Next step is the patio outside the sheds and maybe a pergola to make it a lovely courtyard area.

Top hats

2010-05-14T20:28:00.003Z

Now that we have long evenings, Nick made a start on the shed when he got home so I took the opportunity to get outside as well and plant some of the plants that I had been keeping in pots.

They are still too small to be left alone with the ducks so I made them all a lovely hat to wear. I need to find either some wire coat hangers or wait until I get to the allotment for the roll of wire, so that I can make some pegs to hold them down.

The theory is that the plants will grow through the wire and it will also help to keep them upright.

Shed base

2010-05-14T15:10:00.002Z

The shed has a base.

Nick spent last weekend putting the base down unfortunately work stops play during the week but things will be moving again (weather permitting) and hopefully I will be able to move in before the weekend is over.

Another great find at the tip

2010-05-14T15:06:00.002Z

Last weekend we had to go to the tip (again) as we had a trailer full of garden waste from clearing the space for the new shed.

I can never resist a look in their shed to see what they have salvaged for sale and it never fails to amaze me what people throw away.

We have a lovely new garden wheelbarrow for the sum of £3.

It is much lighter weight that the one at the allotment and is perfect for moving all sorts of lovely stuff from bags of sand, paving slabs, duck food and bedding, trays of plants so that ducks can't reach them (ha ha) etc.

Weapons of mass destruction

2010-05-14T15:03:00.003Z

With all the trauma of yesterday I forgot that the Ducks had had unsupervised run of the garden.

Every book you read say Ducks can't climb - with this in mind I sowed salad seeds in the tin bath and kept it on the decking.

I now know ducks can climb and they can reach into a tub of young salad leaves.

A very traumatic day

2010-05-14T14:49:00.004Z

Yesterday was a very traumatic day. Angel went missing.

We were worried the night before as you can usually set your clock by her. When I go up to bed so gets off her bed in the sewing room and heads down to the living room to get the best of the heat from the fire without the disturbance of humans.

The next morning no food had gone and she was not in her usual place keeping guard out of the patio doors.

We made up flyers and posted them through doors of all the houses within her range of travel, put laminated flyers on trees and posts and phoned the vet, pettag, cat rescue and the council.

By middey there was still no sign of her and Nick came home from work. We were standing in the drive talking to a neighbour who was very worried when we heard a very ladylike mieow from a garage nearby. This was about 3pm and they usually come home by about 4 but just our luck they were away for the night.

Thankfully a friend was calling to check on their cats so at about 9pm we let a very scared, frantic and hungry Angel out of their garage - about 26 hours after she decided to be nozy and look around.

She has eaten like a horse today but hasn't left the garden but she has found that she can keep a good lookout and attack me like a jaguar by sitting on top of the rose arch. At the moment she is sleeping on a lovely soft rug that I left on the deckchair outside - and she deserves it.

Silly girl!

Ground clearance crew

2010-05-08T16:55:00.003Z

I dug up a plant this week as it was what could be deemed a weed - a plant growing in the wrong place. It is now sitting in a bucket of water waiting to be replanted under the tree where it will be much happier in the shade.

As soon as my back was turned the ground clearance crew moved in to make sure there were no bugs, grubs, slugs or worms left behind.

The reason why the plant needed moving is that I treated myself to a shed. Nick has his shed but he can't really appreciate it fully because it is full of stuff. The problem is it is full of my stuff, so he came up with the brilliant idea that I should have my own shed.

I thought that was an excellent idea so when we went to get duck food last weekend, it was by chance that they had a perfect shed with 25% off and only £10 delivery. It arrived during the week and so did the slabs and sand for the base. Nick laid the base today but as it was raining I left him too it and hope to get out with the camera in the morning to take work in progress shots.

Everything good comes in pairs

2010-04-25T10:15:00.006Z

You may remember some time ago me showing you the mantle cats (in case you have forgotten here is a reminder). They sit proudly on one end of the mantle piece grinning out at us.

We now have a pair to go at the other end. Yesterday we called at Eversley Antiques Centre on the way to visit my parents, there were many things that we were tempted by but there was one thing that we couldn't resist - a pair of mantle ducks. They do have some ago to them but have no makers mark. The way they are holding their wings is exactly what the runners do when they are getting the air to cool themselves down and drying themselves after a lovely bath.

I have put them facing each other as they looked haughty the other way round.

We also have the pair of Victorian camels that sit proudly on top of the davenport.

1any Victorian drawing room would be proud to own our collection. Shame we are in the 21st Century.

Sentry box

2010-04-19T09:57:00.006Z

You may remember from a couple of years ago, that we put up a shed in the garden and at the time we christened it the outside loo.

Due to the ducks moving in it has had a slight modification and is now a sentry box. The height has been reduced by approx 16 inches so that it will fit in the duck compound when they have a roof.

It will be their personal shed for their food, bedding, grit etc. Aren't they posh ducks!

Update from the allotment

2010-04-18T17:57:00.006Z

I was worried about the seeds that I had sown in the greenhouse as the sun had been so hot I was sure that any seed that had germinated would be cooked and shrunk back in.

I was delighted to see the red cabbage has germinated and it looks as though more to come. The green cabbage (can't remember the variety) have dome amazingly so I will have to keep an eye on them and pot on fairly soon.

The leeks are just starting to peep through as well and looking very healthy.

I am a bit worried about the peppers and chillis. Last month Grow Your Own gave away a selection of four different types. It looks like three have germinated but no sign of the others. The problem is that I was short on labels and tucked the packet under the tray. Just my luck it fell out during the week so I have no idea which are which. Hopefully I will be able to tell as they get bigger.

The ducks absence from the allotment is really noticable and it is not only seeds that have been germinating. We were sitting by their pond on 53 and noticed that the surface of the water was alive. The pond is fully of tadpoles. Previous years the ducks would have eaten the spawn before the hatched but not any more. I am a bit worried as if 1% live we will still have a plague of frogs.

Hopefully they will be slug eating frogs.

Late harvest

2010-04-10T19:14:00.003Z

Parsnips and leeks are winter crops which means that you harvest them after the first frost and before spring when they start growing again.

That is the theory anyway. It didn't quite go according to plan this year so we still had quite a crop in the ground.

While Hick was doing some wonderful digging to give me some seed beds, I dug up all that was still in the ground so we brought home a cat litter tray full of leeks and one full of parsnips.

The leeks are rather tiny as they were planted so late they didn't have much time to develop but should make a couple of leek quiche and some leek and potatoe soup.

The same does not apply to the parsnips.

I had trouble digging them out - partly due to the fact that i was using a fork with a prong missing and partly due to their size.

This one snapped off at the end but was still too long for the cat litter tray. I didn't have the traditional banana or 20p to use to show scale so I used a teabag.

Potatoe planting day

2010-04-10T19:07:00.003Z

Finally the windowsill in the 'spare' bedroom has been cleared when we took the potatoes to the allotment. We chose mainly first earlies this year (Oriana, Vales Emerald, Ulster Prince, Chere) one lot of second earlies and my favourite - Anya, and two maincrop (Shannon and Mayan Gold).

You can tell that I wasn't very with it in February as I hadn't a clue what Nick chose and Anya is the only one I have ever heard of.

You may remember last year me telling you that we had used the old bed frame to make the sides of the trailer. Well ...... the off cuts were still in the shed so I found these and used them as markers for the rows of potatoes.

Now that is what you call reusing!

Rebuilding commences

2010-04-09T11:40:00.005Z

Nick and Matt did a wonderful job on rebuilding the brassica cage and with a bit of sewing the netting should be back in place soon.

It did a wonderful job last year of keeping flying vermin off our crops but there is a noticable reduction where the netting was missing. It is going to be used for peas and salad crops this year and the ex-duck compound will be used for brassicas.

Thankfully the netting fell onto the broccoli. We had a lovely meal of purple and yellow sprouting on Sunday evening and there should be plenty more to come.

This is just one plant and as five survived we should be able to continue picking for some time to come. I can see a brocolli quiche coming along soon..

Getting into better shape

2010-04-09T11:37:00.002Z

Another visit to the allotment on Sunday. It was wonderful to see the fruit trees budding up. The only one in blossom was the Apricot. It has lovely small flowers and I am hoping for a reasonable crop this year. Memories of the taste of our one apricot last year is making my mouth water already.

Purple Podded Peas

2010-04-06T07:10:00.002Z

Last week I was a lucky winner after making a comment on purple podded peas. The winners were chosen by one of Celia's under gardeners (chickens) who perform many tasks in the garden as well as the selection of winners. This one was chosen by Tarragon the chicken. Click here to see the selection process.

It was so exciting when the package arrived. It contained some beautiful cards with pictures of heritage vegetables, some chicken hanging decorations with bells (one went to Katy and the other to Rebecca), a loomed flower on a gift card and some seeds.

The seeds include some purple podded peas which will be going into a pot on the windowsill at home and planted in the garden. I had purple podded peas from the Heritage seed library a few years ago and they look wonderful. I am hoping that by planting a wigwam in the garden I will avoid the dreaded pea moth.

Thank you Purple Podded Peas.

Great find at the tip

2010-04-04T16:37:00.002Z

Last weekend we went to the tip to get rid of all the rose prunings as they can't be composted.

I never miss the chance to look in their shed to see what they have salvaged for sale, and came away £2 worse off financially but much richer in garden planters.

I have a sack of polystyrene at the allotment that I will use to half fill, then a bag of compost and one the weather improves will plant with trailing toms and basil.

I am not sure where to site it. I put it here so that it will get the best of the sun but I think it may be better on the decking where it will be (slightly) less likely to be attacked by ducks.

Posh ducks

2010-04-04T16:33:00.003Z

The ducks have finally got a gate.

After months of having a bit of green netting stapled at the top and held down with bricks at the bottom, Emily and Fennel managed to work out how to get their beaks under the netting and escape. The others soom learned to follow.

This meant that we couldn't risk leaving them, and as the sun was shining and we had all the wood, Nick set to work making a gate. An hour later here we have it.

It looks so lovely and I am glad that the garden looks slightly less like a building site.

Easter eggs

2010-04-04T16:05:00.003Z

While the boys were away doing manly work, Rebecca, Katy and I had a lovely craft session. Katy and I left the room while Rebecca blew the eggs and then we set to painting.

The only paint I could find was a vintage 'Robin Hood paint set' which we had got in a job lot at auction. There are about 50 colours and all in wonderful condition.

I have only shown mine here as two went to Kent and two are much better than mine so will show me up

I have tied them to the kitchen scales so we will feel Eastery.

Revenge

2010-04-04T16:01:00.003Z

As revenge for the damage their huge feet are doing to my flower beds, we treated ourselves to some bag hangers for the hall way. There always seem to be a lot of bags in the hallway or hanging on the back of the rocking chair, so we will now have some order in the chaos. It is an ideal place for bags waiting to go shopping, binoculars, camera etc so we will always know where they are.

Happy Easter

2010-03-29T15:45:00.001Z

A little but early but Happy Easter

Good day for ducks

2010-03-29T15:36:00.003Z

Today the rain kept Angel inside as it is not good weather for cats, but it is a good day for ducks.

They compound looks like the Somme so they jumped at the chance to get out in the garden. They are getting braver and have realised there are some areas that they haven't explored. This includes the house!!!

We have a lovely duck that Katy brought us back from her trip to Cornwall but Maisy and Emily couldn't work out why one duck is allowed inside and they aren't.

Angel went to have a look what was going on but by this time the rain was so heavy she thought they were mad. Maisy doesn't seem to agree as she waved at her - I think she was saying 'come on in the water's lovely'

Bird bath

2010-03-29T15:31:00.003Z

I found a lovely pot which unfortunately had a chip one one side but I though would be a lovely bird bath and cat drinking bowl.

As soon as the ducks found it, it beacme a duck drinking bowl and beak washing bowl. Within a very short space of time, it is practically empty and full of mud.

My favourite flower

2010-03-29T15:20:00.002Z

I always look forward to the Auricula coming into flower. I love the range of colours they come in. Unfortunately, when I sewed seads two years ago, which were supposed to be mixed, they all appeared as the same colour.

I may have to invest in some others.

Visitor

2010-03-24T11:50:00.002Z

The ducks had an overnight visitor at the weekend. We found this poor frog swimming in their pond and it obviously couldn't manage to get out on its own. It was scooped up in a bucket and placed over the hedge out of harms way.

Aparantly ducks love eating frogs so I just hope it doesn't come back but finds a better pond to reside in.

You must be yolking

2010-03-24T11:47:00.003Z

For those of you who are used to chicken eggs, this is what a duck egg looks like. The bright yellow yolks which are much much bigger than that in a chicken egg speaks for itself as to how good they are for cake making.

No that's what I call an egg

2010-03-24T11:42:00.002Z

The ducks are finally realising that it is Spring. We had three eggs yesterday (two white, 1 blue) and four today (three white, 1 blue). There is a big difference in size and shape.

One of them is hugh and looking at how light and sprightly Fennel looks today I think it was hers.

I couldn't resist

2010-03-19T12:01:00.005Z

I found a fabric designer that I have put at the top of my list of fave designers. Martha Negley.

I decided to treat myself to a couple of small pieces of her fabric.

It at least reminds me of the allotment even if we haven't been there to do any work.

Talking of which. We really are hoping for some dry weather over the weekend so that we can carry on clearing. We have done two beds so I should be able to get the first early potatoes in and the spring sown onions which are starting to sprout in a basket by the front door.

I am looking forward to seeing if the fruit bushes trees are showing any signs of budding. The blueberries certainly were last time.

Another job which is essential is to cut down the raspberries. There are a lot of them and they are worse than rose bushes so I think the strimmer will be the best option and then rake them up. We are going to put ground cover down in the fruit cage to stop them shooping everywhere so Nick will need to dig those out but we will leave a strip along the back as these are the biggest and best raspberries that we have.

The sewing room

2010-03-19T11:56:00.003Z

I know I said part of my therapy was to spend at least an hour in the sewing room - well.... it is weeks since I have done any sewing but I started again this week. I have joined a quilt along. This is called Pinwheel Party so every block has at least one pinwheel.

The patterns are released on the internet one at a time every Monday. As it is from the US these appear quite late in the evening. Even though I had signed up, I didnt get started until this week.

I spent Monday cutting and Tuesday sewing. Considering this is the first time I have done some piecing and my first, second, third and fourth pinwheel, I am fairly pleased with myself.

The requirements were six fabrics and a background. I don't do white backgrounds but loved this spotty green.

Spring must be here

2010-03-17T17:49:00.003Z

It must be spring as the field mice are about - and Angel fancied a take away.

She was so proud of herself and came in to show me. She then proceeded to play with it in the lounge before taking it outside again. Bless!!

Bath time

2010-03-16T20:22:00.003Z

We have had a worrying few days with Daisy. She has been very heavy underneath and walking badly - this left us with no alternative but to bring her in for a warm bath and a good oiling to her vent.

The bath went well but trying to oil her vent was not so easy as she has so much down and thick feathers that we couldn't exactly find where to apply the oil. So a liberal soaking was all we could do.

The great relief was that this morning a little egg was found in the nest.

She was looking much better this morning but this evening was waddling badly again so we hope that she is just starting to clear out and developed a new egg durng the day.

We will keep a careful eye on here and if necessary another bath and a night in a big box on her own may be required.