Cauliflower / Melon / Monarda

Diary

Posted: Monday 4 August, 2025

by Rosemary at 10:02am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 28^th July

I moved sheep into Sheepfold this afternoon. They’ll be there for two weeks. Alistair jagged them with Regulin, which helps to ring them into season earlier. He wants an early February lambing.

sheep Sheep in Sheepfold.

Harebells.

I had a walk round first and it’s looking well. Some lovely patches of harebells. It’s quite hard, given my 1980s training, to be comfortable with “weeds” in the sward, but I’m getting there.

Did some preparation for Thursday’s RBST Conference.

Tuesday 29th July

Facebook reminding me that it’s three years since Gwenna did her back. Seems like a lifetime and yesterday. Except for the whorl in her coat where she was operated on, you wouldn’t know.

Gwenna Gwenna, relaxing.

Dan planted out the leeks. Got fed up wating for me to do it, I guess.

leeks Ninety six leeks.

Tonight we moved the Flossies to join the rest of the flock. We took them up as late as we could and shut the vents on the house to make it as dark as possible. Fingers crossed for little fuss.

Wednesday 30^th July

The reunification of the hens has gone well. I think that because the Flossies are mature laying hens, rather than pullets, has made it easier. There’s been no fuss and they al came happily for corn this afternoon. And they’re both still laying – and in the nestbox too. And they're all roosting in the same tree.

Flossies The Magnificent Six. The Light Sussex goes to bed herself.

We have cauliflowers. Two. But best crop ever.

cauiliflower Half our caulifower harvest.

Thursday 31^st July

I was at the RBST conference at Guardswell today. It was a fine event, well organised and a great venue. I had done my stint by lunchtime, so came home. I did see Blizzard, Rora, Baby and Bronte in the field and they did lift their heads when I shouted, but they’re not my girls any more.

Friday 1^st August

Today is Lughnasadh or Lammas, the start of the harvest. In truth, ours has been going on for some time. The peas are almost finished, and will come out next week. We have courgettes, tomatoes, tatties, plums by the tonne, cucumbers and pickling cucumbers by the mega-tonne.

veg garden The vegetable garden.

We have melons in the polytunnel – a first for us. Sweetcorn and squash ripening in the tunnel and outside. And not one but two cauliflower; the heads are a bit loose but they look good.

Melon Melon

Squash Butternut squash.

Dan made piccalilli because a) we like it and b) we had the vegetables for it. It wasn’t a success. It was very watery. So he’s going to try again with the recipe in River Cottage.

Now that my Lego is relocated to the Byre, Dan now has his studio (as the Classroom has been renamed). He’s got his big frame up and is working on the rug that he’s been doing for about 30 years – with the right equipment and right environment, he’s getting on like a house on fire. But it was seaming his cardigan that was his task for the Crafternoon.

Cardi Dan's cardi in our yarn.