Good living and sleepy pups - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 15 July, 2024

by Rosemary at 8:53am in Smallholding 1 comment Add your own

Monday 8^th July

Cool but sunny start to the week. As the day progressed, it got pretty warm. Hot, even. Better enjoy it as rain is forecast for the rest of the week.

Planned to spend as much time outside as possible before things really get away from me. I have a Zoom call every evening this week, on a variety of topics and I do need to do some Festival work.

I thought I’d start this week’s diary with an update on the vegetable garden. As always, some things are doing well. Some not so well.

The raspberries in the vegetable garden are rubbish and will be coming out shortly. Joan J. Done well here before, although not in this bed. Thankfully, we have a patch of neglected raspberries round in the wood that are cropping well.

Rubbish raspberries.

The blueberries have a decent crop but we need to get them covered.

Blueberries.

Gooseberries and blackcurrants need picked.

Potatoes and peas are doing away. We’ve lifted a few potatoes and the peas are almost ready to pick. We grew Douce Provence as an early but we don’t like the flavour so looking forward to the Hurst Greenshaft being ready. We’re still using last year’s out the freezer.

Peas starting to fill out.

Leeks seem to have survived their transplant. I finished bottling the muck tea so will give them a feed.

Leeks.

Carrots and beetroot are fine. The spring onions, from seed tape, failed completely.

Carrots and beetroot.

Shallots are poor. I’ve already binned the Griselle and the Jermor isn’t looking much better.

Runner beans finally starting to come away.

Runner beans.

Courgettes.

Some of the courgettes are weird and seem to half fill then rot from the end, but I’ll be making ratatouille next week.

I have abandoned “The List” and simply done jobs as I’ve seen them; swept up the feed store after yesterday’s mouse incursion (resolved by Cooper); tidied up the greenhouse and potting shed and the area round the ponies’ hay bale and sprinkled sanitiser. They go to one place (pretty much) to poop but pee where they stand.

I weedkilled the front path. Much as I hate weedkiller, sometimes it’s the only reasonable solution. I use it sparingly and only when there’s little chance of drift.

Dan and Murdo have been fencing in Sheepfold. Looks better than the sheep hurdle and baler twine that was there before. It’s still to be hog ringed and the rails put on but that won’t take them long. Then there’s another bit of odd-looking fencing that’s always bugged me, and now it’s conveniently falling down, so it can be replaced.

One of A’s sheep has mastitis. I noticed she was walking strangely when I checked them – I thought she was lame but she’s swinging her back leg out to avoid touching her swollen udder. The flies don’t help, but it’s weeks since she was weaned.

I lifted the daffodil bulbs from the veg garden; once the empty area is weeded, I’ll plant out the little herbaceous perennials I bought for the front garden.

Tuesday 9^th July

My birthday day out. Early, because I’ve been cited for jury duty the week of my birthday. So hoping I won’t be needed.

We visited the Scottish Crannog Centre; this is the rebuilt version, following the 2021 fire that destroyed the original crannog. There’s evidence of 18 crannogs on Loch Tay, but they are found all over Scotland. TBH I would have enjoyed it more if it had been “adults only”.

Then we had lunch at Thyme at Errichel. Beautiful! The Newmans, Becky and chef Paul, breed Shetland cattle, so that’s how we met them. It’s a lovely place, delicious food, with a real focus on local.

The lime tree is in full flower; amazing scent and moving with bees.

The polytunnel is becoming a jungle but the cucumbers are coming thick and fast now. The strawberries in the baskets are done, and I took them down after taking this phot but the ones in the bed are just coming. The outside ones are finished. They looked awful but cropped well.

Cucumber Minimunch.

Polytunnel.

Tomatoes, calendula and basil.

Polytunnel; squash and sweet corn.

Wednesday 10^th July

Lunch out with Tara; to The Wee Cook, just along the road. It’s not the most prepossessing setting, but the food is delicious. I had Arbroath Arnold Bennet, an omelette, with Arbroath Smokie, cheese sauce and pesto. So good.

My birthday present – Bootlego for three sets (Theatre, Hardware shop and another Warehouse) arrived, around 7,000 pieces to sort. Praying for rain.

BootLego.

Thursday 11^th July

A's sheep are not intimidated by our corgis. Or his collie and labrador.

Corgis and BFL.

The fencing renovation in Sheepfold is complete.

Rails up.

Rails down.

Dan is planning to repoint the wall this summer so has invested in a new cement mixer and a tonne of sand.

Dan's next project.

Friday 12^th July

More path building.

More paths going in.

Dan decided to brush the dogs and Gwenna’s stuffing appeared to be coming out. If she gets brushed first, Bryn’s fine but if he’s first he gets very, very excited and silly.

Harvesting the Corgi floof.

Saturday 13^th July

Dan completed a section of the rustic path, thus creating a bed. Now to decide what to put in it!

More path completed.

I weeded one of the vegetable beds that’s not being used, and planted out the plug plants that I’ve been growing on in pots. These are for the two front beds currently sown with annuals. As I was finishing, the ran started to come on in earnest. Perfect timing, really.

And I weeded and swept the big patio. The roses will need a good prune thsi year.

Patio. And Cooper.

New bed.

I’ve ordered a Biennial Bundle from Higgledy Garden. I’ll use these to fill gaps in the front beds next year. I’ll sow them in trays outside now, then plant them out in empty vegetable beds later in the year to overwinter. Don’t I sound like I know what I’m doing? Ha!

Dan went off to top our neighbour’s paddocks. They’re quite elderly and not in the best of health. He’s going to take the strimmer over tomorrow and strim round the edges.

Sunday 14^th July

It’s actually felt quite warm today. I set off to clean out the henhouse, accompanied by SooperCooper, who decided to chase the hens. One of them’s broody – Belle, the Light Sussex; boy did she chase him.  Serves him right .

The kittens still go to bed at night; they get some chicken and are shut in their room (formerly our guest room / Lego room and currently Dan’s office). At 9pm, Dottie’s waiting to go to bed and Cooper’s not far behind, although Dottie fournd a bed in Smokey’s chaff this afternoon.

Dottie's "bed".

I took the dogs for a run across the fields. Gwenna was exhausted.

Sleepy Gwenna.

For dinner tonight, we had hogget (Ryeland x Shetland), new potatoes (Caledonian Rose), cauliflower (Snowball), peas (Hurst Greenshaft from last year) followed by summer pudding made with our own blackcurrants, strawberries and raspberries. What a treat. We are very privileged.

Ryeland x Shetland home bred hogget.

First tatties - Caledonian Rose.

Our only cauliflower (Snowball). The plant was a gift from a friend. Will try growing tem next season..

Not required for jury duty tomorrow; I've to phone again tomorrow after 5pm

And the puppers. Just because.

Bryn and Gwenna.