Love / Sweet peas / Electric wire - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 21 August, 2023

by Rosemary at 11:03am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 14^th August

Blizzard and Grey totally loved up today.

The happy couple.

Tuesday 15^th August

Had a lovely couple here today to look at Baby and Bronte and their calves with a view to buy. I’d be very happy for this sale to take place.

Visited a local garden centre with our daughter for a cuppa and a scone; took more photos of plants I like, for inclusion in the new front garden.

Wednesday 16^th August

Nice man from RM Welch seed merchant popped in today for a look at Sheepfold. We’re going to oversow with ryegrass and timothy mixture to balance the clover, yarrow and plantain already there. Top, harrow, sow (by hand) and roll. I’ll put the cattle on to eat off what’s there.

Thursday 17^th August

Desperate to get my desk cleared so that I can have tomorrow outside.

Cattle on to Sheepfold. I could strip graze it with the ponies – that would be more effective. Hmmm.

Cut the last of the sweet peas. Braw.

Last of teh sweet peas.

Friday 18^th August

Only spent half an hour at my desk. Cleaned out the hens and the cow shed; weeded the pea bed. We’ll get minerals and manure on soon and covered with new black plastic. There’s something therapeutic about the cycles of growing.

Weedy pea bed.

Pea bed done.

Dan’s only working four days now, so he’s been out with the strimmer.

Saturday 19^th August

Spent an hour pulling ragwort this morning. Dan did the orchard and Home and I did the four paddocks. I’d pulled some a few weeks ago, so there wasn’t much. There’s so much grass in the two top paddocks. Dan’s going to top the rushy bits this week, then the cattle can go back up there and I’ll strip graze Sheepfold with the ponies. That’ll give Home a rest and we can give it a good harrow.

After that, we can reseed Sheepfold. It’s good when a plan comes together.

Sunday 20^th August

This is the electric rope that made the ponies’ track in Sheepfold. It lay in a pile for weeks, then I started to sort it out and I’ve been at it, on and off for weeks too. It’s horrible stuff.

Miles of tangled wire.

Finally. Feels SO good.

Tidy wire.

I baked a cake. First time I’ve baked for ages. It was a Christmas Mincemeat cake – I had jars of mincemeat form last Christmas (or maybe the Christmas before!!) and I fancied something fruity. In the absence of wholemeal flour, I used wholemeal strong bread flour. Mistake. Tastes OK but very weird texture. Hey ho. Every day’s a school day.