Peas / Lavender / Sheep - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 5 May, 2025

by Rosemary at 9:11am in Smallholding No comments Add your own

Phew, how did it get to be “Star Wars Day”? May the fourth be with you!

Last diary entry was 20^th April; from 28^th April to 1^st May, my daughter and I were taking a short break, but what happened in the preceding week is anyone’s guess.

So let’s focus on the first weekend in May. The last fortnight has been mostly dry, mostly sunny and sometimes warm. And sometimes not. The main feature has been the lack of rain; we’ve been using the sprinklers in both front and back gardens.

The cheeps are now down to 13; one had deformed legs and had to be humanely killed the day we went on holiday. The remaining 13 look great, are now just over three weeks old and now have access to the run and have no heat lamps on during the day. It’s forecast to be cool today (4^th) and 5^th, but after that, the light will be off at night too. By Friday, I plan to have them out into the pen in the field.

Cheeps in their new daytime run.

Ponies are fine; Smokey is itchy and Mickey is finally dropping his winter coat. Dogs are good – it was Bryn’s tenth birthday on the 29^th April. Can’t believe it’s ten years.

Mostly due to our poor efforts, our dogs aren’t awfully well trained, so Dan decided to fashion a wee gate so that they could be confined to the sitooterie, mostly if we were there (the perimeter fence of the garden is currently partially removed). 

The dog gate.

Used it for the first time yesterday. Gwenna tested and tested until she managed to squeeze through the front railing. She is incorrigible. Bryn is so easy; he was lying watching the world go by and she’s like “Escape from Alcatraz”. There is no Plan B.

Gwenna, plotting her escape.

Lots of work in the garden; Dan has weeded and weeded in the vegetable garden. It was warm and sunny, and he has his podcasts. I spent a couple of hours in the greenhouse, pricking out and potting on. The tomatoes, sweet peppers and chili peppers are in the polytunnel, along with basil and calendula. Yesterday, I sorted out the cucumbers, melons, sweetcorn and squash to go in. Dan planted out some sprouts and the runner beans.

Cosmos from seed, geranium and bacopa from plug plants.

I have 70 odd pea plants coming on; the second batch of sprouting ended badly, so I’ve started a third.

Peas, Hurst Greenshaft.

Strawberries in the tunnel and outside are flowering. These are now being fed weeky with comfrey liquid.

Outdoor  strawberries.

We are down to two sheep – they’re helping clear up the last of the brassicas. The ewes and lambs will be here soon.

Sheep.

Cooper has gone full panther, while Dottie demonstrated climbing one of the birch trees at the barn high enough to reach the bird box. Action will have to be taken.

Panthera cooperii.

The apple blossom is coming out.

Apple blossom.

I have 36 lavender plants and no plan. And just ordered 144 mixed perennial plug plants. I will find space, but I must get more compost next week.

Lavender.