Roses, raspberries, and redcurrants - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 22 July, 2024

by Rosemary at 7:46am in Smallholding No comments Add your own

Monday 15^th July

I was dreaming that Dan had given me a big choux bun filled with chocolate mousse; I was just about to take a bite and my alarm went off. Happy birthday to me lol

Today is St Swithin’s Day; whatever the weather shall be today, so it shall remain for 40 days. Mild; close and a bit muggy.

Cooper was “playing” with the hens again today. Maybe we need a big, feisty cockerel. He also helped me to hang out the washing.

Cooper, helping.

Moved the sheep into Home, with access to Near Top until I move the water.

Dan had a plant inspection from APHA today for his comfrey business;  the nice man told us what was wrong with our raspberries. Big long scary name. Dig ‘em up, burn them and don’t plant raspberries there again. Our rhubarb needs lifted and split, so we’ll move it to the former raspberry bed. Result.

Tuesday 16^th July

Nice day, bit of warmth and sun, then some rain late afternoon into night.

Dan made a start on the “Sheepfold Wall” project. It’s best done when it’s warm and dry, so a summer / autumn project. He’ll do one cement mixer load at a time as it’s awful tedious; he reckons it will take all summer if he does two sessions a week.

Let the sheep have the old pig pen, in addition to Home. Moved the water and shut them out of Near Top. Both Top paddocks will now be topped.

Wednesday 17^th July

Spent four hours during the night nursing stomach pains. Didn’t feel sick, just pain. Got up at 6am, did the hens, wild birds and ponies, fed the dogs, put on chicken to cook for the cats and went back to bed. Slept sound for three hours but a glorious day, so up and into the garden.

I’ve sown the eleven packets of biennials from Higgledy Garden – Foxglove “Alba” and Excelsior”, Honesty, Hesperis “Purple” and “White”, Wallflower “Ivory White” and “Vulcan”, Canterbury Bells “Single Mix” and three packets of Sweet William “Higgledy Mix”, “Auricula Eyed” and “Nigricans”. Now I understand how biennials work, Ill get some forget-me-not seeds.

Type your caption here.

Dan’s been transplanting comfrey, weeding as he goes.

 

Thursday 18^th July

Some rain overnight. I made a start on weeding the raspberry bed. OMG. So many weeds – but big, so it was easy to make an impact. I pulled out as many failed raspberries as I could.

Superweeds in the former raspberry bed.

Dan put up wires for the two climbing roses at the front door and tied them in. They look lovely.

Beautiful roses, better supported.

Friday 19^th July

First thing, Dan started digging out the dead raspberries, then covering the blueberries.

At lunchtime, Dan, Lorna and I had a wee trip to Ashbrook for scones and a drink. I bought a packet of forget-me-not seeds and a packet of Brompton Stock – loving these biennials. Dan bought two redcurrant bushes – Rovada and Jonkheer van Tets.

He planted them and I sowed my seeds.

We have redcurrants.

Spotted this rose when I was turning the ponies out. I know it’s there but it’s not usually this dramatic.

Random rose.

Saturday 20^th July

Lovely warm day. I picked most the remaining early peas; they were a bit starchy, so Dan made pea and ham soup. Absolutely delicious.

Pea and ham soup.

We lifted the shallots (Jermor). Not the best crop but not the worst.

Small shallot crop.

We raised the netting on the brassicas; we have some nice cabbage and calabrese.

Brassica cover.

First calabrese.

I sowed more carrots (Topweight) and spring onions and gave the leeks a good feed of muck tea.

Leeks fed.

Dan cut willow for the sheep. The Ryelands woul have stood there until the branches were stripped clean. The BFLs had a couple of mouthfuls and moved on. Their behaviour is quite unlike the Ryelands.

Sheep and willow.

Sunday 21^st July

A good fall of rain last night.

Sheep moved to Far Ditch, although it will probably only be for part of the week, as it’s not the most prolific field.

Dan played football this morning and I went to the cinema (again) to see “Fly me to the Moon”. Loved it. Totally predictable but very sweet.

While Dan was out, I cleaned windows and while I was out, he pointed a bit more of the Sheepfold wall.

And one of Bryn, Gwenna, Diesel and Cooper for the "aaawww" factor.

Gwenna, Diesel, Cooper and Bryn.