Willow / Vegetable Garden / Bryn
Posted: Monday 27 August, 2018
Monday 20 August
No sign of Annie bulling again so hopefully she’s back in calf – she’ll be due about the 9th of May, if so.
Gwenna has had terrible scoots, so Dan took her to the vet this evening. Apparently there’s a bug going round, so bland diet, and anti-nausea jab and a paste to “firm her up”. She seems fine in herself.
Started sorting out electric fence bits for Laing’s Field. It’s all a mystery to me.
Saw loads of these lovely fowers in Laing's Field
Flower.
Dan and I had a quick planning meeting to look at future work commitments.
Tuesday 21 August
Drizzle all day so planning topping of Home paddock is postponed.
Dan made whole milk ricotta, which is lovely.
Lifted the rest of the beetroot and shallots; cleared and weeded the pea bed. Starting to plan for next year – the first seed catalogues have arrived! I’m planning to take two metres at each end of the five beds – so 20m in total – for flowers, with a view to growing twenty different varieties. That will leave 14 metres in each of the five beds for veggies. Also planning to clear out the two flowerbeds in front of the house and replace with plants for cutting.
Pea bed.
Wednesday 22 August
Showers this morning, then hot and sunny in the afternoon.
Blizzard decided she was in no rush to go out after milking.
Blizz, not going out.
We had planned to worm and Crovect the tups first thing this morning but decided to postpone because of the rain – by lunchtime, they were bone dry, and so we brought them in and sorted them out. Alex came to pick up Yogi, so he’s gone off to his new home.
Dan cut the veg garden grass and I started to cut back the strawberries and remove the straw mulch. Got half of one bed done.
Thursday 23 August
Showers and sun – very changeable. Cleaned up the beetroot ready for cooking and selected the smallest shallots for pickling.
Cleaned out the hens.
Jane was here to trim Smokey’s and Bug’s feet; both are fine. I think Bug is uncomfortable on the concrete – not his feet especially, but his legs. Be glad when the mats are down.
Repaired the electric fence in Sheepfold. Pulled ragwort in Laing’s Field.
RHET previsit in the afternoon.
Friday 24 August
Today was mainly preparation for the course here tomorrow. It’s the first one with an invited tutor.
Cooked the beetroot. Made a cheesecake with the ricotta – very nice.
Popped down to a local school with some rooted comfrey and a spare compost bin for their new garden.
Our first apples – Discovery and Grenadier – went on sale today on our stand with our honesty box and in Clementine’s in Broughty Ferry. Any not suitable for sale will be juiced or frozen for our use. The apple press is now finished and the apple mill delivered, so we’re good to go! We’ll use the Burco boiler to pasteurize the juice. I have a feeling the Burco might be one of these things that we’ll quite quickly wonder how we managed without it.
Put up a strand of electric tape on the fence between Far Top and Far Ditch – after Ace had pushed the fence down and stepped over it. Dan did some running repairs – it’s due for an overhaul once the cattle are housed. The cattle are now all in Far Top – once they come out, I’ll shut it down again. It’s nice grass though and they won’t want to leave.
Saturday 25 August
Beautiful day for our first guest tutor course – Jane Wilkinson and willow garden structures. The group seemed to have a good day and the resulting structures were terrific! Looking forward to having Jane back next month for another course making a fruit basket.
We also have a farm walk this morning – lovely family, who also seemed to have a good time. Blizzard was quite happy getting cuddles from small people.
Sunday 26 August
Aftermath of the course – clearing up and eating leftovers.
Grey and drizzly, but a good forecast for the week so caught up with Monday’s paperwork, as far as able to, so I can get in the garden tomorrow.
Killed and plucked 12 of the 25 meat birds, all cockerels. I plucked half the birds – a first for me! But we scalded the carcasses and it made plucking sooooo much easier.
And Bryn. Just because.
Bryn.
