Ive planted some more green beans, I might get lucky this time.
Friday, 6 January 2012
July 2011
Why doth the Lord fail me? no really, none of my seeds have germinated, dam! think the windowsill is too hot, will try again, this time will put the propagators in the GH, we've had such a hot month, Ive had trouble with most of my veggies drying out and not much growing going on, this time last year my veggie patch was like a jungle but as we've had no rain this year everything looks very miserable!
Ive planted some more green beans, I might get lucky this time.
For some good news, a beautiful thing is happening, the water lilly I planted last year has given its first flower
And my first butterfly in the garden
Ive planted some more green beans, I might get lucky this time.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
June 2011
Planted: Corn, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflowers.
Sowed: Carrots, spring onions, beetroot, okra.
A very hot and very wet month. Apart from a fox getting into the garden and chasing all the chooks around I have nothing much to say! and that is that!
Sowed: Carrots, spring onions, beetroot, okra.
A very hot and very wet month. Apart from a fox getting into the garden and chasing all the chooks around I have nothing much to say! and that is that!
Thursday, 29 December 2011
May 2011
May and its beautifully warm, horah!
When collecting eggs this morning, I came across a huge one, Ouch! that must have been really painful, at first I was delighted but then thought about the strain that poor little chook had to go through. I suppose that's what my mum felt like, she is so tiny, petite, not a bit above 5 ft and I was an 8lb baby, yikes!
I have decided to try making wine and bought a wine kit "Young Elderflower", after following the instructions and letting it ferment I racked it off (meaning syphoned from one demijohn to another to rid it of sediment. and finally after a second racking bottled it into sterilised recycled bottles. It already tastes wonderful! but will leave it for another few months.
May brings the month of Elder flowers
Elder flowers here I come....... have you ever seen such a beautiful sight, real magic for the kitchen, first the flowers then the berries..... cant wait!
So most of the neighbours now think I'm a loony!!! do I care? not a bit! So there I was with carrier bags in hand and a small pair of scissors, I've had old ladies looking out of their windows wondering what the hell I'm up to and groups of young boys on their way home from school calling me a vandal? Me? what do they know.....so I've managed to get a couple of bags full, not bad for my first day.
On my return home I've made some Elderflower cordial, recipe from Pam Corbin's preserves book and some elderflower champagne, I managed to get a good recipe from a work colleagues mad aunt! no madder than me.
Managed to find some demijohns in second hand shops, I had purchased the first couple, wow its all working out rather expensive.
Found a park near to my local Aldi store where I discovered an abundance of Elders, came home with about 5 bags, have measured them into pints sizes, bagged and frozen to use during the next year.
When collecting eggs this morning, I came across a huge one, Ouch! that must have been really painful, at first I was delighted but then thought about the strain that poor little chook had to go through. I suppose that's what my mum felt like, she is so tiny, petite, not a bit above 5 ft and I was an 8lb baby, yikes!
I have decided to try making wine and bought a wine kit "Young Elderflower", after following the instructions and letting it ferment I racked it off (meaning syphoned from one demijohn to another to rid it of sediment. and finally after a second racking bottled it into sterilised recycled bottles. It already tastes wonderful! but will leave it for another few months.
May brings the month of Elder flowers
Elder flowers here I come....... have you ever seen such a beautiful sight, real magic for the kitchen, first the flowers then the berries..... cant wait!
So most of the neighbours now think I'm a loony!!! do I care? not a bit! So there I was with carrier bags in hand and a small pair of scissors, I've had old ladies looking out of their windows wondering what the hell I'm up to and groups of young boys on their way home from school calling me a vandal? Me? what do they know.....so I've managed to get a couple of bags full, not bad for my first day.
On my return home I've made some Elderflower cordial, recipe from Pam Corbin's preserves book and some elderflower champagne, I managed to get a good recipe from a work colleagues mad aunt! no madder than me.
Managed to find some demijohns in second hand shops, I had purchased the first couple, wow its all working out rather expensive.
Found a park near to my local Aldi store where I discovered an abundance of Elders, came home with about 5 bags, have measured them into pints sizes, bagged and frozen to use during the next year.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
April 2011
Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.2
March 2011
Very sad, Scatty didn't make it, R.I.P. 7/3/11.
On a better note, the mud is finally starting to dry up, managed to harvest the last of the parsnips and planted out some potatoes.
Indoor sowing: Leeks, tom marmande, tom milla, tom gardiners delight, tom Roma, tom red cherry, pepper sweet red mini, pepper Toro Rossi, cucumbers, sprouting broccoli, borage, melon orange sherbert, tom sun baby, cauli.
On a better note, the mud is finally starting to dry up, managed to harvest the last of the parsnips and planted out some potatoes.
Indoor sowing: Leeks, tom marmande, tom milla, tom gardiners delight, tom Roma, tom red cherry, pepper sweet red mini, pepper Toro Rossi, cucumbers, sprouting broccoli, borage, melon orange sherbert, tom sun baby, cauli.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
February 2011
Sowed indoors
- x2 trays of mixed lettuce, spinach and radishes.
- kitchen herbs
- aubergine
- peppers (red and banana)
- chilli (cayenne and fresno)
- melon (honeydue)
- alpine strawberry
Planted Goji berry bush.
3.2.11
OMG, soooooo windy tonight! just before turning in I heard strange noises coming from the garden, turned on the garden light, where has the Green house gone? I eventually found it next door. Managed to get it all back. Didn't sleep well, kept dreaming of chicken coops being blown away like in 'Wizard of Oz'.
Checked for damage in the morning and this is what I found:
Have decided on trying to build a timber green house from pallets, to follow in projects later.....
Started to clear corner plot for future green house.
Finally put together raised bed for asparagus, emptied out my compost bin and planted x5 asparagus crowns, 3 of them are already 4 years old so should get a good harvest this year.
11.2.11
My other half called me at work today, sad news: Specky my lovely chook has died, she had a prolapse, so I guess she had an egg stuck again, looks like she was always going to suffer with this problem R.I.P. Specky.
Still really muddy out there, put down more woodchip in runs.
Forgotten method in coops
Have done lots of research on whats called the 'Deep litter method' inside the coops, apparently its less work and is actually healthier for the chooks, so, provide deep litter with wood shavings etc and every few days throw in some corn and the girls turn the whole lot over for you. sounds great but what about the smell I hear you ask, they say, there will be no smell?
22.2.11
When I returned home from work I found Scatty beaten up with a large hole wound on her right bum cheek, she was shaking and hiding, think she was in shock. Have brought her indoors and gave her sugar water through a syringe.
23.2.11
Put Ginger and Red back into the main coop to free up Hennies Hospital for Scatty. On my return home from work Ginger has a bloody bum and Red is scared witless so I have put them back into hospital together with Scatty. Extended the run in the hospital. Got antibiotics for Scatty who is not looking good.
28.2.11
Today I noticed Becky being chased around in the main coop, on closer inspection she has a wound on the top of her tail feathers and found Suzi has a bloody bum. Sprayed them both purple but the usual cannibals keep going for the wounds.
I am sooo fed up with this now, I put Scatty, Ginger and Red into the main coop and pulled out Rocky, Amber, Bluebell and Maggie and put them in Hennies Hospital which I have now renamed the Lock down Isolation Prison!
Altogether again, not a good month!!!
Sunday, 13 February 2011
January 2011
New Years Day
Well the girls all seem fine after last nights fireworks. Cleaned out the coop and showered down the run, they look so funny scratching in the mud. The 2 newbies are still getting picked on but not too bad.
Sowed: broad beans and early peas in propagator.
3.1.11 Whilst drinking my morning coffee I noticed Ginger (the boss) getting chased around, very strange, on closer inspection, she has a huge hole on her right bumb cheek, very deep , poor love, even though she has been a constant bully I do feel sorry for her! Cleaned her up and used purple spray. I have put her in the Green House for the afternoon. Brought her in the kitchen for the night and placed her in the cat carrier with a towel over, think I will have to keep her separated for a couple of days.
The chicken run is really stinky this morning, there has been so much rain and the ground is turning sour so have purchased some hygiene powder.
9.1.11 Today Red has a sore bumb, the other girls have been picking on her but not as bad as ginger, I have sprayed her purple and put her in with Ginger. Need another small coop but cant afford it so going to try and build one, details to follow in Garden Projects later......
11.1.11 Put Ginger and Red back in the coop this morning, Red was fine and Ginger had a couple set toos but quickly established herself as No. 1 again. Rocky started at her would immediately so I removed Rocky instead, shortly followed by Bluebell and Amber, put all 3 naughty girls in the Green House but returned them to the main coop at night.
Whilst all this tooing and froing was going on I noticed Specky kept squatting and straining all day, brought her inside and gave her a warm bath, didn't really help, she started to look really poorly and wouldn't eat or drink, she is almost prolapsing so I decided the break the egg and get it out. Before doing this I tried applying Vaseline around her vent but she couldn't push it through as there was a fleshy film half over the egg and it wouldn't stretch open enough. So, gently broke the half exposed egg with a chop stick then broke the shell, poor little girl was in alot of pain, she kept wincing, I managed to get it all out, immediately after this she started to squat and strain again, surely she doesn't have another egg in there?
To my horror she squirted out an enormous amount of liquid shit which landed all over my hand (stinky), although i was almost sick I was pleased as it flushed her through and any small pieces of shell I may have left behind were washed out! She wouldn't take any food or water but wanted to go back out so I put her back into the coop, where she has now made a full recovery :)
12.1.11 Decided after seeing Rocky starting on Ginger again to put her back into the Green House, on my return from work other half said the girls started to pick on Red again and she now has a bloody bum so he put her back in with Ginger, she feels safe with her and is calm relaxed and eating again.
16.1.11 Discovered Ginger is laying again, wow good girl.
26.1.11 Finished the hospital coop and run today and just in the nick of time as i need the cat carrier back. My poor Henry is not well again and need to take him to the vets.
Put Ginger and Red into their new home (Hennies Hospital), they seem to love it!
27.1.11 Henry is back from the vets, he has bad gums bless him, a course of antibiotics should do the trick.
Well the girls all seem fine after last nights fireworks. Cleaned out the coop and showered down the run, they look so funny scratching in the mud. The 2 newbies are still getting picked on but not too bad.
Sowed: broad beans and early peas in propagator.
3.1.11 Whilst drinking my morning coffee I noticed Ginger (the boss) getting chased around, very strange, on closer inspection, she has a huge hole on her right bumb cheek, very deep , poor love, even though she has been a constant bully I do feel sorry for her! Cleaned her up and used purple spray. I have put her in the Green House for the afternoon. Brought her in the kitchen for the night and placed her in the cat carrier with a towel over, think I will have to keep her separated for a couple of days.
The chicken run is really stinky this morning, there has been so much rain and the ground is turning sour so have purchased some hygiene powder.
9.1.11 Today Red has a sore bumb, the other girls have been picking on her but not as bad as ginger, I have sprayed her purple and put her in with Ginger. Need another small coop but cant afford it so going to try and build one, details to follow in Garden Projects later......
11.1.11 Put Ginger and Red back in the coop this morning, Red was fine and Ginger had a couple set toos but quickly established herself as No. 1 again. Rocky started at her would immediately so I removed Rocky instead, shortly followed by Bluebell and Amber, put all 3 naughty girls in the Green House but returned them to the main coop at night.
Whilst all this tooing and froing was going on I noticed Specky kept squatting and straining all day, brought her inside and gave her a warm bath, didn't really help, she started to look really poorly and wouldn't eat or drink, she is almost prolapsing so I decided the break the egg and get it out. Before doing this I tried applying Vaseline around her vent but she couldn't push it through as there was a fleshy film half over the egg and it wouldn't stretch open enough. So, gently broke the half exposed egg with a chop stick then broke the shell, poor little girl was in alot of pain, she kept wincing, I managed to get it all out, immediately after this she started to squat and strain again, surely she doesn't have another egg in there?
To my horror she squirted out an enormous amount of liquid shit which landed all over my hand (stinky), although i was almost sick I was pleased as it flushed her through and any small pieces of shell I may have left behind were washed out! She wouldn't take any food or water but wanted to go back out so I put her back into the coop, where she has now made a full recovery :)
12.1.11 Decided after seeing Rocky starting on Ginger again to put her back into the Green House, on my return from work other half said the girls started to pick on Red again and she now has a bloody bum so he put her back in with Ginger, she feels safe with her and is calm relaxed and eating again.
16.1.11 Discovered Ginger is laying again, wow good girl.
26.1.11 Finished the hospital coop and run today and just in the nick of time as i need the cat carrier back. My poor Henry is not well again and need to take him to the vets.
Put Ginger and Red into their new home (Hennies Hospital), they seem to love it!
27.1.11 Henry is back from the vets, he has bad gums bless him, a course of antibiotics should do the trick.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)