Month: June 2020

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Ribston Pippin

Grown in 1708 from one of three apple pips sent from Normandy to Ribston Hall, near Knaresborough, the original trunk lived until 1835 and it then sent up a new shoot and survived on the same root until 1928. The apples have a very high Vitamin C content and it’s possible the Cox is a descendant. Ripens early, and most of the apples are hidden by new foliage, last year most of them fell off before I noticed. Listened to a webinar on worm infestations. It’s possible that as William and Toby are well covered their worm burden is low, analysis of a faecal sample will tell us if any treatment is required. A cool, cloudy day with late rain and a red sky sunset.

Ribston Pippin
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Sheep Manual

I was given the Haynes manual for one of my cars, which I did look at occasionally, good to see the brand lives on in other ways, lots of pictures, must do some reading. I’m building a Model 2 sheep shelter in the new paddock – it will be an improvement on the first one, William likes drinking from the puddle on the roof. It rained for most of the day, still cool and windy, nice sunset, no watering required. The deer has a companion, they were in the neighbours field most of the afternoon, and the hosta has tall flowers so I think the barricade is still working. The donkeys had a run down the paddock today, not enough to interest the sheep who were bleating in response to calls from a flock further away down the hill.

dav
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Cycle Dorset

Lovely ride north of Blandford, up to the long barrow and on to Chettle for coffee and a sausage roll. The wild flowers were in full bloom, including yellow and white Lady’s Bedstraw, used in the past to curdle milk as part of cheese making. A colder, windy day, sunny at times but still chilly, no rain. The last of the muck heap is now around the new hedge and the new heap is warming up with a mixture of grass and donkey poo. William and Toby were in playful mood, collar tugging and running up and down the paddock trying to nip each other, the sheep watched from the other side of the fence and joined in, jumping up and down with excitement.

dav
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Sheep

The six borrowed sheep are ewes that didn’t lamb this year, after a few weeks of grazing the paddocks they now come when you call, and creep up behind you when you’re fiddling with the electric fence. They were shorn before they arrived and are growing a new fleece. Weeded a patch of the border and fixed another camera to the stable to view the new paddock. One runner bean that the deer missed is 8 inches long, the second set are an inch or two. A very squally day, heavy rain and strong winds for at times, much cooler.

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Proper Rain

The shrubs, flowers and vegetables needed the steady rain overnight, although the wind has been too strong – the wisteria has lost some leaves and the sunflower needs a taller cane! The tomatoes and the cucumbers in the greenhouse are growing at last because of the higher night-time temperatures and the courgettes in the raised bed are four inches long so soon there’ll be a glut to enjoy. The Birds are busy, buzzards call to each other as they sit on the thermals facing the wind and the sparrow hawk is constantly harassed by the crows. The chaffinch outside the back door is taking a chance with the cats….

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Eunonymous

Flies and wasps love it, but haven’t seen many bees. No thunderstorms, so more watering, there’s a promise of rain tonight. The new hornbeam hedge has a few bare patches which will be replaced in the Autumn, together with a few of the trees. The sheep are happy moving between paddocks to avoid the donkeys grazing and are putting on weight. A Southern Hawker dragonfly was caught in the pond netting this morning, it flew off ok once released. Dinner tonight was a tasty Ruby Red Devon steak bought from a farm three miles away, more of the same is in the freezer. Still very warm.

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Blue Tit Fledgling

Flew into the window, bounced off and sat in the grass a little stunned. Put him in a tree to recover, hope he flew off ok. Over 30* degrees today, started poo-picking early, finished mowing the bottom paddock, sprayed the donkeys legs with Deet, and gave them another carrot lolly. Fixed stock wire to one of the new gates. Vegetables all needed watering, some of the runner beans have reached the top of the sticks, the Veitch’s Climbing are being attacked by slugs, they must like them.

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Iced Carrot

William and Toby took a while getting to grips with the carrot ice lolly, Toby stamped on it in the end. A lot of flies about today, sun all day and 30*, I can use a deet spray, not sure anything will work on the donkeys, and the tree I’m sitting under has greenfly… One of the water butts fell over, it got very hot on a sunny wall and the plastic distorted, don’t think it’ll be quite the same again, it watered the grass with 250L of water and some of it made it into the pond. Promise of thunderstorms tomorrow.

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Tipper Trailer

Attaches to the back of the ride-on mower, works as a wheelbarrow as well, bought from our local garden machinery franchise who re-attached the chain on my chainsaw free of charge a few months ago. It looks a bit buried on its first outing, it will make moving muck heaps, weeds and fallen branches from the paddocks a lot easier. I cut the dock in the paddock with the hedge trimmer, so that will go in the garden bin, not on the compost heap. Dead headed the Giant Scabious which was glorious a month ago, hoping for a second flush of flowers. A hot day with a gentle breeze, no rain.

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Cycle

A leisurely ride through Dorset villages in the sunshine – up and down a few hills and along quiet country lanes, with a couple of refreshment stops. Donkey William has been a little ear shy but today he had his ears rubbed for the first time and actually enjoyed it, they both like to have a warm water drink even when it’s hot and prefer a bucket to the water troughs. One of the sheep we’ve borrowed as grass cutters has a poorly foot, it’s been treated by the farmer so should be running around as usual very soon. A sunny day with moderate winds, no rain.

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Common self-heal

Is growing through the grass and borders, the leaves can be eaten in salad and the whole plant used in stews. The Tortoiseshell and Meadow Brown butterflies like it. Picked raspberries and blackcurrants, pleased to say the deer protection is working OK for the runner beans. A family of ducks walked across the lawn this morning, mother and six tiny ducks following on behind, a real surprise and lovely to watch. Luckily the cats were all asleep, Poppy especially would have been after them, she chased a baby squirrel up a tree later and had to be fed to divert her attention. A windy and sometimes overcast day, hot in the sun, cool in the cloud. If the forecast is right we’ll have 30* later this week.

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Summer Solstice

Was wet, I think! Bright purple flowers of Clematis Jackmanii should keep going until October. Fencers finished today, they split the lower paddock in two and created a new, smaller paddock behind the stable. Acorns from the oak tree will fall in one of the paddocks in the autumn so the other can be used still until they’re all collected. Thinned the carrots and ate them for lunch. Moved more of the muck heap into the flower beds, cut some branches from the hedgerow for the donkeys. A cool and cloudy day with the occasional shower.

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Ellison’s Orange

One of the 15 Left on the tree, there was a lot of blossom so must have caught the last frost, all the remaining fruits are under the canopy. This variety is mid season and juicier than its ancestor, the Cox. Over 24 hours of rain now, everything in the garden will be happier, not sure about the fencing company who are here to divide the lower paddock, they put their wellies on, unloaded the posts and wire, and left! They’ll be back tomorrow…..

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Farrier

Lovely white hooves after trimming and rasping, the green wellies didn’t get any attention. William’s seedy toe has improved and there’s no sign of laminitis which is good, the hooves will be brown again by tomorrow. Foggy start to the day and very hot first thing, cooler later with a little rain but no thunderstorm, watered the veg. Regular straw delivery arrived, 24 bales stacked at the end of the workshop should last a month. Raspberries and blackcurrants very tasty. Fencer expected tomorrow.

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Water Lilies

Yellow and pink flowering at the same time. These hardy Water Lilies float on the surface of the pond unlike the sub tropical varieties that sit on long stalks above the water. The leaves dislike being splashed, so prefer growing at the other end of the pond to the fountain. The fish are very hungry and want feeding several times a day, the water boatmen that eat the plant debri and algae sit on top and push the food sticks to the nearest leaf edge. It started raining early this morning and should rain all night so no watering. Donkeys are standing outside and quite happy to get wet, the hardstanding is nice and clean having been swept a couple of times, water butts filling up.

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Temporary Solution

I snipped off all the stalks without flowers on the runner beans, 6 or more per cane, this is the temporary deer protection as I like runner beans a lot! Fencer coming this week so I will have stock fencing to put on the trellis, then I’ll need to add a couple of gates. Think I may have found where the deer is coming through the hedge, a couple of pallets and some bailer twine have filled that gap. Time will tell whether this works, good to see that the courgettes are starting to wander in the raised bed. More rain this morning and then the day warmed up with late sunshine. Iceberg lettuces need planting out, hopefully get round to that tomorrow.

sdr
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Hay

Finished mowing the buttercups in the paddock and moved on to the fallow field with the muck heap (which needs to be moved) and cut the very tall grass with the hedge trimmer. Collected the stalks and will dry them for winter forage for the sheep but not the donkeys as it’ll be too high in sugar. Moved the electric fence as the donkeys managed to reach the branches of the new willow tree. Planted out the French beans and fed the tomatoes and cucumbers which still aren’t doing much. Hot and sunny, watered the runner beans, think the barricade has deterred the deer. Thunderstorms tomorrow?

dav
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Donkey Forage

A mixture of hawthorn and beech with a small amount of willow. Foraging animals will self medicate with willow as it’s the equivalent of aspirin. Moved more of the muck heap today and walked the local circuit to go to the postbox and get eggs. The rooks are mobbing the buzzard who just flops around taking no notice. No rain, watered the veg, picked raspberries and blackcurrants. Sowed Mizuna seeds, a good addition to any salad. Moved the parsley and purple sprouting seedlings to the cold frame to protect them from the slugs. Promise of thunder storms tomorrow.

dav
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D’Arcy Spice

This apple is the last to be picked in November, doesn’t mind a bit of frost and stores until February before going a bit wrinkly, it’s best eaten after a month of storage as the skin softens. Originally from Essex, the variety predates 1800 and is grown in windswept situations because the fruit doesn’t fall off in a gale, so is a good choice for this garden. Apparently, apples kept for a year or more taste of spicy mince pie filling, must try it! Looks like there’s a good crop that would benefit from thinning out. More rain showers so no watering, cut a bit more mixed hedging for the donkeys who know exactly what’s coming and get very excited at the prospect of a tasty treat.

dav
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William and Smudge

Smudge likes to sleep on the straw bales in the workshop, stays there all day sometimes. Persistent rain today which was great for the garden, will take a while for all the waterbutts to fill, no watering required! The runner beans which were doing so well have had their flowers bitten off leaving the stalks, suspect it’s the deer so will try and keep it out of the garden, may have to cage the veg growing area if that can’t be achieved. Didn’t happen last year, must be a different deer with a different grazing pattern, likes hosta flowers as well.

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Electric Fence

William and Toby grazing, the fence was necessary to avoid them eating too much sugar rich grass in the square paddock. They had a few small branches of willow, hazel and hawthorn from the bottom hedge and loved eating them. The electric fence was easy to put up and connect once I figured out what all the bits did, deciding where to put it took a while. It’ll be interesting to see how the sheep react, the donkeys stayed away from it, expect they’re all wise to the effects of touching the white tape – some users don’t turn it on! Woodpecker spent ages on the lawn feeding tonight.

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Bees Nest

A white tailed bumblebee about to crawl through the air brick, they usually nest underground and like a southerly aspect, this wall is north facing so I’m not sure why they’ve chosen it. They’re unlikely to be disturbed by anything so there’ll be up to 400 happy workers in the colony supporting the queen. No shortage of pollinators in the garden! The wren is collecting Poppy’s hair from the terrace, must be lining its nest or making a new one somewhere.

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Thistles

Donkeys love thistles, and would eat them all day if they could. Lots growing in the garden so no shortage of supply. The sheep were not impressed by all the noisy chomping so wandered away. Interesting end to the donkey day when they walked through the workshop, past the pile of straw bales and into the long grass. They didn’t go far and were soon coaxed back with more thistles and donkey biscuits. Warm day with more cloud, it may rain tomorrow. Donkey poo bags have gone from outside the front gate so will need to restock.

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Dorset Countryside

As seen from my bicycle, stunning views and quiet lanes on a fifteen mile circuit, it was a nice temperature for cycling with not too many hills and headwinds. No rain at all today, the donkeys have been chasing each other up and down the paddock and were happy to come back up to the stable for their evening feed of vitamins and straw. The sheep are nibbling away, the grass there is still too rich for the donkeys, will have to get to grips with the electric fence so that we can strip graze.

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Sheep

Mark IV sheep shelter has some vinyl attached to increase the amount of shade available, the sheep have the choice of two paddocks and like to come back to the shelter to chew the cud. The trees along the hedge line are very distinctive, will have to grow more in case the ash trees succumb to ash dieback, they seem healthy at the moment. Started laying out the electric fence so that the donkeys can be limited to a strip of the square paddock and not graze the whole area which has too much rich grass. A warm and sunny day with a late shower, still need to water so hopeful for more significant rain later in the week.

dav
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Spurge, Smudge and the Runner Beans

Caper Spurge growing next to the runner beans which have a few first flowers. They won’t be helped by a second cold day with strong winds and rain showers although there was some late evening sunshine. The grass will start growing again if we get sunny days; the hay harvest was early and half the usual yield so the farmers are hoping for a second load later in the year.

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Cycling UK Bike Week

Dorset is great for cycling, lots of local groups and miles of trailways and waymarked routes some of which are part of the National Cycle Network. I cycle all year round and although there are lots of hills to struggle up the going down makes it all worthwhile! There was more rain overnight so the veg are looking good and there’s not much watering required, the straw delivery for the donkeys was just in time and we bought another salt lick to hang in their stable. The tadpoles were crowding round the fish eggs in the pond but they look just the same so hope to have tiddlers soon.

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Donkeys

Toby sitting in the stable, he likes to play with hazel and willow branches, William likes logs and the scratching post, they have a mutual groom every day. 10* colder today with an east wind, cycled 15 miles in the showers. Sowed nasturtium, basil and mizuna lettuce seeds.

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Milkflower Cotoneaster

Almost in full flower, nearly lost this tree in the winter storms, a hastily built support has stabilized the trunk and it went through a leaf losing stage but has perked up now. Will have to see how it does in the next gale, may have to reduce the top growth. Popular with bees and butterflies, birds are not supposed to like the berries but the blackbirds eat them in the winter. Provides the only midday shady area in this part of the garden so I’d like it to keep growing. Rained overnight, first rainfall for weeks, half filled several of the waterbutts, temperature has dropped by several degrees.

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Goldfish

The fish have spawned in the pond with a lot of thrashing about which attracted the cats attention.  The white blobs in the pictures are the eggs which will hatch in a couple of days.  Swallows are flying in and out of the stable catching flies, they must be nesting elsewhere.  The grass in the paddock is going a bit crispy, the donkeys are leaning over the fence to eat the hedgerow, another hot day with the promise of rain soon.

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Bramley Apple

Looking good, this tree must be over thirty years old, it has been pruned every year to keep the apples within reach from a ladder and provided a years supply of cooking apples last year. Stored apples did develop ‘bitter pit’ in January so need to freeze them before Christmas, a lack of calcium is the problem so maybe watering with the left over cement residue will have helped. Managed to catch small four goldfish in the pond, they’ve moved to another pond that needed them, a few tadpoles went along as well. One deer tick removed from my leg tonight, all ok I think, seem to attract them. Another hot day, may get rain in a couple of days.

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Hedgehog

Really pleased to know there are hedgehogs in the garden, not sure why this one was out in daylight. She (?) seemed fit and healthy and proved that by escaping from the cardboard box that was meant to contain her while cat food and water was brought out. She appeared again later and sniffed at the cat food, didn’t eat any and scampered off into the undergrowth. May have young somewhere or was out looking for nesting materials. Probably more than enough slugs, snails and worms around for her to eat. The hay bales in the field were taken away today, a fresh breeze so feeling cooler.