Month: July 2020

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Donkey Dental

The donkeys needed their annual check so this is William getting bored waiting for the vet to arrive. His teeth were fine, no filing required and he didn’t need a sedative unlike Toby who needed something to relax him. He was a bit too staggery once the injection took affect so he needed waking up a little to do the examination. Some teeth had a few sharp edges; donkeys chew side to side so can wear down the inner edges and leave a sharp edge on the outside, the electric grinder did the job quickly. Afterwards they both had to wait to have something to eat as Toby wouldn’t have been able to swallow until fully awake – William stood next to him most of the time giving reassurance and they were both grazing happily a couple of hours later. A hot sunny day with bright blue sky, watered the vegetables, picked runner beans and a few tomatoes, must pick the courgettes tomorrow.

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Wildlife

This black beetle was swimming in the rainwater bucket, guess it must be a stag? Released onto the damp woody area close by. The tiny newt was in one of the water buckets by the greenhouse, I moved him to the nearby wildlife pond where the water was a bit low so I topped it up with rainwater. Hope they both survive. The Ouessants have moved about a lot today, nose to the ground. Have the vet visiting tomorrow, donkey teeth need to be checked and the lambs need worming, moved hurdles into the small paddock so that the Ouessants can be corralled. A sunny and warm day, watered the vegetables.

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Raised Beds

In one of the square beds the pumpkins are starting to overwhelm the french beans; the early purple sprouting plants are doing ok although the butterfly’s are laying a lot of eggs that need removing regularly. The intermediate beds need filling with donkey poo ready for the strawberry plants Which need planting out ready for next year. A pair of wrens were hopping about on the bench by the ceanothis tonight, they amused Poppy for a while, fortunately they’re too quick for her. The ouessants are all grazing in the paddock, they sat together chewing the cud in the shelter, a lot calmer today. A sunny windy day, watered the vegetables.

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William and Toby

As soon as it started raining Toby ran down the paddock to the sheep shelter and stuck his head under it, that’s all that’ll fit as it’s too low for him – the donkeys are supposed to walk back up to their stable when they want to stay dry! William joined Toby and reversed up to the shelter – he likes standing in the rain. Enjoyed a rather wet cycle ride with a coffee stop and sausage roll at Marcia’s Farm Shop in Spetisbury. Ouessants are messing about today, the lambs are happy enough together; not sure about the ewes wanting the new lamb around so the two flocks have been separated for the night. Picked runner beans, water butts full, no watering required.

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Sharing

All six Ouessants in the shelter together, they like resting against the lining boards, whenever they run around they have their noses to the ground all the way. The fallen oak tree now has the addition of a couple of extra hurdles to prevent sheep climbing on top and jumping into the ditch, it’s quite deep and full of brambles so we’d have trouble getting them out. Cut the nightshade in the hedge, can’t see where the root is so it’ll grow back next year. Will need to move the texels in the next week or so and then the donkeys can graze the hedgerow. Picked French beans and cucumbers, a cloudy day with heavy showers and strong winds.

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Two New Ouessants

The two new Ouessants safely in a dog crate in the back of the car – forty minutes of loud bleating all the way home! I made a shelter in willow paddock with hurdles and a fence panel for Winnie and her lamb Digby. They actually joined the existing four in the small paddock quite quickly; thought it best to keep them separated at first, but there were too many heads poking through the stock wire just wiggling around trying to get stuck. When the gate was opened between the paddocks Nola butted Winnie several times and there was a lot of bleating. I made a third shelter next to the existing one in the small paddock so they could decide how close to sleep, it’ll be interesting to see how they get on tomorrow. A cloudy day with much needed heavy rain in the late afternoon, which filled up a few of the water butts and gave the garden a good soak.

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Cucumbers

There are a lot on these two plants, they seem to double in size overnight. The first flowers set really well and the cucumbers continue up the plant, which is still growing, there’s more than we can eat so will give some away. The sheep and donkeys are content, the Texels are beginning to eat down the grass in the lower paddock so we may be able to let the donkeys in there next week. The Ouessants are making little impact on Willow paddock, two more may make a difference. A sunny day with lunch at the pub, promise of thunderstorms tomorrow.

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Cycle Ride

Starting above Pimperne we admired the view from the top of the longest Long Barrow in Dorset – 107 meters long and 27 meters wide in places. Full of wild flowers including Orchids, Ladies Bedstraw and Yellow Goatsbeard, also known as Johnny-go-to-bed-at-noon because the flowers open at dawn and close by lunchtime; this seed head was the size of a tennis ball. Stopped for coffee and a sausage roll at Rawston Farm where there was a good display of plants, rawstonfarmbutchery.co.uk. A hot day to ride up the hills, great coming down! Watered the vegetables, the compost in the raised beds is disappearing, the level has dropped by a third.

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Ellingham Show

As the Show is cancelled the judges are holding a Virtual Donkey Show, 12 classes in all, details on their website https://ellinghamshow.co.uk/whats-on/donkey-show/. We may enter the ‘ears’ and ‘portrait’ classes. It’s always been a great day out at Ellingham, there are lots of animals to see and it’s well worth having the membership. Released a peacock butterfly and a meadow brown from the greenhouse when I was watering, and there was a balloon flying over the valley tonight, first sighting this year. A hot day, rain expected at the weekend.

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Woody Nightshade

In the hedge that borders the ditch round the lower paddock, very delicate lilac and yellow flowers with shiny green berries that turn red as they mature. A little poisonous, not as toxic as Deadly, would give a nasty stomach ache though. Cycle ride, 15 miles round Dorset lanes with a coffee stop at Sturminster Newton, lovely sunshine with a gentle breeze. Poo picking when I got back, Walter had creosote on his leg, must be from the fence posts ‘bleeding’ in the hot sun. Will have to make a wrap of some sort, some posts are much worse than others. Very hot at the end of the day.

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Common Toad

Lovely speckled tummy with knobby skin, cool to hold on a warm day, they wriggle constantly. This one is big so must be a female, they come out late in the day to feed around the greenhouse. There are lots of damp places to relax in the shade under the hedge and to paddle in the water in the outdoor tomato plant trays. Runner beans and French beans today with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Assembled the raised beds for the strawberry’s, they just fit in the space between the tree and the hedge, will put weed proof fabric in the bottom and then grass cuttings and donkey poo. A cool start to the day with a brisk wind, hot sunshine later so watered the vegetables and the greenhouse.

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Swallows

A pair are building a nest in the tack room, they tried 3 or 4 different places and have settled on a middle beam at the gable end. The tack room door is closed overnight so they gain access to their nest by flying up into the roof of the stable next door, and squeezing through a small gap, the donkeys wander in and out of their stable all night so the door is never closed. Tolerant of people walking around they fly overhead and only veer away from the entrance if you look at them directly. No mess so far! Must get a wildlife camera. A cloudy start to the day, ended with hot sun.

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Carrot Lolly

William and Toby are getting the hang of these now, especially as there’s more carrot and less ice. Toby especially likes to crunch the ice to get to the carrot, William is happy to wait for the ice to melt. The fish in the pond want feeding every time I walk past and there was a very young newt sitting on top of a lily leaf. Picked beans and almost have a ripe tomato, cucumbers doing really well. Tried to sort out the compost heap so that I can plant something on the top, need more raised beds….. A hot day with the promise of rain later, watered everything.

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Ouessants

The new sheep are really cute, have had them a week, now, Tatty Bianca bleats loudly every time she hears a gate open or sees me in another paddock. If I talk to them they all come running over to see if there’s any food available. When there’s no food they stick around for a while nibbling at your clothes and prowling around, three of them will eat out of your hand, Pixie is still too timid, so she hoovers up anything spilt on the ground. Walter likes a bit of a scratch. They return to their shelter often and like chewing the cud and resting in the shade of the willow tree. A hot day so watered everything, hope to have more beans ready tomorrow.

Walter at the front, then left to right, Tatty Bianca, Pixie and Nola
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Raised Bed

Lower than my other three beds at a foot high these will be filled with donkey poo and then packed with new strawberry plants and relocated rhubarb. Easy self assembly, no fancy packaging, all bought from Solway Recycling who make all their products from waste farm plastic. A fire last month delayed delivery but they’re back in production now, and offer an excellent service. Picked 6 cucumbers today, gave a few away…. no pumpkins yet, sheep and donkeys happy, a cloudy start to the day with hot sun later, watered the vegetables, removed sideshoots from the tomatoes.

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Bristly Oxtongue and Wild Marjoram

Oxtongue is considered a bit of a pest by farmers, it’s a traditional herb used to get rid of parasitic worms, it’s growing alongside maturing poppy heads and Wild Marjoram in the rose bed. The donkeys enjoyed grazing the central avenue and eating their ration of thistles, beech twigs and apple branch prunings. Toby briefly escaped from the stable through the workshop and was tempted back by a rattle of special donkey mix. Lovely hilly cycle ride up and along Ballard Down to Old Harry Rocks and on to Studland for coffee, a bit of a cloudy day with some drizzle, views to the Isle of Wight and Swanage still amazing.

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Produce!

A decent picking of runner beans and one cucumber today, the cucumber tastes very different home grown and one of my favourite meals is well seasoned runner beans with lots of butter and two soft fried eggs on top, absolutely delicious. The new sheep are settling in and like their daily cereal mix, not eating out of my hand yet is Pixie, I’m sure she will in a week or two. They’ve explored Willow paddock and grazed closer to the donkeys who stared at them through the fence. A really warm day at first following overnight rain, it clouded over later and there was a really cold wind.

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Wasps Nest

In the roof void at the highest point in the upstairs hall. There was a brown stain on the ceiling that looked like a water leak, and a pitter patter noise. Turned out to be a bad idea to touch the paper thin ceiling (wasps eat plasterboard) and they quickly emerged through the hole, very angry. The cats made a run for it, unscathed, and a few moments later the hall was full of wasps. Pest control arrived within the hour, dealt with the nest and taped over the hole. A check outside revealed no other activity, but this morning wasps were emerging from around the wisteria, so another nest has been treated today. A hot day that ended with cloud and some light rain, more expected overnight. Watered the vegetables, the runner beans have reached the top of the sticks so rain may not reach all of the roots.

dig
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Sunflower

Grown from a seed taken from a ‘help yourself’ pot that was in Ledbury Church. It had been kicking around in my purse for a couple of years before I finally planted the last remaining seed last month. Hope to be able to grow lots more next year – and share the seeds with friends. The Gardeners Delight tomato plants in the greenhouse are sprouting new stems from under the soil as well as further up the plant, and they’ve really thick and strong stems which must be the result of being wind damaged in the spring. Picked the first cucumber and courgettes. Fixed the stock netting to protect the vegetables, sunnier and hotter today than yesterday, no rain, so watered the veg and the hedging.

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Ouessant Sheep

New arrivals today, Nola with lamb Pixie, and Bianca with lamb Walter, who has horns! Four shy sheep that travelled 10 miles to get to us in the back of a pickup liked the comfort of their new shelter. They a rare breed originating from the island of Ouessant, off the coast of Brittany, and are the smallest naturally occurring breed of sheep in the world. Full of character and very hardy they’re easier to handle as they grow to a maximum of eighteen inches high. They were greeted by bleating from the sheep in the square paddock and William and Toby were very curious, they both brayed when they saw them being fed their daily treat.

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Deer and Donkeys

The deer managed to get through my temporary barricade into the vegetable plot so I must fix stock netting to the rails that separate the flower border from the vegetables or there’ll be nothing left for us to eat. Tasted a Beauty of Bath Apple, the earliest to mature, it’s not ripe yet as the pips are still white and it’s a bit hard to cut. The swallows have been flying into the stable to feed all day and the donkeys finally discovered the hedgerow, I still think they prefer the grass. Toby looks really spotty without his winter coat and William much whiter. A sunny cloudy day, and a bit windy.

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Smudge and Poppy

Eyes tight shut, smudge likes sleeping outside on the woodpile. Poppy prefers to be under a hedge and being a long haired cat she has a lot of grooming to do. Finished the sheep shelter today and had to add another rail to the softstanding as William managed to knock off one of the middle rails in an effort to reach through the fence to get to something tasty. Luckily, he didn’t step through onto the paddock driveway and into the little copse. Always need to keep a few spare rails and posts, I think. Collected fish and chips from the travelling van in a heavy and persistent drizzle, no watering required.

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Hedgerow

Moved the electric fence just for William and Toby to walk down the strip and browse the hedgerow, it would save cutting branches off for them. I have to say they were not interested at all, walked to within a couple of meters and then turned around to munch on the grass, and no amount of cajoling would get them to approach the hedge. A cycle ride in the sunshine with a brief shower along the way and then coffee and a bacon roll before heading home along the trailway. The donkeys enjoyed the maple and beech branches cut from trees in the lane before their usual vitamin treat. Not enough rain so watered the vegetables.

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Sheep Shelter

Model 2 Mk1 work in progress, made from pallets, reclaimed wood, and old fence panels, bought the tarpaulin that’s on the roof and the boards lining the inside. It’ll be ready for the weekend when the new sheep arrive. Two Deer were in the garden this morning, must have found a new route through the hedge, one had antlers a few inches long, they browsed the lavateria flowers, leaves from the plum tree and plants in the border before moving on to the apple trees. The barricade round the runner beans and the vegetables in the raised bed was sufficient, which I’m pleased about. A calm and sunny start to the day with increasing winds and cloud later, there may be rain overnight so will leave watering until the morning.

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Dwarf Beans

First pods, Poppy standing guard, picked and eaten within the hour, crisp and delicious, hope there’s more to come, runners maybe next week, although the strong winds of the last few days have broken some of the higher stems. Tomatoes and cucumbers growing fast, and have two water melon plants with tiny fruit that I’ve never grown before. Bike ride to Sturminster Newton for coffee and sausage roll, was mainly ‘wind against’ which is a bit odd for a circular route. A sunny day with no rain so watered the vegetables, found a few thistles in the border so the donkeys had a late tasty treat.

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Sheep and William

William and Toby were both up close to the sheep in the shelter in the square paddock, they touch noses and set each other off running when they’re excited. A very windy day, need to put the roof on the new shelter when the wind drops. Mowed the grassy area by the stable, almost looks like a lawn, the lawn by the house has bare patches despite the rain so this ad-hoc grassy area looks much better. The tomatoes in the greenhouse are growing at last, removed the side shoots and gave them a feed. Hope to pick the first cucumber later this week. Late sunshine, still windy, no rain so watered the vegetables.

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Fencing

Moved the electric fence from the square paddock into the lower paddock so that the donkeys have access to part of the hedgerow, can’t let them have the whole area as they’d eat too much sugary grass. They’ll have to walk a reasonable distance to get to the hedge which will be good, will turn it on tomorrow. One of the sheep managed to get her head stuck through the stock netting in an attempt to get at greener grass, she wandered off OK after being released. A windy, blustery day with weak sunshine and late rain.

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Moths

A pair of Bright-line Bright-eye moths (I think) resting on a rubber mat in a warm and sunny spot close to their feeding ground of nettles under an elm tree. Sheep shelter progressing, ordered lining kick boards and fixed stock wire to a couple of paddock gates. Let the sheep into the lower paddock that was mown last week, they really do believe the grass is greener on the other side of the gate – any gate! The wisteria is flowering for a second time, there’s lots of new foliage to be blown around by the strong cool winds and after a cloudy day there’s evening rain, so no watering.

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Greater Musk Mallow and Great Willowherb.

Growing in the hedgerow, the Greater Musk is also known as Hollyhock Mallow, all parts of the plant are edible. Growing in the herbaceous border is Great Willowherb, it has a very hairy stem and the Elephant Hawkmoth likes to eat the leaves. More work on the sheep shelter today, watered the vegetables and thinned out a few of the apples. Trying to remove the docks in the paddock, the roots are very deep so may have to resort to a selective herbicide in the autumn. A mainly sunny day with a few spots of rain.

Greater Musk Mallow
Great Willowherb