Hellebores

Survived the frosts and strong winds very well, full of buds and flowers, alongside Cornus, Primrose’s and Pulmonaria. Cleaned the stable, discarded all the straw and cleaned the floor with Hibiscrub, most of the cobwebs and dust removed from the walls and ceiling, drinker washed out, the chaff mixed with dirt had gathered in the corners so they needed to be scraped several times. Looks a lot better, needed to be done before the warm weather settles, maybe it will help William’s itchy patches, he had a dilute Hibiscrub wash followed by an application of Sudocrem. A very warm and sunny day with light winds so shorts and polo shirt instead of fleeces.

Female Robin

Incubating eggs just outside the garage, and very hard to see unless you know she’s there, most noticeable are her orange cheeks and her tail sticking up against the wall; the nest is in a tray that forms part of the hose pipe holder and is about three feet off the ground. The plank was put there a few weeks ago, singled out for use on a not yet built sheep activity centre, so maybe that’s why it’s a relatively safe place to be; sheltered from the wind and rain by the overhanging garage roof. Incubation of the eggs will take 13 days and fledglings take a few weeks to become independent. A misty start to a very sunny and warm day.

dig

Sheep

Grazing together in oak paddock, lower down the bank out of the strongest gusts of wind, it blew a gale all day under dark skies, the sun and a patch of blue did break through at lunchtime but soon disappeared, the hills all but hidden in low cloud. Planted redcurrants and blackcurrants and sowed mangetout seeds, all the sunflower seedlings are poking through the compost and some of the nasturtiums. Smudge is pretty much his usual self, going out and about and eating normally again. The donkeys stayed near the shelter of the stable and ate apple twigs. A cool end to the day with a promise of warmer days to come.

British Summer Time

Today we have an extra hour of daylight in the evening which will last until late October when the clocks change back. The hyacinths were planted in the garden after flowering indoors in 2019, they put on a colourfull show despite the frost and wind and complement the primroses. Enjoyed a sunny cycle ride from Pamphill, one of the trackways was very muddy and narrow which required some concentration to avoid too many wobbles. A sunny windy day with late cloud and falling temperatures, too wet for the donkeys to be out on grass after heavy overnight rain, they watched as the sheep ran down to the laneside paddock.

Straw

Collected three bales of yellow wheat straw for the donkeys and one bale of soft green hay for the sheep, the grass is starting to grow in the paddocks so this may be the last bale of hay until the winter. Lovely dry cycle through Farnham and the Gussages with coffee and a sausage roll at Chettle with super views across newly ploughed fields, it started raining just as the bike was put on the car. Fed the fish, no sign of any toad spawn, perhaps there won’t be any this year. A wet end to a cloudy sunny day.

Smudge

Needed a visit to the vet as his face was swollen and red round his whiskers, a few hours later he’d had three teeth removed and his ears cleaned. He always shakes his head and then wobbles about a bit so hoping his balance will have improved, definitely not too steady on his feet when he came out of the cat basket, he slept for twelve hours and then went out for ten minutes before having a wash and falling asleep again. No doubt he’ll liven up over the next few days, I’m not sure Poppy missed him! Fish and chips from the van in Child Okeford. A cloudy sunny day with light winds.

Donkeys

A sunny start, all the animals were out and about on the grass, the sheep have to go out first as the shortest route to laneside is through the oak paddock where the donkeys spend the day. Cold drizzle in the afternoon meant moving another shelter in with the sheep as they couldn’t all squeeze into just one and they don’t like standing out in the rain. Finished leveling the driveway, need more small hardcore to reach the stable yard. Sawed wood, using less in the woodburners as the days lengthen but there may be a frost later this week. A cloudy mild end to the day.

Seeds

The tomato seeds are an inch or so high, using the mole hill soil mixed with vermiculite didn’t work out very well, the soil had too high a proportion of clay and stayed too wet so the plants have been repotted in compost. the sunflowers are just poking through the compost. Sowed Blue Lake climbing beans and green courgettes, the beans are in the greenhouse, everything else is cluttering up the utility room. The donkeys and sheep spent their day grazing the paddocks. A sunny day with a cold wind and a lovely sunset.

Ouessants

Running for home and their afternoon hay after spending the day in the laneside paddock. The view across the lane continues to improve as the hedge is thinned and fencing finished, the light is much brighter in the mornings, picked up some tree off-cuts that will be stored and seasoned for a couple of years before burning. All the activity in the field gives the donkeys something to watch before they walk down to the paddock. Collected slate chippings and pushed a few of the willow whips into the ground. A chilly start to the day with sunshine and a glorious sunset.

Willow and Alder

Collected stems of bright stemmed Alba Britzensis (Coral Bark Willow) and Alder from Castle Cary, the alder will be eaten by the donkeys, the willow given to them in smaller amounts so that they don’t overdose on the naturally occurring aspirin. Will push some of the whips into the ground to supplement the hedges, they’ll root easily if the soil remains wet for a few weeks. Planted rhubarb in the largest pots available, good roots so given enough water should produce lots of tasty stems. The donkeys and sheep were all out in the paddocks, a mild sunny day with light winds.

Hay

The sheep spread more hay on the ground than they eat because they take big mouthfuls and then drop most of it, so the donkeys benefit most mornings. A lovely walk from Pamphill fringing the River Stour to Walford Mill for coffee, the ground is drying out and the river has dropped to allow the swans to start nesting. Levelled more of the driveway, almost to the paddock gate, surprising how much is disappearing into the ground as it’s walked over. Watered the new trees which are starting to bud. A mild start to the day with cooling winds and cloud later.

Spring

Vernal equinox, which means the sun is exactly above the equator and day and night are of equal length, this is the start of spring for most, the birds are nesting, the days definitely feel warmer and the wind is less abrasive. A pair of partridges stayed in the garden most of the day and a pheasant has adopted a routine that includes the stable and the paddocks, it takes little notice of sheep, donkeys or humans and walks and scratches about talking to itself. The first rhubarb crown was moved a month or so ago, have dug up the rest and will plant them in large pots, the ground was too dry where they were under the hedge. A cloudy sunny day with light winds.

Vaccination

The sheep need protection from various diseases of the kidney and gut so an injection of Heptavac is recommended every year, it’s administered at the same time as a stripe of liquid Clik along their backs which guards against fly strike. The pink Clik stripe is repeated again a couple of weeks after shearing to give protection until the end of the summer. The sheep didn’t seem to mind being confined and then treated one by one, and were soon back grazing in their paddock. Collected more rubble and widened the driveway a little. Fed the fish, no toadspawn yet. A mild sunny day with light winds and a deep orange sunset.

Garlic

Doing well in the raised beds, the elephant garlic has more space than the softneck, both varieties store well so the harvest in August should last most of the following year. Sowed sunflower, carrots, pumpkin, cucumber and lobelia seeds. Potted on the parsley plants sown six months ago, there’s a big difference between the plants, not sure why some are twice the size of others when they’ve all been treated in the same way. A cloudy start to the day with warm sunshine later, didn’t wear gloves first thing although the poo picker and wheelbarrow handles did feel quite cold.

Ouessants

They spent the day grazing in the laneside paddock before coming home for their hay, Winnie, Walter and Digby ran over to investigate a fresh apple branch in the late afternoon sunshine. Enjoyed a lovely walk from Pamphill, fringing the River Stour to Walford Mill for coffee, the ground is drying out and the river has dropped so the swans should soon start nesting. Levelled rubble, have been offered some willow for the donkeys so will collect that later in the week, hope the ground will be firm enough to let them out into the paddock tomorrow. A wet start to the day with moderate winds.

Driveway

Delivery of three tipper truck loads of mixed rubble should take the driveway to the paddock gate, not sure it’ll reach the straw. The area already leveled stood up to the weight of the truck very well, only the last yard suffered and sank a little, so more reinforcement required. William was spooked by the first batch arriving and was calmer for the other two loads, Toby just watched from a safe distance. The surface to the paddock gate needs to be finished by the end of the month so that the tree surgeon can drive round to the oak tree. A warmer day with moderate winds and no rain despite dark clouds arriving late afternoon.

Itchy

William is scratching a lot, especially his neck and rump, he should start shedding his hair very soon, grooming will help, the fence posts and gate fixings are popular spots for him to linger. Collected more rubble, the tipper truck delivery has been delayed so there’s more time to prepare the edges. The pair of green woodpeckers are making the most of the soft ground and have found several places to feed on the lawn, the oak tree has a patch of broken bark so maybe they’re spending time there as well. A sunny cloudy day with lighter winds, the paddocks are still very soggy.

Oak

A cold wind accompanied the squally showers that peppered the day, William and Toby stood out in the hail and carried the stones on their backs for an hour or more before they melted. The vale is filling with water and the spring in laneside is running into the ditch, no time in the paddocks for the sheep or donkeys, just too many puddles. The buds on the lilac are swelling and the elephant garlic shoots are a few inches above the bulb, trying to catch up with the softneck Marco Polo planted a month earlier, they need these cold nights to trigger splitting into cloves.

Head Cuddle

William loves a cuddle, not always possible on very windy days as he’s not quite as chilled but today he was OK. Walked from Tarrant Gunville to Chettle for coffee and a sausage roll in the sunshine, only one squally stinging hail shower on the way back. Hurried across an open field and made it to the hedge line which gave some protection, the sheep and new born lambs in the field huddled together, most of the ewes had twins, their numbers clear to see in bright blue or red. Tomato seedlings have pushed through their compost which is a mix of mole hill and vermiculite, they’re doing well so far, sowed nasturtium seeds. The wind dropped at dusk.

Grooming

Not exactly grooming, more eating the hay off each other; Pixie likes burying her head in the hay bucket and doesn’t take it out until she’s ready, so her head ends up covered, Walter likes to be king of the castle so they often play there and pause to pick the bits off each other. Did the weekly collection of bales of straw and hay, the donkeys definitely prefer wheat to barley. No damage from the very high winds, the water butts are all tied to something, the two on the greenhouse are the most vulnerable but they were ok. Dodged the showers and poo picked the paddocks, tasty fish and chips from the van in Child Okeford.

Apple

William nibbling at fresh sticks before the rain set in and the wind increased to gale force, a day for waterproofs and gloves – a big change from yesterday, the water butts are full again and the paddocks are starting to puddle. The sheep stayed in their shelter, only venturing out for hay, they don’t like the rain. Sawed wood, shouldn’t be long before it can be stacked instead of being used, lit the woodburners early. Not many birds out and about, mainly the rooks, none of the buzzards were flying. Same weather forecast for tomorrow, hope everything stays where it should!

Copper Bowl

Left in a bag of general purpose granular fertilizer for the winter, the copper has grown an array of bright crystals that are various shades of blue, white and purple, the fertilizer has been thrown on the garden in anticipation of a few days rain and warming temperatures, the water butt used mainly for washing down the stable yard is empty for the first time this year. Collected more rubble for the driveway, the current pile being given away is quite large so the owner has offered to deliver it on a tipper truck which would be great. A frosty start to a lovely sunny day, the first time this year that I’ve been too hot working in the garden and had to change into shorts and a polo shirt for a few hours.

Owl Box

Made locally from weatherproof ply it’s a bit larger than I expected but I guess there has to be room for a pair of owls and their chicks. It’ll be put in the oak tree once the top leafy branches have been removed so not sure it’ll be used this year, the ground is drying out so the tree surgeons truck may be able to get in and out at the end of the month. Sowed cut and come again lettuce and basil in a few pots for the windowsill. A cold, bright, frosty start to the day, lovely in the sun, chilly in the wind.

Dozing Donkeys

William and Toby start their day with a breakfast of fresh straw in their feeder and then like to relax on an extra large straw bed, nodding off in the morning sunshine. They rarely lie at full stretch but do like to rollover and then flap their ears from side to side. The birds are all busy nest building, choosing and rejecting twigs and bits of leaves, the woodpecker is tapping and the buzzard sits preening in the oak tree. Watered the hedge, the hose was frozen solid until spread out in the sun and left for half an hour, the addition of compost mulch continues. A bright, sunny, cold day.

Bianca

Ahead of Winnie through the gate, leading the run up to the hay feeder at sunset, which is unusual, Winnie must have been distracted by something….? Bianca has a streak of lanolin under both eyes so is easily recognisable. The sheep spent the day in the lane paddock and they watched the donkeys as they wandered down the avenue to the fallen oak, taking their time and grazing as they went. Moved several barrowloads of black compost onto the budding hedge, it’s full of worms and will help keep the moisture in the ground. Raked the raised bed, not warm enough for sowing carrots. A sunny day with a chilly wind.

Sunshine

A lovely sunny start to the day with blue sky and light winds, the sheep are still enjoying the fringe of greener grass and escaped for a time into the garden. Soon coaxed back with hay they wanted to explore and run around somewhere new. The owl box has arrived, it’ll be positioned in the oak tree with its entrance away from the prevailing winds once the tree has been cut, the lower limbs are hollow so the higher branches must be removed. Light by six in the morning, the flower buds on the wisteria are starting to fatten. Another vivid orange sunset.

Fresh Grass

The area under the oak tree has been out of bounds to the sheep because of all the acorns concealed in the undergrowth, now they’ve been removed from the fringe and the hurdles moved a foot so the lush green grass can be grazed, with Winnie leading the way. The night-time paddock is starting to look more brown than green, especially where they sit and chew the cud on the hillock. Fleeces are looking longer with the wool hanging down over their legs, it’s time to book the shearer and the annual dose of Clik to protect against fly strike. A cloudy misty day with a chill wind.

William and Toby

Enjoying the sunshine in the fallen oak paddock, the fog soon moved in and there was low cloud and the threat of thunderstorms for the rest of the day. Raked the raised bed ready for sowing carrots, not quite warm enough for the seeds as the nights are still cold. Sifted the worm casts to remove the worms as they won’t survive the summer in the tomato pots. Collected rubble and shingle for the driveway, have reached the bottom corner, just need to make it to the paddock gate. A day of light winds, the sun tried to break through the cloud at sunset.

Cycle Paddle

From Pamphill, a twelve mile round trip on quiet lanes and dry tracks until the last mile or so when the muddy path turned into a foot deep puddle that lasted longer than expected. Walking turned out to be the only option, waterproof shoes are great until submerged! As Jenny was cycling behind me she suffered the same result, a cold and gloopy walk. Collected hay and straw bales and groomed the donkeys who were content to doze most of the day. Fencing work in the field opposite continues. A misty day with a chill wind, noticeably lighter in the mornings.

Home Time

Winnie looking through the paddock gate, wanting to lead the rest of the flock up to their shelter and the recently filled hayrack. The donkeys enjoyed the grass in the paddock and took little notice of the hedge cutting in the field the other side of the lane. The new trees have had their protection refitted, it had to be removed to clear the grass from around their trunks, a layer of mulch from the compost heap will help settle the soil. A chilly start to the day, warmer once the mist cleared and the sun came out. The sky glowed bright red at sunset.

Rhododendron Ferrugineum

First flower of the year, this evergreen is also known as the ‘rusty leaved alpine rose’ because of the brown spots on the underside of its leaves. The frosts made it wilt and the sun has made it shine and blossom. Collected bags of pea gravel for the driveway topping and emptied a barrow-full of compost from the heap onto the hedge. A peacock butterfly was out and about in the border, the nettles they like are only a few inches high, heard the woodpecker tapping. A misty start to a sunny day, light winds and an orange sunset.