Tag: Dorset

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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
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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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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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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.

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Birds Foot Trefoil

In amongst the buttercups in the paddock and not trampled by the sheep, struggling a little because the buttercups are so tall. Hot again today, the hay in the field, which was cut five days ago, has been baled. Watered the veg, trees and hedge, saving the last full waterbutt to top up the pond so it’s tap water from now on until it rains. Saving as much water as possible from the kitchen, helps to water the plants outside the back door.

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Saw Leaved Moon Daisy

Flops about in the wind, guess it wouldn’t if I staked it. Shorter than the Giant Scabious and has more petals than the Ox Eye Daisy, flowers are tightly packed with more foliage to fall over. Seeds everywhere so plants are growing all over the garden. A hot day with a slight breeze, no rain in the forecast so more watering. Did some cosmetic concreting round the edge of the greenhouse slabs. Sheep are doing their best to eat the grass in the lower paddock, donkeys are looking slightly tubbier than when they arrived – fish and chips from the travelling van was good.

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Roses

Flourishing in the manured rose bed, they get the early morning sun. Drinking from the bird bath early this morning was the Green Woodpecker, flies the same route from the oak tree at the bottom of the paddock up to the row of trees that border the lane, he stops to eat the ants in the nest under the birdbath. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker also drinks here but doesn’t eat the ants before flying away. The Ash trees growing out of the hedgerow are full of ‘keys’, I hope some saplings will grow and flourish elsewhere.

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Produce!

Bite size carrot thinnings with lovely fresh green tops, and a few radishes, there would have been an inch long courgette in the picture as well but I ate it in the garden….! Participated in a Donkey Sanctuary webinar on donkeys today. Learnt some very interesting things; you need a shaping plan if you want to change their behaviour, so that you take only tiny small steps towards the final goal. Another hot day, will have to top up the water in the pond. Gardeners’ Delight tomatoes show signs of recovering in the greenhouse, the Outdoor Girl plants behind the greenhouse have their first flowers.

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Ragged Robin

Self seeded from the border, now growing between the crazy paving stones, love the colour of the flowers. The field at the end of the garden was mown today for hay, looks like a good time to do it as no rain in the forecast. It’ll be cut again later in the year for silage. Thinned the carrots, watered the runner beans and courgettes, more tomato plants potted on in the greenhouse. Donkeys losing a lot of hair, and the sheep are starting to grow their fleeces again. Not sure where the woodpecker is nesting, does a swooping fly past several times day.

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View from the stable at night

An intricate spiders web over the lense blocks the view of the fence and the donkeys standing in the corner, in daylight this camera sees down the paddock; buttercups, fences and trees.   Very windy today, vents on the greenhouse still opened in the sun, able to work in there without feeling too hot.  Tricky for all the plants which have to cope with daytime temperature swings of 10* or more.  Planted out the rest of the climbing beans, some of the runners are halfway up the sticks.  Lawn looking dry, need some rain but there’s none in the forecast.  A couple of branches have snapped off the oak tree, need to be brought up to the house and cut into logs for the woodburner next year.

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Chinese Windmill Palm

Moved from a neighbours garden a year ago, an abundance of bright yellow male flowers, a baby at 3 meters high he could grow to 20 meters, already have one that’s around 10 meters high so there’s some way to go! A windy cooler day, mowed the paddock after poo picking, removing the buttercup stalks left by the sheep, the noise spooked the donkeys a bit, the sheep weren’t disturbed and are finding their way round the lower paddock ok now. Started to arrange the canes for the tomatoes in the greenhouse, my Gardeners Delight tomatoes are taking a while to perk up after suffering a setback a couple of weeks ago. The Outdoor Girl plants are fine, fortunately.

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Water lillies

Already established, these pop up each spring, they live alongside irises , elodea, tadpoles and the ever increasing numbers of fish, which need feeding several times a day. They change from brown to orange as they mature. Opened the gate from the square paddock into the lower paddock to let the sheep wander in for richer grazing, all was well until one of them became detached from the group. The bleating was LOUD, all calm once they were reunited. Sheep are now back in the square paddock overnight, don’t want to be woken up…! The noise made the donkeys a bit agitated, they wanted to see what was going on. Hot day today, veg doing ok, planted spinach, coriander and rocket in the raised bed with the courgette plants which are supposed to trail over the edge of the bed as they grow – I think some training may be required.

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Sheep shelter success

Good news, they like it! Really foggy this morning, turned into a very hot day with light winds so most of the young plants came out of the greenhouse. Poo-picked the paddock and disturbed a partridge having a dust bath in one of the donkey roll-over patches. Planted sunflowers and sweet peas. Eating Mizuna salad leaves, not sure what’s happened to the nasturtiums, they usually self seed everywhere, may have to buy some.

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Cold frame assembled

Poppy and the instructions, looks as if she has some paws missing… Frame parts fitted together well, colour matches the greenhouse, will need to fix it down. Warming up today, less wind, need to keep the bird baths topped up, the blackbird empties one every day with a lot of wing flapping. Planted out the Blue Coco beans and the courgettes. Parsley seedlings repotted, sowed iceberg lettuce and basil seeds. Getting through my seed store! Hedgerows growing really fast, lots of noisy bird activity, the thrush is always on the lawn looking for worms.

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Sheep shelter

Mark II version of the sheep shelter which will provide shade and protection from the rain once it’s finished. Mark I was a tarpaulin that was noisy when it flapped about in the wind and wouldn’t have lasted very long, will be interesting to see if the sheep ever use it! Moved the seedlings out of the greenhouse today and walked the donkeys to the paddock gate before letting them out onto the grass. Hedge watered and growing well, let some of the branches out of the plastic wraps, the leaves tend to go brown if scrunched inside. Looked for fruit on the Ellison’s Orange apple tree, very hard to find, the blossom must have caught the frost.

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Veitch’s Climbing French Bean

Really shiny seeds, pods start off green and then turn purple as they age. Seeds in pods that are older are good in soup. Just appearing in their pots, sown 7th May along with early purple sprouting which germinated more quickly. Fixed the glass in one of the cold frames, sunny, bit of a lazy day….

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Pink Hawthorn

Planted next to the native hawthorn hedge this forms a striking contrast with bright pink double blossoms. Maybe a few taller white hawthorns would look good, the hedge behind is able to provide these if I don’t cut it. Moved muck from the heap, all three raised beds are full, one is growing carrots, the next will have courgettes and lettuce and then the third will have purple sprouting broccoli and pumpkins. Cows have moved into the field at the end of the paddock, more company for the donkeys.

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Sheep’s eye view

Of one of the oak trees, grasses and meadow cress in amongst the buttercups. The sheep are flattening as much of the paddock as they are eating, lovely sunshine, feels like the cold wind is gradually warming up. New hedge looks good today. Eating Mizuna and herb lettuce from the greenhouse. Potted on courgettes which have some flowers already, too cold to be planted outside. One sunflower seed has germinated. Donkeys happy to be out grazing the hedgerow over the fence.

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Tayberry or Loganberry?

Not sure! Red stems, I hope the birds will leave me some of the fruit.

Mowed the copse, potted on courgettes, the raised bed is ready but it’s too cold at night to plant them out. Sheep are happily munching round the buttercups in the square paddock. Donkeys are shedding a lot of hair, confined to the avenue today as the willow paddock was being mown and they mustn’t eat grass cuttings. Gardeners’ delight tomatoes potted on, still looking a bit sad. Sunny day, chilly wind.

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Wisteria Sinensis

Well established, lovely scent but the cold wind is stripping the pendants, flowers can be made into an aromatic wine, don’t think I’ll try it. Nice and warm in the greenhouse and there are lots of hungry fish in the pond, tadpoles growing, don’t think there are as many as last year. Forget-me-nots seeding everywhere and the seeds embed themselves in Poppy’s fur, very difficult to get out. Another two raised beds nearly full of donkey poo, will plant courgettes in one of them. Rose buds bursting, the first flowers of the climbing rose have been nipped off by the deer, those higher up have survived ok.

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Dorset milk

First pint (500ml) of local milk! Delivered for 50p a bottle from the farm a few miles away. On the windowsill potted-on cucumber plants Louise F1 planted 25th April.

Another cold night, tomato plants looking a bit sad. Mowed some of the buttercups in the paddock today, so tall and so many. Planted more runner bean plants and watered the carrots which are looking good – no rain for a few days now. A noisy Partridge wandered through the garden, usually a pair of them so was calling for company, I think.

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Mushroom/Toadstool

Chilly wind today, 6* instead of the very warm 21* yesterday. Greenhouse vents staying closed. Beans starting to wind round the sticks. Biodigester serviced ok. These are growing on the muck heap, look tempting but probably not a good idea to eat them.

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Blue Coco French Beans

Climbing french beans, heritage variety, lilac flowers and violet pods that turn green when cooked. Planted 26th April, 6 inches high now, will be planted out next to the runner beans so if I save any seed it’ll produce a slightly different bean next year.

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Greenhouse

Love my new greenhouse, already filling up with young plants, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, beans and marigolds. Warms up really quickly, hope it stands up to the high winds. Have a couple of cold frames to assemble as well, not had those before. Hot yesterday so maximum ventilation.

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Stumpery

Old dead tree had to be cut down, would be interesting to create a stumpery, although not an ideal position in full sun. Some research and experimentation required, I think, definitely needs to be kept damp.

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Donkeys and crows

Losing a lot of hair, William and Toby are providing a valuable nesting resource for the crows who make off with really large clumps. They seem to favour William’s hair and land on his back to self select if there’s none available on the ground. The crows have reduced in number since January, when they rose together from the sweetcorn field in a huge group of flying feathers, usually around 9.30 in the morning. A crow murmuration….. They’ve moved to their various rookery’s I guess.

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Hedgerows

Greater Stitchwort at the edge of the paddocks below the hedges.

Growing alongside Red Campion, Bluebells and various ferns and nettles. The Donkeys don’t eat any of them.