Dorset lifestyle
The donkeys getting their mouths round the hazel twigs, they pull very hard and strip the leaves or snap the ends off and eat the whole thing. The recent rain has made the tops of the trees look more hydrated but the leaves are turning yellow. Gathered some Bramley fallers and made a crumble, picked tomatoes and cucumbers. A day of sunshine and showers.
All nine sheep had their heads down nibbling the leaves when a new branch arrived, the Laneside hedgerow has blossomed, and doubled in size since being laid a couple of years ago, so there are lots of branches to cut for the animals to enjoy. A cool, windy day with late warm sunshine.
Toby grazing the hedgerow at the side of Willow, the electric fence down the middle of the paddock makes the donkeys walk the furthest to get to the brambles, although two of the posts holding the tape have to be moved to get them back to their stable at night. Moved a barrow load of compost and then went out for lunch. A cloudy, cold, sunny day with moderate winds.
William watching what else may be on offer and giving the branch a sniff while Toby gets his teeth round the twiggy end. Their necks are covered in thick hair with their legs almost as well covered and very little comes out when they’re groomed. Heard the woodpecker knocking, it’s either to mark it’s territory or to find a mate. The hedgerow is thickening with bunches of catkins and swelling buds on the hawthorn and blackthorn, need to do the hedge laying before nesting starts. A cold cloudy day with light winds.
Grazing Laneside and liking a branch cut from a part of the hedgerow that had fallen over, it’s root completely rotten, wasn’t sure they’d like it, will cut logs from the trunk. This part of the hedgerow was laid a long time ago and I think the rest will fall within the next year and need replacing. A clear, frosty, start to the day before the temperature rose and wintry showers and heavy rain moved in on a brisk wind.
The sheep and their arcs have roamed into a different paddock, they started grazing immediately, heads down and munching, they come running when the willow branches are pulled down within their reach. Trimmed the nettles along the fence so that the donkeys can work their way down a new piece of hedgerow, enjoying the blackberries as they progress. Picked mange tout and courgettes. A lovely deep pink sunset at the end of a sunny cloudy day.
Enjoying their vitamins at the end of the day. The hedgerow is looking neater in laneside paddock where the donkeys have grazed the Hazel, Beech and Hawthorn, as a result they’re eating less straw in the morning and overnight. The sheep are eating as much as they like and still not making much impact on the grass so there should be lots left for winter. The balloons were up and drifting across the vale in the morning mist, a cool, cloudy day with a lovely sunset.
William bites and pulls at Toby who at the same time nibbles William, they’ll do this for a few minutes and although it looks a bit rough it’s part of their pair bonding ritual and is supposed to release feel good hormones, the sheep and donkeys grazed the paddocks all day. More work on the driveway, no more rubble to level, watered the hedge which has a mass of emerging leaves, removed a lot of dandelions from the border. Fed the fish, still no toadspawn so probably won’t have any this year. A chilly start to the day with a brisk wind, warm sunshine late afternoon, had an ice cream on the terrace. Happy Easter.
Planted in autumn 2019, the Field Maple trees, Hornbeam, Hazel and Beech hedging plants have had to withstand both drought and deluge, so twice weekly watering and having drainage ditches was vital. They’re budding now, so spring should mean a big difference in terms of new growth. A pair of Green Woodpeckers were yaffling their way down between the trees, coming back up and picking around on the lawn for ants, they particularly like licking the grubs out of the nest and have a long tongue that can loop round the back of their necks. A wet start and finish to a mild day.
The bright pink salvias are creating an early autumn display of colour in the border with the wild geraniums, most of the daisies have finished and been cut down and added to the bonfire pile. It rained a lot last night, all the waterbutts are full again and the stable yard was easy to clean. Donkeys hadn’t made a mess in the stable overnight, I think that’s the first time ever, it made mucking out easy. Spread fertilizer along the hedges and borders to make the most of the last weeks of growth before the first frosts, most of the field hedges are being cut to reveal more of the views across the valley. A cooler breezy rainy day with a cloudy sunset.
Pixie is on the top of the woodpile with Walter and Digby waiting for their turn, Digby soon got bored and left to inspect the new addition to the sheep shelter – a side panel to help keep out the rain. Moved the lemon trees to the other end of the terrace out of the wind, the wren has been hopping about in the branches, I hope she’s eating the bugs. The donkeys were let out later in the day and browsed the hedgerow picking out the beech leaves. The day started with rain and light winds and ended with no wind and lifting temperatures, the mist in the valley may develop into fog in the morning. Jupiter, Saturn and The Plough were clearly visible tonight together with a few criss-crossing satellites.
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.
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.
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.
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.
