Monday 21 February 2011

Spring News

The hens and the Bantams are laying well again following the snow. We have a big Bartle hen that has to live with the Bantams, she was attacked by a dog that tore all the feathers and skin from her neck.I thought it had taken her head off. But she survived and has E.45 on her neck each day and suncream if its windy or sunny. She is very spoilt and both her and the bantams are helping keep the weeds down.
We have just taken an old cabin down, with the good wood left from that and one from my brothers we have built a garage/workshop, we're really pleased with it.
We have put the muck on the raised beds, planted Shallots, Onions, Garlic and early carrots. I have also planted some different sorts of Tomato seeds and some peppers as reccomended by the Saturday Telegraph. I have raked up leaves and bits of trees until my arms feel like they are dropping of. More news soon.

Tuesday 1 February 2011


Winter and Spring

The winter has been a long one. We really enjoyed the snow and the clear sky's. Now the garden spring clean has started. We have been cutting back a lot of shrubs and getting rid of dead leaves. We have also been putting plenty of muck on the veg gardens, I'm just about to start my tomato and pepper seeds off inside. The onions and garlic have been in a while, although I'm not sure if they have suffered.
The poultry have done really well and have continued to lay lots of eggs being kept warm by the straw in their houses. The worst thing that happened this winter is, the water supply to the cottage froze under the flags, what a job we had to put an above ground supply and stop it freezing by surrouding it with straw. I will try to put some pictures on to show what the place looked like
It's an awful long time since I have had time to bring my news up to date. The cottage has had a really good year and the bookings are coming in for 2011. We had open gardens for the church last year, that was big success and the guests in the cottage enjoyed it as well. We served afternoon tea we were able to divide the taking's between the Air Ambulance and the Lifeboats.
We also managed to sell all our surplus fruit.
We've bought a bit of land adjacent to the garden so anything can happen now more hens! some new animals! who knows.
We also hosted a wine tasting evening for the Whitechapel Players a vey good night John and Dee Laker from the Isle O Wight really enjoyed themselves it's a good job they had been before.