Discovery

There is always something new to discover. I found an oak tree in the garden. WEll of course what can you do with an oak tree. Make Oak leaf wine of course. The oak leaves are in boiling water as we speak. Going to be cool I now have elderflower champagne ready in a week then for the winter months I will have so far elderberry, nettle and now oakleaf.

Had a great day pottering in the poly tunnel after recovering from a bad cold. Made myself a sandwich with my homemade bread, my first lettuce and homemade honey (from my bees) and mustard sauce rather tasty.

I have had a lot of slug damage this year. Good protien for my chickens when I discover them in the poly tunnel. Unfortunately I am going to have to revert to some slug patrol. Question is nemotoids or slug pellets (organic harm free obviously) otherwise just wont have any veg. Second lot of seeding today.

I have created a wild corner of herbs with sorrel, lovage and chamomile and added my horse radish. All of which I believe will spread. Hopefully taking over the native hogweed. The weeds um plenty of creeping buttercup!!

Cant believe I have actual green berries on the Blackberry bushes already!! Going to be a good year for fruits.

  

Photos from the smallholding

My new additions - Chocolate coloured Ducklings well cute

I am an aylesbury with an identity crisis!

Chocolate ducklings making friends with the natives

Youngest meet the layers

Francis the Drake (ii) with his two new ladies!!

First time out in the big world - loving it!

Light sussex crossed with a silkie - what a hairdo

you want me to pose??

OOh worm!!

Does my bum look big in this??

Look at me in my new outdoor space

I am the loud one!!

I am the shy one - dam she got my picture

Elderflower wine on the go ready in a week!! yum

The only cat in the house the rest are out stalking the woldlife and to busy for a photo shoot!!

Looking forward to those lovely roses turning into rose hip and making into a sell-able product!!

Foraging time again

I decided this year I wasnt going to miss out on the elderflower. Today the Elderflower champagne started or should I say sparkling wine. Yipee. We have nettle wine on the go and elderberry from some dried elderberries I had. I am hoping tomorrow I have time to collect some gorse for gorse wine. Might give nettle beer ago but the nettles are starting to look a bit old. 

Lambs are now off milk and eating grass. 

Ducklings - I built them a new pen in the shed they look very happy. More space and the shed they are in is begging to look like a poultry hatchery!! Just waiting for the electric cable and I will be able to get this poultry breeding down to a fine art.  As well as electric to the poly tunnel!! Thinking propagators thinking veg all year!! I wont mention a kettle!!

Little chicks doing well and big chicks doing well too!! 

Vegetables growing well. 

Looking at them roses in the garden cant wait for the rose hips!! I can see hedgerow jelly again this year and rose hip and 'whore' I mean haw jelly coming along soon. 

Batten down the hatches and tuck the little ones up

ITs June and we have gale force winds and pouring rain and its cold.

Back to praying that the poly tunnel stays up. Why do sheep always decide to get stuck when it is pouring down with rain and gales blowing!! yes just had to rescue a lamb got stuck in some wire. They are all tucked up in their lamb shed with extra feed now.

All is well down on the smallholding fingers crossed for polytunnel!!