I know it's barely been five minutes since my June post, but I'm trying to get back to posting at the beginning of the month rather than the middle, so here we are. The veg patch The veg patch at the end of July was looking rather lush, and finally it feels like we might actually get some food from it. Well, some kale at least, and some chard, and perhaps a couple of turnips. Everything else is still touch and go. It seems that most of what I thought were cabbages were actually turnips (in my defence they looked VERY similar when they were small), and I barely have any cabbages at all. My swedes took an early battering by a chicken, and never really recovered. The spinach seems to be growing in long stalks along the ground (maybe I've acquired some special variety?), I've only just planted out the leeks, and the poor beetroots are still in their pots. I'm not holding out any hope for cucumber or courgette, which now don't really have enough time to mature. Oh well. I'm hoping that now this veg patch is established, I can get on with sowing seeds and planting out earlier next year. Edible windbreak The fruit in the edible windbreak is faring rather better, and this last week I've harvested gooseberries, blackcurrants and, finally, rhubarb. A bit of jam-making coming up, I think. We've got quite a few damsons developing, but only one apple and one plum, so it looks like we're not going to be entirely self-sufficient in those this year. We've had a few raspberries too, and rather excitingly the fig tree my sister bought for my birthday back in April has a few little figs developing. (That chicken is Bessie, by the way, and her new hormonal implant seems to have fixed her fluid retention and egg-related problems (poor Bessie!), and she's now feeling well enough to steal raspberries and chase the new chickens). Chickens The new chickens are settling in nicely, and finally all six are acting vaguely like a flock, although there has been quite a lot of sorting out of the pecking order, and we've had to have the anti-peck spray out a few times. Visitors July has been a month of visitors, including some who have camped overnight. Our garden shelter has been very well used. Water harvesting I finally caved in and bought an industrial bulk container (IBC) to use for water storage. It was rather a faff, as the company didn't read my delivery instructions and sent an 18 tonne lorry, which did not cope well on our narrow lanes, and couldn't get down the drive at all. Still, I dragged it down the drive myself and it's now in place next to the greenhouse. Of course there was considerably more faffing as it's so big that it's impossible to collect water from the greenhouse and put a watering can under the tap. I'm having to dig a hole to put the watering can in... DIY Well, not much actual DIY, but some preparation. I've finally measured the kitchen ceiling, and ordered plasterboard, battens, screws, and 25 tubes of glue. Hopefully by the end of August we'll have a functioning ceiling (don't hold your breath though - I've got an acre of meadow to scythe as well as a full time job). So there we are - July on the homestead. Lots of things have been happening! I love the long evenings and it has been so very nice to host visitors (especially as they're all staying outside, so we don't have to clean the house, tee hee).
What's in store for August? The kitchen ceiling of course. I'm crossing my fingers for a decent veg harvest, of kale at least. Will I get the French drain dug? The hazel tree planted out? The meadow scythed? Who knows... I do have a fortnight off work though so there's a small chance. Watch this space...
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Hello!Sit down and make yourself comfortable. I'm Jenni, and I write here about our new foray into country living, which includes growing food, knitting, baking, wandering around the fields, and seeing which local cafe serves the best cake. Categories
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