This week

This week we have :

Read so much.  Water storage solutions, septic tanks and composting loo arrangements have made up the bulk of the reading matter, with some permaculture gardening ideas thrown in for light relief.

Had a seriously good bit of Gumtree luck.  I got six demijohns and all the associated kit for a teeny tiny ten pounds!  Really pleased with this, and it proves that patience pays off.  I've been looking for home brew equipment for over a year but it was always so expensive.

Smallholding sat for a friend.  Taking care of chickens, ducks and two polytunnels.  Learnt that ducks are cunning creatures who will hide their eggs, and that a broody chicken is a determined chicken.

Had two sets of cousins come to stay.  Making the most of them while we live near enough for impromptu sleepovers.

Weeded and weeded and weeded.  We had a lot of Redshank growing.  I googled to see if it was a useful weed, and it's not.  It's tasteless and boring.

Thought long and hard about what we will need in the immediate future and tried to come up with a workable budget.  Priorities are shelter, heat, power and water containment.  We can't find a static caravan for sale nearby and national companies charge crazy amounts for delivery.   I'm hoping patience will win out here too.

in the garden(s)

Living in one space but moving to another presents a few complications in the garden.

I'm keen to keep our current one pretty and tidy, which is no mean feat when you have a boy who loves to wood carve all over the grass.

So I'm mostly weeding and cleaning up here. 

I have planted out some broad beans and sunflowers, and there was some spinach plants but I noticed - three days after planting - that a dog has laid on some of these and so they are looking squashed.  My fault as I should have used some of our sticks to build a protective barrier.

The daffodils are finally going over, and making a horrible mess everywhere just now.  The temptation to cut all the stems is huge.

I'm starting to earmark plants I'd like to try and take cuttings of for the new place.  I'm going to divide some of the teeny tiny Alpines that my other half likes so much, and I may try and take green wood cuttings of the Ash tree, but I'm not going to expect much from these as I've never done tree cuttings before. 

Bluebells are everywhere, and I love them.  There seems to be so many more this year than previous.  It may be because I divided up some bulb clumps last autumn when I was digging out a border.  It may just be the conditions are so good.  I think they are my favourite flowers in the garden just now. 

Up at the land there is a lot of this plant: 

(Photo credit :: APhotoFlora.com)

We call it Stitchwort, but its Latin name is Stellaria Holostea.  It's an edible weed, with alleged healing properties ranging from curing constipation, easing bronchitis and colds right through to healing wounds.  It's very pretty and grows in large drifts along the burn bank. 

Other trees we've managed to identify are huge, ancient beech trees growing along the boundary, as well as hazels and wild raspberries growing along the dividing stream.  For simplicity we call the bigger stream "The Burn" and the stream that divides the field "Dividing Stream".  In time we might find out their actual names, or come up with something more imaginative ourselves.

Having a blank canvas has meant a great deal of brain freeze.  It feels daunting just now, but once we get a feel for the place, and factor in shade spots, wind direction and other practicalities, I'm hoping a plan should come together more easily. 

this week

Made a great leap backwards in getting the house on the market.  That 4 weeks and counting has turned into 8 weeks and counting.

Ate the Pine Needle Syrup (or Forest Honey) made last week.  The recipe was simple and adapted from a few I saw on the Internet.  2 cups of water to 2/3 light brown sugar and 2 cups of needles squashed into the cup.  Fast boil and then keep at a good simmer until reduced but still runny - about 1.5 hours and then decant into honey jars or syrup bottles and allow to cool.  The consistency is somewhere between runny honey and maple syrup.  It tastes like treacle toffee with a hint of antiseptic....which is far nicer than it sounds!

Went camping on the land.  Which meant I had to accept that I was roughing it, and by roughing it I mean outdoor bodily functions.

Did a lot of walking - 6 miles along the coast, and 4 miles in a friends woods.

Removed too many ticks from the pups.  I blame the mild winter for their crazy numbers

Drove through beautiful scenery with a bunch of teenagers to Bushcraft.  Mountain air at 7 a.m. is a better wake up than coffee!

Planted out more broad beans, spinach and sunflowers at the old house.  Even if I'm not there, someone might appreciate them.

Got all protective over the Coal Tits nesting all of two feet off the ground by the shed at the old house.  The Cat isn't allowed out unsupervised and we've installed a perimeter to protect them from other local cats.  I hope it works.

  Started to think about the reality of what we are doing, so have made contact with the water testing people and started researching filter systems.

this week

This week we have ::

• Made great leaps in getting the old house on the market.  Four weeks and counting until the For Sale sign goes up.

• Loaned waaaay more books than your supposed to out of the library.  Thankyou lovely libarian who let it slide.  Now I just need to remember to renew them in time, or face a scary fine.

• Potted up sunflower and tomatoe seedlings, planted out broad beans into the garden.   (Will we be here to get a crop?  I don't know...)

• Developed wood carving skills to include not just wands but muskateer swords into the reportiore. 

•  Read up about Forest Honey, and recruited a knowledgable friend to go pine needle gathering with.

•  Learnt about 1066 and the Battle of Hastings with the smalls.

•  Listened as the Mr explained SOCAHTOA to the eldest two, and nodded along, pretending I understood.

• Cleared out the wood shed.

• Baked bread for the first time successfully.  I'm a real hippy now, at least that's what the kids said!

in the (old) garden

(to keep myself sane I am going to post as often as I can about the garden.  This could be the old garden or the new depending on where I am.)

This year is going to be an odd one.

Moving in the growing season means considering the portability of what we're planting.  I'm sticking to broad beans, tomatoes, salad crops and some potatoes in sacks.  I've also got sunflowers and squashes on the go, but these may get planted at the old house and left for someone else.

It also means thinking about making the garden of the old house "sellable pretty".

Not everyone appreciates piles of sticks everywhere.

In between showers I grabbed the camera and took some close ups of rain soaked plants:

This is the start of a twig house, built by eldest and middle boy.

My constant gardening companion.  This is Albus/ Bandit.

Hosta putting on new growth.  I hope they don't get as mangled by the slugs this year as they did the last.

 

Lemon balm.  I took cuttings last year and now have two very healthy new plants to take with me.

 

The Rhubarb.  Already a bit eaten by something.  I may take a crown with me.

Jobs to be done ::

Clear vast pile of twigs left over from tree pruning.
Cut grass
Weed rockery and flower beds
Organise potting shed.