Bokashi

I am thinking about buying or making a Bokashi Composter.

A week of Sunshine

Well what a week, still no photos as daughter has broken my camera (Grghhh).

Spent the weekned making new beads in the veg area, now have 11 beds of various sizes.

Rain again

Well its raining again, but atleast that means I can read the new seed catelogues that have jusy arrived.

Wow

I have to say I am mpressed with Sainsbury's, iordered yesterday afternoon and they delivered lunchtime today.

Wildlife habitats

So as I said I purchased a couple of Hegehoh homes from Sainsburys also goy a solitary bee house, a ladybird house and a bat box. Just noticed they have wren and robin nest boxes also have price so may have to make another order.

Sainsburys Wildlife feeders and homes

Hedgehogs

So been thinking seriously about encouraging hedgehogs into the garden.
We already have 2 woodpiles, areas where they can drink. I would like to put food out, but concverned about rats as we have seen two in the garden before.
Any way found some bargain hedgehog homes from Sainsbury's also other wildlife habitats.

Water,Water everywhere

well the ponds are coming on, seem to be breeding though, but I have always had an obsession with water so I suppose its not surprising.

We now have a small container pond with solar powered fountain in front garden.

A larger container pond in a half oak whisky barrel in the back garden, despite having been soaked it stillhas a slight warm smell of whisky, this is fitted with a solar powered oxygenator.

Then at the back in the vegetable plot there is the old duck pond, not a fish pond, with a bog garden and nature pond, oh and of course the rockery, all sort of intertwinned (pictures to follow when daughter returns camera).

Books

Well popped in to the Works on Sunday (it was raining hard so couldn't do much in the way of planting), and picked up a couple of books.

The Esential Allotment Guide by John Harrison
RRP £5.99 only .99p in the works.


and also
The Thrifty Gardener by Alys Fowler
RRP £16.99 only £4.99

Stick Insects

Well last year we had the butterfly garden, in which we raised baby caterpillers until they emerged as butterflies.



Well this year we decided to try the Stick Insect kit, I had stick insects as a child, we used to keep them in the large plastic jars that sweets come in. One day my cat managed to get its head in the jar that housed the baby stick insects, she walked round the house with this jar on her head like a space helmet, baby stick insects falling out all over the place. we were find stick insects all over the house for weeks afterwards.

New Lawn

Well the new grass seed that I sowed just over a week ago is growing well, despite the birds trying to feast on it.

New Wellies -Update

So as promised I saud I would update you all on the new wellies, sure enough they arrived the following day, with great free Gelert Boot bag and free emergency pac-a-mac.

New Nature Pond

Well got up early and mad the most of the sunshine, and redid the Bog garden and dug a new nature pond.
Sadly no photos as daughter number 2 has borrowed my camera.

Goldfish

Sadly we have lost two of the small pond fish this week, not sure why yet.

Hello Sunshine

....Goodbye Rain.

Atlast the rain has stopped. A strange thing my windows and conservatory all covered in a strange grey dust, could it be Volcanic Ash!

Looks Interesting

Well its still raining, i suppose you guessed that from the mount of time I have to by posting here, so I am browsing the internet again.

Just come across the following website, it looks interesting and possibly a useful way to rehome extra plants and also get some for yourself.

Garden Swap Shop

Also found this one, Free plant Network, not sure if its genuine or not, but here you go.

Free Plant

Free Biodiversity Guide

Free Biodiversity pack and seeds.

Variety-for-Life-Campaign

Free Grow your Own Guide

Just found this on the internet and thought I would share with all.


BTCV Free Food Guide

Animals

So what have we got now that all the livestock has gone.

We have the dog, 2 cats and various fish.

Amazon Store

Well to make it easier to list the books I like I have created an amazon store. I will add my favouriates as I find them, its not very full yet.

Wellington Boots

Oh dear put my gardening wellies on yesterday to go out and feed the fish and refill the bird feeders, only to find my feet a little damp. Seems, my wellies have split, so looks like I have some new planters for the front garden (We have several pairs of wellies planted up).
So I need new wellies, had a look around and decided to buy some fun ones, so I went for these ones
£19.99 (from Wellieboots.com ) and you also get a free Poncho and boot bag, supposed to be next day delivery, I'll let you.

New Fruit

Oh, the nice man from UPS has just called at the house with a nice large, long cardboard box, that means its a tree.
Yes my much awaited Viking Berry or Aronia Berry has arrived. When it stops raining, I will get out out to the garden and plant it, still deciding if I shall plant in a large pot or directly in the ground.

New Pond

I am currently in the process of making a new small pond nearer the house, so we can see it more.
The pond is going to be in half an old Whiskey Barrel.

Books

Well one thing about the rain it means I have time to read all those allotment and gardening books I have been meaning to read for a long time.
So far this week I have re-read the following:
Half Hour Allotment, I love this book.



Allotment Gardening: An Organic Guide for Begineers, another great book with just the right amonuth of information for a beginneer.

Wildlife, fish and ponds

Well the old duck pond has been cleaned out, and has now be gievn a new lease of life as a fish pond. Next to the main pond I have created a rockery and bog garden to attract wildlife, and will soon (when the rain stops) be adding a nature pond.

This years Plants

In the vegetable Garden we so far have the following growing.

Vegetables
Potatos
Sweetcorn
Aubergine
Butternut Squash
Corgettes
Cucumbers
Tomatoes (various types and sizes)
Runners Beans
Dwarf Beans
Broad Beans
Onions
Peas (various types)
Asparagus (Young so will not be cropping for a while yet)
Lettuce (various)
Chard (almost finished now)
Spring Onions

Fruit
Plum Trees (mature)
Gooseberries
Red Currents
White Currents
Tayberries
Strawberries
Lingonberries
Rhurbarb
Blackberries
Duo Pear Tree
Necterines
Kiwi
Apple
Melons (in shed)
Huckleberries

I think thats everything, happy with that for a young plot.

Opps almost forgot Licourice.

Rain, Rain Go away

Okay so I like the fact that I don't need to water the garden as much as normal, but it would be nice to be able to do more than five minutes work in the garden between showers. that said the plants are growing wonderfully due to the current warm wet weather so I really should complain.

Also its costing me a fortune as I have time to sit and read plant/seed catalogues and websites and so ordering lots of plants, seeds and gadgets.

Vegetable Seeds

VegetableSeeds.net - VegetableSeeds.net offers fantastic value for the highest quality vegetable seeds in the UK. Over 300 varieties with next day shipping.

Birds and Animals

After many happy years with our livestock we had to make the very tough decision to have them all rehomed, after we suffered several attacks by a couple of local holigans.
Sadly these individuals (all of whom have ASBO's) are not being charged as although we know who they are and the police know who they are they mothers claimed they were at home in bed.
Hopefully oneday we will have more poultry and the milking goats I have always wanted.

Apoligies

Hi all, haven't posted in a long time,, life been to hectic to post of garden.
I have now given up the old allotment, but have made a lovely new veg patch in the garden. The patch is newly established (last month) and so is not perfect yet, but is well on the way (Photos soon).

New Kitten

Rosie phoned from School, could we look after a kitten for the night, well I said yes.
I bet you can guess the rest we now have a new kitten. Well actually its Sue's Kitten.

New Pet

We have a dog, Magic. She came to us yesterday from Dogs Trust ( Leeds). She is a lovely GSD X Lab cross.

Little Paws Pet Hotel

The Children (supervised by me) have decided to turn the experience to good use and run a small animals boarding hotel.

They have named their venture Little Paws Pet Hotel, and made a blog link in title.

All the money they make will be used by them towards our animals.

And then it was gone

Last night when it was time to make sure the birds were all locked up, my youngest daughter could not find one of the birds (named angel), the three older kids spent ages searching for her, they checked bushed and trees in case she had gone broody or decidd to roost some where strange. In the end I told them to come in it was dark, and so they were not going to find her.

This morning the birds were all let out, still she was missing. Secretly I thought maybe we had had a fox visit.

This afternoon I go out to the garden and have a search, no sign, till I decided to turn over an upside down bucket, as soon as I did out popped a rather scruffy damp looking hen with a bit of cramp, she is now swalking round the garden trying to strch her aching legs and wings. Stupid Chicken

The allotment

Well the bits that survived the floods are doing well, the sweetcorn looks good, as do the pumpkins.

For Sale Muscovy Ducklings

Hi I have 5 Male (I think) and possibly also a female available, Lavender Muscovy ducklings for sale, 6 weeks old, very friendly.

Outside reared

The New Incubator is here

Okay so its arrived now, got it set up and working, happy the temperature control is good, humiditiy seems constant, so now I'm ready to go, just need some eggs.

I have loads of fertile quail eggs, bot don't really want more quail, have fertile duck eggs, but again don't really want more ducks. So what shall I do? Has anybody got any eggs for sale or to swap?

Thanks in adavnce

Mixing the birds

Introducing the birds and they all seem fine except for one on the wynadottes who is very agressive to all the other birds, will have to watch heras she seems a bit of a bully.

Norfolk Rare Breeds Centre · Rare and traditional breeds of Cattle, Pigs and Poultry

Interesting site, think I may get some eggs from them.

Norfolk Rare Breeds Centre · Rare and traditional breeds of Cattle, Pigs and Poultry

New Birds

Well the new Birds are here from Ann, with 3 more from Amanda arriving tomorrow.

Yesterdays arrivals are
4 Partridge Wynadottes
1 Petty little unknown
and a quad of Plymouth Rock X Sussex Crosses

New Birds

Our new birds have just arrived, pictures soon.

The Missing Goat

Today will out in thegarden trying to repair orur lawn, I was busy while Henry was playing. After a while Henry went in to do some work. a little while later I realised that I was a goat missing, I searched High and Low and couldn't find it., strange I thought as our garden has no gate. The doors were all closed ao it couldn't have wondered into the Garage.

So I go inside to look out of an upstairs window hoping to get a better view, and there in the living room is a goat, sat down chewing the cud and watching Bargain Hunt. Can you believe he had walked into the Laundry, then the Conservatory and then plonked himself down in front of the TV. Seems Henry had left the backdoor open while in thetoilet and only closed it when he had finished, but he must have walked past the gaot and not noticed.

KIDS Goat and Human,

Foot & Mouth

Just heard that there is another suspected case in Surry, the Animal Health sem to be taking it seriously as they are culling the herd.

Cool New Cursers

Sorry couldn't resist playing with these cursers, you should hopefully at the moment have a plant that grows and then flowers.

On my other blog is a littl chick.

Katherine Takes a swim

Just finished uploading a short film of Katherine our female Muscovy taking a dip in a nice bucket of fresh water.

New Forum For Goat Owners

Great new forum just for goat owners in the UK, check it out here


http://ukgoatowners.myfreeforum.org/

Pond

Well the pond is pretty much finished, needs nice stones round it, the ducks and goose have already tried it and seem to like it.

Pond

Well after about 3 hous the pond was filled and ready, and some stones laid around the edge, we will get some decent ones in a few days when it has had time to settle. The ducks and goose were in it within minutes.

New Pond

Finally having lived in this house for over 3 months, we finally have a pond.

Jamie and I spent about 3 house, digging, having changed the location twice after we found concrete 8 inches down.

Goat Playground

The goats need a playground, so I'm now on the look out for cable drums, pallets, or even a little tikes playground.

The Allotment

They allotment seems to be going fairly well despite the floods earlier in the year, when it was flooded.

I lost all my root vegtables and most of my brasicas, but the leeks and sweetcorn seem to be holding on.

Sabre

Having noticed Cutlass' ear problem I then discovered Sabre's ear was also damaged, not as bad as Cutlass', so I had to sneak up again with the spray while they were asleep.

Sabre now not only has a purple ear, but also two purpla stripes down his face, and resembles Adam Ant (that makes me sound old, but I was just a child when he was famous).

Goats and Health

Noticed Tuesday that Cutlass seemed a little depressed,so had a closer look and he appears to have caught his stupid ear tag on something, and the wound has got a little infected, so it was out with the Purple spray. to say he was unimpressed is an understatement, it took to us os to spray his ear, so we now have a goat with a purple ear.

Plum Jam

Having discovered that we had plum trees in our garden I decided to have a go at making plum jam. Now I made jam last summer, Strawberry and Gooseberry, both were okay.

But the Plum Jam was great, and I don't even like Jam.

Marmalade

Fresh on the heels of my jam making success, I decided to try making marmalade, that and the fact I brought to many oranges this week, so I know have a pan of orange goo bubbling on the cooker.

Normanby Farming Museum

Sunday we went to the Normanby Farming Museum and Hall, great day, interesting museum.

Hope Show

Spent a lovely day at Hope Agricultral show on Bank Holiday Monday. Lovely weather till we got there then it got a bit chilly and cold.

It was very sad to be at a show without animals.

Pea Problems

No not that sort of problem.

My peas were growing really well up the archway leading to the garden, when on Wednesday, Katherines ducklings decided they looked tastey, so they had a nibble, and didn't stop until there were no leaves left.

Wedding Photos

Completely unrelated to the allotment, but I did promise wedding photos so here you go.

We had a great day, except the rain. As you can see we got married on a Ship, HMS Trincomalee and all wore period costume.

Loads more pictures here.

Goats

At last after many problems we now have goats, not the dairy goats I really want, but pygmy goats, a good start I think.

Sabre and Cutlass, two wethers aged 18 weeks. They came to us from Cannon Hall Farm.

Updates

Just updating my other blog with updaes.

An apology,

I've I have neglected this blog and my other one for far to long.

Updates coming soon.

Goats

Well we have pygmy goats now, this is our second attempt at keeping goats our first be an un mittgated diaseter, having been sold dodgy sick stock. Learnt a lesson there, just because someone is a registered breeder, doesn't always mean you get healthy stronger stock.

So here they are, Sabre and Cutlass. They are both wethers, and very friendly.

School Project

My eldest son and a friend spent a week at my youngest daughters junior school, building two rasied beds for the children to plant up, these were great and at the end of the week they planted some potatoes, leeks, radish and rocket for the kids.

Lets hope they survive the summer.

Sorry for not posting in a longtime

Sorry I have not posted anything for ages. My dear partner has proposed and we have been very busy with wedding plans.

Chicks, Ducklings etc

Here some pictures of the babies in our house at the moment.

UK Ducks, Geese and Poultry Group

I have been a member of a number of US based groupds for a while, and I decided it was time we had a UK group.

Pontefract Freecycle

I have just approval for a new Freecyle Group for Pontefract, if you ae in the area, please join nd pass on the groups details so we can make it succesful.

E Petition

Not something I often do, but I was sent this link by a friend, pass it on. Thanks.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/allotments/

First Bath

The ducklings enjoyed their first splash in the bath.

Cute Picture

A Basket of Ducks

Ducklings

Heres a picture of our newly hatched ducklings, loads more pictures on the hatching blog

All our Birds

Just taking stock of what we have got.

We have 5 White Silkies (1 Cockrel and 4 Hens) George, Purdie, Cutie Pie, Pecker and Swimmer, and 1 one little Chick.

3 Khaki Campbells (2 Drakes and 1 Duck) Dive Bomber, Donald and Molly.

5 Indian Runner Ducks (1 Drake and 4 Ducks) Mars Bar, Galaxy, Rolo, Blondie and Brandy and 3 Little Ducklings (So Far...... Watch our hatching blog for more news)

1 Aylesbury Drake Snowball

1 Crested Duck Lady

2 Muscovy Ducks (1 Drake and 1 Duck) Henry the eighth and Catherine the sixth

1 Emden Gander Goosy

9 Quail (unsexed)

and oue Silver Appleyard has now gone to live with a new family and 5 female runner ducks

Muscovy Ducks

Yesterday we picked up a pair of Muscovey Ducks, and what a lovely pair they are.

Quails, Chicks and Ducklings

Well the last few weeks have been really busy with lots hatching. Have a look at our other blog for pictures.

Henry and Rosie

Henry and Rosie are in Decembers Practical Poultry, along with Henry's Silkie Swimmer.

Also I've just had a phone call from Practical Poultry to say that I have won Novembers competition as well.

Swimmer

Swimmer has a scabby shoulder.

Rosie was fussing swimmer last night when she felt waht she thought was dried poo, turned out it is a very crusty dry scab. I popped some wound powder on and have spent the last few hours trying to get hold of a vet, but no luck.

George

George has had to be locked in the garage at night now, as it is the only way to stop him crowing at 4am.

Duck Eggs Fertile

The 5 Runner Ducks eggs set last week are all fertile and seem to be developing nicely, so hopefully on the 21st November we will have 5 more runner ducks runing around.

Cutie Pies still broody

Cutie pie the broody hen is still sat happily on the 12 eggs I gave her plus another 7 that she pinched from the others.

Sadly one fell out the nest and got cold, it was one of our bantams eggs and had started to develop, so George is obviously more active than I thought.

We have now managed to move her to a Rabbit hutch, which she is none to impressed about.

Quail, no 14 days old

The quail are still growing fast. They are now 14 days old.

Quick Update

Haven't posted for a week as we have been so busy, and I have now succomed to Jamies Flu.

Quail, and more

Sadly the little poorly Chick gave up on Saturday, we were taking the kids to visit family and when we returned we found him dead, not a great surprise but still a little upsetting.

The others however are growing fast, and are now getting wing feathers.

Poorly Chick

The second to last chick to hatch is still a lot waeker than the others last night I had to seperate him from the others as they are fairly rough with him, This morning he is back with his siblings and seems a bit stronger.

The Quail

10 quail hatched, 1 dead in shell and one infertle, not bad for a first attempt.

No names yet, but a few ideas being discussed.

Pictures of Lady

Lady seems to have become very friendly with snowball.

6 Hatched

6 Hatched 1 more on the way

Eggs Pipped

Eggs started pipping last night.

Lady

Well Lady arrived last night and she has settled in well, after a bit of feather pulling and pecking by all the ducks. She is now settled next to Snowball the Aylesbury Drake.

Thank you Helen.

Drunks

Well last night or rather early this morning at around 2.15 am we had a call from the police to tell us there had been some damage to or property.

Getting up we saw 2 Police Officer standing outside our house next to a large hole in our fence. Some idiot drunks had decided to try and steal our For Sale Board, a bit of a local hobby, they then decided to pull the fence apart instead, and try and steal the Wheel Barrow, Luckily a neighbour called the police, though they had gone when the police got here.

Luckily other than being a bit spooked the Birds are all fine.

Seed Catalogue

Just been through the the seed Catalogue, making my selection and it came to £114 ooops may have to reconsider some choices.

Netto Fruit Trees

Managed to get an Apple Tree today from Netto, just £3.99. Shame it was the last one or I would have got some more.

ebay plants

Well my first ebay plants have arrived, 2 Rhubarb plants, can't wait to get down the allotment now and plant them.

Cracked Egg

I was turning the quail eggs earlier today and managed to crack one, Arghh, My book says to piant nail varnish over the crack. I have done this and popped it back in the incubator.

They are due to hatch next Monday/Tuesday.

Plants

I have decided to order some plants from ebay to get us going on the allotment.

Asperagus crowns , Onion sets and am now looking for some more.

Trains I hate them

Ok bad day, didn't get to Selby thanks to the stupid trains.

First 3 trains cancelled, next one late, conection cancelled (take another 2 hours to get there), Ticket office said they couldn't give refund only the ticket man on train as he had sold me the ticket, got on train to come home also late ticket woman wouldn't give me refund as she said the ticket office should have. Arghh.

To Selby we go

Henry and I are off to Selby today to see this other Poultry Auction.

Picture later.

Try again

There we go, its worked this time. That blurr is a clutch of snail eggs in the fish tank.

Eggs, yes more eggs

Well they are eggs but of another type, not Bantams, not ducks, nout any sort of bird.

No, they are Water Snail eggs. Yes the pair of little water snails that live with the goldfish have mated and layed eggs on the side of the tank. They can just be made out in the above picture a blur on the side of the tank.

Henry and Swimmer

Henry has enjoyed a cuddle with Swimmer his Bantam.

Ducks

Rosie has managed to catch all the new ducks today and ring the runners who look very similier at a glance (Well they do to me).