Patricia W Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Where do you get the seeds from? I bought lots of bee bombs last year and scattered them. Zilch! I’m hoping something will come up next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Sorry to hear about your dear departed chook - are you planning on increasing your flock now that you are settling in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 Patricia - Emorsgate Seeds, I have bought a fair amount of yellow rattle. That is a parasitic plant that helps to clear patches for other plants, so that starts working over the first year. Added bonus is that the sheep will be mowing the field and then I can broadcast it so that they stomp it it. Definitely increasing the flock, and thank you Soapy. I have plans! MIL said this evening surely you don't want lots of chickens - aren't 2 enough. Well 2 will mean soon there will be one thanks to the surprise departure for the over the rainbow bus. Really! She has no idea about the need for chooks. She isn't good at maths either so she definitely will not be able to understand chicken maths! I've been "advised" on a few things these past couple of days - had no idea of when they would be leaving but there is light at the end of the tunnel when they announced Thursday morning. She also advised the local gamekeeper that we had 2 deer and he said ooh I'll have them soon then. Pity the soil depth is shallow here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 Also been invited to the local hunt (something like garlic trail) - I said don't ask me to run round dragging the smelly stuff because the dogs will catch up with me before I get to the end of the road! Not so sure bout that - will be interesting to see/meet locals. It just goes against my ethics, but will have to keep that under wraps for the time being. Shooting game is a bit different as I do like eating pheasant! Alphonso and Harley Quin and the ladies are safe as long as they stay in my garden! I was also asked if I do church. Er no, sorry. "That's OK neither do I hahaha but I only go to meet people!" I don't think that's right either! I'd be happy to join in with flowers or tidying up and general helping if asked though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Hey Kezza!!!! A bit late to this I know - been hectic here, but sooo glad to hear that you've realised your dream at last.XXXXX Got to meet up next year - I'm running short on squishy hugs! I should leave the lurchers here though, or you'll be eating venison Mind you, venison and pheasant burgers are a speciality of mine! Mind those deer don't wreck the greenhouse if they break in to get to your goodies - they can be total vandals! Have a great time and don't forget to post loads of photos - you deserve this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 31, 2018 Author Share Posted October 31, 2018 Thankies and no worries - we may be getting venison inadvertently seeing as MIL blabbed about the deer to the gamekeeper! Have to say this year dragged a while and then it just went like a runaway train! Can't believe it's almost November! At least we are getting the bleh bits out of the way and a whole lot of spring and summer to come. My seeds arrive tomorrow! Notified the wildlife lady and she said blimey that was quick. We've made a date for April and the day after my birthday so I said I'd save her some cake! Just so excited! Sounds like I need an electric fence for the greenhouse too! Met one of the recommended guys today - he will be doing the groundwork (the other one didn't want to) so we are really happy with him. He's younger than we expected but very pleasant - and a great sense of humour. I gather they don't like double fences or fishing line or netting. I shall be using all sorts to experiment! If my MIL comes back next year I will be sorely tempted to pop her on top of a bean pole and use her as a scarecrow. And yes - we must have our squishy hugs! I'm up in Hertfordshire in March again. These quilting ladies are equally bonkers as chicken peeps. All good fun. Maybe get together at some stage then. xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Yes, love to meet up - just let me know. When I worked on the estate, the deer regularly wrecked the greenhouses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 31, 2018 Author Share Posted October 31, 2018 Yeek! Little monkeys! That's awful! And expensive to fix! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 Hi Valkyrie, I meant to comment on this thread when you first moved - your new(ish) place looks and sounds wonderful. I think I've spotted you on The Accidental Smallholder (I promise not to blow your cover!) where I'm a bit of a lurker, though may be about to post more as we prepare to get our first sheep (eek!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 LOL Min&Mo! You probably have - the electric fencing question/answer was very helpful. Bit of an update - the chicken run survived the winds and we had a right bashing - especially from Gareth. The snow was wonderful and thankfully it didn't last long - I wished I had a toboggan and forgot to make a snowman. The greenhouse survived too - surprisingly the temperature went low but never froze inside! I had covered spuds just in case. Went on a quilt retreat just as the weather changed - then I fretted because things needed doing and I was away! Came back to triffid tomatoes and peppers desperate to be repotted. They are still desperate to be repotted because as soon as I got home I was out in the field making more beds. The guys came and anti-bunny fenced off the veg patch just before Freya hit us, so the ground had been covered in places with black damp proof course fabric - thicker stuff so really keeps it dark underneath. We had compost and spent mushroom compost delivered on top of that. First things in was the garlic and then the onions went in. Had a breather yesterday and today I was at Exeter Quilt show which was tiny - but very relaxing. And not as tempting with fewer quilt shops. We had lots of frogs doing Olympic swimming and sploshing and left lots of spawn behind. I thought we had newt spawn but I think it's toadspawn too. We will have newt spawn because the newts have been rippling their cresty bits. I'm not sure if we have a great crested newt - I saw a dark knobbly one but it had red behind its neck and not underneath. But we have plenty of smooth newts and palmate newts the latter of which are rather cute - I guess with the newt Olympics they have the advantage of built in flippers. There are bonkers caddis fly larvae wandering round with green thatch and other stuff stuck to them, pond skaters and some diddy water bug things. I wasted a lot of time last week pond gazing. Other things consist of the return of Romeo the deer. The fox was heavily pregnant. We have had bullfinches, and I'd not seen them since I was a child! Working in the veggie patch I was listening to a sky lark - and now there are 2 warbling up high. For so long I wanted a chiffchaff - and they have arrived! So happy!!! The rubbish weather is doable because when the weather is good - it is well worth the wait! I forgot to add I've also stuck in 25 or so edible hedging plants along the western fence - with a gap between the fence so that we can still get behind when it needs trimming. They will hopefully provide wildlife nectar and food for them and us. It is going to be a shelter hedge for the vedge patch. 5 plants went behind the chicken run for a windbreak too. There will be more planted in autumn, but I wanted get something in to settle in first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 You've been busy! And yes - it was the electric fence thread 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 7 hours ago, Valkyrie said: I forgot to add I've also stuck in 25 or so edible hedging plants along the western fence - with a gap between the fence so that we can still get behind when it needs trimming. They will hopefully provide wildlife nectar and food for them and us. It is going to be a shelter hedge for the vedge patch. 5 plants went behind the chicken run for a windbreak too. There will be more planted in autumn, but I wanted get something in to settle in first. I must be tired; I read this as 'edible hedgehog' 🤣 We had a flock of chiffchaffs in our park the other morning, never seen them in there before. M&M, we'll have to invite ourselves down on a visit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 Well there may be edible hedgehogs round here, I only found a squashed one and another that I shushed to safety - but don't reckon they'll be around much with a badger on the loose! I've never planted a hedgehog either! Funny how our minds play tricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 A trip to Devon in search of edible hedgehogs that grow on trees - could be a trip of a lifetime 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 1, 2019 Author Share Posted April 1, 2019 I would tend it lovingly for lots of prickly pears to run wild snuffling away to freedom.😍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 8, 2019 Author Share Posted April 8, 2019 I have found violets! Really deep purple ones! Right outside the kitchen door and virtually under my nose! I'm sure they weren't there last week! Another plus (or not as my fingers smell and I can still smell the odour wafting up even though I've washed my hands several times!) is that we have wild garlic! We were looking at the well - which has been filled in and I said oooh look - ramsons! All over the place! Had to pull a leaf to check and the never-ending pong of garlic is with me all the time now! The flowers aren't out yet, but it won't be long before they burst out of those buds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Ahh, now i have been picking wild garlic for 3 weeks now; a fairly steady supply of it for salads and wilting with spinach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 8, 2019 Author Share Posted April 8, 2019 That is so cool. We didn't know we had it, it's in the hidden path and quite shady to the north of the house - only the woodshed is there and we don't really go in the shady bits much! Dive in the greenhouse to warm up! But today was beautiful. My spinach is only just throwing out bigger leaves - hope the ramsons last long enough for a little picking - would be fun to have a nice snack with garlicy spinach with eggies. Otherwise I'll have to go and buy some! Already had some nettle soup. Yumyumyummyyumyum! His lordship made a nice tray bake - with spice and treacle and goodness knows what else - it's slightly caramel and slightly fudgey. I said it was the first time that his cake was lovely and light - he used the little Kenwood hand mixer. Dorset apple cake is different - it should be squidgey and puddingy. And he didn't burn it! Shock! Gasp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 I love Dorset Apple Cake! Or maybe you have Devon Apple Cake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 11, 2019 Author Share Posted April 11, 2019 LOL! I think it's any county cake! All have a variation on a theme, but that was the title in the recipe book! Guess what I did yesterday down the road! Meet little Miss Needynumbernine! She had a little help when she was first born as one of triplets. She's in the big boys and girls pen but when anyone comes along she still thinks she neeeeeeeeeedz! She has the highest pitched and most loudest bleat of them all! The desperation to get through the bars was so funny. But after the little lad who is needy and his bigger brother, she was allowed in to have a few slurps. The twins mum had difficult birth and wasn't well - definitely not enough to produce milk for both, and the tiny one was close to death and has been brought back from the brink, although they think he might be blind, poor thing. He certainly had a little round tummy afterwards! Mum is doing a bit better, although chunky bro is better at getting his dinner. I said I was going to ninja number 9. At one time I had all 3 underneath my coat!😍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Aaaaawwww! well you do have a whole field now... right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 11, 2019 Author Share Posted April 11, 2019 Yes - and even OH was smitten! It was a bit eeeeek when I fed the sheep some treats and narrowly avoided sheep surfing! OH filmed it and luckily he didn't film me when I sank knee-deep in mud and our friend was trying to shove my bottom to help me out! Luckily my fat legs prevented any mud or moisture from going down into my boot! I did have wet knee for the walk home. At least this time I didn't have to borrow my grandmother's cardigan to cover up my modesty after falling in streams! But I did shove my boots and trouser bottoms under a mini waterfall to wash the mud off on the way home! Today was digging. I'm actually doing the no-dig system, but the piles of compost need to be transferred and there are times when I wish I was Mary Poppins! OH has damaged his shoulder so I am doing it while he treads the compost down to firm it all and brings me drinks! He's going back to the docs in a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Lovely lamby Valkyri! Are you planning to have some 🐑🐑🐑 for your field? We've just finished having our field sheep-proofed in readiness for a few wooly residents in the summer Great news re your wild garlic. If you like garlic and pesto then I can recommend pesto made with wild garlic (instead of basil) and walnuts (or pine nuts if you prefer). I made lots last year and froze it, and am now about to start the process all over again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 11, 2019 Author Share Posted April 11, 2019 I would love to have a couple of pet sheep, but my plans for the field are to turn it into a wildlife meadow. Hoping that the horseshoe bat will find sustenance in future travels. So far the yellow rattle doesn't seem to have appeared, but the lady from Devon Wildlife is coming on Monday to give me some pointers. So far we have bees aplenty of all sorts on the dandelions! We have used a big chunk for the veggie and fruit plot. I didn't know the pesto could be frozen! Thanks - I must stop nibbling at the pine nuts though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
