I'm writing this after collapsing at home. Fed up of waiting for others to volunteer to sort out the pond on the Community Garden (over a year and still waiting!), I decided that I had had enough of our hall being cluttered with the pond liner. I messaged Nikki to see if she would be... Continue Reading →
Gertie Update
Poor Gertie. She is holding her own well at the moment but she isn't happy. The others are tending to give her space but as yet, I haven't spotted anyone preferentially staying with her yet. I may yet have to strong arm one of the others into the role by putting them together in a... Continue Reading →
Preparing for the Growing Season
I may have been somewhat over-enthusiastic yesterday in Wilkinson's. Hauling the loot home took ages! This morning after breakfast, I raised our egg boxes to find three big ones to put on the window sill in the dining room. There is always something so exciting about putting the potatoes out to chit. Maybe it's because... Continue Reading →
A Break in the Rain
Rather to my surprise, today was dry and, even more shockingly, there was sunshine! Granted in November, the sun contains little warmth but it's a vast improvement on the past few days! Armed with cleaning supplies, I dashed down to the allotment during my lunch break to clean out the chickens. Poor Maude and Mavis... Continue Reading →
An Evening’s Weeding
Tonight we waited until the scorching heat had abated somewhat before heading down to the allotment. Yet again, the temperature is above 30 degrees and it is sweltering. There is no breeze and the hot air hangs over Crewe, blanketing in the heat. It's days like today that I wistfully daydream about my home town... Continue Reading →
Sorting the Nest House
After a morning of house clearing, I headed down to the allotment to clean out the Nest House. It's a job that always takes ages and it's one of my least favourite jobs. Upon arrival, I spotted Liz, Sarah and their mum so I went to say hello. Daisy was with them and gave me... Continue Reading →
A Mercy Mission
Some days at the allotment start out ordinary and end up being extraordinary! I walked down to the allotment this morning with a list of jobs to do. My first job was to sort out the willow. Somehow despite the heatwave, it has grown massively in the last week. Grabbing my trusty secateurs, I made... Continue Reading →
Beating Back the Weeds
After a really busy week at work without a moment to stop, I finally made it down to the allotment for more than a quick visit. The weeds were beginning to dominate several of the beds and I have an ongoing battle with the weeds that insist on growing over the paths. With the feathery... Continue Reading →
The Feathery Army Marches Out
I love lunchtimes at the moment. It's an opportunity to let the chickens at home explore the garden. I find watching the interactions between the different groups fascinating. The silkies are the first out, always keen to destroy another patch of the lawn. Cirrus is always first out and she usually wanders near to the... Continue Reading →
A Day of Highs and Lows
Sad news from the plot this morning. I ambled down before work to find one our little bantams had passed away in the New Coop. Initially, I thought it was Foxy, but closer inspection of the comb revealed it wasn't. It's such a shame as she was growing into a lovely bird (albeit a very... Continue Reading →
Flora and Fauna of Corfu
What can be said of the wildlife on Corfu which hasn't already been superbly described in Gerald Durrell's Corfu Trilogy? Quite simply, the animals and plants in Corfu are as curious and quirky as the island they inhabit. Each time we holiday in Corfu, we spot something new. One of the most exciting discoveries was... Continue Reading →
A Tiny Miracle
Two years ago, my husband bought me a beautiful bonsai tree as a wedding anniversary gift. It was stunning and all through the summer and the winter, it remained green, full of life despite regularly being blown over by the wind or knocked over by a marauding feline. But last spring, it suddenly dropped its... Continue Reading →
Speed Planting
After a frantic day trying to sort out everything for a trip, I ran down to the allotment. I filled the food bowls up to the top and refreshed the water in all the coops. Nursing a minor scratch to the face courtesy of the littlest bantam in the new coop, I threw out the... Continue Reading →
Weeding, Pruning and Watering
Today, the sun was out and the sky was blue so I headed out to the allotment armed with a huge list of things to do. As I arrived and walked towards the plot, I heard a loud buzzing ahead. As I passed Phil's plot, I discovered the source of the noise - one of... Continue Reading →
A New Friend
Everyone was on site today - another sign that it's definitely spring! I chatted with everyone as I walked across to my plot. Cliff was down with his beautiful dog, Dolly. She's nearly a year old and despite being much much bigger than when I last saw her, Dolly remains an energetic ball of fur... Continue Reading →
There’s Something in the Air…
I pottered down to the allotment this evening for a quick visit, just to collect eggs and check on the chickens. I was totally unprepared for the carnage that greeted me on my arrival. As I walked down the back path, I pondered the loveliness of the weather, despite being windy, the sun was out... Continue Reading →
It’s All Happening in the Greenhouse
After work, I pottered down to the plot to feed the chickens. As usual, as I approached the shed, Roxy's loud shout went up, quickly followed by Trixie and Foxy. You really don't need a guard dog to alert you, just have chickens! They refused to quieten until their beaks were buried in their refilled... Continue Reading →
Excavation
I ambled down to the allotment this morning, not really sure what I planned to do. For good measure, I brought down one of the trays of potatoes to plant and of course, the chickens needed cleaning and feeding. The sun was out and although there were some dark clouds, there was enough blue to... Continue Reading →
Emergency Rescue
After lunch, I pottered down to the allotment, determined to finish planting in the greenhouse and to clear some of the weeds from Geoff's raised beds. Last year Geoff kindly let us grow some vegetables on his plot and I have been meaning to clear the beds for him so they were ready for him... Continue Reading →
Planting in the Greenhouse
This afternoon, we dashed down to the allotment to drop off supplies for the chickens and compost bags for the greenhouse. My husband dumped the food outside the main coop and got busy digging over the beds. Periodically, he threw some weeds into the Omlet for the Little Weed Destroyers. The lack of Trixie caught... Continue Reading →
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