Oh, My...Boys!

Okay, I know I was supposed to show you rows of wonderful vegetables, but... It didn't work out that way. As usual, I took my eye off the ball and droppped it, meaning that I ended up with too much to keep an eye on and everything went wrong. Added to that, I left this blog for way longer than I should have. My apologies. I am going to make more of an effort, starting with this Sunday blog, to write much more often.

I have had veg, but not the great harvest I hoped for. The second part of Littlemeadow is still trying to return to its overgrown state and, if I'm honest, is never going to be the stereotypical manicured paradise I'd like it to be. So... I'm just going to go with the flow and let it have some of its wildness.

The Quackers are, at present, enjoying the muddy season. All but the last four of the beds on the veg side have been surrounded by mesh, and I hope to have the dividing gate in place in time for the bird flu restrictions to be lifted and for them to be out enjoying all of the paths. The two brothers, Lewis and Tegwyn, still have their temporary house, and I'll be working on the perminent one as soon as the ground is dry enough to work, now that I have the wood I need. This and the main house will be placed on short posts to free up the ground beneath and give less hiding space for the rats that visit.

The great chicken breeding plan of last year, out of twenty-four hatching eggs, yielded just one chick. Rose is a precious addition, and is now old enough to lay eggs. I also bought two commercial hybrid pullets, Rustie and Ruby, and they too have started laying. This makes eight hybrid and two bantam hens, which have been divided. The bantam girls, Jamie and Joanna, have been joined by young Jeremiah. He's a silkie, hatched last year and not really wanted by his previous owner. The hybrid flock has been joined by Monty, a young Road Island Red cross. It's hoped that these boys will help to increase the flock instead of having to buy hatching eggs in. I'll let you know how that goes later in the year. 

I'm trying not to give in and plant too many seeds, knowing that they likely will struggle to grow well in the house until they can manage without heat in the greenhouse, but I've got the seed potatoes in trays in the bedroom. I bought a huge roll of fleece last year, so there'll hopefully be no frosting on the leaves this year. And I'll try not to plant in the ground until April instead of March if the frosts hang around. I forgot to start broad beans and sweetpeas off in paper pots, so will do that this week and hope they'll be alright.

Happy New Year, everyone. I'll be back next week with more news of what I'm doing and hoping to do. Until then, take care...