New Chicks!

I completely forgot to post about the chicks we hatched out the other day! 

These hatched out the Monday last week (17th). A mixture of eggs we got from an extremely lovely couple from Abergavenny who keep and show many breeds of chickens.

Working Three Days in Wales

It's been many years since I've stayed away for work (this is the only other time I can think of), but mum had booked a workmate Richard (who everyone calls Dill) and me in to do some work on their cottage in Wales.

She had been trying to use local trades but kept getting let down time after time so decided if she got us into crash out the bulk of the work that might be the way to go.

Tractor World Show

Since writing my monthly article about vintage and older machinery it's given me a real thirst for knowledge in this subject. It's meant that I've gone to things I wouldn't normally, like a local ploughing match or vintage day and now the Tractor World show.

The Tractor World show was great fun. I'm lucky having the show ground just the other side of the hill from where I live, about 4 miles by road but closer as the crow flies.

Workshop Helper

My younger daughter spent some time in the workshop with me this afternoon.

D: "Why do you have a radio on?"

Me- "sometimes it gets a bit boring, it helps pass the time."

D: "it won't be boring if you've got someone to talk to..."

I love that they take such an interest in things like this!

There are some serious advantages to working from home when I can.

Growing up I was always around my parents when they were working. Both would work from home most of the time and they would both also go and work at other farms as well at times. Basically one of them was always at home and it was a nice constant to be relied upon.

It also meant that we (my siblings and me) got involved with everything when we could or when we were old enough and could see what they did each time. I have great memories of this as a child and hope that our kids will have something similar.

Did you watch your parents work when you were young?

Planting Plums For Self-sufficiency

Thought I'd share a short video I made on the varieties of plum I've settled on this year.

Hopefully by having all these different varieties it should mean that we spread the season out as much as we can where we live. I'm looking for them to crop the whole time from mid July right through to the start of October, but I know this will all depend on frosts and other factors!

Let me know what you think of the video.

What other fruit do you try to have a large selection of to make sure you get a harvest?

Young Baker

I'm obviously  proud of my kids, like every parent. But one thing I'm particularly proud of is their love of food. Inherited from both my wife and from me - we're both seriously into our food and love cooking and feeding other people.

The children have taken this as normal. They love helping us cook and having people round for food. They really like it when they can cook something with little or no help, something that has been happening more and more.

Our eldest managed to cook a peach and chickpea curry from scratch (a meal that has become a staple in our house) a few weeks back. sorting out all the ingredients, and cooking them herself, the only thing I had to do was turn on our technical induction hob, something I feel like I need help with at times!

Then last night our middle child decided she wanted to do some baking. I told her that she could but would need to write out the recipe into our family cook books first. She chose pineapple upside down cake, a family favourite, she did everything herself, the only thing I did was put it into the oven and take it out again. She even tested the cake to see if it was done by putting a knife in and seeing if it came out clean.

She was so proud when they had a friend round tonight and she could offer him a piece of cake that she had made herself! The other lovely part was that while she did this we were all in the kitchen doing other things and preparing a huge tea for when my wife came back from work, extra large as my parents were coming over as well!

They're finally starting to earn their keep!

Just wondering what I should get her to make me next...

What was the first cake you made by yourself?

Plums For The Whole Season?

The season for plums in the UK is from mid July until The start of October. These are from a variety of plum types, grown under different conditions, they're even growing plums under plastic now to get them even earlier. 

But last year I think we had plums for the grand total of 2 weeks. They were a glorious two weeks, but it left me thinking I've really missed a trick. Time to do something about it.

Sewing Birthday Party

I know everyone says where do the years go but I really feel like that at the moment. My eldest turned 8 last month, and I know that there's a few on here that started following the blog when I started and she was just a couple of months old! 

My wife outdid herself with this cake!

She is turning into an incredible human being and is wise beyond her years at times. She very much knows her interests, what she likes and doesn't like. Last year we had a very "normal" type of party for her but I knew she didn't love it, as a few of the girls that came were quite loud and controlling. 

SEED GIVEAWAY!!!

I decided that I should put one of packet of each type of seed I'd been doing for the seedswap together for a giveaway.

Ten packets in all - there's five varieties of tomato, a very unusual pea and some super winter squash seeds plus a few others.

If you'd like to enter make sure you follow my page on either facebook, instagram or twitter and comment on it. 

If you're not on any of those platforms just leave a comment below and I'll make sure to add you to the hat! Make sure you check back in a weeks time when I announce the winnerand you can contact me by email if you win! 

*I'm not sure on the legality of this but as I'm not charging think it's fine, it's just like a seed swap...

New Seed Packets

As I spent my free time last week writing out seed packets with the same bits of information on them I was thinking how I should modernise the process a little bit.

I looked online and saw that to have a label I could print on would cost me about 0.5p a sticker!

How I wish I'd looked sooner!

Never mind next year just got easier! And I still have lots to bag up for this year. I'm going to send some packets to some friends and with every craft item I sell on Etsy I'm going to put a packet or two of seed in there as a bonus (although at the moment I'm working on a bigger job so only have a few things listed).

What do you think to the new packets? I hope the instructions will help anyone new to gardening as well.

Should stop my bad spelling - hopefully!

Hereford Seed Swap 2020

Every year I come back from the seed swap absolutely buzzing about gardening!

This year was no exception! I get to spend the day geeking out about all things growing, I love it.