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So what are you doing??
I seem to recall some time ago we had a thread about what folk had done recently. It seems to have disappeared, so I am starting it again.
Today was my day off. well, Saturday. And it was fine and relatively wind-free and spring so I had my bee mentor over and we raided the hive. The goal of the exercise was to add a brood box so they have room to expand. Good thing too as the brood box on there (and the super above it) was heaving with brood and larvae. So I suspect I will be getting a swarm soon.
Next job will be to make up another box with some spare frames so that if there is a swarm they will (hopefully) re-home themselves. Doubt it though, them being perverse little critters.
Miss Congeniality - who had been busily scraping paint off her house 80 metres away, ran indoors to strip down to the most skin-exposing garments she owns, then marched down to parade up and down the boundary immediately adjacent to our work area. She had no reason to be there, did nothing to any good purpose, just lingered ...
Not sure if she hoped I would suggest she move to a safer spot so she could shout about her rights to be in her own back yard, or was hoping she would be stung so she could shout about me keeping bees. Hard to keep up with her at times. So I just ignored her and got on with the job. Even my mentor - the mildest of men, commented wryly on her behaviour.
On a cheerier note, I also inspected the fruit trees - the ones that had lost their early buds to a few late frosts - they are all sprouting once more. Even the walnut which was bare branches last weekend is now covered in new, tiny red buds. Lovely to see.
And I will be harvesting the first new broad beans tomorrow, to take into town for my workmates to enjoy on Monday.
So - what have you been doing then?
Hi Ozzi, how great to be reading about new buds on fruit trees - Spring has arrived. Here we're just edging towards Winter, there are a few leaves still to fall and the temperature is dropping. On my allotment I am spreading the last of my manure and doing some final weeding. During Winter I'll be getting water butts organised and some new raised beds. I have sown some Winter-hardy broad beans and they are now 3 inches high. More will be sown in Spring. I'm growing leeks, cabbage, purple-sprouting, kale and chard for Winter, and salad leaves in the greenhouse. I'm also growing sweet peas in there, to go out in March. Trying to keep the spirits from flagging as we go into the darkness, and waiting to be able to say, "new buds sprouting on the fruit trees".
Miaseren, Manchester, England
This post is still pending moderation!
We have friends over tonight, and we will be busy through the day preparing food (almost my favourite bit of food, even better than growing it, only slightly behind eating it).
Most of our apples are now picked, just some Golden Delicious to finish picking before we move to pick the Elmore Pippin, our last tree. Juiced the Golden Delicious as they are so tasty, sweet and juicy (nothing like the imported ones, which are picked unripe). Plenty more apples to dry on the rack under the wood stove, if they are sliced to about 1.5 - 2mm thickness, they dry in 8 hours so I can do a batch a day. That just runs neatly alongside the cooking, baking, and other jobs associated with preparing food for guests. More wood to chop up for future use (working 2 - 3 years ahead, and still not burning much here because of the mild weather) and the pleasure of some grapes to pick later (I have deliberately left some on the vine to go with cheeseboards or tapas which I enjoy this time of the year).
Freezer now rather well stocked with plum pie filling, pheasant, lamb, pork, beef etc.
Only outside job left is to put the grease rings round the fruit trees, then I can sit back indoors, and enjoy the warmth of the log fire with a glass of sherry
Will be finishing off "putting the garden to bed for winter" today, collecting some more logs for the fire, then over to friends for dinner this evening.
Tomorrow we have an early start to London - heading up to town to go to the "Discover Dogs" show at Earls Court
we are stuck again because of gale force winds and rain but I can tell you what we are 'supposed' to be doing. 18 turkeys and 2o geese, 4 ducks and umpteen cockerels. Hopefully the wind will die down enough for the shed birds to be got out without the doors being blown off. If its an indoors day I must make some more preserves for my for sale box as they are selling really well and I dont want to go into my own stocks. All after a few buckets of coffee while I am waiting for daylight!
Miaserin, welcome to the forum - sounds like you are well set up for the coming months! Hermit - when you say 'doing' the birds, am i to assume you mean getting them ready to freeze? lol.
We seem to have been mainly doing firewood. Am still waiting for the last quince to come down from the top of the tree, but don't know what I will do with it as I have quince jelly, quince wine and quince brandy sorted. Perhaps poach it. Went to the local WI and judged a handicrafts competition I have given a prize for in memory of my mother, who was a long time member. Picked up lots of fir cones to make decorations out of.
Saturday normally starts with breakfast and then off to watch my nine year old play football, then back home, I have a six month old Lurcher pup, so I put his lead on and march him for a mile or so, stopping to train him as I go, retrieve training, sit, down, that sort of thing, then later, I have three rabbits to skin and prepare for tonight's evening meal, and a duck to pluck for tomorrow, then off to the allotment, to drink tea and make plans for next year, this evening, we will eat and then spend time together, we have decided to learn a language together as a family, so it's out with the rossetta stone, then kids to bed, wine open and feet up!
Yes Ozzi, he is doing the turkeys now! The wind has stopped and the sun is peeping through the clouds, so hopefully get some geese caught up too.
Up early today...as the sun is actually shining. I have a couple of nice rose bushes to plant (David Austin's 'Munstead Wood' and 'Charlotte' ). Must find my wellies first! Must not go into the garden wearing best slippers....again !!
Then it's the day I clean out my aviary....so will be mucking about in there with little finches and canaries whizzing about my head like helicopters. I have to be careful not to tread on the chinese painted quail though. They are very small and scurry about like little mice. I usually reappear covered in pine needles and feathers! One of the canaries will insist on landing on my head every time and likes being taken for a ride. One of the little quail has gone broody in a sheltered corner and is sitting on 8 eggs...so I mustn't disturb her too much.
So, as I'm looking ratty and disheveled already then I'm going to have a go at the pond..taking out a few handfuls of water mint - so the fish can swim more easily. We have newts in there too so it's always very interesting to see what comes up out of the water.
The chickens will be getting wormed - the youngsters that were hatched in the spring are all laying - so I shall be getting eggs through the winter, hopefully.
That's the plan so far.
Apart from doing the washing....hanging out the washing....tidying the house and all the boring stuff.
Oh, and I'm hoping to fit in a baking session later on....there was a delicious recipe for apricot tartlets in the Radio Times this week.
That's what I'm doing today.
Planting some bulbs today and pruning the apple tree. Having a tidy up at the lotty. Then house work etc stripped the bed first thing to air. Opening all the windows to have a good blow through. Still got some way to go on my blanket, but itching to start a hat too. Some baking tomorrow, and a rest after. OH is off out Christmas shopping I think..