Winter's nearly over - quick, take cuttings

Saturday 10th March 2018

Quick to the cuttings

15 degrees today. What a contrast to last week.
Heavy rain last night left some fairly substantial puddles on the land. The water takes a while to sink through the clay, especially when the water table is already high after the snow melt last week.

I am running out of time to move last years cuttings and to take new cuttings. Everything is springing into growth and the pace of gardening is hotting up.

Last Wednesday I planted a new mixed hedge of about 100 plants.

Next on the list were the yellow willow cuttings which I poked in the ground last year. Most of them had survived and some had really flourished. With the ground wet, they were not too difficult to uproot. My plan was to plant them closely in a line along the boundary of the land. I will pollard them so they form a colourful boundary, especially during the winter. During the summer and autumn they should provide shade and shelter to the sheep paddock. 

I had quite a few spares, so decided to plant them even closer in amongst a wild area of nettles. This area needs taming a little - there are plenty of nettles elsewhere so nothing will suffer. The idea is to form a willow spinney.

Not much to see now, but my new area of willow coppice will be an attractive

part of the wildlife garden behind the bug hotel

Next a bit of sorting out. The pallets which make the compost bins make great storage for canes, stakes, guttering and hazel poles. The added benefit is that these form a more solid wall to keep the heat and moisture in the heap.

With that job completed, I moved on to seed sowing, potting up and moving some seedlings into the polytunnel. The spring conveyor belt of plant rearing is truly in full swing now

Sunday 11th March 2018

The Pest from the Zest!

Some days I seem to get very little done. Some days I get a lot done. Some days I get loads done!

Today was one of the 'loads' days.

The day started with identifying what is wrong with our small lemon tree. It has been secreting a sticky sap for a while now and the leaves have started to yellow. Some have sooty mould on them and the baby lemons have turned black and fallen off. A close look and an internet search identified the culprit as brown soft scale. These are flat, armoured insects which suck the lifeblood out of the plant. 

Now that we know the problem, we should be able to solve it with careful cleaning of all the leaves, repeated applications of insecticidal soap (just a weak solution of castile soap) and occasional wipes with surgical spirit to penetrate those armoured shells.

Butterfly Heaven

Transplanting continued with 25 buddleias. They had rooted really well. Final home for these was to be weasel ridge, around the living willow chair and overlooking the veg garden. First though, I needed to dig out a load of nettles, roots and all. This is a satisfying job but it is hard work and can be painful at times.

I was pleased to be distracted halfway through by buzzards calling overhead. When I looked up there were seven circling over together - quite unprecedented here.

I didn't intend to use all the buddleias on the mound, but in the end I planted them close. They should be absolutely alive with butterflies later in the year.

Plenty of help from the chickens today as I planted up the buddleia bank

While I was doing this, Sue was cleaning out the chicken houses and equipping them with fresh straw. I knew her every move as I have fitted her with a new wife-tracking device - aka very squeaky wheelbarrow!

Mr Motivator goes for a spin

With a little warmth in the air, I decided to give the rotavator a try while Sue took the dogs for a long walk down to the river. The broad bean bed, the turnip bed and the bed for the early potatoes all needed to be prepared. The soil was just about workable and the rotavator increases the air and surface area so it should warm up and dry out much quicker now. I gave a couple of other beds a preliminary tickle too.

This is a turning point in the year. Over the next month the winter veg patch will be transformed as beds get worked and borders neatened.

Another duck pond to dig

The ducks are moving back into the veg garden too - a decision I made after I had dug them a new pond!

This is all part of the Spare Veg Patch being turned into a paddock for sheep, pigs, goats, whatever. The heavy soil was too difficult to work and a haven for slugs, which made their homes deep down where the ducks couldn't reach them. This has been most apparent this week when I have been digging up cuttings. With the clay soil being so heavy it is not practical to keep it worked frequently enough to unearth the slugs and expose them to the attention of the ducks and chickens.

And so I spent the last hour of daylight making a start on a new duck pond. It was just a start as I had a place to put the excess soil but it needed wheeling away.

A busman's holiday

I received an email today confirming our summer holiday plans. For the second year in a row we are getting a week away, thanks to Sue's friend who has volunteered to come and look after the smallholding. The plan is to spend the week in West Wales... on a smallholding!!! We really are suckers for punishment.

The day ended on a possibly sad note. Putting the Muscovies away, I noticed that the brown female was not with the other three. Thinking about it, I don't recall seeing her for some days now. There is a very small possibility that she is holed up somewhere sitting on eggs, but I think it is more likely that she has come to some sort of mishap. 

I'll have a good look around in the morning, but don't expect to find her.

Marbled Whites, Chalkhill Blues and Frog Orchids at Barnack Hills

Barnack Hills and Holes Nature Reserve - site of a medieval limestone quarry

There is a period in July and August, between the migrations, when birding becomes very quiet. The summer doldrums. Unfortunately it coincides with my summer holiday. Six weeks when I'm free to go anywhere at the drop of a hat and all there is to look at are a few passing waders and maybe a couple of days spent in the south-west gazing out to sea in the hope that some far-flung waif seabird goes shooting by.
Of course, as soon as I return to work the rare birds start turning up again. One year a first for Britain, a Purple Martin all the way from America, had the indecency to turn up on the Western Isles on the last Sunday of my summer holiday. It stayed for a few hours into the next day, but I could hardly let down a new class of 5 year olds on their first day at school, could I? (And no I didn't, in case you're wondering).

So many birdwatchers turn to other wildlife at this time of year. Our obsession with all things with wings leads us to butterflies, moths and dragonflies. Although I've flirted with such subjects in the past, along with trying to get to grips with our native fauna, I've managed to resist the temptation.

But last Sunday I dragged Sue along to an organised butterfly walk at Barnack Hills and Holes Nature Reserve, just outside Stamford. It is the site of a medieval quarry and, this far north, is a very rare patch of limestone grassland.

Dodder?

Six-Spot Burnet on Greater Knapweed

We booked the walk through Greeniversity. The weather was a bit breezy for butterflies, but at least it wasn't raining. But when we turned up at the small reserve car park, we were turned away! The car park was full. We had expected about 10 people but there were closer to 50! Now I may have just endured my 49th birthday, but it has to be said that Sue and I were among the youngest, by quite some distance.
But with that age came knowledge. There were several botanists (plant people) at hand and a couple of entomologists (insect people). It didn't take long to catch a glimpse of our first target butterfly species scooting past, a Marbled White. This was only the second time I'd ever seen one. We were to see many more during the afternoon, though it took quite some time before one sat long enough to be appreciated properly.

Marbled White

Kneeling in homage

Our second hoped for butterfly, the Chalkhill Blue, we were informed was only just on the wing. There may be one or two around if we could find them. This was slightly disappointing news, for I'd never seen one before, at least not knowingly. However, it didn't take long for the group to find one, but again it was flighty and only stayed still long enough for me to get a quick snap.

Fortunately we got to see quite a few more as the sun came out and the wind died down a little and close-up views were eventually afforded to all.

As it turned out, the day wasn't just about butterflies, for limestone grassland holds its very own range of specialist plants. We were shown such oddly names plants as dodder, knapweed broomrape, mignonette, clustered bellflower, small scabious and common rockrose. The first two of these parasitise other plants so don't need chlorophyll, which means they aren't green. The broomrape in particular was fascinating, appearing as if someone had gone round the reserve spot-treating it with Roundup!

Common Rockrose

Knapweed Broomrape

There were some even more special plants on the reserve though, for squadrons of Pyramidal Orchids poked their pink heads above the sward. These are the last orchids of the year to flower. The reserve is actually host to 8 species of orchids, but most of the others, such as Fragrant Orchid and Man Orchid, had gone over now.





There was one more treat in store. For roped off to protect them we were lucky enough to be shown a small group of Frog Orchids. If you hadn't known you would have walked straight past, for Frog Orchids are not especially pretty. But they are very rare. The whole plant, including the flowers, is essentially green, but that is not where the frog bit of the name comes from. The flowers resemble small frogs...well, they're supposed to. I struggled to see it myself.

I only wish I'd taken along my proper camera and not relied on my phone to capture the many interesting finds of the day. I guess that gives me an excuse to go back, maybe earlier in the year when the Pasqueflowers or the Man Orchids are out.
Finally I would like to thank the Friends of Barnack Hills and Holes for showing us all around, sharing their knowledge and displaying great patience answering our questions all afternoon.



What to do with cabbage white caterpillars

The sign says it all.

New Public Enemy Number One.

I love insects. They come in so many shapes, sizes and colours. They're like miniature alien creations. But they're not all welcome in my garden.
It's been a great year for butterflies and this pleases me greatly. Who could not marvel at the sight of butterflies fluttering by?

JUST AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT THESE BUTTERFLIES!!!



A group of five cabbage whites cavorting over (and under)
the netting which is supposed to protect my greens. 

In the year when I have put more effort than ever into growing my greens, nature has put more effort than ever into eating my greens! Those scraggy butterflies have found impossible ways of getting themselves on the wrong side of my netting. In fact, when I show people round I joke that the netting is there to protect the butterflies and their offspring from predators.
And therein lies my dilemma. I have to net my brassicas or else every leaf would be reduced to a skeleton by caterpillars and pigeons, but in so doing I deny access to the ducks who would be more than happy to help with caterpillar clearance.

So instead I have a new fixation - hunting out the caterpillars.

They're not always as easy to find as these two were.

 And I have a new entrepreneurial idea. Caterpillar racing!

 

 

However, before I find this too depressing, let's remember that I should still get an ample crop for the two of us.
OK, they may need a soak in salty water to coax out any extra creepy-crawly protein, but for the first time I am producing our own calabrese, kale and cabbages.
Hopefully cauliflowers and sprouting broccoli will come, and maybe even some sprouts for Christmas.

Let's remember, too, that not every insect is bad. Which is why I don't just aim to kill everything that comes near my crops.


One of the friendly bugs.

As for those cabbage white caterpillars. Well they're currently being put to good use too.



A day in the meadow

Saturday 21st July 2012
The first day of the summer holidays

Devil Birds
A barn owl briefly floated over the meadow at first light this morning as a party of eight swifts shot through at amazing speed. One of my favourite birds, these all dark, screaming aerial scythes are also known as Devil Birds. One of the last migrants to reach our shores in late Spring, swifts are always in a hurry. They don't even stop and land for sex, preferring to do it mid-air (an amazing sight that I have only witnessed a couple of times). Amazingly, this morning's party of eight may well have been on their way back South after their brief breeding season foray into Britain's insect laden summer skies.
And this year, who would blame them for heading back to warmer climes early? They really can't have enjoyed their usual insect feast this year. In fact, I heard today that 11 of the 12 cuckoos satellite tagged by the BTO are already on their way back to Africa, most lining up on the northern shores of the Mediterranean, their departure dates on average almost two weeks early than last year.

The Heat Is On
But of course, we Brits know never to give up on the weather. And just in time for the beginning of the summer holidays it looks as if we may finally be getting some appropriate seasonal weather. If you've already hunkered down for winter, and who could blame you for prematurely hibernating, wake up, get outside and feel the heat!
I'm sure every gardening and veggie blog that's been bemoaning the weather just about all year will by now be celebrating the sun, the light and the heat, as will the limited selection of plants that have bravely soldiered on for weeks with little promise of reaching maturity.

Down In The Meadow
As people headed for the beaches or their allotments, I had other plans. Sue's holidays had started and I was going to make the most of it, so into the meadow we headed. It seemed the perfect day to enjoy a sip of our delicious cider ...
after a long, hot day pulling ragwort, that is!!

With the ground still sodden and the ragwort's yellow diskettes of flowers shouting out from the tall grasses, there was no time like the present. We headed in, waste deep, trowels in hand, wheelbarrow at the ready. Armed with reinforcements for the day, I decided to tackle some of the sow thistles too. Their roots give easier than the ragwort, but when I decided to grapple with a monster of a plant there was only ever going to be one winner. Well, that's what I thought until I felt that big muscle at the base of my back give a sudden twinge as something gave way to the strain. Maybe I really did get a year older yesterday!

At this point, I decided to concentrate on the ragwort, suspecting that I had a day at most to get the job done before my back refused to allow me to easily reach the ground.

When we reached the far end of the meadow, we did allow ourselves to stop and take in the beauty. There is something special about spending time in a meadow. Butterflies skipped through the air all around us, mostly ringlets at the moment, and a Marsh Harrier hunted the surrounding fields.

After a while, we headed back towards the house on the final stretch, and by the time the job was finished we were most certainly ready for a glass or two of ice cold cider.



Sue lays exhausted after the first day of her holidays!!

With renewed energy, I set to work trimming some of the lower branches from the ash trees, a treat which the pigs certainly enjoyed.

Ash - a rare treat for the pigs.

Meanwhile, Chick of Elvis has started laying again
and has left her two chicks to fend for themselves.
She doesn't even roost with them any more.

Eventually, as late evening approached, I gave up and stopped work. And that was the cue for the aching and twinging to begin as my poor back took centre stage, complaining most vigorously! I normally look after my back very well and rarely does it let me down. Right now though, I really do have too much to do. This is not a good time for an injury.

Tomorrow the polytunnel begins. I've got a deadline of Wednesday for the cover to go on. That's the first day this year when, hopefully, heat combines with not a breath of wind. The first job... Dig 18 holes. That'll test the back!