Brambles, brambles, brambles

They're everywhere, these pesky brambles.

 Every day we sally forth armed with secateurs, rakes and wheelbarrows and stumble back to the house a couple of hours later torn to shreds and dreading that first immersion in the bath when every little scratch and cut lets you know EXACTLY where it is ...ouch!!

But things are looking better, each and every barrow load of bramble, weed and dead wood leaves the pondside that little bit clearer and we are starting to see a real difference. 

Today, however, I feel it is an indoor day, the skies are grey and the first spatters of rain are hitting the windows. Luckily, I have lots to do, I am preparing for this months Great Haseley Farmers Market in the village hall. Lots of lavender loveliness and a few Easter treats too.

I've been busy this week in every spare moment doing my annual stock take for Lavenders Blue, how did I get SO much. The only saving grace is the delicious aroma as I count the bags of pot pourri and lavender heads ... mmm ... lovely.

Our lovely little wood at the back of the house bursting with blossom.

Sue xx

My new baby.......

A basket of lavender loveliness.

 

To all my lovely blogging friends, and all those who have been waiting in eager anticipation of my website, an invitation to my new baby.........Lavender's Blue 2 Blog Shop.

At the moment the shelves are bare, but I'm armed (and dangerous) with my camera and raring to go, so who knows by tomorrow there could be some loveliness gracing the shelves of my new baby.

Me - Back in action and raring to go. (Taken at the North Lonsdale Agricultural Show with a selection of the lavender goodies usually available from Lavender's Blue...

See you very soon.

 

Sue xx

First potatoes in.

Potatoes - tucked up and ready to grow!

Yes I know we're probably late in getting them in, but at least they are in. At last. A full bed of potatoes, our first proper planting. We also have all the tyres planted with courgettes, lettuce, carrots, cauliflower, beetroot, spring onions and mixed salad leaves. So at last the potential of our very own food. 

 Yesterday the sun shone all day (contrary to all weather forecasts) and more pond edge clearing went on. Its coming on quite nicely now and we have almost got one side clear. The brambles are winning and we both have sore arms from all the nasty thorns, but when you step back at the end of the day and look at what you have achieved you do get that special 'buzz' that almost compensates!! 

 The sun is out again this morning and as we are about to have a power cut, (planned for necessary maintenance work) I will sign off, pick up my gloves and get back to the pond. 

 Have a lovely day. 

 Sue xx

Work continues down on the farm.

Just a pretty bear that brightens my day (she was supposed to be for sale on my website, but I've STILL not done it!!). Our highlights this weekend were a lovely meal out on Saturday night at The Lamb, a gorgeous little country pub with big beams and low ceilings (much stooping and ducking for Jason).

 And then on Sunday morning a trip to the car boot at Warborough,a truly lovely venue on the village green surrounded by lovely quaint cottages some dated as far back as 1666, with loads of stalls, virtually all proper car boots not dealers which makes for a much more fun filled time and plenty of bargains.

This is the village green that so much of Midsomer Murders is filmed on or around as every cottage is uniquely different.  It includes The Six Bells Pub at the edge of the green.
  Of course I had to make a few purchases at the car boot sale. 

 Then it was back to work, one of my first jobs this weekend was to stain some more wood for posts and sides for the raised beds and then my main achievement was to get all the tyres planted out with the first of the veggies.

  A tyre full of compost.

  Then filled with baby courgette plants.

Then topped off with their very own mini greenhouses.

  Jason valiantly carried on with the pond clearing and is getting on magnificently.

  Far pond starting to look clearer at last.

  Alan did loads of earthmoving with his new favourite big toy, and then he completed two of the raised veggie beds. They are pretty big and look even more so now with their sides on. They are 3 metres by two metres wide. Hopefully they will hold lots of potatoes and onions. We are about to start digging one more large one and then three smaller square ones for the salad crops.

  Sophie the Border Collie ran herself ragged and summed up a tiring weekend for us by crashing out on the grass and refusing to do any more. 

 Hope the sun shone on you too. 

 Sue xx

Planting Weekend

The picture above is from last week, we got our tulips in around the trees on the edge of House pond. At the back of the house we planted some of the fruit bushes, all encircled with little rings of stone so we can see where they are.

 

Stone circles, where fruit bushes have 'landed' ... not aliens!

This weekend (hopefully) will be all about planting some more. Planting the potatoes currently 'chitting' away on the kitchen windowsills, planting the courgettes, carrots, leeks and the salad crops that are all stretching their pretty little heads towards the sunshine from their base in the toilet roll tubes. Of course they will have to be slightly protected still from the occasional extremely cold nights we have been getting, but that's where the 'pop' bottles come in!

We're ready for action!

Hope you have a good and productive weekend. I'm off to start mine now.

Sue xx

Pond life

Yesterday we started to tackle pond number two, Far Pond.  It's about the same size, we think, as pond number one (House Pond) but even more overgrown with horrible prickly brambles.

Still the sun was out and it seemed as good a day as any to get stuck in. Amazingly the brambles were overhanging the pond by quite a lot and what we thought was solid ground turned out to be bramble and weed. So maybe, by the time we've finished (this is going to be a long and painful job) the ponds will be the same size, or this one will have to be renamed BIG Pond.

'After' pictures will be posted when we finish...................by next week hopefully!!

The building in the background of the pond shots is the barn. Currently divided into 4 stables and a storage room but soon to be the home to our vermiculture business (that's worms to you and me!!).

Just in front of that and completely covered by brambles and weeds (much more so now than in this picture) is Tumbledown Cottage, just three walls left and a big pile of stones. Once we have cleared around the pond we will be starting on this area, hopefully.

Sue xx

Takeover bid

It's official, the office has been taken over by animals,

...  and then by a gambling son!

And when the animals are not cluttering up MY blogging space they're stretched out on MY

reading sofa.

What's a girl to do? 

Well usually putting on my shoes and coat, and heading out the door shouting 'WALKIES' does it a treat. By the time we all get back, (and yes, on occasion the cat does accompany us) if I make a mad dash I can resume my rightful place on the office chair and update my blog..........see I just did!! Haha.

Have a good day.

Sue xx