Roots Shoots Spawn and Friends

I will start with the friends 

Kara has a friend Kassey Dog, Kassey who lives next door comes over most days for a visit she used to live in this house so knows it well, Kara and Kassey get on very well together and romp around the garden together, sometimes Kara brings her friend in to play.

Now onto Roots and Shoots 

Just look at these, my Hyacinth bulbs have been sitting out in the barn, quietly growing away in a dark corner, I thought it was time I better bring them in 

Along with the 

Amaryllis that are now starting to shoot 

I will leave them in the boot room for now then move them indoors properly in a week  or so, I don't expect they will flower in time for Christmas.

After the Hyacinths have flowered the bulbs will go out into the borders were they will revert back to white in a few years. 

Now onto Spawn, mushroom spawn that is, I had some that I ordered just before we moved and thought it was time I got it going, Its Grey Oyster Mushrooms

You can grow it on an old paperback book or in a bag of straw, I have plenty of straw so opted for that.

Pour a kettle of boiling water over the straw that you put into a bag first and fasten closed and leave to go cold, this is to sterilise the straw and dampen it,

  tomorrow I will drain it off and do the next bit

We should have oyster mushrooms in a few weeks.

This morning I prepared and cooked a Chili for my dinner tonight, it has been slowly cooking all day in the bottom oven of the Rayburn

 I haven't tried out the bottom oven before, it works like a slow cooker

There is plenty of meals there, so I will freeze the extra portions.

Right I am off to shut in the animals, light the log burner and have a plateful of Chili with Soured Cream and Tortilla Chips.