Monday, 4 April 2016

How Green Is My Valley

I having been working on the garden today around the house
 I planted out my big Gunnera plant, I bough this fella last year and he desperately needed to get in the ground,  another job ticked off the list, this area is out the front of the cabin and is a nice shady area, there is lots of ferns and shade loving plants here they are just starting to emerge, I need to get some winter interested into this bed.
 I moved all the palms out of the small poly tunnel, I will give them a tidy up this week before they get moved round to the garden.
 The larch trees are all coming green again
 their little buds breaking open
 And the willow trees are a great feeding station for the bees, I could hear a constant buzz in the trees.
 A couple of weeks and the valleys will be green again, there are hints of green there.
 All the young plants got moved out to the Poly tunnel, I am covering them at night, they have outgrown the window sills and the tomatoes need potting on. The peppers and chilies are growing well and look strong healthy plants.
 The cucumbers have all popped up and now under the grow lights
along with the first of the squashes, these are Butternut squash.
 Little lambs are coming on great and about ready to be weaned, when they have had there bottles they dash off to eat there lamb feed, once this bag of milk powder is finished then bottle feeds will be finished.
Flash was happy to sit on his patio in the sunshine, it will be a couple of days before he goes walk about and starts feeding.

I don't think I mentioned we lost one of the baby chicks that hatched, leaving just one on its own
I took a chance and popped the survivor who was 3 days old under the broody hen along with the eggs she is sitting on, it could have gone one of two ways either she took on the chicks along with eggs or she would kill the chick, I am pleased to say 5 days on she has adopted the chick and still sitting on eggs, she started with 10 eggs and has discarded two by eating them, she has her reasons and I am not interfering, the eggs she is sitting on are due to hatch next week.

That's it for today I feel like I have been on the move all day and looking at the pedometer on my phone I have walked 10.3 miles it quickly mounts up.

17 comments:

  1. Damn.Still no broody hens here. I keep hoping for one but so far nothing.

    Nice trick with the little chick though.

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    1. Broody's catch you out when you are not wanting one :-)

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  2. Lovely photos and update Dawn, what stunning views of the valley and I look forward to your posts showing the valley turning greener. Have a good day x

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    1. We have some fantastic views around here and a lot of variety :-)

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  3. I sometimes wonder about how many miles I walk, most of it indoors! It is great having a lot of kitchen space, but I am still not organised with using them. You are doing well with your smallholding. We are nowhere near as advanced as you are, but renovating the house over the last eight years robbed us of the energy to get the smallholding up and running as efficiently as we wanted to. Not to worry, this year we are making better progress!

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    1. We havent started on the house yet too busy getting everything set up and sorted outside, the house can wait until Martin is here full time :-)

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  4. I need a decent pedometer. The wrist one I bought won't register my steps on the computer, so I've given up with it. I'm glad your broody took the hatched chick on but kept on sitting on her clutch.

    You'll be glad when you don't have any bottle feeds to do. The trees give me such joy when they burst forth. Unfortunately, we have SO many Ash trees in Carmarthenshire that spring always seems later here - when we travel East it's greening up much quicker than here.

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    1. The pedometer is something I found on my phone that is usually in my pocket :-)

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  5. Great update, Dawn; lambs look gorgeous. Have arranged with Jon to have the car tomorrow so I can go and buy compost, seeds etc. Yay! We had a successful day on Ebay yesterday by selling the ride on tractor, a leaf 'vacuum' and an Ercol sofa frame. This means we can get the hen house painted at the weekend, too, now that it is finished and maybe get the fencing. Progress, progress.

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    1. Yes selling it something is good all money into the pot :-)

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  6. That will keep you fit. My cucumber us yet to germinate but everything else us doing good. I have loads more to sow but each day I run out of time.

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    1. Running out of time is the story of my life ;-)

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  7. Hi Dawn, I want to start off by saying thank you for popping over to my blog and for your lovely comment its always lovely to find new blogs to read that have similar interests than myself. Wow you have been busy in the garden your plants and vegetable seeds are coming on great. I love the photo of your lambs and its good to hear that the little chick is doing great with her adopted mum :-) I am off now for a look around your blog so I can get to know you better. Love Flash to I always wanted a tortoise when I was a little girl those and turtles I find very spiritual I think its to do with these gracefulness and age a living part of history. Best wishes, dee

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    1. Nice to see you Delia, its a busy time of year in the garden :-)

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  8. Ten point three miles. Not bad for a day pootling around at home! Blimey you must be fit. I'm totally pooped after a day trip to Bristol. I hope you have ultra comfy footwear. x

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    1. Wellies or cloggies thats my footwear I always have comfy socks :-)

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  9. Glad that Flash is doing well! The larch buds are incredible aren't they, an amazing colour too. xx

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