Far Lands

Usual caveats:- newspapers, ice-cream, TV etc etc. But, one of our initial goals is to be self-sufficient in fruit and veg. I spent most of the Autumn bottling, freezing and storing to that end. I ate our last stored apple (James-only-not-for-guests-type-of-apple) yesterday. And today in (smug) symmetry,  I picked our first rhubarb. (NB Sweet peas in the L foreground, and broad beans sneaking in to the R.) Other good news (amongst the incessant rain, and complete re-plant of greenhouse due to the wet and cold April) is that our first asparagus spears are just showing! (Thank you, Max.)

My plans for planting for our bees are underway. I have now planted blackthorn (from a local farmer's hedgerow) in our foraging hedge, and layered our flowering currant (so that we can transplant it in 6-9 months or so and increase its acreage (or should that be centimetreage ?). So, that's nectar covered. Or, at least planned for. And I've now planted some willow cuttings (for pollen). Apparently they grow anywhere, but I'm testing this theory by planting them on a rocky bank with sycamore-tree shading. But, that's where I want them. 7 x willow cuttings (ie small sticks) are above the wooden shelf (just below our border with our neighbour's farm) (watering can for scale) (thank you John and Rowena Leslie!)

We are fast becoming some kind of hospice for trees - we have recently taken in a faltering apple (Bountiful) from the Limpsfield Orchard, and now a pear cordon (Conference) (from same) that had no owner. Better than shooting or drowning them, or even putting them down humanely. I planted the pear cordon after a great deal of research - yes, at 45 degrees! Crazy waste of a tree really when looking at the probable yields. One source suggested that a standard tree should provide 50-100 kgs of fruit whereas a cordon only produces 3-4 kgs. So, not an orchard tree (for us), but perfect for the foraging hedge. The tree stem extends most of the way up the diagonal cane. RSPCT? Next blog entry, if it's not obvious.

Mirroring the weather, the Easter weekend continued in bizarre fashion for us. We spent most of Sunday hooking and un-hooking trailers, wrapping and unwrapping this bookcase (on its end in photo), and carrying it into our house and up down the bottom step of the stairs. We could not manage any further! All a bit ironic as the bookcase belonged to the previous owners who have decided they do not want it. So, the bookcase, after getting a bit bored in storage has returned to Farlands!

We spent Saturday staycationing - long walk, picnic on the hill and back for T and cake in front of a log fire with papers. We spent most of the walk discussing flora that is good for bees. Top of the pops (my latest research suggests) is blackthorn (sloe), flowering currant and willow. The first two for nectar and willow for pollen. At least, they are some of the earliest sources which help to sustain and build the colony in early Spring when there is not much else. Pollen in particular is vital because otherwise the Queen will not lay brood (new bees), and the colony will dwindle and die out. We discussed taking cuttings of the various plants we saw on our walk, and when we got home I wished I had knocked on a few doors and sought permission to do so. As we arrived home, we were surprised to see that we have a large (6 foot high) flowering currant in our garden already! Sarah and I, Christian and atheist, had different interpretations of this discovery!

Last week we had this:- And today:- Tomorrow:- Lantern Pike blowing its hat and its trig point off.

As we relaxed in front of our wood stove last night, Sarah mentioned that Tom and Barbara would be proud of the day's activities, two in particular. Sarah sat unpicking a (v posh) leather Coutts wallet (Coutts keep sending us wallets; chequebook, passport, and loo-roll holders to us all made of some v expensive leather...and we keep taking them back into the Manchester Coutts branch to be greeted with quizzical staff "no-one has ever..."). However, S is making a knife pouch out of this one! Prior to knife-pouch manufacture, we ate supper. Greens consisted of nettle tops; steamed! This was prompted by a Hugh Hugh Fffffferwhittingstall article in the Grauniad where he raved about them. Why bother having a veg garden? As we enjoyed a wee dram of sloe gin and reflected on the day, we wondered that if we were Tom and Barbara , then who were our Jerry and Margo ? Decided we had several Jerry and Margos ! Could it be you?