tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16469476825303028492024-02-20T17:38:08.845+00:00The FieldOur little adventure into Permaculture and Organic Vegetable growing, starting with a small blank field that floods and making it into a Wildlife haven for birds, insects, amphibians and wild flowers, and at the same time providing our food. Learning as we go, leaning towards Permaculture methods, but not exclusively and adopting any ideas that seems helpful. Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-84954018118291762712017-07-16T09:36:00.001+01:002017-07-16T09:36:58.708+01:00Comparing the past: July
Comparing the past: July
This year has seen a lot of trees start to grow quickly, as well as a few additions to the field. (click on photos to enlarge)
Dec 2012 before we started
July 2013
July 2014
July 2015
July 2016
July 2017
4 Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-997834106340642022017-04-10T10:53:00.003+01:002017-04-10T10:53:57.118+01:00Tomatoes are about to flower
Tomatoes are about to flower
10th April 2017
The tomatoes are growing fast. It's been 2 weeks since I potted them up into their final pots and most are pushing 2 feet tall.
The extra light given to them as well as a couple of months of heat can been seen to have made all the difference. Normally by this time I have tiny seedlings still in modules, but now every plant has flowers starting.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-18446680771186772752017-03-29T10:47:00.001+01:002017-03-29T10:47:16.027+01:00Sweet Potatoes - again
Sweet Potatoes - again
More of an update to remind me what to do and not to do for next year.
Several sweet potato slips have been planted out into large tubs. The original potato is still producing slips and they are growing quick. Because I haven't been cutting them off regularly several are now pushing 2 feet tall and so could be halved easily. 27 Slips taken so far from the one potato. Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-35843348661648343852017-03-27T08:55:00.001+01:002017-03-27T08:55:51.379+01:00Tomatoes
Tomatoes
It's normally mid May before I get the tomatoes into the final pots but this year not only have I potted them up from a module pack to pots but also from the pots to large pots and it isn't even April yet.
It seems like only 5 minutes ago I was taking the seedlings out of the modules and potting up to 3 and 4 inch pots but yesterday I took a Tomato out of it's pot to check on the Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-49413936895716552632017-03-17T12:00:00.001+00:002017-03-17T12:00:15.438+00:00Frogs video
Frogs video
This is a video I meant to upload for the last post...
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-36368466294068468532017-03-13T13:06:00.001+00:002017-03-13T13:20:30.754+00:00Frogs
Frogs
Each year when the frogs are spawning I like to take a photo with as many frogs in as possible to gauge roughly how many frogs are in the pond. Last year I took a photo with 85 frogs in the one shot, the year before 50.
This year so far my best photo has 96 frogs in the one shot.
Unfortunately the frogs were all moving too much which made focusing a bit of an issue as well as Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-47325875336263630152017-03-12T09:44:00.001+00:002017-03-12T09:44:30.407+00:00First Blossom and Frog Spawn
First Blossom and Frog Spawn
Each year there are a few things that I look out for. Crocuses popping up, Daffs appearing then leaves on Willow, first blossom and then Frogs in the pond spawning.
This year the Almond tree has got it's blossom today and the frogs have started spawning on the same day. The Peach tree is only a day or 2 behind.
The frogsAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-79594657333250246282017-03-10T10:29:00.000+00:002017-03-10T11:50:21.912+00:00This year is a bit different
This year is a bit different
The greenhouse is full, the poly tunnel is also fully planted. I started sowing seeds 2 months ago under heat and artificial light and it's worked well.
The lettuce is almost at the stage where we can start eating it as baby leaves and the tomatoes are looking excellent. They are not leggy but are compact, bushy and healthy looking under the grow lamp.
My Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-23624529510287968672017-03-03T11:21:00.000+00:002017-03-03T11:21:05.024+00:00Fly Tippers
Fly Tippers
The route that I walk most days takes me along a few quiet country lanes. We don't have too much of a problem with commercial fly tippers, obviously we get the odd car chucking a few bits out of the window to slowly fill up the ditches and after Christmas there's always the odd bin bag full of rubbish tipped but in general it isn't too bad, although when they cut the verges and Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-51173316377908644662017-02-18T17:13:00.003+00:002017-03-02T20:10:36.050+00:00Growing Sweet Potatoes
Growing Sweet Potatoes
Something that I had not thought about before was the Sweet Potato. I had no idea what you needed to do in order to grow them until I read Mary's Veggie Garden post about the subject. Her post said:
"I placed this potato into the glass jar 3/1/2008. A week later I spotted its first root and by 3/17 it had several 1/4″ roots. Around 4/12 the first Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-19038349601055522692017-01-25T10:55:00.001+00:002017-01-25T10:55:43.749+00:00Seeds are germinating
Seeds are germinating
Throughout January I have been sowing seeds in the heated greenhouse, which is my earliest start to the year. Unlike most years I'm a lot more organised and have written down not only the sowing date but also the germination date and the month that they should be harvested. I'm rather hoping it will enable me to do concessional sowing, which has been a failure every year Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-43087806679311295842017-01-07T16:44:00.002+00:002017-01-07T19:30:11.458+00:00New year, New Start
New year, New Start
I've got most of the seeds ordered, some have already arrived, and unlike most years I'm on top of things. The greenhouse has been sectioned off with a quarter of it being covered in bubble wrap and a heater placed under the shelving.
For once I'm hoping to bring things on earlier, making a real effort, with Leeks, some Tomatoes, Spring Onions, Broad Beans, Mizuna and Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-16197356846376903192016-12-30T10:51:00.002+00:002017-01-04T16:15:32.114+00:002016 - still moving forward
2016 - still moving forward
Each year I like to look back and compare the past to see if we are still moving in the right direction. Our lifestyle is all about living a simpler and more healthy life, less reliant on money and avoiding the rat race.
One measure of this is the place we spend most time, the garden, our little field. Having started out with a wet, flat, and blank field, Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-41096756976369830072016-11-30T13:08:00.000+00:002016-11-30T13:08:52.355+00:0050 Consecutive Days
50 Consecutive Days
Two months ago I embarked on a diet along with extra exercise and today marked the end of the first two months. The Psoriasis is still there, although better and still improving but so far it has been a very well worth while thing to do.
Exactly 1 Stone in weight lost. 14lb. Which is just over 1lb per week.
Perhaps the most demanding and hardest part was the idea of Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-28587762478907476972016-10-29T11:54:00.000+01:002018-06-25T11:45:55.143+01:00Curing Psoriasis through Diet
Curing Psoriasis through Diet
The last couple of years I have been using a Pedometer on my phone to measure the number of steps I do each day. It takes a few changes to daily routines to make it accurate, such as always keeping the phone in a pocket and you have to set it up correctly and regularly adjust the sensitivity so it doesn't count steps when in a vehicle, but that's now become a Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-20961946965053835442016-10-16T10:14:00.000+01:002016-10-16T10:14:59.965+01:00Elephant Garlic
Elephant Garlic
I thought that I would try Elephant Garlic this year. I found a farm on Ebay that sells "rounds" or Garlic. These are huge bulbs, or single cloves, that haven't split into individual cloves.
Elephant Garlic "Rounds"
They need to be planted before Christmas but anytime from October onward, ie now. In the photo there is one normal garlic on the right which, before it dried Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-51192831580103629072016-09-07T11:59:00.002+01:002016-09-07T11:59:40.292+01:00The harvest so far...
The harvest so far, and the problems of storage...
I had high hopes for this year, hoping for 600 upto 750kg of produce for the year, but early failures of many things caused by slugs, frost etc meant that it was looking like it was going to be a poor year. Potatoes, Beetroot, Parsnip almost wiped out by slugs. I also forgot to plant several varieties of Squashes but as time went on things Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-30341720714339796562016-08-28T15:40:00.000+01:002016-08-28T16:33:48.233+01:00Seeking Inspiration
Seeking Inspiration
Once in a while I like to take on a project and last time I got inspired by Hugh Fernley Whittingstall's a Cook on the Wild Side, and specifically an episode about a Coracle boat, so I built one. That led to being inspired to build a canoe after watching a programme with Ray Mears about building a Birch Bark Canoe.
When building something I never do it the same as someoneAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-67855905930537692402016-08-24T11:15:00.001+01:002016-08-24T11:16:11.316+01:00Large odd tomato
Large odd tomato
I've watched a large tomato ripen and unfortunately my labelling isn't up to much and the plants labels faded in the sun and I can't remember what they are, but this one has grown so much more than anything else. The fruit has grown around the truss and only one other fruit got pollinated on that same truss. The photo shows the large tomato, which has 3 lobes to it, next to (Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-83624070028564225072016-08-20T16:58:00.000+01:002016-08-20T17:03:38.165+01:00Runner bean & fruit chutney
Runner bean & fruit chutney
With the colossal amount of Runner Beans this year we're having to find ways of dealing with them. Some we sell on the market stall, some we eat, some we will no doubt freeze but that still leaves an awful lot of beans to deal with.
We made a dozen jars, of varying size, of Runner Bean Pickle last week. It was OK but the final texture was wrong. A bit Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-68408117034671949812016-08-06T09:24:00.000+01:002016-08-06T09:24:49.785+01:00Cheap Poly Tunnel
Cheap Poly Tunnel
Last year we bought a cheap Poly Tunnel. Often cheap means rubbish but in this case, considering the size and what you can do with it, cheap means excellent value for money.
The tunnel we got from Ebay, new, starts at around £200, then as they sell them, goes down in price. We got it when it was about £130 including postage. But at present it has just gone under £100. For aAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-73722838125457487422016-07-28T11:38:00.000+01:002016-07-28T11:38:00.024+01:00Mole Deterrents and Flower Success
Mole Deterrents and Flower Success
I'm plagued by moles at present. I've had them for a few years and I've always seen them as helping me with the drainage. Even the odd mole hill in the lawn isn't a problem, but recently, despite the cats catching and killing several moles they have now entered most vegetable beds and a Raspberry bed. The final straw was when they appeared in the Poly Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-86023230986172578152016-07-16T08:39:00.002+01:002016-07-16T08:39:55.899+01:00Six weeks growth
Six weeks growth
It never ceases to amaze me what a bit of rain, warmth and time can do to a garden. From June 1st to mid July the difference is incredible.
June 1st 2016
Click on photos to enlarge.
July 14th 2016
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-3283163713348277322016-07-07T07:24:00.000+01:002016-07-07T07:24:21.472+01:00Disaster
Disaster
There are always set backs. Some bigger than others but over the last few weeks I've encountered a biggie!
I've done a lot of reading about this and have come to the conclusion that I have herbicide in my manure. I'm not 100% sure of the facts but I think I few years ago the EU changed a few rules and normal broad leaf herbicide was changed, or banned and farmers etc had to change Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646947682530302849.post-35922260278086209512016-06-29T09:07:00.002+01:002016-06-29T09:07:37.155+01:00June, Comparing the past
June, Comparing the past
A quick look back at the same time of year for the last 4 Junes. Click on photos to enlarge.
June 27th 2013
June 24th 2014
June 30th 2015
June 29th 2016
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15081292016016946981noreply@blogger.com5