Cats! Hedgehog!

Had a terrible problem with kittens this summer, lots of them hanging around, more than we've ever had before.  Most of them have gone now however, with the exception of a tabby kitten, which is quite sweet and very friendly, not wild at all, and not wanted by us.  We already have a cat, although I must say, she's not the best at seeing off the intruders.  Anyway, this tabby seems to have adopted us and learnt very quickly how to use the cat flap, which is partly why we've been unable to get rid of it.  The cat flap is open all the time for our cat and we couldn't really start shutting it now, plus the front door is open most of the time during the summer what with the kids and the guests being in and out all day anyway.  We are still deciding what to do, although we'll probably end up keeping it as we couldn't abandon it and no-one will take it from us!  Looks like a trip to the vets in the near future.  More money.

Also had a problem a week or so ago with a little black kitten.  Now this one was very wild, not at all tame, not at all friendly and not a all safe to go anywhere near.  This one also learnt how to use the cat flap.  Now there is a big difference between a domesticated cat in your house and a wild animal in your house.  And much as we didn't want to, we had no alternative but to run a 'catch and release' program.  We went out one afternoon, left the cat transporter basket thingy in the kitchen, and fixed the cat flap so that the cat(s) could get in, but not get out.  Sure enough when we came back it was in the kitchen.  After a little chasing, Adrian managed to catch it and then after a bit of a scrap to say the least, it was a vicous little thing, managed to get it into the cat box.  Into the car and off for a little drive.  Dropped it off in farm land so it would have plenty of food in the vicinity and it legged it without a look back.  Now, I know that lots of you will be tutting away at me, but this was a wild animal, in no way domesticated, there is no 'animal sanctury' anywhere near here that I am aware of, and quite frankly, the irresponsible people at the end of the day are those that allow their cats to bread prolifically in the first place and then don't take care of the offspring.  Every year we have kittens around the place looking for food and shelter.  It is not nice.

And so onto part three of the cat stories.  Adrian found our neighbour's cat at the side of the road yesterday morning, it had been run over and looks like killed instantly.  It was in the middle of the entrance to where the bins are for our hamlet (no, the bin men do not come to our door, so think yourselves lucky next time you poms are whinging about your refuse collecters), so Adrian moved it onto the grass at the side, a little more discreet.  What to do?  Well, we decided if it was our cat, we'd like to know, so we went round to their place but they were out.  Later on I saw the wife, just coming back from the bins, she hadn't seen the cat there so I gave her the sad news.  She didn't want to see it, said her hubby would deal with it later.  Well, it was fortunate that Adrian had moved it earlier because there would have been no avoiding it when she went up to the bins and that wouldn't have been very nice for her.  Anyway, once we had confirmed with the wife that it was probably hers (it had a distinguishing mark) Adrian went and got the cat and put it in a box and we kept it until Mr Neighbour came home later that evening.  I showed him the cat's mark (we'd covered it's face) and he confirmed it was theirs, but he said he couldn't deal with it, so could we bury it please?!  Well, couldn't exactly say 'no' could we?  We've thought of a nice spot for it, but it's in one of the gite gardens, and we have guests in there at the moment, so we'll have to wait until monday morning when they've gone.  In the meantime, we have our neighbour's dead cat in our garage. 

On another note, we were having a bit of a chat whilst he was here, and the subject of the many kittens came up and he said, 'one of them was a lovely little black cat, been around recently although haven't seen it for a few days, so sweet - did you see it?'  Aaah - no!  The way he was talking I thought he'd have taken it on instead.  The guilt!  But then after further discussion I realised he was talking about a different cat black kitten (ie a friendly one, with different markings).  Phew. I would have loved to have offered him the tabby, but that would have been bad taste.

And just to prove that we're not entirely mean, animal haters, we did actually save the life of a hedgehog earlier in the summer.  Adrian found it in the swimming pool one morning, frantically swimming around, unable to get out.  So he fished it out and brought it back to the house.  It was in a bit of a state and you can't easily dry off a hedgehog, but we wrapped it loosely in an old towel anyway and put it in a box with a bit of cat food (apparently they can eat that) and it snoozed the day away in our kitchen, aprat from waking up to poop occasionally).  In the evening, it woke up and we released it into a sheltered spot in the garden.  Again, 'catch and release'!

Harvest

Been busy in the kitchen lately, cooking up all the fruit and veg that's ready.  So far:

One batch of plum and cinnamon jam (tastes nice, but didn't set properly, even though I tested it.  I call it 'soft set, also ideal for using as a sauce on ice-cream').
One batch of greengage jam (going to make batch two today).
One batch of blackcurrant jelly (a new recipe which I will be doing again, much better than the blackcurrant jam).
One batch of blackberry jelly (from our local hedgerows, although Adrian fell in the ditch when we were collecting them and I had to pull him out.  Was going to make jelly, crumble and alcohol from our hoard but managed to collect exactly 1kg so only made jelly).
Two batches of blackcurrant vodka (well a fair bit seems to have disappeared of late....).
One batch of blackberry vodka (an excuse to go out collecting again).
Several portions of stewed apples (in freezer).
Several batches of tomato sauce/tomato and veg sauce/other variants (in portions in freezer).
Two courgette cakes (first one the expensive version with home-made lime curd filling and cream cheese topping; second one cheap version in loaf tin, no icings/fillings).
Lots of veggie dishes.

Can't think of anything else at the mo, but things are still maturing, so I'll be back.

Busy, busy, busy. Snake!

Very busy of late.  The blackcurrants have all ripened on cue, and there's loads of them again.  They seem top thrive on neglect as they didn't get pruned last year.  Given quite a bit away and some of our guests have had some.  Well, quite a few actually.  I said 'help yourselves' so they did.  Everyday.  I wasn't going to get any for us as I still have plenty in the freezer from last year, plus several pots of blackcurrant jam, plus two and a half bottles of blackcurrant vodka, but in the end I relented - can't bear to see them go to waste.  Anyway, I found a recipe for blackcurrant jelly, which although it requires two lots of cooking, does at least avoid the need to prick each currant first or even the worry of the jam ending up like a jar of little bullets.  Finished it today, it's all potted up - here's hoping it tastes alright.  I did an apple and blackcurrant crumble the other day, that was nice, and I bought a cheap bottle of vodka in Lidls this week, so I'll do another blackcurrant liqueur with that.  Better drink the rest up.

Had a snake in the garden today. Adrian was watering the bamboos and it slithered out in front of him. Then it started climbing up inside one of the bamboos, then a bit later it got brave and came out across the grass, onto the terrace and hid itself amongst the tomato pots. Looked it up and it appears to be a 'Coulevre d'Esculape'. The longest snake in France I think and mostly harmless (depending on what creature you are). Well, it has no venom, but a fondness for killing it's prey by constriction. Here are some pics:

We've had some lovely guests in lately, so that's cheered me up no end.  The sun is shining, the guests are nice and life is so much better.  Although nearly had some issues with the french folk that are leaving tomorrow.  They arrived last week, first of all they wanted the heating on, although it's the end of June.  Then they wanted a torch, which I do loan out from time to time if guests staying in the gites at the far end of the garden are going out for the evening and getting back late after dark.  But these guys are in the cottage nearest to the parking area, there's an outside light and it doesn't start getting dark until nearly 11pm at the mo.  So I wasked them why they wanted it and for how long.  'The whole week please.  We need it incase we want to get up to go to the toilet at night'.  'In that case, 'No'.  We do have lights in the cottage you know.  The switches are located near the doors'.  There was something else, but I can't remember what it was now, something trivial.  Anway, two days after they arrived, I was cleaning in one of the other gites, it was about 9.30am and Adrian came to get me, said one of the women wanted to talk to me.  Well, I arrived at the house, she was standing outside, still in her dressing gown and pj's and I thought, 'oh, what now, what can be so bad that she hasn't even been able to get dressed yet?'  So I took a deep breath, smiled my very nicest smiled and asked her how I could help.  'Have you got any documentation?' she said.  Well, at this point I am nearly having a breakdown, what the hell does that mean?  Insurance, registration, what?  We've got it all, it's all above board, I was just stressed that she was asking for it.  'No, no' she says, 'Publicity, business cards, that kind of thing.  We thing your place is wonderful and I want to tell all my friends and relatives about you, they must come and have a holiday here, it's so lovely.'  And since then they've been nice as pie, every time I see them, they tell me how wonderful it all is and of course, they've also enjoyed plenty of blackcurrants.  You never can tell.

It's the girl's school fete on Sunday.  It's good, but it always drags on, there's lots of hanging around and it's always hot.  They all dress up to a different theme for each class and parade through the village first of all.  Georgia's class are going to be cowboys and cowgirls and Isabella's class are going to be trees.  Due to set off 2.30pm.  Probable start 2.45pm.  Then they get on stage, class by class, and put on a little performance.  Due to start 3pm.  Probable start 3.45pm.  This year they are doing extra performances for various reasons, so I expect it will finish sometime around Tuesday.  There's a bar and a crepe stall and other stalls with games and prizes and what-have-you, so plenty of opportunity to spend money in the name of supporting the school, I just wish they'd get organised a bit better. 

Getting a few crops in the garden now.  The carrots are failing, so that's a shame as they were so good last year, definately one of my favourite crops.  On the other hand, we're getting some peas, raspberries, strawbs, a little mangetout and the broccoli, leeks and sweetcorn are still alive (nothing short of a miracle).  The courgettes are still alive as well, but not in the best spot this year, so not sure if we'll get any courgettes themselves as there are no flowers yet.  The melons are still waiting to be planted out.  Oh yes, we've also got quite a few tomatoes growing, although they're still green.  And so far a success - I've finally manged to get a sunflower seed to grow.  There are other thing to tell, but it's late now and I can't be bothered.  But here's a couple of pics of the girls and their peas:

More bees! Estate Agents!

Well, the beehive mentioned in the previous post has at last been attracting the bees.  Late this morning we noticed lots of them flying around and going in and out of the hive, obviously moving in.  Unfortunately, they're not from round here  - ie not the ones from under the eaves nearby, nor from any of the other eave-bee-hide-outs we have.  They appear to be honey bees and actually I find it all very fascinating.  I'm hoping I'll be able to wangle a visit to see them in situ in the summer.  Here are a few pics:

I must explain the paint job on the front of the house - we are currently in the process of fixing it up a bit and it will look better soon!

The first of the estate agents came this afternoon.  What an arsehole he was.  Typical estate agent mind.  Met him when we went into the agents to make the appointment and didn't really take to him then.  Wouldn't commit to a price.  Kept asking us what we wanted for it, what did we think it was worth.  Well, that was exactly why we are asking the estate agents around, we wanted to know what they thought.  Kept telling me about other houses he's sold and trying to remember the owners names as though I would know them all (local area population somewhere around 50,000 people).  I half expected him to be one of those foreigners who ask you 'how's the queen these days and have you seen her lately?'.   He hardly spent anytime in anywhere, in fact, didn't look at everything (although he did say it looked nice and had been decorated 'with taste'), didn't ask a thing about the business which is part of the sale, or even why we are selling up.  Then I asked him if he had any nice places going in the local area (in case we stay) and he said that he did but he was 'going on holiday on Saturday' 'Are you really?' I respond, slightly confused as to why he felt the need to tell me that. 'Yes, for the whole week, I'm taking the plane'.  'Would you like to borrow my phone, you could call someone who cares?'.  'No thanks' he said 'What I mean is, you won't be able to see any properties in this area'.  'Oh, the agency is closing for everyone to take their holidays is it?' I innocently enquire.  'No, it's only me who's going away, the agency will still be open, but I do your area, so you wan't be able to see any property'  'And no-one else can show us around in your absence?' 'No'.

Sheep

Ever get the feeling you're being watched?  I went to collect mole hills yesterday from the far end of the garden, next to our neighbours field, didn't take much notice of anything except for where the mole hills were.  Anyway, I was busy chucking all the earth into the wheelbarrow when I sensed I was being watched.  Decided I was stupid, I knew there was no-one there, I hadn't seen the owners car (a bloody great black 4x4, can't miss it), so carried on with collecting the soil.  When I'd finished, I stood up, happened to turn around and sure enough, I was being watched - 23 sheep staring at me.

Went back to the same spot today to collect the latest offerings from our mole population (my spuds are happy at last).  Said good morning to the sheep, (who have since been sheared and look at bit weird, but then they were probably wondering what I was doing anyway) and noticed that there was now a boule pitch-sized area of dead grass next to the boule pitch.  Quelle horreur!!!  Clearly, when I had removed the cover (a sheet of black plastic) off the boule pitch the other day and then left it to dry out on the grass whilst I had lunch (only about an hour or so), it had got extremely hot and scorched all the grass underneath....

The veggies. Or lack of.

Things are not going so well on the veggie plot this year.  Three-quarters of my carrot seed sthat I diligently sowed one row per week over eight weeks, have not come up.  I think it's because the beds are too shaded.  There is an enormous weeping willow tree casting a great deal of shade over the plot.  We have been meaning to cut it down for a few years now (I like them, but this one is too near the house and would also provide some wood to burn) but we've still not got around to it, and now my seeds are suffering.  I've re-sown some more rows, and some in a different part of the beds, so fingers crossed, bu I'm not hopeful.  It's a shame because the home-grown carrots were one of my favourite things from the garden last year and lasted us into the new year.  Also, the moles haven't been so active because of the very wet and cold winter we had, so I've only got two of the four new raised beds full and now I'm desperately searching for mole hills everyday (never thought I'd say that) in order to earth up the potatoes.  The leeks I had from a friend haven't done so well in the greenhouses so I've planted them, although they weren't really big enough to be planted out, but I'm hoping they'll be happier there.  Then there's the sweetcorn.  Not had good crops the last couple of years, so this year I've planted the seeds in cardboard tubes and kept them in the greenhouse.  Now, these guys have been doing very well and are more thatn ready to be planted out.  Unfortunately, however, I have not yet had time to prepare the bed for them - that'll be in a week or two's time, in the meantime I'm just hoping that they don't expire before I can get them there.

However, on the positive side, the potatoes seem to be coming on well, the garlic is looking good, the tomatoes and strawbs seem to be ok and so do the peas and mangetout.  Oh yes, that reminds me, the french beans have failed.  Twice.  I have replanted again and also tried a few seeds in cardboard tubes in the greenhouse.  If they still don't come to anything, then well do more peas and mangetout.  Mind you, I am using last year's seeds, so that might be the problem, but I'm not spending a lot of money on a new packet this year, just to use a few beans.  Bought three pepper plants and an aubergine on Saturday.  Have got some pepper seedlings on the go, but they're a bit slow, so I thought I'd get some small plants in case the seedlings don't come to anything, and if they do, all well and good - we eat lots of peppers.  The courgettes seem to be ok as well, they're in the garden under plastic bottles, although come to think of it, it's been so hot of late, I should have removed them.  They could all be dead from heat exhaustion for all I know.  I'll check tomorrow.

Spring in the Garden

Ah - the sound of spring in the garden - the birds singing, a gentle breeze through the trees, the frog chorus of an evening and the chainsaw. Yes, we have been lopping trees.

And today I have mostly been learning that:

-It is not a good idea to stand underneath a branch that you are in the process of lopping off a tree.
-Once you start pruning, it is difficult to stop. Hence the cherry tree is no more. Started off with a few twigs here and there. Then some bigger branches. Then my husband appeared with the chainsaw and now it is gone, branches to go to the tip and bigger pieces to be dried for burning in a couple of years. Before you recoil in horror, you should know that it wasn't exactly in the best of health, we never got to see it in bloom as it's not near the house and the birds used to eat what fruit there was on it anyway.
-My secateurs need sharpening.
-Young children do not consider an afternoon in the garden, pruning trees, to be suitable and fun entertainment during the half-term holidays.
-They do however, enjoy climbing about in someone else's flashy sports car with their wellies on and messing about with all the controls. I could only watch and pray that they would do no harm (it was't my idea to put them in there).

Spring! Well, almost anyway.

These pictures are supposed to be further down, but I can't figure out how to do it, I just keep deleting them, so I've given up!

Well, spring seems to be on it's way, the daffs are starting to come out and all the bulbs and the seeds and what have you are out in the shops. I've put the potatoes out to chit (I think that's the term) and bought a few seeds that I don't have (mostly I'm going to use what ever's left over from last year, I think you're supposed to by new each year, but what a waste of money when I've already got some.) I was looking back through this blog the other day when I noticed that I started planting out the carrots on 14 March last year (a year ago today), but I think I'll wait a bit this year, it's been very cold and damp.

I did eventually manage to find some sweet pea seeds the other day and Georgia and I planted a few up in some toilet rolls to start them off. She was quite disappointed the next morning when she found they hadn't grown yet. I'd like a bit more colour in the garden this year. When we were in the UK we had a lovely flowery front garden, really nice to come home to at the end of the day and I do miss that, so hopefully the sweet peas will add a bit of colour and attract a few butterflies and bees maybe.

We also had a couple of old ceramic belfast sinks lying around the place (see photos). Unfortunately they are very shallow and not easy to plant. They used to have alpines in but they don't do it for me; I tried salads, but they didn't work, so we splashed out (€5,00) on some violas, hopefully they will be happy there and again, provide a bit of colour.

Although we've added an extra raised bed for this year, I don't think we're going to fill it. The winter has been very wet and it seems to drive the moles away, so no mole hills to provide soil for my veggies. They will be back at some time, (they never seem to go far, perhaps it's the top facilities that we offer here) so the beds will get filled eventually, but I've had to re-think the plans for this year a bit at not grow as much as I would have liked; but whatever, it will be more than last year.

Harvest

Most of the fruit and veg we grew in the garden has gone over now, so I thought I'd make a little list of my successes and not so successful attemps:

Successful (on varing levels) - carrots (although most are still in the ground, they seem to be ok so far), courgettes (they got powdery mildew on the leaves, but it didn't affect production), potatoes (but not as good as the previous year), onions, mangetout (loads and loads), plums (lots), blackcurrants (lots), greengages, peppers (ok, pleased for first attempt), tomatoes (although I keep forgetting to water them), french beans (after second attempt, so a fairly small crop in the end), pears and apples.

Not so great - garlic (still edible, but small, possibly due to over-enthusiastic watering by surrogate waterer whilst we were away (not complaining, am grateful that someone would do it)), lettuce (second year of trying, bolted again, inedible), basil and parsley (okish, but kept forgetting to water, so could have been better).

Bloody disaster - melons (all leaf and no fruit - gave some of my seedlings to some friends and they had loads of fruit, concluded that ours were not in a sunny enough spot), strawbs (two fruits, enjoyed by birds, old plants and again, not enough sun), raspberries (had a fantastic crop last year, hardly anything this year, I'm been freezing them as we pick them and still barely have a handful, which is a shame as they taste really nice).

The new bed is built for next year and is a quarter full of soil, no doubt it will be full by spring with all the mole hills that we get. Am starting to plan in my head what to plant next year and reading all the gardening books we have. In fact, for my birthday I had two gardening books, one for fruit and one for veg. I also received a proper jam/preserves making pan and a jelly bag holder (for making jellies as in 'smooth jam', not robinsons raspberry square stuff that you put in rabbit moulds for your kids), so I think the country life is affecting me a bit of late. Have been making jam and jellies all summer and today I got the new batch of blackcurrant liqueur underway (ready next year if anyone wants to visit....).

Pictures from our tropical garden.

the veggie plot thickens....

Description - see below - these photos never upload in the order I expect them to!

The main plot - potatoes in pots to the left, early and main crop. In the large bed to the right, from the back, mangetout, carrots and onions, not visible, but there now - broccoli, courgettes and melons; strawberries (two strawbs so far, one eaten by member of local wildlife population...) In blue boxes behind - raspberries; growing up wall - kiwis; 'greenhouse' thing between windows - peppers; in blue box to the left of the kiwis, garlic (plus in another box out of shot), also to left of kiwis - spring onions, also out of shot - tomatoes, various herbs. To the right of the right-hand window - ever-increasing pile of stuff that needs to be put away somewhere.

Home grown produce

Today I have mostly been feeling a bit delicate. Well, just this morning really and most definately due to tiredness because of not having a good nights sleep in the past two weeks and nothing at all to do with the home brew that was being consumed last night.

Yes, it is annual blackcurrant harvesting time and I've been busy making jam; we've got two blackcurrant bushes and we get loads of fruit every year. Anyway, we've got relatives here at the mo and last night we had a barbie with them. The meal included home-shot pigeon and home-grown mangetout so I thought I'd add a dessert of blackcurrant sorbet. I also decided it might be nice to try the blackcurrant liqueur that I'd brewed with some of last year's currants, it's popular over here to pour spirits on to sorbets, so we did. Then I realised we should try it as a Kir (drink made with cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and white wine). We also had some fizz on the table, so naturally we had to try Kir Royales too (cassis and fizz). Then it was decided that we should also try it neat (to check its potential as a digestif, of course). I only had one bottle of the stuff - one year to brew it, one night to drink it... This year I will be brewing two bottles. If you want to try it, may I suggest booking a holiday with us end June, beg July 2010?

The mangetout previously mentioned has done very well this year and Isabella has enjoyed picking it, although she prefers it when they get left a while and goes to peas, she pods them and eats them straight away - saves me having to cook them! The peppers are coming along well so far and so are the carrots and onions, have pulled up half of the garlic as it started to go over, somthing to do with rot, can't remember the technical term, but we thought better small bulbs than no bulbs. (Not my fault on this occasion I don't think, but I'm not going to name and shame here) I think some of the potatoes might be ready, so might start digging them up as and when we need some. Not many raspberries this year, hoping the plums will do ok, they are starting to grow, but some have started dropping already before they are fully ripe. That's enough of this section, starting to turn into a bit of a snoozefest....

In the Garden 3

Been getting very excited lately, the mangetout is coming up well, the first carrots I sowed have come up, the onions and garlic are doing well too and the seedlings in the propagators in the house have been coming along too. Unfortunately, since I have been ill over the weekend, some of my carrots seem to have disappeared. Some have gone completely and some look like they've been cut off at ground level. Naturally, I am blaming the cat.

Also had a bit of a disaster with the seedlings. They were doing well in the house, so I transfered them to the little plastic greenhousey type things we have outside. Unfortunately, I forgot to take the lids off the propagators, nor was I up and about to open up the fronts of the greenhousey things during the day whilst I was ill, so all the salads have withered and died and the melons are looking like they're on their last legs, so will have to start again. Never mind, it's just a few seeds, and you live and learn and all that.

Have started to fill tubs with soil for the potatoes and hopefully, in the next couple of days I'll feel up to planting some of them. And re-doing all the seedlings. And planting more carrots. And so on with all the other jobs, it's never ending this gardening lark.

In the Garden 2

Have been busy in the garden again, planting out seeds and what have you, though some are in propogators in the house, currently on the kitchen floor, am going to have to find somewhere for them as we don't have any window ledges on account of living in a french house. (Windows open inwards to maximise chance of injury to young children whose heads are just at that height. Also there are shutters in the way on the outside). I think they might end up in our bedroom, which is nice, but the only place they'll be out of the way. Have currently got on the go inside and out:


Carrots
Onions
Garlic
Mangetout
Melons
Raspberries
Peppers
Various herbs
Lettuces
Rocket
Potatoes ready to go out when we get some earth for the tubs
Mixed flowers and sunflowers with the girls

Will also be doing:

More carrots, onions and garlic
Sweetcorn
possibly runner beans
broccoli
courgettes
Dad wants horseradish, will have to try to hunt some down, not sure you can get it over here.

Have gone gardening mad and am devouring Adrian's old gardening mags and books which I was never really that interested in before, but now I can't get enough - my new little babies!!

Have been getting a few holes in the fleece on the raised bed of late and suspected the cat. Anyway, last night when I was putting the girls to bed, I was shutting Isabella's shutters when I noticed a lump under the fleece. It was indeed the cat. I jumped out the window without a second thought (fortunately, we are completely on the ground floor or it could have been messy), and went bananas at the cat. Cat looked nonchalently at me and then made an independent decision that it felt like being somewhere else just at that moment (they will never be told what to do).

Climbed back into house through window, turned around and cat is back on the edge of the bed. Shoo cat off bed again. Start shutting shutters and see through the gap that the cat is back on the bed. Threw small cuddly toy at cat. Cat looks at toy and stands ground. Threw wooden brick at cat. Cat bats brick a bit and then gets back to trying to get under fleece. Threw pot of felt tips at cat. Felt tips go everywhere except in direction of cat. Cat is now under fleece and has started digging. Consider throwing small child but can't be that cruel. (Not to the cat, to the child. And anyway, if one went the other would want to go too, neither of them can bear to think they are missing out on something the other does.) Give up and by the time the children are in bed, can't be bothered to deal with it. Wake up to a lovely ground frost and fog and fleece completely off the bed. Am outside at 8.30am on Sunday morning re-covering fleece and putting net on top. We shall see what tomorrow morning brings.

In the garden 1

Am labeling this post so that if you're really not interested in my day to day gardening drivel then you can avoid it easily.

Anyway, did some planting today, got in the mangetout and the first batch of onions and carrots. Already done the garlic and the raspberries are starting to sprout which is good to see. Covered the carrots and mongetout with fleece so hoping that that portects them from any frosts and bugs and the like.

Will do some more onions and carrots in a couple of weeks and the potatoes will go in tubs again, it worked very well last year. Got some melon seeds of a friend to go in and maybe some more strawbs, we shall see.

Adrian and I keep discussing getting some chooks, meat ones though, we don't think layers would be worth it as we don't eat many eggs (only in cakes and the like, the girls and I don't like them). I also have a little dream of rearing pigs, maybe one day... Or maybe ducks - we shall see.