Learning to blog again.....

If you don't use it, you lose it.....and it is with these words ringing in my head that I will now attempt to blog a post or is it post a blog?

It's not that I haven't anything to say, anyone who knows me is patently aware that I can't shuddup! No, it's time; it keeps escaping me. In the early days of this blog, when I managed to write quite often I was busy too but it was a different kind of busy. I mended fences, painted walls, created gardens, pruned jungle..... if I didn't do these jobs, no one died, no one really suffered, lives were not desperately affected. Sure, there were a few well-loved chickens pottering around the property that I cared for, a couple of rat-catching cats and two lovely sproglets I was obliged to feed and clothe (kids not cats), but now there are many more mouths to feed: Pregnant ewes and alpaca insist on love, attention and a good feed at least daily. They look at me reproachfully if I'm late and I put myself under pressure daily, trying to keep up with PB of twice daily poo picking! (Sad.)

Spring 2014

2015 should be good for increasing my workload. Our ewes have all been scanned and all are carrying lambs; most are carrying twins, though there are a few triplets on first-time mums so I'm a little nervous for them about that. They are all healthy and so far we have had minimal poor weather with odd days of snow (I may regret that statement,) and the girls are therefore all fit and well. We're also hoping the alpaca have gorgeous cria in late summer.

Fitbit Flex

I recently gained a Fitbit thanks to a change of phone. The Carphone Warehouse in Malvern couldn't have been kinder btw and this free technological bracelet came as part of the package. It's amazing to track your life while merely wearing a bangle (and without committing a crime) the thing interacts with the computer and tells me the steps I've taken during the day (generally 10,000+) how much undisturbed sleep I've had (not enough!) and whether my BMI is any good (not so much!) It tells me that I tend to fall asleep within 6 minutes of hitting the pillow, a record I'm rather proud of, though hubby's less keen if I conk out before him, then snore. #sorryhubby. Anyhoo, I think the 6 mins illustrates that I've generally had a busy day.

My website is doing well with plants, alpaca bedding, knitware and more all selling well. Sales of Lou's Poo, Dried Alpaca Manure exceeded all expectation this Christmas. Merry Chrimbo to you if you got a bag this Chrimbo.

If you'd like an idea on how to use the product, look no further. I've just started sowing seed for this year's flower display and have sown trays of dahlia seed (as I'm too mean to buy or overwinter the corms and I love the fact that I can get many more plants flowering by using seed.)  Dahlia are hungry critters so as soon as I'm ready to pot them into their final containers - probably June, I'll pop in a good handful of Lou's Poo Dried Alpaca Manure to their planting hole, and this will help keep them fed for the season. If they flower well I'll also treat them to a Lou's Poo Tea! Deeeee-lish.

2014 Toms

If you'd like to purchase some Lou's Poo either use the website or toddle off to your nearest retailer. (More retailers joining the throng next month):

• Ludlow, Shropshire: The Plant Centre
• Leominster, Herefordshire: Hintons Country and Garden
• Shifnal, Shropshire: Apley Farm Shop
• Little Venice, London: Clifton Nurseries
• Kings Road, Chelsea: World's End Nursery
• Church Stretton, Shropshire: Coco Alpacas  

BTW If you think you know of a retailer near you who'd like to sell Lou's Poo! Let me know and I'll ask them nicely. Ta.

Garden Planning - Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea, an essential part of my garden year. Even sowing them is an act of optimism, being as I place the gorgeous satisfying pea seeds into a pot now, in Autumn, to be planted out in early spring. 

Here's my 'How To Guide'. You will need the following:

1. Sweet Pea Seed
2. Good sized pots
3. Compost (maybe some added nutrition from Lou's Poo, Dried Alpaca Manure) 
4. Toilet Roll insides
5. Plant Markers
6. Water

Choose your seed. Personally I save mine from the best of my plants.

Gather good sized pots and half fill with compost. At this stage I add a small handful of Lou's Poo, Dried Alpaca Manure as my seedlings will be in these pots for at least 4 months. Remember alpaca manure is not a hot manure, it's gentle and won't damage the seedlings, plus it will take a while for their little roots to penetrate to this layer.

Next add your toilet roll insides and fill these with compost.

Choose your seed, I like to grow the same colour in one pot and another colour in another pot.

I generally only add a few seeds per roll.

Label each toilet roll. This seems extreme but in the spring, when you gently separate these rolls into their own good-sized plant pot, you'll be glad they are already labelled.

Water well and place in a sheltered area. Personally I don't put them in the greenhouse, I treat them as meanly as I can, though I do afford them the shelter of the walled garden. They need protection from slugs and snails and if there was a sustained frost I might cover them but otherwise don't molly-coddle them.

As soon as the seedlings get to be about 4" tall I pinch them out, nipping off any extra growth. I do this every so often, till early spring, I pinch them out again and again, letting them grow just a little bigger each time, to ensure strong, bushy plants rather than tall, sickly ones.

Go on, sow some sweet pea now, you'll be so glad you did next summer.

Lou
xx

Recycle or re-use?

I'm like the white rabbit, Alice's mate! Busy, busy, busy, late for everything, desperate to cram too much into my day before the three weeks of school holidays commence today at 3.30pm....to the exclusion of housework I might add!! I'm taking a quick break from the garden to update this blog and drink a coffee, then I'll finish up outside before rushing to make up a guest room for one of my best girl-friends ever, who arrives by train this evening...

The outdoor temperatures have increased noticeably. I'm at that stage in the season where I get confused with dress code each morning. Jumping out of bed I layer up - vest, t-shirt, tank top, fleece, 'nuther fleece, big pants, jeans and boots etc only to find myself stripping in the school car park. It's no thrill for anyone looking, who wants to see big pants?(only Daniel Cleaver in Brig Jones! Perv!)

Temperatures of 10°+ meant that I could begin planting. I've started indoors using every bit of warm window ledge I can find and creating mini-propagators too. Recycling round here is a bit of an effort as we have to take plastic bottles including the plastic milk bottles to the depot. We still do it, husband is a real eco-warrior, but I've been trying to re-use as much as possible. I've found that croissant trays and muffin boxes with lids are cute little greenhouses. Just put some plastic plug trays cut to size inside. Meat trays washed out thoroughly and doubled up, also make great starter trays with a good compost.



In just three days I'm already seeing the heads of the Russian Tarragon waking up in my official plugged-in propagator. So far I've sown; Tarragon, Chives, Mint, lettuce, basil, celery, marigold, leeks, cosmos, bell peppers, mint, courgette, pumpkins and tomatoes. Phew.

I've just planted out the chitted potatoes too and now I need to firm them in as I've finished my coffee. The rain has started but I'm not bothered (love Catherine Tate) as I may get wet but the potatoes will be well watered in....

BTW. The rat smell has almost gone and boy is fully recovered, we have new tenants for the fields and stables and the chickens are laying everywhere. It's an Easter Hunt EVERY day over here!

Catch up soon....

Raised beds

Husband made me some raised beds in October or November. They are all constructed from reclaimed scraps of wood he found around the site. I must finish filling them with soil in the next couple of weeks in order to begin planting in March. I'm going to enjoy using this Blog to document changes in the garden, successes and failures.

The chickens are doing a good job, they have guzzled slugs and snails. Mind you, they don't care what they uproot to get to them so I'll need to create some protective domes for seedlings. I don't mind those kinds of tasks, spring is definitely the best season. Imagine the edible produce for our summer and autumn meals. I may even enter the village fete which has a 'best in class' for veg. Steady on now girl!!!!



This will be the first spring in the garden. Already I can see buds appearing on plants that I do not recognise. It will be fantastic to see things emerge and bloom.

Well, must go. Off over Clee Hill again to collect the children. Wonder what the view will be like this afternoon?

[Update 2014: 5 years on and our new website is launched here come visit us online.]