January sky

Only one word to describe January..... Wet!

Although, as the photos show, It didn't rain ALL the time.

January 11th

January 11th

Turkeys and hens.

The hens are laying again.

 That is the sandpit in the background. January was VERY wet.

The turkeys are still trying to climb everything.

Late January garden 2014

I found another little toadstool? (Anyone know what it is?) at an earlier stage of development than in my previous post.
 I think it is enchanting.

  I have an answer.... It is a Geastrum.  Many kinds are commonly known as earth stars.

Their were 3 Robins in the vegetable garden this morning.

 This one is perched on last years bean pole.
 

The Rhubarb is up. This is Victoria in a sheltered shady spot.

After a few weeks on the windowsill the early potatoes have grown their eyes /chitted.

I planted the first ones today in the small tunnel.
The bed is prepared with a mound of old dung, a good sprinkling of ash from the wood-fired range and topped with the shredded asparagus stalks.

The vegetable garden in January.

Kale.

Turnips will need to be picked soon before spring growth starts,

The potting bench in the small tunnel, the season begins.

little helper in polytunnel.

We are out in the polytunnels almost everyday.

This began as chopping carrots....
then it became..... rolling the eggs down the egg rack.


Alfie driving his tractor on the flour added to the bread dough.
Alfie always likes to help making bread!

Bees enjoying the crocus.

 Honey bee in yellow crocus, January 20th.

 These are the first but there are plenty more to come. 

 Hive in the background.

Beeswax Candles

 

 We had so much fun with the colours to add to the beeswax that we dipped candles again on new years day and for the following week.

The dipping pots and glasses are now put away until next winter. I thought the kitchen counter top space would be clear again , it was,  for a couple of hours. Seed sowing time has come round again and the kitchen doubles as a little nursery. The counter tops are already shrinking to make way for seedling trays!

View previous candle post.

Early January Garden 2014

I saw this little toadstool? and more just like it growing under the asparagus when I was cutting away the dead stalks.

It is a Geastrum.  Many kinds are commonly known as earth stars, I found another here.

The pineapple sage is in full bloom in the tunnel.


These Asparagus were planted 2 or 3 years ago and the spears are not as fat as the older plants.
Asparagus plants will live for 20 years or more although I dug up our first outdoor bed after 10 years and now only grow it in the tunnels under the peach trees.
 I find I have little or no trouble with perennial weeds or slugs in the tunnels.


 A few of the asparagus plants in the tunnel think it is spring.

First early potatoes are on the kitchen windowsill to chit.

Garlic is up. The garlic bed was mulched with the shredded corn stalks.

Leeks to harvest.

Alfie was biting the crab apples right off the tree.

 

I divided the Sedum. The bees love the Sedum, Vine weevil larvae love the Sedum's roots and the hens love the vine weevil. I love the bees, the Sedum, and the hens. The vine weevil is not a problem. 

 Angus and Alfie helped the hens pick out the vine weevil larvae and fed them to the hens.

Another very little toadstool growing in an old Sedum stalk.
This is one of the newly planted divisions.