Little helpers in garden.

 

This area in front of the big tunnel was mulched over winter, using cardboard covered with the meadow cuttings. Now I am digging out a few perennial weed roots to get it ready for planting.

As I was digging Alfie left his play and went off..... coming back with another fork.

So he could dig too!

Tivon pruning the dead ends from the Californian Poppy.
Another case of, he wanted to do what I was doing!

Tivon helped to pick the cauliflowers.

Bees on willow, forget-me-nots, wild pear, osmanthus...

April 9th

 The gooseberries have been humming with honey bees and bumbles.

Gooseberry on April 9th.

 Osmanthus Delavayi was busy with bees on April 9th.

Osmanthus Delavayi

April 9th

The wild pear is covered with honey bees and bumble bees.

April 9th

Forget-me-nots have self-seeded abundantly in the vegetable garden and are busy with honey and bumble bees.

Honey bee on willow. For most of March the bees could be heard but not seen, as they were in the tops of the willow trees. Hard to get a photo up there!

Bumble bee on willow.

In the kitchen.

I am not planning on sharing recipes and meal photos on this blog, we eat very simply, but this bread "asked" to have it's photo taken!

Spring is here, we are all spending most of the day out in the garden. Cooking is quick and minimal, but one day I came in and "threw" this soda bread in the oven. Traditional food can be so quick, easy and good!

 I usually make a slow yeast bread, using some of the dough for pizza, pitta breads and / or currant buns.

Cauliflowers are in, cauliflower  curry with peas from the freezer is my favourite cauliflower meal.

We are at at the end of the leek season. I love leeks as the base for frittata with asparagus, leek and potatoe soup or slow roasted in cream in the wood-fired oven, yum.

Lee, our first ewe lamb.

Thistle and her one day old ewe lamb with Alfie.
 Alfie LOVES the lamb, Zoe has named her Lee.

 Thistle birthed twins but one was weak and didn't make it.

Angus and Alfie, with Lee.

Lee just finding her feet.

The little Kerry herd 2014.

 Treacle and sooty, the boys.

 Treacle. The cattle have been out all winter.

 Angus giving Heather a scratch while Treacle says hello.
 Heather is mum to Amber and Treacle, and grandma to Sooty.

Treacle and Amber. Amber is due in July and is being dried off now.

 Treacle and Amber seeing off a white Sussex hen.

Alfie.

March sky

Wonderful lenticular clouds on March 15th.

 

March garden and Polytunnels.

The nectarine in the big tunnel has had spectacular and long-lasting blossom this year.

Asparagus is cropping well in the tunnels.

Potatoe onion on March 9th. It is a small onion but grows like a shallot. Each bulb grows into several so it is easy to keep a few of the best for planting next year.

Potatoe onions in the big tunnel on March 26th.

Sweet peppers being potted on, they will go in the big tunnel next month.
 

Outside the small tunnel some perennials are growing on in pots to fill in gaps later and to share.

Purple sprouting broccoli is cropping, March 27th.

Giant garlic on a frosty morning, amongst ground cover of phacelia and dead nettle.

March 12th.

Kale on a frosty morning

Cauliflower on a frosty morning.

First early potatoes in the small tunnel on March 11th.

Early potatoes are now well up. Leeks are growing in modules for planting out later.

Alfie playing while I potter, (and take photos!).