Lavender and thyme

My worst day as a smallholder yet.

2010-09-25T15:19:00.004+01:00

I know I know I promised wonderful things and I haven't delivered. I fully intended to blog today, to talk about the hens and the new additions, baby stuff and pictures of pretty views and beach's. And to say thank you for the comments and messages about the baby (thank you x)
Butbloodshed put the stoppers on that.

Last night a mink got into my big main hen house, My hubby went over to let them out this morning, so thankfully I didn't have to deal with the carnage in the house ( he said it was like something from a tarentino film). Somehow it had squeezed in through a gap between the door and after its killing spree got it self caught in the rat trap. When hubby came and woke me to tell me what had happened he couldn't tell me exactly how many hens had been killed or who they were as there was blood and feathers and bits lying everywhere. But he had a rough idea who was missing when he let them all out into the paddock.

He went back over to clear up the mess and deal with the mink (that he described as the most evilest looking creature he'd ever seen thrashing about in the cage) giving it the full blast of a 12 bore.

I went over there expecting the worse as hubs bless em can only recognise a few by name but they few he'd told me that were missing were the ones I was dreading. And sure enough that F-ing mink took most of my favourite girls and one of my boys.

Its so quite and empty over there, Its missing a funny sounding crow, a couple of banshee like screech's.
If you've read my posts about my hens who'll recognise a few names :

Holly my gorgeous silkie cockerel, who I've nursed through sour crop, mycoplasmia, injured leg and wings, he was a little fighter he always pulled through and came back stronger, and he always pulled this funny face when he crowed bending his neck at an almost 90degree angle.
2 young sweet bluebell pullets who had just started laying on this week,
Boo my beautiful bossy buff sussex who was always the first to see me when I enter the field and would shout to all the others and run towards me flapping her wings trying to be the first to get at what ever food I was bringing,
Honey an ex batt who would never lay in the nest box in her house but always find a way to get into the other paddock and use the bantams hen house.
Wonky, my lovely sweet wonky with her lopsided wing and a lopsided leg who was the most friendly hen I've ever had she was also the most greedy, she would also wobble about chattering to self in her own little strange world and try and jump up on to my knee whenever I sat down.

But whats feels the hardest is that it took 2 of my original ever girls Tallulah who was beautiful and sweet and always looked after any new hens that got put in with them. When I put Boo in with them all the others really picked on her and wouldn't let her perch but tallulah would snuggle up next to her. She loved being picked up and cuddled. And margo my squawky glamourous boss hen, she has laid an egg everyday except 8, since I got her she was grumpy, stroppy and loud, but I loved her.

It really strange atmosphere over there even the other group in the other hen house are acting quietly. I've checked over the remaining girls and they all seem fine not bites and already I can see new groups and friendships forming. Ben the cockerel is very quiet, he has bite marks and bald patches on his legs where I'd like to think he gave the mink a good kicking trying to save his girls, margo and boo were his main girls, everynight he'd perch with them too either side of him. And holly was his little sparring partner, When I moved all the flock about holly and his girl isabel were left without a run and a home so I put my sweet little chap and isabel in with ben knowing I was taking a gamble introducing two dominant cockerels together, straightaway holly went for ben (even though holly was 3 times smaller than ben)ben gave as good as he got and holly ended up on his back and ben just muttered at him and walked away to dust bathe, since then they've got on fine like to old geezers sat in a pub drinking ale together and avoiding the wives.

I have a lot of hens there and I'm lucky it only got 8, but it hurts that it took them. There are some new additions there, still nameless, a few exbatts, some young lightsussex Hens that I would have been sad to lose but even though I've had them for a few months I didn't have a bond with them like Boo and wonky and tallulah. I know if you have animals you shouldn't care more for some than others, but its inevitable you'll build a relationship with some. I know to some people they are just chickens, just livestock, things we use to get eggs and chicken nuggets and there are far worse things happening in the world, but as sad as it may sound to some people they were like my little friends and I miss them already, its so heartbreaking that some evil vermin just broke in there and destroyed them.
I don't even want to go over there, I just feel so sad. There is a saucepan full of cooked up veg peelings, potatoes and pasta I made up last night for their lunch today, I added extra potatoes because wonky being wonky and slower than the others always misses out on potatoes bless her little heart and right now I can face not seeing her face waiting and calling to me.

If I wasn't preggers right now I think I'd get drunk.

jess x

P.S I got ill for a few days a couple of weeks ago and didn't get out to feed sidney always missing him and seeing him swimming far down the river. So he decided I'd stopped loving him and has gone (I hope he's found some friends) but I did manage to remove the string from his leg.

P.P.S on a happy note the baby seems to be doing really well and regularly dances about in my tummy and gives me the odd roundhouse kick, I have high hopes of a riverdancing kung fu master.

P.P.P.S I will return with a new look blog and happier regular posts soon..............promise.

Times they are a-changing

2010-08-27T22:23:00.003+01:00

I'm still here (just about). I've been wanting to blog for the last 2 weeks but, haven't found the time and when I have I've felt bleugh.

The reason, I've been absent, feeling ill, feeling uninspired, allowed my beautiful well planned well tended garden to turn into a hugely overgrown unkempt jungle/waste land, forgotten to take photos of my little chicks and a whole heap of other things that have gone to pot is.

I'm having a baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm almost 16 weeks now and am feeling much much better, the sickness has gone the tiredness is getting less and I'm generally feeling less yucky.
Me and hubby are so excited I can't describe it.

As well as a little tiddler on the way, I also have a few other things happening, the first being the fact that as of the end of September, the day after my next scan we shall be taking delivery of a bunch of Gloucester old spot pigs, which will be a bit tricky if I'm still sick at the thought of eating anything pork related.

So with all the changes going on I want to revamp my blog. When I first started this blog I wanted to have 2, my garden/smallholding blog and a general blog where I ramble on about randomness, music, films, my art and craftyness, clothes, thrifting and cooking. Now I've had trouble keeping 1 blog consistent let alone starting another , I've wanted to blog about stuff but felt it was out of context with chickens and flowers. So I'm going to combine this blog with the plans for my original other blog. Sometimes all I feel I do is (although I've been taking it a bit easily lately, major understatement!)is water plants and feed chickens and as much as I love that there is a lot more to me.

So I hope my small collection of blogland friends stick with me and follow my exciting journeys ahead.
Sssssh they might be some brand new poultry on the cards as well.

Jess xx

P.S I'll be changing the name of the blog but keeping the same url.

P.P.S I'm so sorry if I've worried you john x

Woe is me

2010-07-28T14:47:00.002+01:00

I'm feeling ill again.
Feeling ill is rubbish, I hate it!!!

I'll post some pictures up before the weekend of some of the adventures I've had in the last few weeks (on the days I haven't felt poorly) including the wonderful Belstone village fete that John was asking for (but I didn't take that many) and some photos of the baby chicks who are growing up so fast.

I'm off to retire to the sofa to drink apple juice and wait for Midsommer murders to come on TV.

Jess x

Breaking news

2010-07-10T19:32:00.003+01:00

Gwenny fairfaxs 4 eggs have all hatched.

Photos tomorrow as right now I really need to water the garden.

Jess x

P.S tomorrow is also my favourite summer village fete

Little weekend miracle

2010-07-05T11:11:00.003+01:00

On Saturday whilst checking on the gang before going out to (a really rubbish) village fete Isabel came stalking out of her little box shrieking and growling like a mini monster. So (taking my life in hands) I had a peak in the nest and saw one of the eggs had a little crack in it, my first thought was that Isabel had stood in it and broken it, I carefully picked it up and heard it pipping so I popped it back in and left Isabel to it. This was what I was greeted with yesterday morning when I opened the box up.

This is the first set of chicks that I've (you know what I mean) hatched out and I've found the whole thing so incredibly amazing. Sorry to all those that this is old hat to but its mind blowing.
I put three eggs under her as she's so tiny so 2 out of 3 isn't bad. Ben's the daddy but I'm not sure who's eggs I picked out, I can rule out the 2 Welsummers and Maran, Tallulah the bluebell and wonky (her eggs are of a curious shape). I think I tried to avoid picking the 2 Light Sussex's (but can't be 100%) so in theory that leaves Boo the buff Sussex, margo, and sugar and honey the warrens. Hmm will have to wait and see.

Gwenny Fairfax's (the Cornish/Indian game) eggs are due this coming weekend, I put her and Isabel on eggs at the same time but after 6 days Gwenny had somehow got out of her little run and in with the chicks she may have been in there all morning for all I know so I ditched the eggs and replaced them with some fresh ones. She is being really sweet and docile which is very unlike her usual feral nature. I hope it may long continue and that she is as lovely to her babies as Isabel is.

Jess x

Roll on November

2010-07-02T08:12:00.004+01:00

One of my mates emailed this to me last night

I've watched it like a million times since (ok so that's an exaggeration but you know what I mean) and every time I get goosebumps.

I'm so glad they're doing it in 2 parts and I really hope its as good as the book.
When I read the book at the end of the first chapter I slammed it shut in shock and cried. Oh how I'd have loved to have been a kid when these books came out.

Jess x

P.S if you want to see it not sliced in half (as my blog seems to have done) here you go

M.I.A

2010-07-01T08:31:00.003+01:00

I am still here, just.
I've had a few things going on that have made me want to retreat into my own little world for a bit then I've been ill, then the broadband went down for a few days and now hubbys on holiday so we've been busy fixing fences and henhouses and gading about the countryside. Yesterday we went to Paignton Zoo I didn't like the crocodiles and walked round clutching hubbys t-shirt with my eyes shut (what a baby) but feel in love with these little fellas what a fabulous mustache.

I shall return next week with news of isabel and her trio of eggs (due saturday) my three new hens I bought over the weekend and the 4 ex, exbatts that I'm picking up tomorrow evening, my garden that I have been neglecting and stories of the village fetes I'll be going to at the weekend.

Right I must go and wake up the Mr, its our 2nd wedding anniversary today so I plan on taking him out somewhere, where he can buy me something pretty.

Jess x

catching up

2010-06-04T12:20:00.005+01:00

So it feels like a while since I've talked about the chickens (and quail and ducks)
I'm planning a few changes and shake ups over in my field. So my flock of layers ruled over by gorgeous Ben the light Sussex are all laying like mad and enjoying dust bathing in the sunshine. My star layers are wonky, Margo and pixie. Over the weekend I'm going to introduce the little quartet of bluebells to their paddock. The bluebells are about 16 weeks old now and getting quite big. I expect ructions from cloud (my delinquent welsummer) and general superiority from Margo and pixie. I haven't given them names yet as I'm still unsure if I'll sell a couple of them or not. The little one who suffered quite badly from having her tail feathers pecked out and her vent damaged has come on great guns but I'm still worried about whether or not she;ll be able to get an egg out. A few times over the last couple of months when she's look uncomfortable passing droppings I've thought about dispatching her but we'll see what happens when she comes into lay.

The bluebells are currently living with the two adorable black silkie boys who are tiny but have suddenly become men, crowing (which sound so cute) and doing the little 'well hello there ladies' dance and trying to mount the blues (who are 3 time their size) up until yestrerady I've been umming and ahhing about keeping them to increase the gene pool when I finally get some Silkie hens to breed from. However yesterday these little balls of fluffy cuteness crossed the line. i let them all out in the morning and straight away they started hassling the bells so being as I was standing in their run I intervened and gave them a stern talking to about chivalry and how it was the decent thing to let the girls grab a bite to eat before trying to sexually assault them when the little monsters turned on me. Which would have been hilarious If I wasn't wearing shorts and very inappaortiate footwear. I was lucky to escape with my life. I almost fell over the electric fencing fleeing from the little devils and have some nice scratches on my ankles and a peck on my shin. So they are now officially on the market ( They are still adorable and my hubby laughed so much when I told him about it he got the hiccups)

The little gang of chicks are all growing up fast. There is definitely 2 cockerels there a light Sussex and a splash Andalusian (I finally figured out what he is) The other 5 Sussex's all look to be hens, and some of these I plan on selling when they're a bit bigger. My little auracana is such a poppet when I'm in with them she comes running over to me and stands by my foot cheeping waiting fro a cuddle. I crouch down and she'll hop up onto my knee then my arm and chatter away to me.
For this reason I think shes a she, not having any experience with the breed I can't tell by looking at her but shes small and dainty with no signs of any comb or wattles. She also very placid unlike the two little cockerels so I'm really hopeful. I'm also hopeful my Buff Orpington is a female too. To begin with I thought a boy as its wattles grew over night but so far its comb is still tiny and neck and tail feathers haven't grown longer. If this is the case it Will mean out of ten chicks 80% are girls which will be amazing. They are so funny as well acting proper childish, always being noisy and always being the last to go to bed. I'm sure I've seen Margo tutting at their naughty behaviour.

I'm planning on getting rid of Sawyer my welsummer cockerel, originally I planned on breeding welsummers for selling but I'm going to set up a group of rare breed chickens when I decide on what breed to get. Sawyers lovely but he's very much a big fish in a tiny pond and doesn't have the suave smooth romantic attitude to his ladies Ben has. It doesn't help that his ladies are all small and very fast, so his advances are easily escaped from. Also they have gone broody.
Primrose my little Indian game x wyandotte has been broody for a week siting clamped down in the nest box and sounding like a velocaraptor when ever I move her. I've been adding china eggs to her nest to see how many eggs she could comfortably sit on (about 5) as shes a tiny yet buxom little maid. Gwenny Fairfax the Indian game is playing at being broody and lays eggs in the same nest box, Primrose is also still laying too. Isabel the silkie cross bantam has gone broody too and every morning she's been escaping from her run and abandoning Jim Morrison (holly golightly) my big chief silkie to squish in next to primrose and fluff herself up. Tomorrow I'll finish the twin broody coops and select some eggs from big Bens run for them to sit on and fingers crossed will soon have some light Sussex and light Sussex x wels/marran/buff Sussex babies.

Sadly on Sunday morning sweet little violet, primroses daintier prettier sister died. I'd noticed on Friday afternoon she wasn't eating much but drinking a lot. I managed to catch her which was strange in itself as her and primrose are almost feral and hate being picked up and her crop felt full and squishy. I gave a a little olive oil and gently massaged her crop and could feel a hard little lump in there, I managed to break it up a little and popped her in a box with some water and yoghurt over night. Next morning her crop had got bigger and squishier so I gave her some liquid paraffin and some live maggots (from the fishing tackle shop) she ate these but it was blatantly obvious she was in a bad way. She gotten that tail down eyes half closed pose. So to avoid the stress of being on her own I caught sawyer and relocated him (much to his annoyance) and popped her back in the run with her freinds. She showed no signs of improvement in the evening so I tucked her up in the nest box all nice and cosy in a thick bed of straw. When I opened up the house in the morning poor little lass had died. Which in a funny way I was relieved about, because if she been the same in the morning Hubby would have dispatched her in the evening. She was tiny and very flighty and like my little silkie I lost last year to sour crop didn't have the constitution to regain her strenght, so at least her demise and exit was swift.

In happier news the quail are nearly all laying, only one more to go. Yesterday another laid her first egg and you know how tiny hens eggs can be when they lay their first well this new egg was half the size of the others I weighed it and it didn't register on the scales.
As for the ducks well thats another story in it self that I'll save for later as I've rambled on for ages now and I'm watching alfie out of the corner of my eye trying to catch a mouse thats scutterling about under the tv and better try and catch it before chaos breaks out. Or it runs over by bare feet and I start screaming like, was going to say girl but that makes no sense lol.

Jess x

P.S quail make really strange almost whistling sounds when they're laying. A world away from the shricks and caterwalling the chickens make.

P.P.S The bullocks are now trying to eat the leaves off the cherry tree.

Bullocks!!!!

2010-05-28T17:57:00.002+01:00

So first it was the naughty puppy chewing plants, then the chickens destroying the lawn and up rooting shrubs, then ducklings squashing and flattening flowers and now I have these hooligans.

Please pray for the integrity of my fence.

jess x

Thursdays favourite plant

2010-05-28T15:08:00.010+01:00

Late on parade again.

This weeks favourite plant is courtesy of my naughty puppy under gardener. One sunny day last spring when he was but a wee little bundle of fluff I was on the phone to my mum chatting away,after a few minutes I realised Alfie wasn't sat sleeping on the sofa

This was him then, you'd think butter wouldn't melt

I put my head round the kitchen door to see him destroying a willow tripod thingy (made by my fair hands)I rushed out to yell at the little tyke and saw the horror and devestion one small pup with small Sharp teeth had done. The little ratbag had chewed through a clematis right down the base. Needless to say it never flowered last year and I was not a happy bunny.

However that little monkey actually did me and the clematis a favour, as this year its flowering its socks off from the ground right up to the dizzying heights of my climbing rose.

Clematis 'Ruby Glow'

There are two more clematis in the garden that are making my heart sing right now (as well as two montanas but these are at the top of the garden on the fence being nibbled by some cheeky young bullocks in the field, buts that's another story).

I have no idea what this one is, I picked it up at the end of march as a pot with a half dead looking twig at the village hardware store for 50p.

And the beautiful Guernsey Cream

Which I also picked up at the plant graveyard section of a local nursery. Everyone has space somewhere in their garden for a clematis. I've planted about 4 or 5 where ruby glow is, all beautifully tangled around the bare bottom of my old climbing rose. Remember to always plant them deeper than they are in the pot, you want to bury the first set of shoots. This will encourage great roots and will cut down the risk of the plant getting clematis wilt Clematis like their roots in the shade and their heads in the sun so cover the area where the roots are with a thick mulch or some piled up stones. One more thing some clematis flowers are prone to fading in bright full sun like the pink and white candy striped 'Nelly Moser' Plant them somewhere on the shadier side to keep the colours truer. One more thing clematis flowers aren't actually petals but modified sepals.

Jess x

P.S Since Monday I've been trying to compose a post about my day out last week but blogger has been acting up and taking ages to upload photos (one took so long that I was able to make a cup of tea, open a packet of biscuits make a phone call, then drink my tea and it still wasn't uploaded yet), so I gave up. However I think I've figured out what its problem is. So I'll try again later. Right now I need to shout and wave my arms about at the young bullocks

Thursdays favourite plant

2010-05-20T08:31:00.004+01:00

I think I did this one this time last year but what the heck its a stunner

If you want to read the old post its here I don't think I can say much more about these beautiful little flowers. If you can, get yourself out in the woods this weekend, because a woodland floor covered in bluebells is one of the most beautiful sights in the english countryside.

Jess x

P.S I'm very excited, tomorrow I'm off to the devon county show which kicks off my season of shows, fetes and village fairs. Can't wait to have a look round the poultry tent.

At last

2010-05-19T17:47:00.001+01:00

One of my little quail has laid her first egg.

Now I need to cut some really small soldiers.

jess x

Duckling tales

2010-05-18T14:24:00.002+01:00

Well these little bandits are far to big for their little pen, so they've been given run of some of the garden certain areas have been crudely fenced off with bits of chicken wire, compost bags, buckets and anything else I can lay my hands on.
Saturday they shall be carried over one by one to a duck playground adjoining the chickens. I still have no idea what they are or if they are girls or boys. They're starting to quack now but having no experience I can't tell if its a girly quack or a boy quack. Hmmm time will tell.
There is something about the sound of a duck quacking that just makes you smile, it sounds a bit like they're laughing, and these lot have definitely been laughing at me. Right after they trampled the sweet williams and tulips.

Jess x

P.S in other duck related news poor old Sid is not a happy camper, The cows and calfs have been given run of Sids field, crossing the river mid morning and evening to munch on the long grass. These are Sids visiting hours. Saturday evening 4 times they charged him and if he couldn't fly before he can now. So I've taken to waiting to the cow have crossed the river and have gone far enough away into the other fields and sneaking down to the river and calling Sid whilst rattling a feed scoup. As much as I love the old rogue I'm not walking through a field full of protective mums. This has also peeved the puppy as he can only have short runs in that field when the coast is clear, to which he spends most of it dining on cowpats.

New toy

2010-05-16T11:56:00.004+01:00

Yesterday I got a new digital camera, it was an end of stock line at the supermarket and with some necter points it came to less than £20, bargain.
Its not to fancy, but not to shabby either, and it has a nifty little video bit on it so I can now bring you stuff like this.......

Please excuse the dodgy volume and shaking, this is the camera's first outing and I was very excited and of course I haven't read the de-strutions yet.

jess x

P.S yes I'm sorry I am one of those people with a tendency to talk to my dog in a baby voice sometimes

P.P.S so this is also the first video I've uploaded so if it doesn't play click on the youtube icon, you can tell I'm a rustic country girl with little grasp on technology can't you lol.

Thursdays favourite plant

2010-05-15T09:38:00.003+01:00

(I know, its Saturday)

Lilac Syringa
image via flickr

I'd love one of these in my garden, but alas I have no room for one, instead I've been enjoying my neighbours tree. He's gone away for a week and left me in charge of watering his greenhouse and hanging baskets, this have given me a perfect opportunity to wander round his beautiful garden (he used to open for the ngs)and stand below his lilac tree and take deep breaths of its heavenly perfume. It over hangs his fence too so in the evening when I walk past it to go to the field to shut the chickens in for the night the scent is incredible.

Lilac trees have the most beautiful scent and the flowers are so pretty, tiny little star shaped blooms, grouped together in large panacles or cone like spikes that festoon the tree about now. There are different coloured varieties as well as the lilac lilac I love the white 'Madame lemoine', the dark pink 'red prince' and the beautiful 'sensation' which has purple flowers with a white edge to them.

I say lilac's a tree but its actually a shrub, my neighbour has grown his into a tree by allowing it to develop one main stem that has become a trunk. They grow to about 5/8 metres high so are well suited to smaller gardens. They like full sun and grow on most soil types but like it slightly on the alkaline side. Like all spring flowering plants they flower on last years wood so prune them after they've flowered. To increase the flowers and to keep the shape in check, prune out about a third of the branches each year after flowering. Or you can remove all the branch's at ground level bar one strong healthy one to encourage it to grow into a tree shape. Lilacs throw up suckers like no bodies business, and if you remove these carefully with some roots attached you can propagate lots more little plants. As most lilacs are grafted onto rootstock you might find the suckers are a different variety.

Jess xx

P.S thanks for all the wonky love, she really is a character and is loving being spoilt rotten, I even caught my husband sat with her on his lap feeding her corn from his hand.

Always a sucker for an underdog

2010-05-10T11:49:00.005+01:00

A month ago I bought some hens from the local auction (no surprise there). I bought 3 little brown hens who looked a little rough around the edges but out of all the sad and sorry looking ex-free range layers or exbatts this 3 were the best looking of the bunch and I may be a hopeless sucker for a hopeless case but commonsense tells me to sadly avoid the really sorry looking ones. So I got my 3 home and put them in a quarantine pen for a week (If you ever get birds from markets/auctions you really need to do this as you never now what the may bring into the flock) Good job I did as they had worms and lice after an extended stay in isolation, I introduced them to the flock, expecting trouble, but they were good as gold. Ok there were a few scuffles from Margo and pixie (anything less would have been out of character) and big Ben had a go. But within 2 days they were laying in the nest boxes, perching at night and going to bed (slightly after the rest) on there own. I was expecting them to be flighty and feisty towards me but the are lovely (in fact they could teach some of my other hens a thing or too about showing me some respect) very friendly and wonderfully easy to handle.

Now I hate to say I have favourites but some chickens I have a little more fondness for than others (That's not to say I don't love them all) and I have a special place in my heart for this little lady

This is wonky, an unfortunate name I know I had planned on calling here Clementine or cinnamon but well wonky kind of stuck.
She is not the most prettiest of hen, she's very scruffy, had an outrageous lice infestation, her beak had been trimmed badly and was overhanging like a broken nail, she limps slightly and is lopsided (hence the name). But after a couple of days beauty therapy treatment, some dusting, a beak and claw trim and a bath she looked a lot better. she started laying eggs again with a week and bless her has laid everyday since. Now it wasn't her sorry looking condition that has made fall in love with her its her character. She is the sweetest of hens, she is a little bit simple and slow and gets picked on by cloud (my delinquent welsummer who was at the bottom of the pecking order) but she just bumbles along unfazed by pecks on the head. She has difficultly pecking at the grass (so I tear her little bits of and hand feed her), has a little bit of difficulty climbing the ramp to the house (so I often give her a hand). She follows me everywhere snuggles into my arms when I pick her up and makes the cutest little noises (unlike cloud whose vocals would scare a banshee).
I love little wonky she is truly a poppet. Her two sisters sugar and honey are also little sweeties too. I'm so glad I bought them and given them a happy home.

Jess x

P.S cloud my delinquent welsummer also has a special place in my heart for her feistiness, she shrieks like something possessed all the time. she has a habit of escaping and she has a piecring sidewards sneaky peering look. she hates being picked up yet is quite happy having a cuddle when you catch her but she will try and peck me and pulls my hair. I'm wondering if she is picking on wonky because she's worried shes no longer the apple of my eye.

P.P.S that's enough blogging for today I have tons to do outside and the ducklings are waiting for their bath.

Free plants (well sort of), softwood cuttings

2010-05-10T09:37:00.013+01:00

I love this time of year all the garden centres and nurseries are awash with bedding plants. This year I've toned down my bedding plant buying and have sown a lot of seeds and the plants I have bought have been from small local family run nurseries. I've decided to stop buying plants from big garden centres, I want to support the smaller places and not give my money to the big boys. So I'm avoiding the garden centres and stocking up at nurseries, gate side stalls and village fetes. I'm very lucky to have the amazing Hill house nursery close by and they sell the most amazing selection of everything all grown on site. Anyway I've veering of point.

So bedding plants, about now they would have put on a lot of growth, if you want really lush, full plants instead of long leggy thin plants, cutting them back with encourage lots of side shoots and lots of good growth. It may seem drastic to hack back your newly bought plants (especially if they have flowers on them) but trust me, you'll be glad you were brave in a months time when you hanging baskets look gorgeous.
Now this is the really cool part turning you little plant in lots of little plants.

Softwood cutting tutorial

Lots of people find propagating plants a bit of a mystery, something only old men in green houses do (I was always a bit daunted by it when I started gardening) but it's really easy.

So Here is a lovely little cherry red million bells, lots of nice growth perfect for taking cuttings from.

So you need to cut the plant near the side shoots (this will encourage the little side shoots to grow on the plant, giving you lots more flowers)

so this is what you have to work with.

Trim the bottom of the stem to just below the two side shoots, this is where there roots with grow from. Remove the leaves

Its a good idea to remove the top shoot, this will help the cutting put its energy into forming roots instead of top growth,

Then its a case of filling a pot with nice damp soft free draining compost (add some grit to prevent the compost getting waterlogged and the cuttings rotting) and making a little hole using a plant label of chopstick or knitting needle (something long and thin) and inserting your cutting, don't just push the cutting into the compost as its quite delicate and you can damage the base. I rarely use hormone rooting powder, but you can, it contains fungicide to help prevent the cutting rotting.

if you put the cuttings around the side of the pot they stand a better chance of the roots striking, as the roots hit the side of the pot they will branch out and grow stronger. Also you can fit quite a few in a pot and save on space. Try to avoid the cutting touching each other.

If you have a lot of large leaves on your cuttings (like with these mint cuttings) cut the leaves in half. This will cut down on water loss from the leaves (OK science bit coming up.... the cells in the leaves put a pressure on the roots to suck up water, respiration. buy reducing the surface area you reduce the force of the pressure.)

You need to keep your cuttings moist until the have formed roots (to check gently turn the pot upside down and you'll see little roots poking out the bottom) They need humidity to keep the leaves moist (look out more science.... the leaves in plants are surrounded by an invisible film of moisture, when this film is lost they put pressure on the roots to replace it and your little cuttings haven't any roots yet so it will be curtains for them) mine are in my little greenhouse or you could put a clear plastic bag over the pot kept secure with an elastic bag, make sure the cuttings don't touch it.

So heres my little collection which hopefully in a few weeks will be ready to be planted out.

I even used the mint leaves I removed on the cuttings to make a cup of tea
which was lovely except for the bits of compost floating about in it.

Jess x

Me and my Quail

2010-05-10T07:42:00.005+01:00

I love my little Japanese quail, they are such cute little things.

I was planning on having them in the field with the chickens in a little coop but I've decided to keep them in the garden for a two reasons, security and the fact that since all the chickens have moved to the field its quiet in the garden.

The quail live in a rabbit hutch ark with an attached run on my patio with a nice deep layer of wood chips. I feed them layers pellets and canary seed mixed with some grit and oyster shell. I've tried hanging up some greens in there for them but they don't bother with it so I tear up bits of grass and dandelion for them. I also pop a little seed tray with compost in for them as they love dust bathing. Had I have put them over in the field I would have fixed some mesh or chicken wire to the bottom of the run to stop rats digging under and getting them. Being so tiny they are particularly vulnerable to predators. As they are so good at flying vertically they need to be kept in a covered run. Their little wings are sort of triangular shaped, perfect for soarng upwards and gliding.

I really thought they would be really flighty little things but they are actually really calm and chilled out, they kind of shuffle about with the occasional leap and they make the loveliest noises, like little frogs a sort of gentle murmurings ribbet ribbet noise. They look and sound like they've just stepped out of a Studio Ghibli film.

Mine are all female, as I'm not to looking to breed them getting a cock was pointless also I'd heard that the fellas have large sexual appetites for there tiny size and can hassle the so much that they lay less eggs. I've also heard they make rubbish broody mums. They lay an egg a day through spring to late autumn but as the daylight hours shorten they stop unless light is provided for them. They reach POL between 6 and 8 weeks old (so the breeder told me), mine are now 8 and 1/2 weeks old and haven't laid anything yet. One of them looks like she may be thinking about it but as they are very hard to tell apart I have no idea if the one I think is thinking about it is the same one (if you know what I mean). I'm going to get them little tiny coloured leg rings.

One last thing, I think they are slightly nocturnal. They avoid being outside in the middle of the day, they all poke their little heads outs of the house half asleep. At dusk they are much more active I'm sure they would happily stay out all night but for my own piece of mind I pop them all in the house and shut them up till morning.

They such sweet little poppets I would definitely recommend keeping them, but John if your thinking about getting yourself some for your field, reinforce the run to within an inch or keep them in the garden, I'm sure you'd be equally charmed by them.

Jess x

P.S my little ducklings are getting so big, but I wish someone had told me just how messy they are, I reckon they are all drakes too well they're bound to be..

Thursdays favourite plant

2010-05-06T10:22:00.003+01:00

Its a miserable wet day, and I have no excuse to avoid housework, thankfully the last two days have been gloriously sunny and I've managed to get a lot done (including taking lots of cuttings, more about that later). My little ray of sunshine today is the beautiful

Tulip Ballerina

This is probably my favourite of all tulips, dainty lily shaped flowers that open up wide in the full spring sunshine. I always plant tulips on November the 5Th, 3 times the depth of the size with a handful of grit at the bottom of the planting hole.

Other favourite tulips include negrita the gorgeous little species tulip tarda and the beautiful spring green I have a thing for green flowered plants and dark almost black plants, however I'm so over queen of the night don't get me wrong there are truly beautiful but after growing them for the last few years I pulled them all out last year. I found the colour to oppressive for spring, they looked almost matt black and cold amongst my purples and oranges. So for the moment I'm sticking with bright spring colours, definitely important on a day like this.

Jess x

P.S I'll be back later with quail stories

A happy ending.

2010-05-01T08:30:00.004+01:00

I promise I will blog properly soon but with all the rain we've had in the last few days my garden has gone mad and even though I have been more organised this year and have lots of seed sown and plans of where things are going and weeds under control I suddenly have that overwhelming feeling that I have lots to do and won't be able to keep on top of things. But anyway what I wanted to say was.

Yesterday I rehomed Boris and Ivan

and a lovely young maran cockerel ( I say lovely, he was lovely looking very friendly to me but was hassleing 2 of my hens and startng to challenge Ben for superemicy).
They have gone to live with 100 exbatts, a couple of turkeys, and a pair of geese at a school farm for troubled and expelled teens. I am so happy they've found a home espesicaly as the Maran was becoming a real pain and hubby had given him bank holiday monday as a (quite literlly) deadline to be gone.

Now Big ben is king of the castle.

someone stick the kettle on, I need a cup of tea

2010-04-20T12:48:00.009+01:00

I'm sorry about my absence but I've been so rushed of my feet with all of this,

And some of this

And there was this

And if all that wasn't enough to keep a girl busy this came along

And finally there is this

Yes they are in my bathtub and yes they were throughly dried off with my best hand-towels before snuggling up under a heat lamp.

And if all that wasn't enough fun for me to handle I met up with the gorgeous sara from Completely Quackers who came down to see me for a good old chin wag about chickens and other animals and to take 4 of my bantam hens to join her flock of mad bantam boys. This left me with a vacancy for some more hens, who are currently in quarenteen quarters for the moment, oh and did I mention the little bluebell pullets.

I shall tell all about everything and everyone later, right now the glorious sunshine is beckoning back outside.

Jess x

P.S Bonus points will be awarded to anyone who can identify the chicks in the 2nd 3rd and 4th pictures, I know what they except the little grey one on the right of the 3rd picture. Extra double cherry on top points to anyone wanting to have a stab at telling me the sex.

home needed for handsome fellas

2010-04-14T20:04:00.004+01:00

I know this is a long shot but what the heck..........

I need to find a new home (or homes) for dear little Boris and Ivan

They are gorgeous little characters very friendly, very funny and very sweet. They need a new home as Ben my main Cockerel is getting fed up of them! Poor Ivan(the silvery one) is trying so hard to be a gent and attract the ladies but they are having none of it being fully paid up members of Big Bens fanclub.

If anyone in devon has some little hens who are missing a bit of romance then leave me a comment or send me an email
C-jess@hotmail.com

In other news I got some quail yesterday and am smitten with them, they are adorable. Also the chicks are nearly feathered up and might go out and play in the sun this sunday.

Jess x

P.S I found the charger for my batteries but now lost the batteries, maybe I need to tidy up my house a little.

Thursdays favourite plant

2010-04-08T17:50:00.003+01:00

Camellia Margaret Davis

Now I'm not the biggest fan of camellias, I appreciate the fact that they are evergreen and provide good structure in the garden and I love them for their gorgeous flowers in spring. But there is something about them I don't like, maybe its the glossy leaves and frou-frou flowers that I don't like together, or how I often see them dotted in the middle of gardens looking like an old maid in her Sunday best at a party no one else has turned up for. (she says even though she has 3 lipstick pink ones in her garden).

I think planted right they can look stunning, on big estates mixed in with Rhododendrons and azaleas and allowed to be more than just a colourful dot.

However all that aside I love Margaret Davis.
I love the flowers. Everyone looks slightly different like a white powder puff dipped in rouge. They make me think of Alice in wonderland when the white roses were being painted for the queen of hearts.

Camellias must have acidic soil to thrive otherwise you'll just end up with a sad, sick-looking, yellow leaved, spindly plant. They grow really well in containers but remember to regularly feed them with an ericaous feed. Don't plant them where the morning sun can scorch the flowers, very bad if they've been frosted the night before. Watch out for some of the white flowered ones that have huge full peony type blooms, a very wet spring and/or bright morning sun can turn the half opened flowers to brown balls of mush.

In other non plant related news, I think one of my wee silkies (who are 12 weeks old now)tried to let out a crow this mornning, Damn it I knew they'd turn out to be fellas.

Jess x

P.S aha I finally found the charger for my batteries today soon expect lots of chickeny photos soon.

2010-04-07T16:14:00.003+01:00

Apoliges if you've left me a comment, when I clicked on the comment thingy they vanished but yet told me they were published and have now disapeared all together.

Just so you know, I'm not being rude. x

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

2010-04-07T11:49:00.004+01:00

So this was the babies a week and a half ago...........

They look nothing like that now. Well except the little Auracana and the little silvery one and the little stripy one. I have no idea what the little stripy one is, which is kinda cool because it will be a surprise when suddenly I look at little 'tommy' (he/she looks like a little tommy) and realise what he/she is, (I have a few ideas). I think the little silver one could possibly be a silver spangled hamburg, I have no idea why I think that I just do. All of the rest are light sussexs except one big fluffy buff orpington.
They are just over 3 weeks old now and turning into right little hooligans, I'll give them until the sunday after next and they go outside and spent their days in the garden until they can join the field gang.

But first I need to straignten up the garden I currently have the little bluebell with the pecked vent destroying what was left of my lawn (being kept company by one of the little silkies, who I'm certain are both boys) I thought it best to separate her until she heals up well, luckily its just superficial damage. I established the ring leader of the feather pecking but she seems to have calmed down now, the Stockholm tar helped, except when I got it all over the kitchen floor.

Right I really must go and finish re-planting this border, I'm so lacking in inspiration at the moment, thanks to being stressed and tearful last week. Thankfully things are brighter this week.

Jess x

P.S I try and get some photos later today of the babies, that's if I can get them to stay still longer than 10 seconds

could I ask you for some help?

2010-03-30T17:18:00.003+01:00

So I will be posting an update on my little bundles of fluff tomorrow. However I need some help first with the latest additions, 4 little bluebell pullets. The little sods have started pecking (more like ripping out) each others tail feathers, I've just sprayed them all with purple spray as there was blood, but I was wondering if anyone can recommend the best thng to use to stop this, as tomorrow I can get to the feed store to pick something up.

Antipeck spray ?
stockholm tar ?
Yellow sulpher cream?

As there isn't one main offender I can't seperate them, so tomorrow I'll move them to a huge run with plenty of things to try and distract them.

But any advice would be a huge help.

jess x

P.S that little jezabel yorkie next door has come of heat so alfie has returned to his normal naughty self, and sadly I didn't win the euromillions so won't be buying a papillion this week.

"And they call it puppy lurveeee"

2010-03-25T21:06:00.006Z

Oh poor alfie

The neighbours have a yorkshire terrier girl, her name is lily. Alfie loves lily.
But this week lily has come on heat.
Alfie is beside himself with a broken heart.
He won't eat, won't sleep, showed no interest in his denta-stick.
Poor alfie.
Everytime lily goes for a walk in the across the road alfie sits in the window and crys and whines and howls.
I mean proper howling.
Whenever the kitchen door is opened he runs outside and sits on a flowerpot by the fence whimpering for lily.
Whilst he's sat there she is sat on the window sill looking down at him, whining.
Its like the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.

But don't worry alfie if I win the euro million lottery tomorrow I'll buy you a little french fancy, she can be your girlfriend.

seriously how cute is she, I love her ears.

jess x

Thursdays favourite plant

2010-03-25T14:12:00.006Z

What could you want prettier than the humble harbinger of spring....

Primula vulgaris

There are so many different species of primroses, the native vulgaris is my favourite although Cowslips (primula veris) are very dear to my heart and I love the drumstick primrose (primula denticulata) and the gorgeous primula vialii

I adore these simple little flowers of sunshine, the way the appear amongst tree roots and popping out of hedges promising spring, blue skies and sunshine. One of the first flowers I could identify as a little'un, they remind me of walks in the woods with my mum telling me stories of fairies and elf's. I used to lie down on the ground in the leaves and rub my cheeks against the petals. They still seem magical to me after all these years.

Funnily enough there is so much folklore attached to primroses concerning fairies, My favourite is the Celtic and Germanic stories about finding a fairy hill or a fairy rock and touching it with a posy of primroses, it would open a door to the fairies kingdom. A posy left on the doorstep would invoke the blessings of the fairies upon the house, petals scattered on the doorstep will prevent fairies from crossing the fresh hold. Hanging posies in cowsheds will prevent fairies stealing the milk. This is a good one I found, if you see a single primrose and dance round it 3 times clockwise it will ensure your hens lay well.

If you want to have your own magical carpet of faerie loving sunshine, you can propagate them very easily from root cutting (Hmm I should do some propagating how tos) or you can grow them from seed, either sow seed collected when its fresh or if you buy seed it will need a period of chilling to germinate. You can buy the plants but make sure you get ones marked vulgaris otherwise it could be any old bedding polyanthus.

I'll leave you with this by Cicely M. Barker

The song of the primrose fairy

The primrose opens wide in spring;
Her scent is sweet and good:
It smells of every happy thing
In sunny lane and wood.
I have not half the skill to sing
And praise her as I should.

She's dear to folk throughout the land;
In her nothing mean:
She freely spreads on every hand
Her petals pale and clean.
And though she's neither proud or grand,
She is the Country Queen.

jess x

Thursdays favourite plant

2010-03-18T18:32:00.004Z

This ones a cracker

Pulmonaria Lungwort or blue cowslip.

Image via flickr (and its a gorgeous photostream)

If you're looking for a beautiful early spring perennial, that's adored by big fat bumblebees looking for a yummy treat after a long cold winter, then I absolutely recommend Pulmonaria. A woodland edge native of mainland Europe its perfect for shady gardens or growing under trees or hedges. Its a really low maintenance plant, fairly low growing, and self seeding. Its fully hardy, disease resistant although it can be prone to powdery mildew in dry hot areas but this is easily dealt with by removing the dying leaves in autumn and disposing of them (never compost) and slugs have no interest in it neither do rabbits or deer. It will grow on all soils and is particularly happy on heavy clay soils.
There are many different varieties with different flower colour such as redstart (red flowered) and sissinghurst white (white flowered funnily enough) It also has lovely foliage which give it it's common name of lungwort (more on that later), There's a gorgeous one with metallic silver leaves which I've been hunting for for ages.

They produce masses and masses of flowers from the end of January (only if its mild) through to the end of April. I find a bit of deadheading helps prolong them.
One of the things I love most about the flowers is how they change colour, starting pink in bud opening to bright blue and fading to purple.

The reason Pulmonaria has the common name of lungwort is to do with the mottling on the leaves. Centuries ago doctors/herbalists saw features in plants that bore resemblance to Human body parts and aliments. These plants were then used to treat aliments and conditions. This philosophy became the doctrine of signitures. So lungwort resembling diseased lungs was used to treat pulmonary disorders. The Botanical name even represents this (I have an almost nerdish love of Latin names and their meanings and descriptions but I shan't bore you with that). Another good example of this is with the flower eyebright Lungwort was used during the bubonic plague to try and cure the black death.
Like most medicinal herbs it has a host of folkloric stories like being the herb of the virgin Mary with the spots on the leaves representing her tears and the changing of the flower colour the colour of crying eyes, and being able to ward of and reveal witch's. But nearly all plants in medieval times could do that except the ones that were used by witch's (I also have a nerdish love of plant history and folklore).

Jess xx

P.S how flipping fast do baby chicks grow, they are all sprouting wing feathers and leaping about like nobodies business, will get some photos up soon.

WARNING!!!!! more cuteness than you can shake a stick at

2010-03-15T21:15:00.003Z

So the chap up the valley who bought my Maran cockerel asked me if I'd like some freshly hatched chicks for free.....

Well it would have been rude to say no.

There is 10 in all 4 are definatly light sussexs, ones a araucana and he can't remember what the rest are, he'll call me when he finds the list.

Needless to say I love my new babies. The silkie babies are a bit jealous as but they'll get over it.

jess x

Please excuse the slightly bluriness but trying to snap a chick with the flash off and get them in focus is not the easiest thing I've ever done.

Thursdays favourite plant

2010-03-11T16:04:00.003Z

Hooray its back.

Is it Thursday today? this weeks been a bit of a blur!

Anyway may I present.....

Iris reticulata

My most favourite of the early spring bulbs. Easy as pie to grow just pop the bulbs in twice as deep as their size in the autumn, wherever you'd like a splash of gorgeous colour. I always put a few in small terracotta pots too. They look lovely in window boxes as well.
The colour of these little sweeties is lovely, there are many different varieties with different depths of blue, including a pale washed out blue and mustardy yellow, which frankly I'm not found of (I think you need bright colours after a long dull winter) and a gorgeous purple one whose cultivar name is I think 'Pauline' (but don't quote me on that. If you have heavy clay soils add a handful of grit to the hole before placing the bulb in to give it a bit of drainage (good idea for any bulbs).

In other news I've said goodbye to another cockerel today. I saw a wanted ad in the local feed store for a Maran cockerel, rang it up and a lovely chap from further up the valley came and collected him for his flock of maran hens this morning. And he paid me for him. So that leaves his slightly smaller brother (who I may keep to set up a breeding trio with, not sure yet) Boris and Ivan (the two chaps in my sidebar) and fancy looking but bad tempered bantam. That will leave me with Sawyer my gorgeous gentlemanly Welsummer, Big gentle ben the light sussex and holly my partridge silkie. There is also the two silkie babies, snuffkin and little my, I tried dowsing them with my wedding ring and a bit of garden twine last night and got a different result for each, but time will tell.

Right Sidneys appeared in the middle of the field wanting some dinner and he doesn't like to be kept waiting.

jess x

peace in the valley

2010-03-09T14:52:00.003Z

Well Its a known fact that I have far too many cockerels and I even though I've killed and eaten a few, I'm still very soft and besides the ones I can't eat have names (unintentional) and characters.

Today I managed to re-home 2 of my favourites (ok so not favourite enough to stay but still I liked them)

Yes my dear blackberry and little frody, have gone to live with a lovely veggie lady (so no need to worry about them ending up in a pot) and her 11 lonely hens.

I know they will both be in chicken heaven and won't know what to do with themselves. They along with Sawyer my welsummer cockerel have been confined in a bachelor pad run away from the main flock. But now its just Sawyer and his 2 new ladies that were acquired at the weekend.

Yep poultry auction season has begun.

Now I wasn't planning on doing much buying at auctions this year but I went on Saturday to sell a big galvanised feeder and have a look around. Loads of birds there they had to open up another section. Hubby was quite worried, but he had no course to as there were a few things I fancied but not enough to bid for. Except some wee little ducklings just 2 little'uns in a huge cage labled as "black and white ducklings 4 weeks old". I planned on bringing these home but they went for £6 (and that's a head). I remember last summer seeing 4 Muscovy's going for 50p the lot. I was quite sad to miss out on them as in the few minutes I decided to bid for them I'd named them and planned where to put them. Also I thought 2 random babies would be a good introduction to duck keeping. However when I saw the chap who'd bought them show his little boy and the look on the boys face I was rather pleased for their fate.
Anyway what did I buy. Well after watching lots of POLs and Hybrids going for twice what you could buy from local breeders, 2 Indian game hens came up, I'm guessing no one really knew what they were as the only interest was from the bloke who was buying up all the unwanted lots for pennies, cockerels and drakes and I have a fairly good idea about their fates. He bid a pound and I bid and won at 1.50.

Bless them they have already paid for themselves in eggs laying every day including in the box on the way home. However they have the worst case of scaly leg mite I have ever seen, It looks like they are wearing spats, but I'm treating the problem and as a precaution treating sawyer too and in a month or two the will be good as new.

I like Indian game birds, the males are good eaters and the hens are so petite in a beefy nightclub bouncer sort of way. They make the funniest little trilling sounds and have a slightly feral attitude about them. These 2 can stay with sawyer until their legs improve then they can join the main flock and sawyer can have 3 welsummer brides of his own to breed with.

I've also been making the most of the sunshine and getting out side and doing some seed sowing in my tiny plastic greenhouse. So far I've sown sweet peas, leeks, lettuce, pak choi and black Tuscan kale. My very expensive heritage red flowered broad beans went in to and I have tomatoes and snapdragons on the windowsills. The baby silkies snuffkin and little my have doubled in size and are now eating a mix of crumb and growers pellets and spending a few hours in the sun running about in alfies dog cage, helping to scracth out the patch of chicken trashed lawn ready for me to re-seed it.

Oh and the duck is still here but his girlfriend comes and goes (the hussy) thinking more and more about catching Sid and buying him a paddling pool.

Right some boring housework beckons.....

Jess xx

P.S the walls have dried out but its still flipping freezing

shock horror a nonchicken or garden related post

2010-02-26T18:20:00.005Z

So last week at the pub (birthday drink with friends) we got on to that old chestnut, all of us children of the eighties reminisce about. Kids TV and cartoons.
Kids tv and cartoons are terrible nowadays, not like in my day.

Thundercats,
He man (I was more a she-ra kinda girl)
Raccoons
Gummi bears
Jem and the holograms (I had all the dolls)
Dungeons and dragons.

Ok so I'll stop listing all my favourites, but if you watched kids TV in the 80's I hope you know what I mean.

To me part of it is the animation, beautiful drawn animation, none of this sou less, CGI rubbish (although I do love pixars Bugs life. For this reason as well as many others I adore the gorgeous studio ghibli films.

I started waxing lyrical about a film I loved when I was little, called
the last unicorn, which I had on an old recorded VSH tape (sadly it stopped working years ago). I first saw this when I was about 6. Everything about its beautiful, the animation, the heartbreaking beautiful story, the voices, the soundtrack, by America.

Anyway this morning an amazon parcel came to my door. Yep my lovely mate had got me a copy. When I opened up the box I started crying, hubby just rolled his eyes at me.

So later this evening I shall snuggle up on the sofa and mourn for my lost childhood and believe in unicorns again. I might even fish labyrinth out and watch that to or even Legend

Go on click on the links you know you want to........

jess x

The lost gardens of jess

2010-02-25T14:39:00.005Z

Once upon a time this blog was about gardening!.
But I'm ashamed to say my poor little patch of loveliness, turned into a neglected pit over the autumn and winter, but to be fair I was drowning in baby chickens that needed a patch of it to stay in for a while. Then winter kicks in and it looks a right state. As I'm not lucky enough to have a greenhouse, except for the 4 tier plastic jobby, husband got me for valentines day (I am one of those girls who says "no I don't want red roses" and actually means it) Or have window sills that get much daylight on them between September and march, its all to easy to just shut the door on the garden and forget it.

But its march next week and I can pick up a spade again (yippeeeeee)
That's not to say I haven't done anything over winter. I've flicked through many of the books in my gardening library (that sounds so grand, its actually the bookcase behind the chair), I've made lists of all the plants I'd like to have, I've sketched pictures on the back of bank statements, And I have all my seeds in a pretty little box sectioned into months with a list (alphabetically) of what is being sown when.
Oh and last week I chopped back a large climbing rose, that I haven't had the balls to cut back properly in the last 3 years.

What I'm going to do, when I can find the battery charger, is to take a photo of my teeny garden and show you how terrible it looks. Then I will take a photo of it each month.

I think all my verbenas have died in the cold opps

I'm also going to start doing Thursdays favourite plant again (because I liked doing that). If anyone has a plant or tree they would to see then leave me a comment or send me an email and I'll feature it.

Right I can see Sidney waddling across the field wanting his afternoon tea.

jess x

Its all me, me ,me

2010-02-24T14:42:00.003Z

Today as its raining again (Grrrrrrrrrr!!!) I thought I'd begin some spring cleaning. Upon which I have discovered a corner of my bedroom wall (outside wall) is damp, the skirting board is black and fuzzy and the carpet is soaking wet. Hmmmmm maybe a beige flat in the city isn't so bad.

I was having a moan to my BFF on the phone, she lives is a very fashionable apartment in central London, spends her days working as a freelance make up artist for fashion shows and glossy high fashion magazines, she has just bought her self a pair of skyhigh strappy Manolo blaniks shoes with her pay cheque from tatler.

We couldn't be live in any more different worlds if we tried. However she is my oldest friend, we grew up together in the same small town. When she's asked about me by people who once knew me, she loves the looks on their faces when she tells them what I'm doing, They're like 'Noooooooooo, seriously?!?.

So how did I get where I am today, living in a tumbledown damp cottage, surrounded by mud and keeping baby chicks in my wardrobe.

Both my grandfathers were countrymen, My grandmothers were land girls during the war. My mother was a stick thin fashion model in the 60s and early 70s, living between Paris, Monaco and London, she had a string of millionaire playboy boyfriends, rockstars, racing drivers and polo players (sadly none of which were my father otherwise I could afford to sort out the damp in the cottage) she retired from being a jet setter and moved back down to the small village were she was born in Devon and married my father and had me. She raised me on my own (father disappeared soon after I was born) in a tiny cottage with roses growing around the door and open fields and woodlands all around. Now I think I had a pretty idyllic rural childhood (very darling buds of may) and I was pony mad, By the time I was 10 I had 3 ponies (my old Shetland, a Dartmoor and a fancy show pony I'd ride at the pony club) Yes I was a sweet rosy-checked little village girl.

That all changed when I reached 14/15. I discovered boys!!!!!!
Suddenly the horse's and ponies were forgotten and I hated, really passionately hated the countryside (£8.00 for a taxi home from town). I was a horrible teenager and couldn't wait to leave the village and run away to London. I had 4 part time/after school jobs, to help fund my get away/nights out/ unsuitable clothing buying. I was a beater for the local shoot on winter Sundays, a dog walker, a groom/rider on the racing yard and My least favourite, my god I hated this job, was an egg collector on the farm.
Every Saturday morning I would drag my self up to the farm at about 8.00 (I was always late) to walk up and down the barns collecting eggs from the nest boxes, checking the chickens in the fields for any that had laid outside then taking bucket after bucket of eggs back to the egg shed to sort into (supermarket) saleable and rejects (village shop/farm gate) saleable. I could spot a double yolker at 20 feet away. Now I hated this job, I got paid £5 for half a days work, But most of all I hated the stupid chickens ( I can hear you gasping), they smelt funny, they pecked me, I hated having to open up a nest box and put my hand under one and fish out a egg. Hated it, hated it, hated it.

I did run away to London for a spell, I got into the London collage of fashion, where I started training as a designer, went to fashionable parties, wore gorgeous clothes and shyhigh heels, dated DJs and members of boy bands. I loved it, but it always felt something was missing.
My life was very shallow, a lot of my so-called friends were even shallower. I used to go on secret trips to Hyde park and sit and look at the green grass, the trees and listen to birds.
Yep you can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl.
So I jacked my course in, dumped my boy band/DJ boyfriend and came back to the village, hell bent on becoming a farmers wife.

I dated a string of eligible YF's, tractor drivers, tree surgeons, gamekeepers, and landowners sons.
I ended up marring a townie boy who didn't believe that ducks were capable of flying and milk was poisonous to humans when it had been freshly milked (thankfully he doesn't believe that nonsense now lol).

So all though I'm sooooooooooo fed up of the cold and mud and wellies blocking the front door, put me back in nice beige flat with central heating and views of concrete I would go insane (If I go into someones house with Central heating I start sneezing, my eyes water, throat hurts and I get a rash on my neck).

Anyway it has to stop raining soon and then it will be spring (hooray).

Just hurry up with it ok.

jess x

P.S I like to take this opportunity to apologise to the 400 little brown hens I used to swear at and call stupid and ugly every Saturday in 1994 and 1995.

A winge

2010-02-22T14:28:00.003Z

Now I don't normally like to be a grumpy pants but today I'm fed up, in fact the last 3 days I've been fed up.
I'm fed up with the cold. I'm fed up with the rain. I'm fed up with mud, really fed up with mud. My boots get stuck in it, my jeans are plastered in it and my poor chickens are squelching about in it looking thoroughly fed up. I'm fed up of muddy paw prints all over the house (and on my bed). I'm fed up of falling over boxes and bags of poultry feed that are sitting in the hall waiting to go over to the shed. I'm fed up of having my hands stained with purple spray (why is it you always end up with more on you than the bird your spraying). I'm fed up wearing the same old clothes everyday. I'm fed up with the drizzle making my wavy locks go all frizzy. I'm fed up of my chickens runs and houses being bodged together with bits of old wire, feed sacks and baler twine. I'm fed up with waiting for my hubby to get some wood so I can build a raised bed. I'm fed up with grey skies.

On Saturday night I was thinking about moving back to the city. Living in a nice tidy beige flat, with views onto a street maybe over a pub. Of having central heating and hot water taps the actually contain hot water. Of having soft hands and manicured nails. Of spending my money on high heeled boots, designer dresses and expensive cocktails. Of getting my eggs clean and in a nice box on a super market shelf.

Sometimes the good life is BAD but anyone who lives it knows that!!!!

So this afternoon after having a bad nights sleep thanks to Holly the silkie cockerel and his old english game mate crowing all night in the cardboard box in the bathroom, Then spending my morning in the pouring rain and mud trying to repair their broken run and house in a different part of the field and checking and re-spraying the other valiantly brave cockerels who got in their way when holly and his mate went on the rampage after the run collapsed. I settled down with a pot of tea a few wee drops of single malt and half a chocolate cake and sought solice in my Darling Buds Of May dvd

Oh why can't my life be like that????
I know I know the darling buds of may is such an unrealistic slice of country life and I know that it was never that romantic in real life, but to me its like a rose tinted blueprint of how I want to live.
And when ever I've got the grumps I snuggle up on the sofa and pull out the dvd and it makes me happy.

Now I need to head back over to the muddy pit of a chicken paddock and take back the girls who I evacuated and bathed (wet chicken smells worse than wet dog) to their newly positioned less muddy run, play hunt the eggs, take the pups for a walk in the muddy field feed all the ducks that aren't mine, make dinner and wash my filthy jeans.
After that I'll be having a hot bath, straightening my hair, painting my toe nails pink and having an audrey hepburn dvd marathon.

Tomorrow is another day (so said scarlett) and it might stop raining.

As for the beige flat and central heating.............
Well where would be the fun in that. As my mother always says "its character building".
I must have one hell of a character.

jess x

Shamelessly self indulgent moi

2010-02-12T07:51:00.003Z

Its my birthday today (hooray) I can no longer refer to myself as 20something (boo) so to celebrate I'm off later to my favourite place to buy plants Hill house nursery Where I intend to buy some beautiful hellebores to fill my disgraceful looking wildness of a garden.

That's so rock and roll.

jess x

I am so naughty

2010-02-10T15:32:00.003Z

So yesterday morning I went to a poultry auction, with absolutely definitely totally no intention of buying anything. There were a few birds I quite liked but nothing I wanted to bid for except possibly some quail. There was a box with silkie chicks 4 weeks old written on it. Stupidly I lifted the lid.
I hung about while the auctioneer did his thing seeing lots of birds (mainly lone cockerels) not selling, waiting on the quail (which went for more than I could buy from a very good local breeder. As he went down along the cages he drew near to the box he started the bid at £5, £4, £1 how about 50p for the pair, he looked around at no interest and was about to deem them a no sale, when like a automatic reflex action up shoots my hand.

One of my many new year resolutions was to NOT buy (unsexed) random chicks at auctions and another was to not buy silkies unless they are point of lay.

So there's 2 broken, but seriously how could I resist. So to add to my already crazy brood I now have 2 adorable little babies (who knowing my luck are baby boys) who cost me less than a diet coke.

I had planned on trying to steer my posts this week to the subject of gardening but hey ho.

jess x

P.S I counted Sid, his lady, 7 mallards and a moor hen this morning. Hoping for some flamingos tomorrow.

More duck tales

2010-02-08T15:18:00.002Z

I took this terrible photo last night

Please excuse the dodgy light levels and fuzzy focus
but count them, count them ducks!!!!!!

7 (theres a mallards tail just poking out behind sidney)

jess x

Duck tales

2010-02-05T16:22:00.006Z

Well Sidney is still here living in the field opposite the cottage spending his nights somewhere down river, but always appearing for breakfast and supper.

But whats this??????

It would appear Sidney has invited a friend along to tea.

So if Sidneys appearance over a month ago wasn't curious enough, now the I have mystery of 'where has his girlfriend come from?' (I'm assuming she's a lady, not having the curly feathers in her tail)

Whats Sidney up to? Is he swimming up and down the river inviting stray ducks to dine at jess's sucker for lost creatures cafe?

I have this horrible feeling of waking up one morning opening the curtains and finding the field full off all manner of waterfowl waiting for breakfast to be served.

Right must dash its almost chicken bedtime.

jess x

P.S does anyone have any idea of what breed she (or he) is?

Hmmmmmmm

2010-01-30T12:19:00.006Z

Well this is a tricky one. The lovely sara over at completely quackers has tagged me (thanks sweetpea x) to a favourite song and not to copy the first line of her post but that is difficult!!!!!
I have so many songs that I'd call my favourites, in fact I have a play list on my computer that is imaginatively called "best songs ever" and it contains over 200.

So let me try and give you 5 in no perticular order (and that is hard).

Well I couldn't have a list without including the doors. If I was pushed to name a favourite band of all time it would have to be the doors I grew up listening to poetic, psychedelic, beauty of jim morrison (I do often think I was born in the wrong era). I have all the albums (including rarities, live performances etc) on C.D and vinyl. There is not a song of there's I don't love, but I shall pick Queen of the highway There is something about this song that just speaks to me.

2. Ok to some this song is a bit cheesy but I love it, and that is Scott mackenzie's San Francisco (can you see a theme here) Ahhh I adore this song is makes me feel so happy. Also this live version contains footage from the incredible 1967 Monterey Pop Festival (how I wish I could have been there alas I wasn't to be born for another 13 years) Watch this video and look out for John Phillips of the mamas and papas wearing an fantastically crazy hat.

3. Jimi Hendrex's All along the watchtower (can you see a theme here) I love the lyrics of this and the hauntingly crying guitar solo is amazing.

4. Right now going way off what you might be imagining I have a bit of a thing for Metallica (only in small doses mind) sometimes a girly girl needs a bit of a shout or needs to feel the cobwebs blown away with a force of a hurricane and Enter sandman does it every time.

5. This is hard, alright David Bowie's Golden years (this is the video from a Knights Tale With the beautiful late Heath Ledger).

Do you know what I have to sneak in one more and that is my new current favourite "why do you let me stay here" By She and Him If I could be any one else other than Kirstan Dunst it would be Zooey Deschanel.

There you go I'll tag anyone who reads my inconsistent ramblings to do the same.

What the?? .....is it an early birthday present sent by the gods of poultry

2010-01-23T15:11:00.007Z

This is Sidney

Sidney appeared on the river bank of the field opposite the cottage a week ago.

I was rather confounded. Where had he come from? I have rang around every farm, pub, estate up the river and valley. No one has lost a Muscovy.
I rang the RSPCA and was told as he isn't in distress they can't do anything. So I've checked everyday out of the window to see if Sidney is still there, thinking he might swim back to where he came from.

Sidney has been dabbling about in the flooded grass and swimming about on the river. But come on, do you think I haven't had the heart to go out and give him some food.

Sidney is tame enough to know the shaking of corn in a scoop and come waddling across to me. He almost comes close enough to eat out of my hand but is too flighty to actually do that, I have made one half hearted attempt at catching Sidney but missed and I didn't want to frighten him into flying away somewhere (like the road).

I would love a Muscovy duck but have no where to put him in my field (unless I quickly construct some pre-fab house) The pond falls out of the boundary of my fencing, and a large strange duck will not improve the cockerels temper.

Maybe I should attempt a two person and a net capture mission to rescue Sidney.
I'm also concerned about the twine tangled around his leg (which appears to have been there a while)

I'm also scared about looking out the window to see a pile of feathers (don't want to say the F word).

Hmmm this story will be continued.
Anyone got any suggustions or advice (Sara and John fancy coming down here to help me capture Sidney)

*Sidney is not his real name but I think it suits him and I don't even know if he's a he, he does hiss though.

I'm still here

2010-01-15T17:11:00.006Z

Flipping blogger has been acting like a damn fool. I've tried to post a blog about 4 or 5 times but it just vanishes........
The weather hasn't been helpful either with power cuts and broadband going off and on.

Anyway enough moaning here's some pictures of the gang looking thoroughly unamused by the snow.

As you can see up top the undergardener has been having great fun in it (glad you like the photo john)

P.S can anyone tell me a way to get photos up without a huge flipping code and to get them where I want in the post instead of said huge code appearing at the top and having to be dragged into place. It used to work fine now its being a right monkey.

P.P.S I know this is 15 days late but HAPPY NEW YEAR

Have yourself a merry chicken Christmas

2009-12-28T12:30:00.004Z

Well I hope everyone had a gorgeous Christmas.
I'm just popping in quickly to share one of my presents!!!!!

Remember my beautiful little lady Holly Golightly

Well at about 8.00 Christmas morn, I let my little darlings out the house, in my candy cane pyjamas, baileys and milk in hand. My beautiful fluffy princess came out clucking and chattering away to as I threw in a handful of corn. Looked me straight in the eye puffed out her sweet little chest and let out an enormous "COCK-A-DODDLE-DO"

To say I wasn't amused would be putting it lightly!!!!!
Oh well merry Christmas Holly Golightly or as she now is Bing Crosby.

Good job I have a sense of humour, and on the bright side I can tell you that the new year will hold some more silkie's (point of lay I think) and Bing can have a kingdom of his own with some fluffy angels and they can hatch some fluffy babies.

I'm excited already.

jess xxx

one more sleep till..........

2009-12-24T10:39:00.003Z

Brrrrrr its cold, we've had some beautiful frosts, a light dusting of snow and now everything is frozen soild.

So me, the naughty puppy and all the chickens want to wish everyone a very merry, warm + cosy, peaceful and safe christmas.

I shall return in the new year with a re-vamped blog and lots more inspiration.

jess xxxx

Chicken dinners

2009-12-16T14:40:00.004Z

So I want to talk about eating chickens, now I know not everyone wants to or will ever do this but if you do listen up. You can always by-passthis post and come back tomorrow I'm going to a bumper plant post.

I'm not going to give a blow by blow of killing, plucking and dressing for 2 reasons.

1. I'm no expert!!!! I'm still very much a novice but I have learnt a bit.

2. Its not the nicest subject in the world now is it.

If your going to to it find someone who can show you (of course I didn't do that I watched a few you tube vids and read my John Seymour bible (if you haven't already realised I like to do things the hard way)

First the bird. If you have excess cockerels you need to get rid of try and do it before 20 weeks. (If its an old rogue then when you cook it roast it in a covered tray with about an inch of water to tenderise the meat)
If your raising birds for meat then there are fast growing birds such as the hubbert or Cobb or Sasso. Or Dual purpose birds like the sussex that are good layers as well as good table birds. Or there are some traditional birds like the french La fleche or the Ixworth (I quite fancy some Ixworths in the spring) Dorking and Indian game. A cross between an Indian game and Dorking or sussex is meant to be really good.
My only real experience so far is with Indian game. Firstly (I'm sorry if this a bit cold hearted) because the boys are quite um scary looking I didn't automatically form a bond with them like I did with my little welsummer chaps. I guess this made it easier to look at them as table birds. We killed ours at 18 weeks old. Their stance is similar to a bulldog, they have huge breasts and chunky legs.
I found the meat really tasty with bags of flavour. One thing with dark feathered birds though is that after they've been plucked they don't look as neat and tidy, as white feathered. Silkies are black skinned so don't eat them (although in china I heard they are a delicacy)
I feed mine the same as all the other chickens. Growers pellets, corn and lots of treats and greens. Withhold food for at least 12 hours before. It will sweeten the meat and can help to avoid any mess when the inner bits are removed if you get my meaning.

After the kill. Make sure they are well bled and start plucking as soon as you can, don't rush plucking take it slow, try avoid tearing the skin. A fatter bird is easier to pluck than a skinny one. If you can let the bird hang for at least 24 hours it will sweeten the meat,relax the Adrenalin, and let it develop more flavour (the longer you leave it the gamer it will taste), hang it by its feet somewhere cool.

Ok so now the nasty bit. so you have a chicken on your (spotlessly clean) chopping board needing gutting. Ok so be brave and don't think about it just be confident. Make sure your knives are razor sharp, secateurs are handy for cutting through bones and small scissors are useful too. Have a bucket close by for the bits and a bowl for the bits you want. A jug of water and I'd do it near the sink in case you cut through the wrong thing and need to flush it out quickly. Remember to be brave and don't stop and think OMG what am I doing ( I'm sorry if this is sinister but I put Danse Macarbe on really loudly to help me focus) The first cut is the hardest (never a truer cliche). Check and double and triple check everything is out. Save the neck and gizzard (cut it open and wash it out) for making stock with ( I put them in a bag and freeze them till needed) The liver is like nothing you've ever tasted but I found after doing 3 birds in a row I wasn't really hungry any more so I saved them till the next day.
I gutted before hanging but you can hang for 24 hours then gut (but it will smell.

Wash everything up and freak out a bit if you need too.

If you brave enough to rear meat birds go for it, ok they might not look as perfect as nicly packed supermarket shelf ones, but they will taste so much better and I found I have even more respect for them now. If you can't do it (no shame in that at all) then please please buy only free range and check for all other chickeny products (pizza, sandwich's, take aways) I won't eat chicken out without checking to see if it is free range. Turkeys and duck too.

jess x

Dear santa,

2009-12-14T16:26:00.003Z

This year has I've been pretty good so I would like

A new pair of wellies and some thick stripy socks to go underneath them

A spade, one of those with a heart shape blade

A new wheel for my barrow

Approx 200 metres of electric poulty fencing

A 3 apple, apple tree grafted onto dwarf root stock

A new garden bench

A trio of Indian runner ducks

A lionhead and a black and white dwarf lopeared (I'd call them bigwig and fiver)

A cath kidston teacosy

and Guitar hero Metallica (I asked for this last year too)

My naughty puppy would like a big rawhide bone and either a JRT or westie girlfriend

My chickens would like a big bag of corn and a big bowl of roast potatos

And Mr lovely husband would like some peace and quiet.

I leave you a nice glass of homemade sloe gin and a few mince pies but I'll have to leave them in the biscuit tin in case those damn mice get em.

lots of love jess x

So this is a very quick roundup of events

2009-12-12T11:47:00.006Z

Ok I'll be quick as I'm starving and have a little treat for my lunch.

So Cockerels I've a ton of them turned out all of the birds except for Boo, the Indian game hen and (hooray) the smaller of the two remaining Maran boys?!?

About a month ago now we decided the Indian game birds time was up so that morning me and the hubs went over to the field with implements of destruction to do the deed. I let all the raging horde out of the hen house and we kept back all 4 of the IGs, Hubs then went and prepared his axe, knifes and block whilst I stood there listening to the biggest one crow, with butterflies of doubt fluttering about in my tummy. "WAIT" I yelled "let the hen out". Hubs was not impressed. I told him with her gone Boo would be the lone female in a run with 7 boys and will surely be massacred. Also, I told him, she can breed baby chicken dinners for us too. That's what swung the argument. 'Quick run away little hen before hubs changes his mind'.
So only the 3 BIG boys got dispatched and bloody big boys they were too, the biggest weighed almost 3kg.
With them gone the vibe was calmer amongst the lads.

I brought over to the smaller run (inhabited by Ivan the terrible, Boris and the two Marans) my two little welsummer hens and tinkerbelle the Maran. Who were terrified to begin with, nasty little boris kept having a go a them but the big maran girl was so sweet trying to befriend them and putting herself in the way when boris went on the rampage. I was more concerned with the big Maran boy who is about 3 times their size, but he was fine.
Boris was now on his final warning!!!! Later that day when I came back to the field after lunch I could hear them all shrieking and yelling so I ran over to the paddock and saw a caramels flash of fluff leap up into the air. I got to the gate and and the Boys looked up at me all innocent. I did a head count and saw I was missing Boris he'd got into the big boy run (He likes to perch high on the fence and most likely toppled off) He was cowering under one of the shelters but he was unscathed. So I put him back and told him that was Karma biting him on the arse. Weird thing was all the big fellas were bleeding from combs and wattles. So I reckon boris managed to kick some arse whilst be was being terrorized.

All the boys are crowing now which is lovely to hear when I let them out in the morning. Blackberry (the gentle black rock) was the first to start (not counting Ivan the terrible terrible crow). Blackberry has gone though from being a sweet gentle little chap to a sex maniac, but the little Indian G hen doesn't seem to mind!!!, Boo though, not happy about it!!!.

Remember those little whites well one has turned into a massive Light Sussex, one into a teeny fancy looking bantamy thing (with full on Napoleon symptom) and the other two rather scruffy looking birds were leghorn and god knows what else in them. These two weren't the nicest of birds, in fact the were quite nasty picking fights with anyone in some kind of WWF style tag team, and attacking Boo. Yesterday they waited in the door for Boo to come out first thing to try and launch and early rape attempt on her. They didn't attack the Indian game hen as shes learnt from her departed brothers to be pretty hardcore, you don't mess with her, she feisty (another reason I'm so glad we kept her).
Now I refer to the two leghorn X boys in the past tense because earlier this morning, we dispatched with them. We had to. There is to many cockerels, they were horrid and the other boys seem to all get along with each other, and as they were not really attractive or pure breed, I could only have offered them free to a good home and that good home could well have been someones oven.
Also Tomorrow we're going to move the garden girls to the field. Hubs suggested this at the beginning of November and I wasn't keen but their run has just got so muddy and nasty, the steps up the bank have got dodgy and the path along the lawn to get to the steps has got so slippery, that is plain dangerous to walk along. (last week I was coming down the steps along the lawn I went A over T and chucked the eggs up in the air and they landed on my head!!!) so tomorrow They go and Hubs will dismantle the run dig over the mud, add some drainage and lay some turf, so its all lovely for them to come back to in the spring. I just hope Blackberry doesn't hassle them too much. Mind you they've never seen a boy, they might love it.

Holly Golightly and the silkie mini mafia are all doing grand, one of them has turned into the most magnificent cockerel (he looks like Fawkes, Dumbledores Phoenix) but he can't stay in the garden as this morning he starting crowing a bit but I'll worry about that when my nearest neighbour starts complaining.
That pleased me a lot as out of 7 only 3 are boys (Ivan and boris being the other two)

Right I'm off to cook up some lunch. I will get some pics up soon, promise.
(sorry that turned out longer than I expected. lol)

Love jess x

oh dear.....

2009-12-10T08:30:00.002Z

I well and truly lost my blogging mojo.
I think its a combination of having a really crap time recently and feeling unwell.
Now things seemed to have turned a corner but I'm up to my eyes in christmas stuff and haven't got time to do any thing else when I up to my eyes in baking, sewing, knitting and gift wrap.

Also I really lacking inspiration for words. When its just me and the dog and chickens all day I don't need to be eloquent.

But Before christmas is through I WILL post up some bits and bobs about winter plants and and long over due update on my mini smallholding.

Hopefully the new year will re-inspire me.

love jess x

Thursdays favourite birds (and they're not chickens)

2009-11-19T10:52:00.008Z

(photo via RSPB)

I've ditched the plant today (but I will be back later with it)
Now I live out deep in the sticks and I'm surrounded by loads of different habitats so I get to see a vast array of different species. The Birds that appear in my garden vary throughout the year in fact if I had no idea of what month or season it was I could tell just by whats hanging off the feeders.

I have my desk by the window looking out onto my huge buddleja globosa where I've hung a massive peanut feeder and right now as I type I can see a gorgeous Nuthatch upside down pecking out a nut and 4 Blue tits waiting on the Branch's for the Nuthatch to vacate, now hes gone and before the blue tits could even blink a great tit and a coal tit have swooped in. I love coal tits when I was little I used to call them badgers because of the little stripe down the back of their heads. Over in the field across the road I can see a small bunch of mallards dabbling in the flooded puddles and a few rooks in the old oak trees. In the back garden I can hear the shrill little call of a marsh tit the amazing huge song of a little tiny Wren(and the dulcet tones of tallulah who I'm guessing is laying an egg). There is my little robin with the white spot on his neck pecking at a fallen apple from the bird table, a couple of dunnocks hopping around in the flower beds. On Monday the Goldfinch's came back to the niger seed feeder telling me they have exhausted all the thistle and teasels in my field. See this is wear the seasonality comes in, I've been watching them all summer in the fields but the only appear in the garden in November and then drift of in June. I haven't seen any long tailed titsyet but they tend to turn up at the beginning of December. I hear their beautiful chattering voices first then suddenly the fat balls are covered in a flock of about 10 or more. I love long tailed tits they look like fat fluffy lollipops.
There are tons of Jays screeching out of the woods and yesterday I saw a green wood pecker sat in my cherry tree. Blackbirds and thrush's are stripping my neighbours rowan tree for all they are worth and then popping into mine for apples. The pheasants are drifting out of the woods and eyeing up my hens again. maybe soon the Canada geese pair might return to the river although they might have to shift up the Teal who have taken up temporary residence.
Over in the field its birdwatching heaven. Every morning when I go to let the chickens out I disturb a gang of field fares feasting on the hawthorns in the hedgerow and in the evening their numbers have multiplied and they've been joined by Blackbirds and Mistle Thrushes. I often catch a Tawney owl leaving her nest high up in the old beech tree and close the gate to the sounds of her and her mate calling to each other to begin the hunt. I then hear them all evening flitting between the woods on the left of my back garden and the fields beyond.

Ohh there is a big fat male sparrow just landed on the buddleja which reminds me I better put out some seed on the hanging table. I swear all the feathered and furred creatures eat better than I do, my husbands even been setting the (humane) mousetraps with my nutella (every autumn we get little wood mice creeping in through the gaps in the bricks and beams to feast on anything they can find, last year hubby hid my chocolate advent calender under the sofa, upon pulling it out on the 1st the cheeky mice had nibbled the 1st, 5th and 24th. Its not an infestation just a few opportunists, but I think the dog invites them in as I've found dropping in his bed!!!!)

When the new year kicks in I've got new vistors to look forward too like the Bullfinchs, linnetsand if I'm lucky a few scant Hawfinchs eating the new buds on the birch trees. Then when summer comes back swallows and swifts gliding over the fields and river, warblers singing in the long grass and if I'm really really lucky I might get a Pied flycatcher nesting in my bird box again.

I really must go and chuck some seed about as I think they are trying to recreate a feathered version of the battle of britain outside my window.

jess x

Onwards and upwards

2009-11-12T08:31:00.002Z

I had another sad day again yesterday. My lovely little cuckoo maran pullet Tilly, was put to sleep. Last Thursday when her and her boys out of their coop I noticed she had difficulty using one of her feet, she was stumbling about like she was drunk. I thought I'd give her and hour or so and then go back and check on her. There was no improvement and she hadn't eaten anything. So I bundled her up in my arms and brought her home. I checked her over and could find nothing wrong, she wasn't using her left foot in fact her toes were curled up into a fist (if you know what I mean) I could find no breakage or any wounds. Anyway shes been eating and drinking for the last week, I gave her some antibiotics and have given her the run of the flowerbeds and lawn. But although she wasn't getting any worse, she showed no signs of getting better and yesterday I could see she was in pain. She had given up even trying to stagger around and just lay down and would cry out. So it was a very easy decision to let her go.
Difficult but easy when you know they are suffering.
So although I was sad, her welfare all of the birds welfare is the most important thing to me. If she had showed signs of getting better I would have quite happily have kept her as a little limping pet hen, but I would also have taken into consideration her quality of life, if I thought she wouldn't have been able to do the things like scratching, flapping and dustbbathing that make hens happy, I would have let her go.

So now I only have 1 definite hen left in the field, and a whole gang of young boys and a handful I'm still debating on (although sods law and all that).
Although.... Last night when I put her brothers to bed I noticed one of them has a much smaller paler comb and wattles...........I daren't hope but could he be a she?

Anyway everyone else is thriving despite the rain, including my darling Holly Golighty who along with her little posse have been relocated to the courtyard very close to the kitchen door and are enjoying the benefits of more veg peeling and tinned sweetcorn. She also has the most amazing electric blue ear lobes.

(If anyone says blue earlobes means shes a boy I will cry, lol)

jess x

And they just keep on coming...........

2009-11-05T10:19:00.002Z

Don't post for ages now I can't seem to stop.
My poor other neglected blog is a bit sad. So I'm going to give it a bit of a make over. I'm going to start blogging about food and cooking and housey stuff and all the other creative things that I do when I'm not knee deep in mud and surrounded by feathers, because secretly I can be a bit of a domestic goddess when I want to be and maybe if I apply myself a bit more and blog about these things it will have the knock on effect on my creativity. So be sure to go over and have a look at it (I'm sure no one ever has has, but I can't say I blame you I wouldn't either)Hopefully by sunday I'll have a few recipes and stuff posted.

My boys growing up

2009-11-05T09:41:00.007Z

One year ago today in a farmhouse not too far away, a heavly pregnant abandoned dog gave birth to a litter of pups amid the crashes and bangs of firework night.

Happy birthday Alfie
He really is a little star, I love him to bits. Life is never boring with him around.
Here is 10 random facts about my little under gardener.

1* I swear he thinks he's a chicken, when the garden girls are scratching about outside he goes and sits with them all quietly and if one of them looks at him he wags his little tail.

2* I once made a mistake of giving him a bit of apple core, now when ever I eat an apple he jumps up at me and barks, hasseling me for a bit.

3* He likes to sleep on the sofa amongst the cushions flat on his back with his front legs straight up in the air.

4* Even though he is very naughty sometimes he's never chewed anything in the house or cocked his leg on anything inside.

5* If you open the cupboard where his biscuits are kept he runs into the kitchen sits on the floor, gives his paw, rolls over and barks just incase you were going to give him a biscuit.

6* He has an arch nemisis, There is a dog at a farm further up the valley who goes past in the back of a pick up. Now when alf hears him he comes rushing into the house and standis in the winter barking furiosly for at least 15 minutes.

7* When he hears the opening bars of Tom Jones Deliah, he goes nuts. Its his favourite song

8* Sometimes he likes to sit on the back of the sofa with his paws on my husbands head.

9* He has two main facial expressions, Guilty and cheeky

10* His feet look like a teddy bears.

catching up

2009-11-05T08:41:00.004Z

Sorry for the long absence, things have been a bit up and down and stressful here at the cottage and I haven't really felt inspired much lately. I had this favourite plant post planned for Halloween but obviously didn't post it I might put it up later. So I've been snuggling down knitting eating biscuits and watching The darling buds of may Which is my ultimate security blanket, I watch my dvd all the time and especially love it when I'm feeling blue, I wish I was one of the larkin kids or better yet my goal is to grow up to be Ma Larkin.

Anyway things are back to normal now, I spent Monday afternoon blitzing my courtyard, My whole garden looks like a bombsite what with the chickens tearing up all the grass, and all the rain we've had it wasn't really inspiring me to go out and do much. But now the courtyard is tidy and the baby silkie x english games have been brought down from the top chicken garden, as its turned into a swamp and are residing by the side of the house. Much better for me and them as they have turned feral in the last few weeks, My Holly Golighty is like a mini Sea Eagle when ever I try and handle her, but now we can spend more time together. Three of the smaller silkie Xs have got scaly leg, so the whole lots been treated. My original garden girls need to be moved as well so I can rest their run but I need to have a think about where to put them. They have all come back to laying again after I discoved they all had lice.
Over in the field I had a bit of drama last week when I let them out and Boo came out looking all sorry for herself wings and tail hanging down and hiding under the shelter so I bundled her up in my arms and brought her home where I feed her yogurt and chick crumb. There was no signs of anything wrong, although I did find one lone louse on her so I gave her a dusting and put her to bed in the spare room for the afternoon. By the morning she was back to her feisty self again so back to the field she went. I think she might have received some unwelcome attention fom all the boys there. The Indian game birds (who will be dispatched next week) have all started crowing and trying to have their way with Boo, and I think poor Boo was overcome by their advances. The two Welsummer boys Hector (previously known as Dean Martin) and his smaller brother are growing into magnificent cockerels. Hector is learning how to be a good chap, he rushes at the Indian game when they rush at Boo, and he's always the first in to the hen house and then darts in and out till everyone is safely inside. Blackberry has turned out to be a Boy (I knew it) but he's so gentle and endearing hopefully with a good few more females to keep them sane I can keep him. The little white leghorns have all grown except the one who looks more male he's tiny, I love these ones, they crowd around my feet peaking at my boots when I been walking through the grass and they're like naughty children, always mucking about at bed time.
My biggest surprise was when I took the three Marans and rogue silkie x's to the nursery pen in the field, They were the ones that fought with Holly, Literally overnight the small grey one grew a wattles and a comb.
I took them over on a day I was feeling particularly grumpy. After letting them out of the box into their new run I turned around to talk to Blackberry when this little tiny grey thing let out this very croaky and strangled cock-a-doddle-do. I haven't laughed so much in ages, all the other boys stopped what they were doing and looked over at him, and he just kept on crowing all afternoon thinking himself magnificent. I've called him Ivan (the terrible) seems to suit him. I think we might keep him just for the comedy value he brings.
So all in all I have (not including the Indian game or the garden girls) 6 definite cockerels, and 6 definite girls. Everyone else I'm still not 100 percent sure of. I have promised my husband no more chicken till the spring now. Spring will also be the time when I start on the ducks but shhhhh don't tell my husband.

jess x

Thursdays favourite plant

2009-10-15T11:36:00.007+01:00

The much maligned Hedera (Ivy)

I say much maligned because this plant does get a bit of a bad rap sometimes, But I think its a really versatile plant that can be used in so many ways, and theres so many different varieties other than just the plain old green.

People often say that ivy will pull your house down (if its growning up the walls) This is only true if your walls are dodgy, then yes it will probably damage the brick work/plaster etc. Also it can grow through wooden window frames (if you let it) So if you have it or want it growing up your house you just need to keep an eye on it and chop it back if it gets unruly. Another thing to be careful with is fencing, if you have that overlapping (can't think of its proper name) fencing it can push between the panels.

So negative stuff over with.

Ivy grows and climbs by having adventitious roots, which means roots growing out of the stem. That's how it attaches itself to stuff and how if you have it growing in the ground (by choice or not) it spreads and roots everywhere. You can use this to advantage if you want to propagate it or if you want to train it to grow a certain way.

I have loads of pots of little young Ivies, they are so useful for filling hanging baskets and window boxes, especially this time of year. I also have it dotted around in the house as houseplants in the winter and use tones of it as decorations Christmas wouldn't be Christmas with out Ivy (and holly). You can make topiary with Ivy by planting some in a pot and making a frame out of some wire and then training the Ivy round the frame (here's how to).

Ivy looks really good grown up through old trees and is a gorgeous when the tendrils hang down trough the branches. It also can provide a good screen if grown up a trellis or archway (just make sure its strong and firmly pushed in to the ground.

There are some amazing varieties I love....

Hedera colchica that has beautiful large heart shaped leaves in creamy white and green

Hedera 'Buttercup' little yellow leaves

Hedera 'Glacier' This is the baby one that I use all the time (I say baby its a Young one in a 9 cm pot)

Ivy is also a really really important plant for wildlife. A thick tangled mass of Ivy provides nesting for birds, there is a pub near me with it growing up the wall and in the spring there are what seems like hundreds of sparrows chattering away in there. It also provides nectar in the autumn for insects and over wintering butterflies like the tortoise-shell, and berries for birds in the winter. If you have or our planning a wildlife garden or area you'll definitely need some.

Drowning in feathers

2009-10-14T16:17:00.014+01:00

Remember these little guys

Well this is them at 16 weeks old
This is Dean Martin (Dino) who was the cheeky one staring at the camera (the one I thought might be a boy) Isn't he handsome.

Here's Boo still a ball of fluffiness.

This is the welsummer I thought was a girl, He's not not a name because most likely he'll have to be re-homed unless he can get on with his big bro and live happily together (we'll see?)Ohh the one behind is one of the Indian game birds.

This is my black rock? Blackberry.Not sure about the sex really hope its a girl as its such a sweet little thing, he/she follows me round the paddock and pecks at the polka dots on my wellies. If its a boy I might build him a kingdom all of his own or re-home him somewhere lovely. Boo and Blackberry are best mates.

This is 3 of the 4 white leghorny chickens

Here's the 4th white one which looks very different to the others I assume they are all related but maybe not? The whites are living in a sectioned off part of the main paddock, when the table bird has departed they can move in with Dino and his lot.

Right now on to the garden gang

This is Blondy, one of the silkie x's He/she has the feathering of a silkie. He/she also hates Holly Golighty with a passion so he/she is living with the Marans. The two you can see are I think boys (Doh!)

This Maran I think is a girl (fingers crossed) I'm going by the size of combs and the fact (and please tell me if this is rubbish) that the males are lighter. There is also a little grey bird in here but he/she didn't want to come out of the house to have its photo taken. It also hates Holly Golighty.

Heres the fabulous Holly Golighty (who I'm 90% sure is a lady as she kind of clucks at me) She is living with 6 little ball of trouble. I'm not sure if she's put herself at the bottom of the pecking order or she's gone all mumsy with them, maybe it will be good practise for her as a broody.

This is what she's got to put up with.
I tried to take photos of them individually but it was impossible.

That just leaves my two welsummer girls and their baby sister maran chicklet. But the batteries in my camera have run out of juice so I'll snap them tomorrow.

Anyone got any opinons about the sex of any of them? Anyone want one?

Fennel (for John)

2009-10-10T08:54:00.005+01:00

I meant to to this a while ago but between one thing and another.....

Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel)

I love to use the herb in the flower border. The acid green feathery foliage is great for setting off dark purple and orange flowers and it adds height with out being to overpowering or obstructing any views. It looks gorgeous with verbena boneriensis and echnineaca. I love the bronze fennel but I'd plant it with yellow and green flowers like bells of Ireland, or nicotiana lime green. In fact as foliage plants go I think fennel is the best for sticking in a herbaceous border because it is so light and airy.

It goes really well with fish especially if you stuff it inside the cavity and barbecue it or if you use some dried stems in a cooking fire it adds a a lovely smoky aniseed flavour. The seeds go really nicely with pork.

Medicinally fennel is used to help indigestion and stomach cramps. Its also supposed to be an aid to weight loss. Cotton wool soaked in fennel tea and placed on your eyes is good to reduce puffiness and watering eyes, and a mix of fennel tea and honey is supposed to be a good face pack for getting rid of wrinkles?

According to some of my old herbal books....
Prometheus used a hollow fennel branch to steal fire from the gods on Olympus. Dionysus carried a fennel wand as a symbol of fertility (because of its crazy self seeding habit). Its reported to have grown around the fields of marathon in ancient Greece and was eaten before the Olympic games to give strength to the athletes. It was also given to gladiators before entering the arena to give them a hunger for blood lust, and a crown of fennel was placed on the victor.
Charlemagne ate it on his campaigns to curb his hunger. Edward I's retinue once consumed eight pounds of it during lent. Fast days must have been noisy -one medieval poet recommends fennel seed because in it "This virtue shall you finde, foorth of your lower parts to drive the winde."

one final things you may or may not know about Fennel is its one of the main herbs used in Absinthe. I actually have in my hands right now an old herbal book with a recipe for Absinthe. Hmmm maybe I'll work on home made wine first before I attempt to brew a potion that will most likely kill me or at the very least make me blind or insane.

Thursdays favourite plant

2009-10-09T08:26:00.008+01:00

I've got a lot of catching up to do here so I'll rush through a bit If you want to know any more leave me a comment and I'll answer any questions.
So here we go.

Ohh my camera (and blogger) is still playing up so I've borrowed a few pictures.

Tricyrtis formosana (toad lily)

What can I say about this, its absolutely stunning. I love the way the spots are carried through to the stamen and anthers. It flowers from about late august till about now (mine has still got lots of buds on it). This is a Japanese herbaceous perennial, that thrives in shady spots, and damp soil. It has a thick fleshy roots and is really easy to propagate by root cutting in the spring. The Leaves also have gorgeous spots on them and I'd advise giving them support as the stems can flop over a bit. Give it a good thick mulch in the autumn.

Cyclamen hederifolium

(image via flickr)

This is the native autumn cyclamen you see bursting out of fallen leaf litter in shady places, under trees and shrubs or banks and hedgerows. The flowers come up first, then the leaves follow. The leaves are stunning in different patterns flecked with silver. You can buy these as dry corms or in flower. Theres a video link to Carol Klein talking about them here

Aster monte cassino

I have a few different asters but this is my favourite. It copes with dry soil better than most asters and mine has never got mildew. I love the tiny little daisy like flowers. I have mine planted with.....

Penstemon Raven

(image via Hayloft plants)
I have a real weakness for dark almost black plants, and this one is almost velvety. My biggest tip with penstemons is to not cut the old stems back until spring when new shoots start to emerge. If you live somewhere prone to frosts, mulch it with straw around the crown to protect them. These are great for bees giving them a real feast before winter.

Euonymus alatus (spindle)
(image via flickr)

Autumn colour doesn't come much better than this. This spindle has the gorgeous pink berries and seedpods. It has these corky sort of wings along the sides of the Branch's. They'll grow to about 2 to 3 metres in height.

Liquid-amber

If you've got the space (alas I haven't) then this tree will give the most amazing autumn display, I love the variations in colours. But beware it will grow to about 15to 25 feet high.

I'm off now to gaze out the window at the rain watering my freshly moved around herbaceous border that I managed to do in yesterdays perfect sunshine. Somethings not quite right but I can't decide what it is yet, hopefully I'll figure it out in time for a break in the rain.

When I'm 65 (or nearly 30)

2009-10-07T08:17:00.004+01:00

When I first started gardening 10 years ago there was a list of plants I banned from my planting schemes and containers as being old fashioned, old ladyish and twee.
They were:

Standard roses
Chrysanthemums
Begonias
Bizzie lizzies
Carnations
and Primulas (the coloured ones.

So is it a sign of old age creeping in that I have a standard rose I adore, Pots of begonias by the front door, an old metal bathtub full of scented carnations, Quite a few Chrysanthemums dotted about and lots of little pots of cuttings and a tray of burgandy Primulas waiting to go in the window boxes. No bizzie lizzies yet though.

I've finally had some rain here which has turned the chicken garden into a bog (poor holly golightlys pom pom hairdo has gone spiky) and given all my poor plants a good drink before I dig them all up. I had planned on spending some time drawing out plans and the like but between one thing and another I haven't got round to it yet. Hopefully that will be a job I can do today as tomorrow's meant to be dry and sunny and unless any thing gets in the way, tomorrow's the day I'll spent in the garden trying to make it all look better.

Back in business

2009-10-05T07:11:00.007+01:00

(What are these?????)

Hello, I'm back normal service is kind of resumed. I'm much happier than my last post. Thanks for all your kind words.
Well a lot has happened since my laptop died, on the chicken and garden front.
Here's the head count...

Well to start with we have the garden girls Then Holly Golightly who I'm pleased to say has coped well with the loss of her buddy (better than I did)
Then we have the two Welsummers who have both turned out to be cockerels, and Boo the little Buff Sussex who fingers crossed its very much a girl.
4 Indian Game birds, these are destined for the table in a few weeks time. Hubby was after some Hubberds or Cobbs at the auction but got chatting to an old farmer who recommended these as birds he'd kept before, being slower growers and bigger . breasted. They are living it up in the field along with the Welsummer boys and Boo
Next up another impulsive auction purchase was a box of 5 farmyard chicks?? which consisted of a older larger black chicken (who I really hope is a girl as its a bit of a wimp but follows me round the paddock and has the most gorgeous purple green sheen to its feathers) I'm not sure of its breed I'm thinking maybe a black rock? This one was put in with the wels and boo, and was terrified of the wels who didn't pick on it as such but weren't exactly nice to it, luckily boo was nicer. This one is in the field with the wels and the dynamic is much improved. And 4 little white birds again I have no idea at all of the breed, they all look a bit different one has a crest and a fan shaped tail a bit Dutch bantamy and the others look a bit Sussex x amberlines. As these are tiny they are in the nursery run in the paddock.
The same day we bought them I also got a box of 3 Cuckoo Maran chicks, obviously I knew very little about link/auto sexing and its turned out that 2 of them are 100% boys and the other one I'm not sure yet,. They were 2/3 weeks old when we got them and are now about 6/7 and massive.
Then 2 weeks ago my husband bought 8 Game x chicks at the auction, these are adorable. Hubby thought they were Indian game but they're Old English Game which is a totally different bird. there are two sets of chicks in this group, 5 of them are crossed with silkies, (I've got a fuffy one, one with 5 toes, one with a rose comb and 2 with feathery feet) the other 3 are tiny wee little thing, so pretty and if I didn't know any better I'd say were part quail. I had a chat with the seller after hubbys purchase (50p a head)and quite frankly I don't think she had clue what they are. These are living in the converted hutch and run with Holly golighty except for the fluffy silkie x and a very pretty grey one who hate Holly and she hates them. I tried putting those three together first but the fighting was really nasty and blood was drawn, which is a shame because the fluffy one was my hopeful as a broody to go with Holly (obviously I have no idea about the sex of any of these yet and If I'm honest still not 100% about Holly although I've heard her cluck, please be a girl, please be a girl.)They are co-habiting with the 3 marans.
Then lastly Saturday was a rare and minority breed auction and hubby was at work so I was flying solo. Unbelievably I bought nothing there was tons of birds there. I was tempted by some quail and Indian runner ducks, but sensibly didn't even bid as practically we not set up for either yet. Also some Buff Orpington bantams but again sensibly knew as lovely as they are aren't a practical buy. I was after some welsummer pullets but I was hugely outbid, they weren't massively expensive but for that price I'd rather buy them from a breeder face to face.
In a way I was quite pleased I came home empty handed as I've spent the last week moving chickens around the garden and paddock, building and securing proper (make shift) houses and runs and got my garden back ready for some care and attention. So it was quite nice to come home and not have to run around with chicken wire rigging up a temporary home in the garden.
Off course that didn't last... An hour after I got home I was googling local breeders and came up with one that had some Welsummer pullets, hooray. So yesterday me and hubby drove out to South Yeo farm east rare and traditional breeds and got some 6 week old girls, now these look very different to the orignal welsummers I bought. Much more salmony coloured. The lady there was lovely, she showed me around her breeding pens and gave me lots of advice. I've fallen in love with some new breeds and plan to go back in the spring and maybe get some Ixworths, Vorwecks and Legbars. I found this place really inspiring. Oh and I also bough a baby Cuckoo Maran girl too.

So in total if my maths is correct that give a grand total of 31 chickens. Wow

I've learnt a heck of a lot in the last month or so, mainly the hard way. Auctions are a great place to buy inexpensive birds as long as they look healthy but most young chicks will most likely be unwanted males (if its a breed that can be identified young)I plan on defiantly keeping one welsummer and one Maran. Buying from breeders is better as you get to look around and chat and some more comeback if things go wrong. I've learnt how to (try) and deal with sour crop and have a much better understanding of a chickens digestive system. Even though I know I did all I could, I just wish I known about sour crop sooner and how to deal with it, maybe I could have prevented Eliza losing so much weight and saved her, although being so young her chances were so slim.

Unfortunatly I haven't got photos of everyone yet but theres an old photo of the black one and one of the little white bantamy things at the top of the post. If anyone has an idea what they might be please please let me now.

The mean reds...

2009-09-26T16:49:00.008+01:00

I'm back with a brand new computer......

I really wanted to give the blog a bit of a re-vamp and post up lots of flowery and chicken stuff that's been going on in my absence, but today is a very sad day here and I really need to get this out.

Earlier today my husband had to break the neck of one of my darling little silkies.
Tuesday morning I noticed little eliza dolittle was looking a little hunched up and wasn't eating much, so I make up some yoghurty mashed potatoes with a dash of poultry spice for her(and all the others I now have 28 birds but I'll talk about the
new ones another day).
Wednesday morning she had gotten worse looking really sad and wasn't eating anything, now being without a computer and having lent my chicken books to a friend I was a total loss of what to do. I lifted her out of the run and she was so light and her breast bone was sticking out. The vets were closed and I couldn't have taken her to the poultry vets (which are miles away and only really deal with commerical poultry)so I rang a few places that sell poultry to ask advice and the only one I could get through to told me if it wasn't a bird sold by them they couldn't help but told me as it was a silkie it was mareks and it would by dead in a few hours so knock it on its head. This really upset because if it was mareks the other one would be infected too and possibly all the others. The silkies are in a run separate from the others but I could have spread the disease to the others. I quickly took eliza away to the spare room and sat there sobbing with her cradled on my lap.
I looked up in a book the correct way to dispatch a hen and lifted her gently up and got my hands in the position around her neck to practise (sorry if that sounds a bit macabre) and that was when I felt her crop sort of gurgle. Sour crop.

Hubby came home that night with the computer and I spent a few hours reading up on sour crop and what to do. So I sat there with her and gently flushed her crop with warm water, gave her olive oil and massaged it trying to cleak all the fluid in it. I managed to induce vomiting and cleared some horrible gunk and some corn and grass. I got her to drink because the vomiting will cause them to dehydrate and tucked her up for the night.
Thursday morning I took her to the vet and he gave her an injection and some antibiotics. To cut a long story short Thursday and Friday I tried to nurse her back to heath feeding her yoghurt and mashed chick crumb with a syringe and massage her crop but she showed no real signs of improvement I didn't want to give up on her as she was still moving about slowly and cheeping that beautiful little cheep silkies do. I even had her in the flower bed with me and dug for worms which she pecked at ate. This morning though she had really gone down hill over the night, she wouldn't even get up just lying with her eyes shut I tried one last attempt to massage her crop and gave her some sugery water but nothing. So hubby did the deed. She had lost so much weight and even if the sour crop had cleared up she didn't have the strenght left in her.

I feel so amazingly sad almost grief stricken. I know I tried everything I could for her but I feel like I failed her by not being able to make her better.

This is the hard thing with animals and it doesn't help that I'm a big softie but when you spend so much time nursing some little creature it really breaks your heart.
I've been wondering if becoming a smallholder and raising birds for sale, eggs and especially meat is something I'm cut out for. I think I am, even though I feel so upset at losing a bird. We currently have some indian game birds living in the field that are due to be dispatched for the table in a month, this is something that I feel ok with, I let them out in the mornings have a quick chat with them feed them then come back in the evening and shut them up for the night. Ok I will probably get sad when the time is up but I can make the separation between them and pets. Also they are having a great time free ranging, eating corn, scratching about , dust bathing etc which most meat chickens don't get (and intensive/battery farming degusts and upsets me deeply). The bunch of cockerels I've got can't all stay with me so I'll try to rehome them if I can and I'll be a bit upset by that too. The silkies though are something I wanted since I was a little girl and I first saw them at a country show, they were destined to be pets and broody mums.
Its making that distinction between destinys. I know I'll get upset over many things but this silkies demise has really affected me hard.

But life goes on I have three 5 week maran boys who I can see trying to balance on their perch with is very funny to watch, boo the buff sussex is trying to catch flies and flipping margo and pixie keep creeping down to the bottom garden and are trying to dig up the bulbs I planted yesterday. Also I need to pick out some of the silkie x english game bantams (hubby bought them last week)to be friends with little holly golighty whos know all alone and alfie is trying to climb on to my lap because he's worried about me crying and wants a walk.

I'd also like to say a huge thank you to John (Going Gently) Sara (completly quackers) andy spicySpicy cauldron Rachel (Hernegardens)and Norah (Norahsark) and anyone else I've forgot, for all the help, advice and love you gave to me and eliza over the last few days, you guys are true legends and the thing I missed most about not having a computer was chatting with all the cool people I've virtually met through it.
Bless you, your all stars.

Also thank you to my gorgeous husband for not being insensitive and laughing at me when I was sat on the kitchen floor rubbing her crop and singing bright eyes and moon-river to her or when we went to the supermarket and you not noticing I had yucky chicken goo on my jeans and t-shirt and for being brave and stopping her pain.

Arrrrghhhhh

2009-09-18T15:19:00.001+01:00

My computer has tragically died........

But I shall return very soon

The good the bad and the adorable.

2009-09-03T18:30:00.005+01:00

So this is definitely Boo (is it me or does she have a similar look in her eye to pixie)

But would you say this is a Rosie? (yes she? is pulling the same face as the last photo)

And do think her behind Boo looks like a lily?

I'm still not sure, any suggestions?

Christmas has come a little bit early

2009-09-03T13:53:00.005+01:00

Well it was inevitable.........

Meet Holly Golighty and Eliza Dolittle

Oh and a note from my post on sunday about Ethel, she came out into the garden quite quietly and was soon joined by Tallullah (her best mate) then the others. As it started to get dark they all went up to the henhouse together like she'd never been away. Bless em.

Thursdays favourite plant

2009-09-03T13:25:00.003+01:00

Abelia x grandiflora

I've been umming and ahhing about getting one of these for ages, on Saturday I found one at a local garden centre in the reduced section that looked better than the full price ones so that decided it. These are known as semi-evergreen which is such a confusing term. Basically it means that unless the winter is really cold it will keep it leaves other wise it will be bare. I reckon down here in the south they'll be fine but maybe in northern parts they will lose their leaves.
Now they are supposed to be almost hardy so need to be planted in a sheltered and sunny spot. They flower from midsummer to autumn and one of the things I love is that when the flowers fall away your left with a pink bract type thing (the sepal)that hangs on through the winter (or at least it has on the ones that grow in the village).

This variety grows to about 4 to 5 feet throwing out long whippy upright stems but there are also smaller compact varieties like confetti which grows in a nice little ball with smaller variegated leaves.

I can't wait to plant mine but will have to wait until 2 other plants have flowered in the border then the huge reshuffle can begin. I have a collection in the courtyard waiting to go in the ground (I also got a 1/2 price rose on Saturday) plus I've starting buying bulbs and autumn bedding. I still need to finalise some sketchy plans and do a full stock take inventory but I'm dying to get started. Must wait for the 2 lovelies to flower as they will be featured here as soon as they do.

The saga of the eggs

2009-08-30T08:57:00.003+01:00

Well Friday evening big mama came leaping out of the broody coop so I had a peek inside to be confronted by a truly evil smelling broken egg. So whilst trying valiantly not to throw up I cleared up the mess (even the dog ran away from the stench) and she went back in. So the eggs have been removed I double and triple checked by giving them a little shake (horrible glooby rattle) and candling them. At the moment she's sitting in the box but with the door open, so today I'll be trying to break her broodiness and over the next few days trying to re-integrate her back with the others.

I'm disappointed but these things happen. I'll try again next spring (even more reason for getting a couple of silkies) and I'll be better prepared and organized.

Wish me luck with Ethel, I have a feeling this may not be easy.......

Thursdays favourite plant

2009-08-27T16:35:00.006+01:00

Rosemary(Rosmarinus officinalis)

This is one herb I could never be without. If I was only allowed one herb no scratch that if i was only allowed one herb there would be a mutiny and I'd find a way of sneaking more in.
So Rosemary, I find the scent of rosemary so comforting and warm, there was always a huge bush of it in my mums old garden and I used to lie on the grass hidden by it reading Watership down and Narnia, so the smell reminds me of home. Its supposed to grow in the gardens where the women wears the trousers or if your rosemary grows rampant your daughters will never marry (not true well not in my case anyway) or something (I'll have to dig out my book on old wives tales) Its also considered a lucky plant to grow by your garden gate. Its also supposed to be really good for you drunk as a tea but as much I love the smell of it I've never fancied Drinking it.

I use Rosemary more in autumn and winter cooking, roast potatoes, stews, tomato pasta sauces, pumpkin soup etc. Its a very robust flavour that lends itself better towards the colder months than summer. Saying that though I keep a jar of sugar with a sprig of rosemary in the larder for baking, and I make a mean rosemary and honey cake with the little flowers sprinkled over the icing, that I only ever bake in summer. Just remember a little bit goes a long way.

Rosemary couldn't be easier to grow, just remember being a Mediterranean plant it needs really really good drainage. If you grow them in pots you want about 50/50 mix of compost and grit/sand. If it looks far to sandy then its about right. If you have it in the ground dig in plenty of sand/grit to the planting hole. If your soil is heavy and holds moisture or clay than I'd play it safe and grow them in pots. They can grow quite huge in the ground if they're happy. Ohh and never ever over water them.

There is more info here

One last thing watch out for Rosemary beetle. Why do all the nasty bugs look so pretty with the exception of beautiful beneficial ladybirds or the evil Vine weevil that looks quite harmless and dull.

Don't count your chickens.........

2009-08-27T14:57:00.008+01:00

Well my eggs are now 2 days over due, my little superstar Ethel has been sat snugly on them for 24 days with only a short snack break each day. I'm beginning to think that they're not going to hatch at all. I'm a bit disappointed but I always thought of this as a bit of an experiment and if we got some babies that would be a lovely bonus (sometimes I tend to veer towards the pessimistic) but I'm not sure what to do with her or when to throw in the towel. She'll need to be re-integrated back in with the big girls and her broodiness gently broken. I think I'll give it until the weekend to see if anything happens before I give up on the eggs.
What do you think? If anyone with experience of hatching eggs has any advice for me, please let me know.
I wonder if poor Ethel will upset at her lack of babies.

The little girls are doing really well. They are now living in a converted two storey rabbit hutch with a small run tagged on (the bright side of no babies will be extra chicken wire to make their playground bigger. They've learnt to walk up a ramp and roost on a little perch when its bedtime, which is earlier than the big girls. They've stopped being scared of Alfie when he goes to see them, one of them even pecked him through the wire (as much as he behaves himself loose with the girls, he has a healthy respect after being chased and pecked by Pixie and Margo, I'd never let him get too close to the little ones). They are still as yet unnamed although I think the adorable little buff sussex will end up sticking with the name Boo. I must really get round to naming the other two soon.
Another thing that need a name is my smallholding, Hubby has fixed up the hen sheds and fenced of a nice little area so hopefully next weeked he'll be bidding for some birds at the auctions. We are going to start off with birds for the table, now I know I'll find this difficult, but we eat a lot of (free range) chicken here so it makes sense to have a go at rearing are own. I reckon I'll be a total wuss with this side so hubby will be in charge and when I start stocking up with layers (and all the other birds I'd like for all my plans) we've agreed (well I shouted, had a tantrum and shed a few girly tears) to keep them seperate from each other.
I just hope there are more silkies at next week auctions as some so and so outbid me on a pair last time, if not I might happened to bid for a few ducks when the mr isn't looking, unless my little eggs hatch......

The photo of Tom and Barbara is included because, well why not.

All I want for christmas is.........

2009-08-26T21:12:00.015+01:00

I really really want a few of these

and some of these

this would be nice

and this

I wouldn't mind a couple of these

and I think I definitely would like some of these

and maybe a few

these would be lovely

and I'd love love love a little gang of these

Oh and my Mr wouldn't mind one of these

(photos from the devon county show, way way back in may)

Thursdays favourite plant

2009-08-20T08:00:00.005+01:00

Acidanthera (abyssinnan gladiolus or peacock flower)

These are so gorgeous.

I planted 20 of these bulbs and only 1 has flowered but I think its because I planted them too early and didn't put them in a sunny enough spot. According to this article they are best planted in may or june and lifted in the autumn like dahlias. I think next year I'll plant them in pots and sink them into the ground (which makes them easier to lift out). Even though I only have one bloom that's ok as it's stunning. Added bonus is that its highly fragrant, smelling a bit like a gardenia.

I love bulbs, absolutely love them. I've had 3 bulb catalogues through the post this last week and I'm compiling a long wish list. Ohhh I can smell the scent of paperwhite Narcissus's and hyacinths now. Also those damn chickens have decided to dig up the huge drifts of daffs in their half of the garden, so I'm going to have to replant and fence a section of with chicken wire.
I'm getting really anxious for the middle of September (I know, I know wishing the summer away) so I can begin the major re-arrange of everything and dust of my bulb planter. But until then I have bulb shopping lists to make, lists and plans to draw up, design books to pour over and chicken babies to play with.

All bases covered.

2009-08-19T17:24:00.003+01:00

I came across this article of the best 100 plants yesterday via Help save bees on twitter. I love the fact that it covers all the seasons, as during the autumn and winter my patch seems to fall short of interest.

Hmmm I can see a shopping list coming on......

My new venture

2009-08-18T10:02:00.004+01:00

The other day I mentioned something about an exciting project that I've got in the pipeline......

Well.......

One of my neighbours has this field and he's renting it to me so.......

I can start my own smallholding.

Here's a picture

Isn't it beautiful, ok so its a bit overgrown (this photo was taken in may, the grass is beyond waist height now) its a bit of a mix of woodland, meadow and marshy meadow, there's a very overgrown pond and a stream. You can see some stables hidden behind the grass (husband was all worried that I'd be all can I have a pony, can I have a pony pleasssssseeee) but my neighbour is using them for storage, however there are two chicken houses.
So that is where I shall begin. I'm going to keep chickens for eggs and raise chicks for selling. I'd like to breed tradional and or rare breeds, and show them. I'm also very keen to get ducks too (did I mention the pond) but I'll start with hen's first.

Hubby's cleared some ground behind the stables (waist height in nettles) and put up fencing and fixed the houses up. So we're almost ready to get started.
The three little chicks will be going there in about 4 weeks, I want them to get bigger and more confident first, So I've built a chick-ery in the garden as a sort of halfway house for little'uns before they move into the field.

There is also a huge veg patch there but its overgrown with docks and nettles and ash tree saplings, so I'll have fun clearing that over winter.

One of the best things though is the abundance of wildlife there. There's deer (fallow and roe) which will cause problems with eating crops and fencing but hey ho, Dormice and the rare yellow necked mouse. Hundreds of different wild flowers and grasses and tons and tons of different butterflies and moths. It really is a beautiful spot and I'm so excited about it all. I'd like to eventually (few years down the line) keep sheep, goats, pigs, turkeys, alpacac's but one thing at a time.

I'm off to another auction on saturday so I may well come back with a few more little ones.
The chicks are all doing really well, perching and dust bathing eating all my swiss chard and trying to catch flies. They are still sort of un-named as I'm not sure if one of the welsummers is a boy or a girl as it's bigger and darker than the other (who's definatly a girl). But the little buff sussex who's adorable like a fluffy powder puff goes by the names of boo, buffy or buttercup sometimes. I really hope she's a she ( I think she is), this ones all cute and fluffy looking but a real cheeky little trouble maker.
Ethel is still happliy sat on her nest with only about 6 days to go so fingers crossed this time next week She'll have some babies.
I'll post some ore pics of the soon.

Anyway got to go as I have a million and one things to do

jess x

Ohh if anyone has any tips or advice please drop me a comment or send me an email.

Thursdays favourite plant

2009-08-14T09:59:00.005+01:00

Scented geraniums

I currently have 2 of these fragrant delights but after browsing about on the interweb I've decided I want to start a collection (even though I have no room).
I have Attar of Roses and Prince of Orange which smell funnily enough like rose's and oranges.
There are so many different types ranging from mint to apricot. I've been told the Attar of roses has the best rose scent to it, I love picking of a leaf and giving it a scrunch. I use the leaves for drying and cooking, you can add the a couple of leaves when making rice pudding, ice cream, chessecake, pannacotta by infusing them in the milk/cream before mixing everything together. This is important: only use a scant few leaves as they can be quite overpowering.
I recently made some strawberry jam and added some leaves (rose) to the simmering juice and berries, taking them out before boiling. The jam has a very delicate hint of rose about it yum.

Scented geraniums are tender short lived perennials. They need protection over winter, I bring mine inside and put them on the window ledges. If I had a conservatory or greenhouse ohh I could fill it with them. They also are great plants to take cuttings from either mid spring or late summer. I nearly killed my Attar of roses earlier this year by putting it outside on a nice sunny day in march but forgetting to bring it back in that night . It got frosted and went black and looked awful, two days before I'd cut it back (to encourage healthy new growth) and luckily I'd stuck some of the stems I'd cut in a jar of water. So I potted these up and now have two lovely bushy plants and a smaller tied looking mother plant (never quite recovered.

Next spring when I go to Hill house nursery next spring I stock up on a few more (ssssh don't tell the husband).

Birds with peoples names and courgettes a go-go

2009-08-13T15:07:00.008+01:00

I thought you might like to see the view from my lounge window (there is a road in front of the field but its not very pretty to include) and this is the view I get to look at when I'm doing the dishes.
if you click on the picture you can get a better view of Tommy (all buzzards are now know as Tommy in my house, all male pheasants are called charlie).

Now as promised ages ago here are some before and after pics of my veg plot.

Before (taken about the end of April)

After (taken Sunday morning)

I've spoken briefly before about the slice of ground my mum gave my when she moved cottages earlier this year. Digging it over was a nightmare as it had a huge rigid swimming pool sat on it (on top of 5 layers or weed membrane, 5 inches of sand and paving slabs) the husband worked out that there was about 100 tonnes of water pressing down on it!! So after back breaking digging and lots of bags of muck and manure I'm really pleased with it. Ok now the observant of you might note the explosion of courgette plants and indeed that is far too many plants to put in a space that size but what the heck. When I got the chance to sow seeds and plant it up I went a bit crazy. Next year will be planned with military precision I'm already sketching plans and browsing seed catalogues.

So what have a got well the Red duke of york potatoes have been lifted and replaced with a green manure the late board beans did ok and will be replaced with some spring cabbage (when I sow it) there's a block of celeriac, a row of leeks. A block of sweetcorn a tiny row of dill, a row of kale and swiss chard and 4 courgette plants, a marrow a mini pumpkin, a summer squash and a butternut squash that popped up from the compost. None of my runner beans or french beans germinated but that's no loss as there was no space for them and I'm bartering eggs for beans with a few friends and my next door neighbour.

Thursdays fave will have to wait till tomorrow as I have a courgette that needs to be turned into a chocolate cake but not until I've had a cup of tea and watched the baby birds (still unnamed but now known collectively as the cheepy cheepies) playing on the lawn and being gorgeously adorable.

Chicken babies

2009-08-10T19:09:00.006+01:00

Well was very good at the auction I kept my hand firmly down and avoided eye contact with the auctioneer..... but when husband wasn't looking somehow I seemed to end up buying these

Aren't they cute. Anyway must dash they're cheeping and peeping and I must go check on them in case they are doing something unbelievaby cute

My lovely ladies.

2009-08-07T10:35:00.009+01:00

Its occurred to me that I haven't featured my hens here yet. So let me introduce the girls to you.

This is Pixie (please note the slightly deranged look in her eye)
Pixie is a light sussex with a bad attitude. When we first got the girls Pixie was an absolute little poppet so sweet natured and gentle and she was the easiest to handle. But.... that sweet little girl has grown into a monster. She's bad tempered feisty and the pull no punches lieutenant of Margo. If I go near her she shouts and bawls, unless I've got food and then she might be a bit more pleasant. When she went broody a few months ago I literally took my life in my hands trying to turf her off the nest box. Her favourite things to do are to wind up and chase Alfie, seek and destroy slow worms and frogs, and peck my wellies. Seeing her in a strop you can really see the link between birds and dinosaurs.

This is Margo
She a glamorous maran x, in fact I'm not sure what she is I think I bought her as a maran koovey (sp) (if anyone can tell, please do)
She is queen bee of the bunch although she hates to get her beak dirty so sends in Pixie to do her dirty work. She was the first to start laying last Autumn and hasn't missed an egg since. She likes to strut about the garden looking beautiful. Pretty as she may be though she has a mouth like a fisherwomen. She's always shouting. If Alfie is up to no-good and I tell him off Margo is like an echo. If I shout into the house for a cup of tea, Margo shouts too. If I over sleep or the corn runs dry Margo lets me Know. Whatever room I'm in I'll hear her. She also likes to lead the others on expeditions to areas that are out of bounds, like the rose border and organise the digging up off daffodil bulbs.

This little angel is Tallulah.
She's a bluebelle or blue maran and don't tell the others but I think she might be my favourite. She is such a gentle little soul always pleased to see me, never prone to fits of rage or torrents of abuse and likes to perch on the bench day-dreaming. My husband laughs at me because I often have little murmuring and clucking conversations with Lu-Lu, I'll cluck and she'll cluck back. The only time she raises her voice is to announce to the world that she's laid an egg, and then you could probably hear her half way across Devon. She likes sneaking down the steps to the flower garden when the others aren't looking. She'll peak around the rose's at me then run back up to the hen house and look all Innocent.

Finally we have Ethel (Margo was getting annoyed that she wasn't being centre of attention so snuck into Ethel photo)
She's Pixies sister and she's the chalk to her cheese. Ethel is a really lovely chicken. She's polite, well mannered and very friendly. She seems to have the most common sense, and level headed-ness of them all. She's quite a laid back little lady although occasionally if Pixie is being particularly bossy she'll give her a peck on the bum and a stern talking to. She likes to gossip under the cherry tree with Tallulah, and she loves rolling around in the dirt. I actually seen her do somersaults.

Ethel is very special at the moment because hopefully in a few weeks she'll be a mummy. She's siting on some fertile eggs I got from the Devonshire traditional breed centre. My lovely husband took me there on Monday to window shop for chickens, I really really want a silkie but they didn't have any. So I bought a few eggs because Ethel's broody. Also I have this huge exciting project that I'm embarking on (more about that later).
Anyway if they hatch (fingers crossed) I'll have a Silver Dorking a Cochin and 2 Cream Legbars. Ethel has of course taken this all in her stride even the fact that because this was spur of the moment I haven't build (yet) a proper broody coop, so she's sitting in a cardboard box in a recycling bin in a dog cage under under my standard rose. So wish her luck and wish husband luck for tomorrow, as We're off to a poultry auction.

Thursdays favourite Plant

2009-08-06T17:12:00.005+01:00

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

This is one of my favourite herbs. I have a huge pot of it my the kitchen door and I love rubbing the leaves to get a hit of that yummy lemon scent. It just smells so summery and makes you feel all happy. In aromatherapy and herbal medicine its used to help ease stress, and reduce anxiety and create a feeling of calmness. It also is supposed to help improve your memory. I love to make a tea from a few leaves crushed and steeped in boiling water. I also add a few leaves when I make lemonade to give it and additional lemony kick.

Lemon balm is in the same family as mint and is as easy to grow. Its happy grown in a container (add lots of gravel/grit for drainage) or in the ground. Lemon balm is a really good plant to grow for bees as they love the delicate little white flowers. I prefer it to lemon verbena that I also grow as I find the lemon verbena has a bit of a sugary sherbet taste to it and lemon verbena doesn't like the cold and can be vulnerable to frost damage whereas lemon balm is fully hardy and comes back year after year.

Step away from the spade

2009-08-06T11:51:00.008+01:00

This is not my garden but if it was I could live with it.(Image via google images)

I love this time of year, you know being a stone through away from autumn, I don't even really mind the fact that our summer seems to be over and done with. What I don't like about this time of year is the fact my garden looks rubbish.
Late summer gardens can look stunning and there is still lots of beautiful plants yet to shine, but mine just looks a mess.
All my planting mistakes in spring show up and I think "why did I plant that there?" or "I didn't stake that well enough" or "that's a lot bigger than I thought it would be".
It doesn't help that my little patch is bordered by wild countryside and even though this year I thought i was more on the ball with keeping back the wilds I'm having battles with brambles and bracken taking over my hedges and fences and my bank that separates the chickens from the flower garden is over run with brambles and field maple saplings, tansy and bracken. It looks amazing in the spring with bluebells, primroses and violets.

I really think I'm more of a spring gardener than a summer/autumn gardener. I was so pleased with how everything looked a few months ago but now it looks shaggy and over grown. Maybe I'm being a bit hard on myself but I always seem to be a bit lack-lustre in the garden after July. The problem is I'm itching to get started on dividing,moving,and planting. I'm trying to plan a overhaul and now is a really good time to take stock of what doesn't work or look right. I really have so much work to do and I'm dying to get started but I need to wait at least until the asters and chrysanth's have had there turn.

(a late) Thursdays favourite plant

2009-07-31T13:47:00.004+01:00

Melianthus major (aka honey bush)

picture via gardeners world

Now I'm afraid to say I bought a small one of these last year in late summer but I failed to protect it early enough from the frost and snow, thus I was found guilty of accidental plant-slaughter. I almost bought one yesterday at Hill House Nursery on my way back from the Totnes show, but decided that as they were quite small they might not establish enough before it gets cold. Also and in a rare moment of restraint I thought that I have enough plants waiting for homes in the garden that a melianthus would just get caught up in the backlog (although it didn't stop me buying a Japanese anemone.)

These half hardy plants are mainly grown for their lush foliage which is a glaucus (bluey-grey) colour, with a sort of waxy texture that holds water droplets like sparkles. It also has a curious smell to it which reminds me of my grandads shed, It smells like fishermens friends (cough sweets) and pipe tobacco. They do also flower and produce huge amounts of nectar (hence honey bush). But for me I'm interested in the foliage that will look stunning with dark flowers and my new dark grass (that's siting waiting to be planted.) So I think I'll wait until next spring until I get one.
You can find more info about them here, here and here

Trying to be helpful.

2009-07-31T10:15:00.003+01:00

I've added some bits and bobs to my sidebar over there ->

Jobs to do each month (mainly for my own use) and plants that are in there prime each month.

I'll be back later on with a late Thursday fave. I've got builders in my garden fixing the roof and I need to keep an eye on them in case the break any of the plants on the Courtyard.

birds+herbs?

2009-07-25T19:39:00.003+01:00

I'd really like some of these cute plant labels, to label my herbs with.

But I'm not sure I could trust the under-gardener not to pull them out and chew them.

There is a lovely little shop in totnes called inspired buys that sells them or they've got them here.

Thursdays favourite plant

2009-07-23T08:20:00.006+01:00

Lilies

What could be more beautiful than a lily?

I have no idea what the first two are called as I bought the bulbs last autumn and forgot to label them but the third one is an Asiatic lily called black pearl. I have a thing for dark plants (that I'll take about at a later date) and a thing for pirates so that one really appealed to me. Black pearl hasn't really got any fragrance worth talking about but the other two smell heavenly. I grow lilies in pots on my courtyard, my kitchen door opens out to them and the smell drifts into the house (I can smell them right now mmmmmm). I'm still waiting on a couple more plants to flower a huge white one and a delicate pink one.

Lilies are really easy to grow they just need good drainage and if you plant them in autumn some frost protection. They should come back year after year and you can propagate more by carefully digging up the bulbs and replanting all the little baby bulbs you'll find around the edge of the mother bulb. You might have to wait a few years for the babies to fatten up enough to flower but they will be worth the wait.
Also watch out for the evil lily beetle that will eat the leaves and prevent flowering.

Hello my name is Jess and I'm a plantaholic!

2009-07-21T14:03:00.006+01:00

I love plant shopping in particular buying them from small family run nurseries, garden gates and village fetes. Last week I went to one of my favourite fetes where without a doubt is the best plant stall I've ever seen. About 5 tables laden with plants that have started life as cuttings and seedlings from peoples gardens. I think the lovely lady who runs the stall actually provides all the plants herself. It always has a real eclectic mix of things some of which you'd be hard pressed to find in some of the big garden centre chains.

Now sorry but I neglected to take a photo of the stall before the fete started(wished I had) because the act of buying is planned like a military operation.
So we get to the fete about 1/2 hour before it starts and eat our picnic on the village green while keeping an eye on whats being put on the table, then we (me mum and the kids) wonder over to the tables and cast a closer eye over the plants making a mental list of what we want. As soon as the fete is declared open I position my niece and nephew at strategic points and start putting the things I want by their feet, mum will keep shouting over to me saying "whats this", "how big will this get" or "can i plant this with such and such". When I'm happy I got what I want I add up my total and hand over my pennies (all proceeds go to the village hall and church).

Now the reason for the organised operation is the fact that it can turn into a bit of a scrum and fights have been known to break out (mainly between my mother and me) so planning (and small children) is key. Husband then takes my babies back to the car rolling his eyes and muttering. I do of course go back a few more times to check I haven't missed anything.

So this is my haul

So I think this is pretty modest for me. If you interested I bought:
Verbascum, persicara, sweet cicley, saxifraga, 3 different hardy geraniums, acanthus and a houseplant but I lost the label. All off that cost me under 8 pounds.
These little chaps will have to sit around till the autumn when I dig up my herbaceous border and give it a major overhaul. But I'll keep them well watered and fed and I'm pretty sure there will be more plants joining them waiting for planting soon.

Thursdays favourite plant

2009-07-16T18:57:00.005+01:00

Dahlia

In the past I've never been to fussy about having dahlias but the last 2 years I've fallen head over heels for them. Now I must admit last years efforts were a bit rubbish. I didn't stake them, they got slug and earwig damage and the tubers/plants I picked weren't as good looking as the pictures on the packets. But that's one of the things I love most about gardening, there is always something to learn.
So this year I bought 1 tuber Black Narcissi (and a stack of lilies).

So I've learnt that if you plant them in march in a container of compost somewhere warm like a greenhouse or shed they will come up quicker and stronger, and you can take stem cutting to increase you stock (I didn't get round to that).
Plant them out when the frost are safely behind you, and don't forget to stake them with some twigs or canes. I managed to keep the slugs away but as you can see an earwig has had a little nibble. I remember my grandad (who used to grow them on the edge of his allotment) using a plant pot stuffed with straw stuck up on a cane to catch the earwigs. They'd hide in there during the day and could be easily dispatched with.

The next thing is what to do during the winter. You can either wait for the frosts to blacken off the stems. Then dig them up hang the rootstock upside down to let any moisture drain away, then store them somewhere frost free and warm (spare room, shed, kitchen cupboard!!!) in a pot of damp sand or old compost, till next spring. Or you can leave them in the ground but give them a really thick mulch to protect the from frost. If you live in the south I'd say leaving them in the ground would be fine but if you live further up north I'd dig them up.

Next year I'll grow a lot more for cut flowers and plant them around the edges of my veg patch (if I have room).

small but perfectly formed

2009-07-14T19:57:00.002+01:00

I've been late (and small scale) with the veg this year due to giving up my allotment in favour of a slice of my mums huge garden. So I'm really pleased with my modest haul from the containers on my courtyard.

I tried growing spuds in an old compost bag, unfortunately it didn't quite go to plan. It fell over a few times and the rain broke all of the stems so 6 spuds is a bit rubbish, but they tasted delicious. They're Red duke of York and I thoroughly recommend them. I planted a huge sack at my veg plot (I used the 3 leftover in the compost bag) to help turn some of the ground over and they're doing really well, although red potatoes in red clay soil are a bit tricky to spot.

70s suntan lotion

2009-07-14T11:03:00.005+01:00

Check out this funky looking thing. Its called Hymenocallis harrisiana (peruvian daffodil). I bought it in my bulb buying frenzy in February on a whim. I actually thought I killed it until I saw some green poking through the compost last month, then I forgot all about it and found it when tiding up he pots on the courtyard with a tiny flower bud on it. I was told it smells like 70s style suntan lotion (coco-nutty), and it seriously does.

Cottage gardens (part 1)

2009-07-10T11:03:00.013+01:00

I've spent the last few hours browsing pictures of cottage gardens on the net trying to find one that appeals to me most, because I think everyone has an image in their mind of that quintessentially English rural cottage garden. Its been difficult to find one that ticks all my boxes, I can't even use a picture of my own (I'm having issues that I'll save for another day). Cottage gardens can be one of the most difficult gardens to get right. I think it stems from what we imagine them to look like, they have a real nostalgia, a romantic glimpse of an age that's disappeared and trying to recreate one that fits that image in our minds (and hearts) can be difficult to pull together (or maybe that's just me).
So I've decided to not show a picture of a cottage garden.

The original true cottage gardens were more about function than form. They were productive patches growing vegetables, herbs, fruit and livestock. Flowers weren't really high on the agenda. The local gentry had the flowery gardens, seed from these would creep in to the cottagers plots on the wind or by birds. Its the wealthy landowners gardens that our idea of the cottage garden comes from.
There was a brief trend in the 18th century for aristocrats to create cottage ornees (fake cottages) so they could sample the quaint country life of their hard up tenants.

Cottage gardens were revived in the late 19th century by the arts and crafts movement probably as a back lash to the formal styles of the Victorians with their love of huge displays of bright carpet bedding.
One of the most influential designers was the incredible Gertrude Jekyll who teamed up with the architect Edwin Lutyens to create some of the most beautiful planting schemes ever seen.

Other notable (really really good) examples of gardeners and gardens include Vita Sackville-west at Sissinghurst, Beth Chatto and the late great Christopher Lloyds Great Dixter

So, history lesson over.

Oh go on here's a picture

This is the Chelsea Pensioners Garden From RHS Chelsea 2005 (the year I was there)

Thursdays favourite plants

2009-07-08T20:41:00.009+01:00

This is Hemerocallis "summer wine"

Isn't is gorgeous. They're commonly called day lilies because each flower lasts for a single day, although don't let that put you off because they produce lots of beautiful flowers, so you get a new one each day in late June/July. These perennials can happily grow in borders or large containers and come back year after year and get bigger and bigger, so they can be divided in spring or autumn and give you more plants. You can also eat the flower buds I'm told, but I've never tried. I wouldn't want to miss out on the flowers.
They are best grown in a sunny spot but are quite happy in heavy clay soils or moist soil.

Allium sphaerocephalon (round headed leek or drumstick allium)

Now I know there are some spectacular alliums out there like christophii or the huge giganteum and in comparsion this one might seem a bit small and humble, but I would always pick it over its more showy brothers and sisters. Firstly its really inexpensive compared to most alliums and you get more bang for your buck, a pack of 20 costs less than a single giant variety. Secondly they look amazing planted on mass and because the flowers are more lightweight the don't need supporting. Thirdly bees and butterflies love them.
I love the way when the flower first forms its totally green and the purple colour starts at the top and kind of bleeds down and you get a two tone effect.
These are so easy to grow, plant them in the autumn about as deep as the bulb is big. once in the ground they will come back year after year. They look stunning planted with grasses or just drifting through herbaceous plants. If your a fan of Prairie style gardens this bulb is essential.

Lastly (and I should have posted this earlier because they've gone over now)

Digitalis (Foxgloves)

To me no cottage or wildlife garden is complete with a few foxgloves (or hedge, bank, roadside verge and woodland) They're wonderful they add height stature and a dash of the English countryside. They are a biennial plant so now is about the right time to sow seeds for next years flowers. You can either scatter a packet in a seed tray and prick out and pot on the seedlings when they are big enough to handle or just throw a handful of seeds in your flower bed.
there are so many different varieties and colours to choose from, I love white ones and the native purple one (Digitalis purperea). I've just sown Pams choice to have next year, but this year I had this creamy yellow one

I think it might be called primrose carousel but I can't remember.

Right I'm off out to the garden to will some lily buds to open and see how many potatoes have grown in my potato filled compost bag.

Enjoy the sunshine

jess x

Roses

2009-06-27T09:37:00.010+01:00

Rose's are one of my all time favorite plants. They are so beautiful and romantic I think everyone should have one in their garden.
There are many different types ranging from huge rambling climbers to miniature ground covering to the more unusual species types. I must admit I'm a bit particular about the types I like I'm not really a fan of the large flowered Hybrid tea roses. I love the old fashioned scented varieties commonly known as the English rose's or David Austin these have been specially bred to have the old world charm and beauty with modern hardiness, longer flowering and a better degree of disease resistance. They are also (mostly) wonderfully fragrant.

One of my favorites is jubilee celebration

I mean come on just look at that flower.
This one has a delicious scent like strawberries, honey and tea. Yesterday I made some rose petal jam, with petals from this baby and it tastes heavenly.

When I moved in to my cottage I inherited 3 roses in the garden, a unruly white climber that had nothing much to climb up a pink rugosa and a weeping standard. Now I've never really been keen on standard rose's they're a bit old fashioned (not in a cool vintage way) and quite twee, certainly not something I'd of ever thought of buying but I'm so in love with mine

This one's called "Felicite Perpetue" but I affectionately call her flick. I love her little pom pom flowers

I also have a thing for the more unusual rose's like this one and if I had more room I'd love one of these and one of these but unless I do away with the chickens (which will never happen) I'll just have to make do with the 12 I have crammed in the garden.
Here's some more.

This is Rosa glauca,

This is William Lobb

This was supposed to be this obviously its not (bought as a bareroot plant in the winter)but I like it. Although I have a horrible feeling it might be something like a Kiftsgate If it is will just grow and grow. Hmmm maybe I should investigate that one

Thursdays favorite plant

2009-06-25T22:40:00.004+01:00

See told you I'd be back

Right this gorgeous chap is Astrantia major also known as masterwort.

This is a real star performer for the herbaceous border. Its flowers last for ages and are really good for cutting. It likes a nice rich moisture retentive soil and performs really well in heavy clay. I have a huge clump in my main border and some at the edge of my wild (messy) pond. Its happy in full sun or a little light shade.
You can often find these growing wild, (I've seen some on the edges of a near by wood) were they have naturalised from nearby gardens. They are really really easy to grow from seed and will happily self seed all over the place.

I love the shape of the flower heads, like little pin cushions with spiky little bracts around the edges. They look beautiful when the sun shines through them and seem to glow when it gets dusk.
There are a few different varieties of varying shades of pink and plumy reds, I have another one called Ruby wedding which is stunning.

I'm going to get round to uploading tons and tons of pictures to flickr soon (I need a rainy day)and will talk some more about my veg patch and post some pics of it (I picked my first pea today.

Enjoy the sunshine

love jess x

A.W.O.L

2009-06-15T17:08:00.004+01:00

Sorry I'm being a terrible blogger, my excuse is that I'm in the garden.

I'll leave you a picture of the clematis thats just finished flowering through my bay tree hedge and a promise to catch up soon.

love jess x

Thursdays favourite plant

2009-05-28T17:59:00.005+01:00

The orange ball tree (Buddleia globosa)

Image via flickr

I have a enormous one that grows out of a tiny patch of dirt between the paving stones and the road at the front of the cottage it forms this huge arch other the gate that leads to no-where but compost and wheelie bins.

How can you not love this shrub, its covered with little balls of sunshine, that the bees and butterflies can't get enough of.

I love oranges and yellows this time of year so bright and cheerful after the winter or on days when its still cold and miserable (by summer I prefer cooler pinks and purples).

This rather different buddleia flowers earlier than the commoner "Davidii" type buddleia you see everywhere mid summer (love those too), So it needs to be treated a bit differently. This cheerful chappie should be pruned just after its finished flowering, not late winter like you would normally do with the usual buddleias ( you'll chop the flower buds off, and that would be terrible)

One word of warning though, globosa's can grow to monstrously epic proportions. Mine is bigger than my cherry tree!, so it will be getting hacked back a bit soon. You can be quite ruthless if they get straggly looking.

bye bye babies

2009-05-25T19:07:00.003+01:00

Just a quick post to say that my sparrow chicks have gone, they fledged on Friday.

It's now very quite in the wall no more cheeping.

Although they were getting very loud in the last few days I kinda miss their chatter.

Good luck babies

xx

Awaken me with a kiss

2009-05-20T21:04:00.007+01:00

This is another favourite plant of mine, (maybe I should do a favourite rose) I have a serious problem with rose's, I'm addicted to them. If i could only have one type of plant in my garden it would be rose's, anyway back to the point.

This is rosa sericea ptericantha

image via flickr

I came across this rose a few years ago whilst visiting an NGS garden and fell head over heels in love with it. Its just so beautiful and unusual. The thorns are it main focal point although it does flower quite early on in the season (about now)with small creamy yellow flowers. But it's the thorns that are so amazing, I mean just look at them.

This is the kind of thing you'd imagine growing rampantly around sleeping beautys castle. It's pure brothers Grimm.

It's best to prune these in the late winter/early spring to get a flush of new growth which has the deep red translucent thorns although you'll end up cutting off the flowering stems (it flowers on the pervious seasons growth) like I seem to have. And make sure it gets planted somewhere it catchs the light, to show of the thorns.

Garden heroines

2009-05-20T13:56:00.004+01:00

Gardening especially vegetable growing can often seem to be a male dominated world, images of old men in waistcoats, smoking pipes up the allotment, discussing spuds and tomato plants is often how a lot of first time female gardeners can perceive it to be.
Gardening legends such as Percy Thrower, Geoff Hamilton and the housewives favourite Alan Titchmarsh are all amazing champions of the green thumb but there are some wonderful garden ladies out there.

last night I was watching the coverage of Chelsea and saw the lovely Christine Walkden, I absolutely love her. She's such a no-nonsense plants women, she has an amazingly infectious passion for plants. A few years back now she had a TV show called Christine'garden and it was so lovely and refreshing, her garden is just stacked with plants, she doesn't appear to be interested in design or planting combinations so much, as just planting her garden full of everything she loves. It made me laugh how during the winter months she turns her dining room table over to all her tender plants, to keep them protected from the cold. I just love her enthusiasm, I find it so inspiring.

Another favourite of mine is Rachel de Thame, totally chalk and cheese with Christine. I love her for different reasons entirely, She's such a glamour-puss and I love that about her. She got quite a bit of stick when she presented Gardeners world, for being seen to be too pretty, and wearing gloves and not getting her hands dirty. But she has a real passion for beautiful plants and made a stunning garden last year at Chelsea.

Carol klein, (I really think she was robbed, she should have been the main presenter of Gardeners world) is an another wonderfully enthusiastic plants women, I adore her love of growing and nurturing plants. I really need to take a trip down to her nursery Glebe Cottage, I think she has a few open days left with the NGS. (I also love Carol because she looks a bit like my mum)

Another Gardeners world presenter again. Alys Fowler. I think Alys is great because she's young (and she has a love of vintage clothes like me). I think she's really accessible for younger women (and girls) to relate to, and that's important to make gardening a cool hobby to get into and not just something older folks with time and money can do. Gardening can be seen as a old fashioned dull pastime, but its not and I really feel Alys is promoting that.

Finally Gertrude Jekyll, who for me is one of the most important women to ever pick up a trowel. Without her influence and use of colour and texture maybe todays gardens wouldn't be as beautiful.

Just don't mention that charlie dimmock.

Chelsea girl

2009-05-18T11:47:00.009+01:00

My love affair with Chelsea began 4 years ago,
I've always been passionate about plants,from when I was a tiny little thing I've know the names of most wildflowers and trees and I've been gardening since I was in my teens, a window box here a hanging basket there, borrowing a small corner of a neighbours allotment and pottering about in my mums garden.
But it was 4 years ago that it become more than just a hobby. At the time I was working for a company who were sponsoring a show garden (along with the wildlife trust).My head office department thought it would be a good P.R thing to send a few shop staff up to the showground to "help out" with the gardens construction the week before Chelsea opened. My manager knowing I had a bit of green finger put my name down and off I went to London.

I think all the other staff that had turned up over the week had hung about for an hour or so, had a few photos taken holding a spade and then, disappeared to go shopping on the kings road. I on the other hand fell in love as soon as I arrived I just found the whole thing incredible, the plants, the people, the whole atmosphere. I got stuck in straight away chatting to all the builders, quizzing the designer about everything, swooning over all the plants. I was in heaven.
After proving my mettle I was given a 2ft by 2ft corner to finish planting all on my own, helped clean out the pond and helped to lay turf in the meadow area. I ended up staying on till 10pm (I was meant to go home at 4pm) and had one of the best days of my life.

I think it was when I was standing knee deep in sludgy water helping to drain the pond for the second time that I realized this was exactly what I wanted to do with my life.
I wanted to be a gardener.

So within a few days after my Chelsea Epiphany, I'd enrolled at college and began devouring every Plant, garden and design book our local library stocked. I went out to the scrappy backyard behind my little flat and pulled up all the weeds and designed and created my very first attempt at a cottage garden all of my own.

And now here I am 4 years later working as a horticulturist, living the good life in the country with my dream (still work in progress)cottage garden and still being madly and passionately in love with plants and gardens.

So the Chelsea flower show has an important place in my heart, and one day you'll see me there with my own show garden.

(my garden 2005 image via giles landscaping)

veg tables

2009-05-16T18:39:00.002+01:00

How have I never heard this before?

Live life off the wall

2009-05-15T12:48:00.005+01:00

Vertical gardening has been around for a while now and is a brilliant way to garden if you don't have any space or if you want to cover a big expanse of wall or fencing.
I recently came across the work of Flora Grubb and have fallen in love with her use of succulents and air plants

(image via Flora Grubb gardens)

I'd love to find a way of replicating this in my garden, although my style is more along the lines of cottagey, and all the walls and fences have climbers on them already.

Hmmmmmm

Thursdays favourite plant (on a friday)

2009-05-15T10:11:00.004+01:00

Ok so a day late but here we go;

This little cutie is Viola sororia "Freckles"

Isn't she pretty,

This is a spring flowering perennial violet and it's almost finished flowering in my garden, I love violets and when I saw this one a few years ago I just had to have it, I choose the plant with the most seedlings around the edge of the pot (serious self seeder) and was able to raise loads more of them to plant around the garden.

I love polka dots and spots and they look extra cute on flowers.
I've got my eye on another viola at the moment is Viola odorata sulphurea
But I'm not sure if I have any space!!!!

Sometimes words just fail me........

2009-05-12T13:20:00.004+01:00

and then as soon as I put it down...

He's just lucky he's such a cutie.

I might also add he has a bit of a fetish for plant labels too, I end up with countless seed trays of unknown plants because someones pulled out the labels.