Plant support day

The day started with a red sky and ended with thunder lightning and a downpour. After a late start due to sheep on the road we all got started . Some used the willow for uprights , others the hazel. After all had mastered the rose knot and got 3 rows of weaving around the base we stopped for lunch in the barn. Back to the garden to carry on weaving, damping the willow down as the sunshine and wind was drying everything out. By the end of the afternoon everyone had completed their support and hopefully learnt the techniques to have a go at home.

Barley Straw

Chris managed to get the barley straw baled, back home and stacked. He is now dodging showers and hoping to get a late cut of hay.This year the wasps are everywhere and spoiling the fruit if it is not picked fast enough. We have dug the potatoes and stored them in hessian sacks. It has been a very dry season. The purple pole beans are prolific and best of all they are stringless.The bush beans Cupidon bought from The Reel seed company also just keep producing I will definitely be saving some seed.
Today is willow weaving day, The sky is a fiery red as the sun is rising so I think we will be rushing into the barn at some point, we seem to have a pattern of wild rain on a Thursday.

Busy Times

We are now starting to prepare the bees for winter. We have finished taking honey and have topped and tailed , and put the feeders in place, We will then treat for varroa , at the moment we have 3 hives and 2 nucli. The wasps are becoming a nuisance and I have put traps out, if necessary we may have to restrict the entrances.

We have managed to get some hay cut and under cover and hope to bring the barley straw home soon. The vegetable garden is providing all our fruit and veg.I have got some summer wines glugging away and am starting to stock up with sugar and fruit in readiness for chutney making, There are already windfall apples to be gleaned.