May 2017 in the Garden

What a month! We've had a lot of good weather, so spent plenty of time outdoors. The garden has been beautiful. Here are some highlights

Paeony

Berberis

Hosta; we couldn't grow these in our Yorkshire Vicarage garden as we had too many slugs and snails. in Teesdale, though the climate is wetter, we have next door's ducks. 

The pond - more on this at a later time. We have plans to improve and manage the pond better. 

Laburnum. We lost our laburnum in Yorkshire to what we thought might have been honey fungus. This is a beautiful specimen. 

Wisteria - looks good and, I discovered this year, smells great too!

Acer

  

Lots of aquilegia, in a variety of colours. I suspect that they may be self-set hybrids. 

The First of Our Own Livestock on The Farm

We've kept hens since we moved to The Vicarage in 1996. The previous owner left hers behind, with our agreement, as she hadn't space in her new place. We had a few assorted hens (including Jack, who only had one eye) and over the years we added to, and twice replaced when Mr Fox wiped out our entire flock. We've also hatched eggs in an electric incubator, and had hens raise their own clutch. 

So poultry was the obvious first choice for livestock on The Farm. We have a small incubator, but as it only holds 7 eggs we decided to approach a commercial hatchery to hatch a larger number on our behalf. Jack of Mount Bank Farm hatched us 12 chicks on 24 May, and we collected them from his farm, near Osmotherley, on 26 May. 

The Gentleman Farmer rigged up a pen for them in the barn undercroft. A heat lamp kept them warm, and we closed the barn door overnight to protect them from local wildlife. They are fed on chick-crumb, which they'll stay on until they're about 8 weeks old. 

On 24 June, at about 4 weeks old, we moved them into an outside run and small house, which Master W built when we lived in Yorkshire. 

The run is located in a small area fenced off from the main field, so that the lambs can't play top-lamb on it. The chicks weren't impressed sufficiently to explore the outside world before they had to be shut in for the night, so we've been encouraging them outside today. 

A Bit of Crochet

A few years ago, during Lent, instead of "giving up" I "took up" and taught myself crochet. YouTube was invaluable. I offered to make MissA a blanket, which was finished in time for Christmas 2016.

Using some of the remaining wool, I made a cushion cover.

It fits perfectly on our rocking chair.

I've offered to make MasterW a blanket - finished in time for Christmas - not specifying which one.

Polytunnel part 1 - Groundworks

Back in March The Gentleman Farmer ordered a 30' by 16' tunnel from First Tunnels. We bought our original 20' by 10' tunnel from them for the Yorkshire Garden over a decade ago and we were very pleased. When we left that garden, the sheeting was still in good order, despite having been in place for more than twice the time we'd expected it to last.

Our field is on a slight slope, so The GF sought the services of a local contractor to build a level site. He came with his mini digger, and within a couple of hours he'd scraped off the grass and top soil, levelled the sub-soil and then returned the top soil so that we had a decent medium in which to grow plants. Now we have the platform upon which to start building.

New Beginnings

Hello again. A lot has happened since we were last here, so we have plenty to tell you and pictures to share. I have pretty much finished my cancer treatment: chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy. I'll still be having less intrusive treatment for a decade, but we are now working to put this blip behind us.

  

Let's start with a picture of a new calf. His mum lost her calf following a difficult, early, overnight calving, so she's adopted this one. She's a Frieisan hybrid and he's a Limousin Frieisan, born early May. She has dermatitis in her feet, so is reluctant to stand, but he skips around the field with the sheep.

Welcome back - it's lovely to have you all here on The Farm. 

Moving Times

Two weeks ago, The Gentleman Farmer ceased paid employment, and this week, we completed the sale of our home in East Yorkshire. We had lived in this small town for 27 years, and in this former vicarage, a Victorian house in 1/3 acre of garden for more than 20 of those years.

We raised our children there, held parties, laughed and cried; so many happy memories. We spent time and energy turning a house into a home.

We have sold to a lovely young couple, with children the exact same ages ours were when we moved in, and are confident that the house is in good hands.

However, a house is bricks and mortar. We will so miss the many good friends we have made over the years, and we look forward to welcoming you all to our new home.

Hiatus

hiatus

hʌɪˈeɪtəs/

noun

1. a pause or break in continuity in a sequence or activity.

Apologies for our absence. A recent comment nudged me to explain the recent gap in posting. At the end of July, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, following a routine mammogram screen. The weeks since then have passed in a blur of hospital appointments, scans, minor op, and the first of six rounds of chemotherapy last week.

Having nothing interesting to blog about, coupled with an inability to bring just the right words to mind, have left the blog sadly neglected.

Somebody suggested that I blog about the illness and treatment. We won't be doing that. Firstly, there are plenty of health and wellbeing blogs already. Secondly, this blog is about our farm, and thirdly, I am protective of details of my health, to ensure the privacy of my family and other loved ones.

Once my treatment is over, I plan a piece praising the excellent treatment we have received from the NHS, as absolutely no cost to us at the point of delivery. I rail against any plans to privatise this service. I know that it isn't perfect, but when I discovered that each round of my chemotherapy drugs cost £5000, I was amazed. That is Thirty Thousand of your English Pounds, just for the chemo drugs. Not to mention the time of nurses, surgeons, consultants, GPs, lab staff, ancillary staff; associated prescription drugs; operations; scans and a wig, and probably a whole heap more costs of which I am unaware.

So please bear with us - I will get better, our farm will be delayed slightly, but we have big plans, and can't wait to get started properly once my treatment is over in the spring.

I leave you with a gratuitous picture of a blanket I knitted for the youngest person I know. Welcome to the world Baby G - may you have a long, happy and healthy life.