Tomato update

Early in January I sowed some beefsteak tomato seeds.  The first lot failed which was my fault, they shot up before I realised.  Some I saved by replanting to their first leaves and some I started fresh.  Both have done fine.  Here's the beefsteak one (Brandywine) which needs potting on again.  It's also starting to produce side shoots which I am nipping out.  I've planted the other one which is as big as this one directly in the polytunnel bed to compare which one does best so I can just do that in 2018.

The tomatoes below were all getting far too big for their pots, so instead of a pot bigger, I potted them on into their final resting pots so to speak.

It took the best part of an hour but now I have 18 tomato plants ready.

The tomatoes are the big pots, the smaller ones are caulis, cabbage and calabrese.

 

 These little things are Gardeners Delight, sown after the first tomatoes in the hope of extending the season as long as possible.  I have some that have just germinated too and will keep sowing for a little while yet.

I also have a variety called outdoor girl which, as the name suggests, will be going outside when they can.

This weekend I will pot on everything that needs it and plant out the PSB for next year.  It's too big for its pot now and I don't want to have to pot it on again. 

I think I am going to need more growing space !

Have a lovely weekend all, it's due to be sunny here so I plan to get in the greenhouse and polytunnel before they get too hot, then in the veg plot to get some much needed vitamin D.  I think Sunday afternoon may be a day of rest and enjoying some rhubarb cocktails.....

All about my husband

I am lucky enough to have a husband who not only works very hard to bring home a good wage each month to pay the inevitable bills, but he also works extremely hard at home to get our smallholding up and running.
This weekend he has managed to make some new feeders for the hens which will keep the rain off the food and more importantly, keep the hens dry. He has made a brooder in the garage using shelves that were already there. Our youngest chicks seem happy there.
He had also cleaned out the geese pond,  which he made himself, including the quick clean function. His design means he needs to move a piece of wood and the water flows our into the beck that runs along side our land. He then refills it using the rain water harvested from the big barn's roof.
So I must say I am rather pleased with having him for my husband ☺.
We have also found our duck eggs! We thought they weren't laying and then discovered that they had buried them. As of today we had 8 of various colours. I am not sure which girls are laying which colours but I am not worried. I'm just pleased they are pulling their weight! I will make something with some this week to see what they are like.
The geese are still laying on their eggs so we are hoping for goslings early May.
Most importantly, it's stopped raining!!!!

Happy April - Let the holidays commence!

Well at lunch time I finished work for 10.5 days now and I couldn't be happier!!! 

I have already spring cleaned the master bedroom and hoovered and steamed downstairs.  I pulled the bed out (no mean feat) along with the bedside tables, hoovered under the wardrobes, under the bed, did the skirting boards and washed the windows and sills.  Then I only put back on the bed side table what should be there and gave the other things a home.  I'm really impressed with the results and hopefully it will stay like that for a good while.

I also steamed the carpets though I am not entirely sure what that achieved.

Downstairs and the stairs got a really good hoovered and then the kitchen and hallway steamed.  I'll wash the steamer cloth and do it again when I get round to doing the kitchen and hallway's deep clean.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, how sad some would say!

The weather is lovely and sunny so we took the dog out for a lovely run over the local quarry and there was no one around so he had a good run and stretched out his old legs whilst the kids went on little adventures.  He's now flaked for the next hour no doubt and they are busy in the garden again.

Buddy thoroughly content

The kids having an adventure

GH is at the gym, tea is cooking and after that my daughter and I will head out to the farm to get the pony rode and the horse turned out for an hour.  I'm hoping the weather holds so that we can get out for another nice walk. 

What a fabulous first afternoon off.  Tonight when I'm back I shall be indulging in a wine or three. This truly is time to have farm life dreams :)