Some catch-up photos.

A fine set of bean poles.

Levelling the area by the old bonfire.

The centre veg bed.

Topped up with wood ash, manure and leafmold.

In the polytunnel.

A cloche in the tunnel to provide additional frost protection. A few strawberry plants at the far end - for an early treat. Poles up to support early sweet peas and then peas after.

My day off.

I took the day off to attend the baptism of my grandson, Noah. A lovely
service attended by about fifty family and friends, including Abbi, Steph
and Tessa and their partners.

Garden tool rack.

Homemade soil.

The polytunnel with the new soil in both beds.

Homemade bean poles.

Great fun walking along the hedge and cutting out branches suitable for the bean/pea poles. Not as straight as bamboo but cheaper.

I am always being asked why there are no pictures of me working in the garden.

Well, one person has asked.
Here I am working in the vegetable garden.

and here I am working in the polytunnel.

The things you see from your dining table...

We were sat eating lunch at the table in the dining room when all the birds
flew from the bird table. Two seconds later the sparrowhawk settled in the
pergola. I took this shot through the dining room window and the
conservatory window.

Close-up

Stepping stone bridge at back of pond.

Taking the turf from here ...

This is a big square bed for marrows, pumpkins and courgettes.

and putting it here.

Also building the edge of the pond and a stone walkway at the far side.

Black gold in bags.

Rotted horse manure from a neighbour waiting to be rotavated into the veg beds.

It is a four egg day.

But we have five chickens......

What a lovely day.

Today may have been the first day of spring. So warm. So fresh. More please!

Who knew that chickens made nests?

Amazing. They are just like big birds really.

Recipe for soil.

Take a bag of multi-purpose compost. Add a bag of top soil (from landscaping the Glyncoed garden). Mix in cement mixer. Pour over composted leaf mould. Level top. Plant things. Sit back and watch.

Tv unit finished.

Valentine's Day woodwork.

I made a chopping board for Kate. I like using wood with a history. This is a piece from an old garden table that was given to me by a woman whose garden I looked after. Mahogany probably. Fifty years old probably.

Bob the Builder diddly diddly diddly.....

Bob called in this morning (Neville actually) and has gone off with the plans so full steam ahead with the conservatory. Still working on the tv cupboard.

Lots of jobs at the moment....

Edging the veg beds and digging a new one.....

And using the turf to fill in around the pond.

dividing plants

planting seeds

and a tv cabinet for the bedroom.

We thought it was a three egg day....

but it turned into a four egg day.

Where is that egg marketing board recipe book?

More logs.

I saw 'em and she stacks 'em.

not to be confused with the other logpile.

A catch up photo.

The path alongside the garage is done. The trellis on the left is for a fine display of sweet peas - already sown in the greenhouse.

Great news.

Two items of news from yesterday. It was a three egg day! And the planning permission has been granted for the new conservatory.

My new garden friend.

I disturbed a pair of mice (bank voles) when moving the log pile. Very sweet. Very squeaky.

Today I have been mainly in the veg garden.

New beds to dig - old beds to weed. Beans are planned for the potato bed so that needs digging too.

The rotavator makes short work of turning over the new ground.

But it is hell on the backbone.

Before weeding.

After.

Save the Blog not the cheerleader.

I had been wondering how to archive the Blog - I have found a good free site - http://www.printwhatyoulike.com/home/index2 - that saves the blog as a pdf albeit in sections. It works for any web page that you want to save in pdf or html format. It would be a good way of archiving any site prior to modification. (Look at that - only one day off from the garden and already I am back in the IT world!!)

Bored now ...... Again.

A second day of rain and strong winds so another day off. I did paperwork yesterday. Today I am having a lazy breakfast and reading a book (island farm by Fraser darling) Ah. The good life.

Not much to report.

A day of spreading gravel, planting a couple of fruit trees and chopping logs all in the rain. But we did meet Francis, the builder who converted the barn twelve years ago. He has promised to come back for coffee and a chat.

Another local walk along the top of the ridge.

Audrey took us for a walk along the ridge above the house - that's us in the
middle with our field beyond. We have also made plans to walk all along the
ridge to the far end.

When it rains I take shelter in the polytunnel.

This is the view.

Bored now.......

Rain on the roof of the tunnel.

Store yard finished.

Lots of catch up photos.

Too busy to blog. So here are some on going projects. The log store by the stable! Full up. So now we have started a new one the other side.

The trunk of the sycamore.

Ready for splitting. Sycamore is not much use for turning. Sadly.

All the branches sawn up for logs.

This is another job.

Putting down gravel from the garage to the polytunnel.

Levelling the area by the polytunnel

To make another storage area. For the mixer and sand and gravel. For the scaffold too.