Apologies for the long silence – a thousand reasons not to write but all come back to  one cause- extreme laziness!

Casey is back for a few days and we recently paid a visit to the hillside to pick crops and survey progress. Ace is Casey’s poodle and he loved it as well!

Ace

The mound has continued to produce great crops this year. We have been able to water fairly regularly using the newly installed water cubes. Despite the warm dry weather most plants dug deep to access the stored moisture in amongst the logs.

Beans, beetroot, broccoli, tomatoes and onions in profusion. Strange how you always think you’re a great gardner when the weather is with you

Lucy’s joy

Beetroot

Greens

Booty!

We have set more space for growing this Autumn by putting down black plastic. Carrots and parsnips seem to be growing away free from the dreaded carrot fly. I planted too thickly and in places pests got in and nibbled the seedling but we should get an Autumn crop.

Carrots under fleece

Further on up the hill birds are taking a lot of fruit. I’ve noticed a pair of blackbirds hard at work amongst the fruit bushes. We have lost all the black currants and some of the red. Most of the apples have been pecked in half and the crop is poor. I guess when you create a thriving eco system you expect all animals to prosper. Next year we will have to net the fruit and pick early and learn to share the bounty a bit more evenly.

Pecked not picked

The guilds are doing ok with comfrey and horse radish flourishing but we still need to restrain the grass.

Horse radish in a guild

We want to learn how to use hand scythes to tackle the grass. I feel a permaculture course coming on

Lucy’s growing experiment was a success, spare potatoes were planted in existing turf mounds and grew away. A tasty crop of small spuds- will do this again.

Lucy’s spuds

Dear followers we are hoping to organise a work day on one Sunday every month. We will let you know if we have your email but I will post details on this blog and on “Ferryside – What’s on” on   facebook. We usually meet at about 10 and clear our most recent coppicing- usually there is wood to split and stack, brash to pile and paths to clear. Its usually a very social fun day with as much labour as you feel  comfortable to give. Email me if you want details- mikee@canolnet.plus.com

Cheers now