Editor's welcome (From Smallholder)

Editor's welcome

12:12pm Wednesday 1st June 2011 in Editor's Blog

“A dry May and a dripping June, brings the harvest in real soon" “Grass never grows, when the wind blows"

"A blue and white sky, never twenty four hours dry"

I have become obsessed with weather, even more so than usual. The extreme cold of the winter around Christmas and New Year followed by the utter perfection of Easter has prompted my interest in weather matters. I've been doing a very early morning slot on a regular basis for Radio Cambridgeshire, talking about weather and what it means for smallholders and gardeners and sometimes it raises more questions in my mind than I can answer. Weather that is perfect for one group of people is not right for another so the holiday maker or keen barbecue family welcome non-stop sunshine while I as a smallholder, could be worrying about the lack of water.

I've also been researching old weather sayings and on Smallholder's Facebook page we have been exploring some of these from around the UK to use in a future article. One of them in particular makes sense.

This says: “Never plant your runner beans until after Whickham Horse Fair" (This is held on May 20 so obviously after this time there really should be no more frosts). Do you have any local sayings? Why not join our Facebook Page and let us hear them? I'm particularly interested in the ones that are local to your area. As I look at the forecast for the weeks ahead it is telling me for the East of England that it will be dry apart from a few days. Obviously this could all change and you could be reading this in the middle of a torrential downpour, looking out the window thinking, Liz has got that very wrong! But if it is right, then it reminds me of the importance of water and makes me wonder, rather uneasily, if I am doing anything like enough to collect water, re use water or even appreciate the water we have so freely available.

When I was in Zimbabwe several years ago, they arranged gardens so there was a series of banks to catch each drop of rain whereas we watch our rain pour off the garden into the dyke and away to sea. Perhaps I need to do a bit of a rethink on our approach to water this being the second very dry spring in Eastern England. We'd love to hear what are your methods of water conservation and if you think this will become an increasing issue in the years to come. Our hay crop has grown quite well despite the lack of water but it could do with some now - preferably before we want to cut it not as we are trying to cut it!

We don't cut until end of June/early July to allow the ground nesting birds to raise their chicks. So far we have always managed to get a good, clean and dry crop from doing it this way. We've already taken two supers of honey (probably mainly rape) from the bees who came through the winter very well. They started off as a strong colony which helped I think and I really was spot on with the feeding this year too which has more than paid off. Anyone who thinks bees are a gentle little hobby should think again. They are time consuming, quite heavy work and very challenging mentally but also deeply rewarding.

I find membership of our local club, the Huntingdonshire Beekeepers Association, who are supportive and friendly and very quick to lend me a honey spinner when I needed one, really helpful and would advise any would be bee keeper to join their local club before they get their bees. I shall of course be at the RWAS Smallholder and Garden Festival, try keeping me away, and look forward to meeting readers and fellow smallholders. There will be plenty of people to answer any questions and if we don't know the answer, we will almost certainly know someone who does! I'm hoping to collect some Serama bantams at the festival which are the smallest bantam weighing well under a kilo and coming in a range of colours.

These are purely for pleasure unlike my happy hybrids who are on an egg a day each at the moment. As well as selling some eggs, giving some to friends and pickling them, we are also eating eggs at an alarming rate. Good think that the link between choloestrolol and eggs has now been disproved as I have two for breakfast - only 60 calories an egg! My bantams are obligingly sitting and we have been very proactive in treating hens and houses for red mite this year. Luckily there are now so many more products on the market and a lot more expert advice on what to do, with the same going for that other scourge of poultry, scaley leg. So lots and lots to do in the summer as I am sure you have as well but find time to read Smallholder for the very best tips, news and advice from practical people.