http://www.smallholder.co.uk/editorsblog/ Smallholder /editorsblog/ en-gb Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:34:43 +0000 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:34:43 +0000 http://www.smallholder.co.uk/editorsblog/rssterms/ M6 nvincent@newsquest.co.uk (Nigel Vincent) webmaster@digitalmedia.newsquest.co.uk (Tim Joy) http://www.smallholder.co.uk/resources/images/990744/?type=rsslogo http://www.smallholder.co.uk/editorsblog/ http://www.smallholder.co.uk/editorsblog/5048396.First_day_of__almost__spring_/?ref=rss Or so I thought. Sunday 7 March was officially a sunny day and here at least in East Anglia it was almost warm if you stood in the sun around midday. Today was more of a disappointment. As I fed the animals this morning I noticed that the dear hens had pulled up a daffodil bulb (don’t let anyone tell you that gardening and free range hens mix – only if you have very large well established plants). I went to push it back in the ground by poking my fingers into the earth and nearly broke them. It was as hard as rock and fully frozen and remained so all day long. No wonder the grass looks depressed and the buds are only promising (but not delivering) to come out. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:42:55 +0000 41768f0f5c0b89825221469d7357eb0d http://www.smallholder.co.uk/editorsblog/5030419.A_hard_winter_for_smallholders/?ref=rss What a long cold winter it has been – and in some places, still continuing. My snowdrops have been very late this year and didn’t even emerge as green spikes until mid February – and I don’t blame them. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:47:58 +0000 d82204852a37b3b9d17eec04992ff885 http://www.smallholder.co.uk/editorsblog/5011064.Wartime_growing_and_spring_on_the_smallholding/?ref=rss Spent Sunday in my greenhouse trying to work out what had survived the winter and what hadn’t. Bit difficult in some cases so have given some plants a “second chance”. Very glad to see that the mint that I bought from the supermarket cheap shelf has flourished and is happily spreading as are the plug herb collection I was sent to try. This was mainly thanks to the £2.00 greenhouse heater purchased from the local boot sale which looked really clunky and old fashioned but turns out to be vastly superior to the modern one which was no match for the frost. Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:02:06 +0000 15cee8eb73d4104e4bae661e9adddd14 http://www.smallholder.co.uk/editorsblog/4882163.Not_more_frost_/?ref=rss Casual readers to my blog will think I am obsessed with the weather. They’re right. I am. I think all smallholders are extremely weather conscious bordering on obsessed. The weather dictates so much what you are going to do or perhaps more accurately, how you are going to do it. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:11:15 +0000 1498a55e3066990739327c7ae1f30845 http://www.smallholder.co.uk/editorsblog/4867470.February_Fill_Dyke_on_my_January_smallholding/?ref=rss February Fill Dyke Except it’s still January. The ground is absolutely sodden and it has rained heavily, really meaning it, all day today. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:37:47 +0000 d8dc3e19d86fcb8488a770978dbee27b http://www.smallholder.co.uk/editorsblog/4846278.Introducing_a_new_duck/?ref=rss The snow and ice are thawing today although we have been forecast more cold weather and a possibility of some more snow. But for yesterday and today, there is definitely a slow thaw and I feel as though I am waking from a long sleep. I’ve been looking round the smallholding this morning and my first venture was into the greenhouse. I’ve hardly dared open the door except to refill the greenhouse heater and relight it. Despite a fairly robust greenhouse heater (purchased for £2 from a local car boot), some of the plants do not look that good especially where they have touched the glass. I should have moved everything into the middle. Apart from the Coriander, the other herbs look really well which was my aim for this year – to have fresh herbs for cooking all year round. Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:26:42 +0000 770078cd525c390ebc242d6658dd5b12