Feed the Birds

I made some coconut bird feeders using some old coconuts which i drilled through. Cracking them open took a little longer that used a few more tools, a hammer chisel and saw. The insides were done with bird seeds (obviously) and melted lard which you mix together. Big tip here feed your string through first with a twig on the end so it doesn't fall out, and make sure you fill up the hole before you but in the mixture i learned this the hard way, my lard went everywhere!

I left them in the fridge over night and they turned out really well, unfortunately no birds got them because the squirrel got them and the insides fell out and the dogs got them. So bad news for birds.

I painted a piggy bank and plan to use it as an honesty pot to put out with my gluts of vegetables which i will be getting. Yes i know i am overly hopeful.

The mystery squash revealed, this is the squash i grew from and unknown plant i got at a market and actually it is lovely i am going to be bold enough and say its nicer then butternut squash,it was that good. So i have saved some seeds ready to plant next year. I still don't know the name.

Apple Harvest

I only have one apple tree which produces edible apples i have know idea what type they are but they taste great. So i have wrapped them in kitchen paper on a wire wrack and kept them in a well ventelated room.

Busy Bee

I have been busy making a bee home for the now rare bee. I made it from bambo cut down to size. It now sits in my plot so it will attract those great pollinaters.

Not in the Plot

Off on one of my many breaks away from digging up my future veg patch i went crayfish fishing with father. Its very enjoyable until you have to pick them up, they are like mini lobsters, there claws do pinch and when they do it hurts my father has several cuts.
What you do to catch them is to tie some pop up nets to a rod with a bit of meat, preferable one that will let of a scent like chicken but make sure you slash it a bit and that will lure in the crayfish. You will be able to see them moving in the water because they have white bits on there claws and they walk up stream. When they are feasting on the meat lift the net up, pick them up and put them in a bucket. Easy as that.

Above is a small hall of crayfish. Below Lucas is not to sure on crayfish.

Eating options, eat them like you would lobster. I found a couple of recipes in What to Eat Now recipe book by Valentine Warner : Crayfish with hazelnut and pastis butter, Boiled crayfish with mayonnaise. What i did with mine was hand them in to my parents restaurant and there is now a crayfish bisque with crayfish tails, yum yum.

Alive Just

My pumpkin has started gorwing again after a bad case of mildew and one of my pumpkins dying from rot and one from a woodpecker. so hopefully it might have another fruit.

Brussels have had their first attack from catapillers. Since then i have put my netted polytunels over the top and looks like thats kept them at bay.

Mini harvest of courgette, beans, lavender and some sweat peas.

Last night had some of my chard with a roast chicken was lovely.

Bring on Winter

I have been trying to do my gardening from inside mainly because all of this rain so i made a bug hotel so in the rain the bugs have something to escape to and by attaching it to the apple tree in my veg patch so they can stay near by. I made it out of half a plastic bottle and some rolled up corrugated card. I doubt they will take to it but its the best i can do till the one bug hotel i really desire goes further down in price in the sale http://www.coxandcox.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=97Else where my mystery squash is finally taking shape. I bought it in a farmers market and the guy who sold t to me had such a strong accent i missed what the name of the squash was.

Even if it rains all the time i still have and extremely tall sunflower which brightens up the plot.

Inspiration from The Courts Gardens

I am now a member of the national trust and try every week to go to one of there places. This week it was the courts in Holt. I had a lovely time, beautiful house which you don't go in because people live there, but the gardens are old gardens which were beautifully planted without being overly fussy. To my great excitement they had a kitchen garden so i have posted up the photos which i took, and it may give you some great ideas. 

Clover on the side acting as green manure.
Corn and squashes growing together.






Caterpillars, they were everywhere.
This was my favorite idea training young apple trees to grow over an arch.
These are some photos i took, because i love the colors and textures.