Category Archives: Smallholding

Apple juice with a bit of bite

Posted on January 13, 2026 by james

Or sting, more accurately. This is the end of one of the syphons in a bottle filler. It’s not uncommon for people to start them off by sucking juice through the syphon via this hole. Note to self: check the … Continue reading →

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Get a load of my plums!

Posted on January 13, 2026 by james

Victoria plums, that is. I’ve never had so many before. We can’t eat them all right now, so most will be destoned and frozen.

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Pressing the first batch of my own apples

Posted on January 13, 2026 by james

In the past I’ve mostly mixed up all my apples to press, but there were so many in 2025 that varietal pressings became viable. This is the first batch, of Blenheim Orange. After the Blenheim Orange I had some Ashmeads … Continue reading →

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Speidel apple press bladder replacement

Posted on January 12, 2026 by james

Oh no! Fortunately it is possible to buy replacement bladders. Unfortunately, removing the old bladder can be something of a pain. It would appear that from the factory, the pipework for the hose connections and pressure release valve is put … Continue reading →

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Don’t get crabby with me

Posted on January 12, 2026 by james

These are from a tree at the end of our drive. In the twenty years we’ve lived here I’ve never managed to pick them. They seem to be ripe one day and fall off the tree the next. But in … Continue reading →

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Eyes on the prize

Posted on January 12, 2026 by james

My honey, my local show 😀

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Siamese peppers

Posted on January 12, 2026 by james

Not entirely sure how this happens. Two flowers, one stem? ?

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New swarm box in action

Posted on January 12, 2026 by james

I was asked if I could take a look at this swarm that appeared one Sunday afternoon above a path leading to a childrens’ nursery. “Not much chance of taking that in one hit”, I thought. Nonetheless I knocked as … Continue reading →

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No dig diary, 12th January 2026

Posted on January 12, 2026 by james

“Peppers propagating!”, I whispered as I tapped the empty packets with my dibber, before using it to cast “Expecto Capsicum!” over the trays of newly-sown seeds… All my pepper varieties are now sown, though thanks to other things that needed … Continue reading →

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First seed-sowing of the year!

Posted on January 11, 2026 by james

I planned to get all my sweet and chile peppers down today in the hope of giving them a good start early in the year so I collected them all together: From the top left I have: Cayenne chiles, home-saved … Continue reading →

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