Category Archives: Smallholding

No pilot’s licence yet

Posted on November 7, 2026 by james

The last two days have been a bit of a struggle, partly due to my BP issues and partly due to my abject failure at teaching myself to fly (that is, I completely failed to miss the ground) at the … Continue reading →

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I love it when a plan comes together

Posted on November 7, 2026 by james

Whilst I was out risking life and limb by going to the greenhouse during the storm, I noticed that the mustards and lettuces that I sowed only five days previously were already starting to sprout. I’ve never understood why people … Continue reading →

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Cucumber seeds for next year

Posted on November 7, 2026 by james

More seed saving for next season at the weekend, this time cucumbers. The process is much the same as for tomatoes: cut the fruit in half, scoop the seeds out into a jar of water and give them a day … Continue reading →

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Where did I leave my magnifying glass?

Posted on November 7, 2026 by james

After doing my best to completely cripple myself when I fell over the other day, I spent a while the following day weeding around some of our tomatoes and peppers, because I can do that sitting down. My mind was … Continue reading →

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Out of the dehydrator they come…

Posted on November 7, 2026 by james

The smoked peppers came out of the dehydrator after about 24 hours. They’re quite crispy 😀 For comparison, this is how they looked when they went in. If I pulverise them in the coffee grinder I wonder if that might … Continue reading →

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Winter salads

Posted on November 6, 2026 by james

On 21st October I got seeds for winter salad leaves sown and under the grow light. A tray each of mustards (Golden Streaks, Red Frills and Pizzo), Land Cress, Corn Salad and various non-hearting lettuces including Reine des Glaces, Rouge … Continue reading →

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Into the dehydrator they go!

Posted on November 6, 2026 by james

The pepper halves certainly smell nicely smoked now, so they just need drying out. Unsmoked ones I dry in the airing cupboard, but if I try that with the smoked ones, “words” may be said ?

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Phwoooaaaar!

Posted on November 6, 2026 by james

Will you get a load of the cayennes on that?! Some time in September I try to sow lots of lettuces, mustards and other salad leaves that I then plant out in the polytunnel, ideally the day after I remove … Continue reading →

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Smoking peppers

Posted on November 6, 2026 by james

These are Zitava sweet peppers, apparently perfectly edible as is though they’re not very fleshy, but I’ve grown them specifically to make paprika, and in today’s case, smoked paprika. I’ve never done this before so I’m quite excited to see … Continue reading →

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Stop! Thief!

Posted on November 6, 2026 by james

We had our own sweet chestnuts for the first time ever this year. Or rather, “we” didn’t. The bloody squirrels did ?

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