Category Archives: Smallholding

Memory Lane, 28th August 2023: Damsons and plums

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

Freshly picked…

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Memory Lane, August 2023: Cabbage for everyone

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

Later in the year I picked an even heavier one, but at the time this was a record for me…

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Testing the solar wax melter

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

I’m afraid the photos here really aren’t that great, mostly because the melter needs to face the Sun as much as possible, but what we have is the tray full of “crumbled” comb, mostly from old brood frames. I’m told … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 28th August 2023: Huge tomatoes!

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

These are all Amish Paste. Not the largest I’ve ever grown, but certainly right up there.

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Solar Wax Melter mk2

Posted on July 2, 2024 by james

A few years back I took apart my original solar wax melter to rebuild as a steam-powered version. The original worked well enough, but it just didn’t have the capacity I wanted. Now I’ve reached the point where the expensive … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 26th August 2023: Tunnel of love apples

Posted on June 3, 2024 by james

Not yet ripe, but looking promising 😀

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Beehive paint

Posted on June 3, 2024 by james

Some of my wooden beehives boxes are a bit worn and tired (or just weren’t made too accurately) and only really suitable for use as bait hives. But how to tell them from my other wooden hives that I’m happy … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 26th August 2023: Damn vandals!

Posted on June 3, 2024 by james

I only made this path a few days ago! I suspect a badger has been hunting for worms. It could have left things a bit more tidy though 🙁

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Yet more planting out

Posted on June 3, 2024 by james

Another day of planting out in pretty warm sunshine which hasn’t exactly been common so far this year. Today more brassicas went in along with sweet corn and climbing beans (runner beans, green beans and borlotti beans). Took a while … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 23rd August 2023: Pendle Witches Brew

Posted on June 3, 2024 by james

As he’s at university in Lancaster and knows The Pendle Witch pub, he wanted to try to make this beer before he went back. I took the recipe from Graham Wheeler’s “Brew your own real ales at home” and then … Continue reading →

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