Category Archives: Smallholding

Memory Lane, 4th May 2022 (again): Bees a-bumbling

Posted on February 8, 2024 by james

My summer broccoli (or calabrese if you prefer) didn’t do very well in 2022. Or perhaps did rather too well, I’m not sure. It formed nice heads that just accelerated through “ready to pick” and charged on straight to flowering. … Continue reading →

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Snapdragons are go!

Posted on February 8, 2024 by james

I really out to be able to remember the proper name but right now it escapes me, so Snapdragons it is. Ah! Antirrhinums! Them’s the things. Anyhow, to the point… I plan to sow a few batches over the next … Continue reading →

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Cheap alternative to Charles Dowding’s module trays

Posted on February 8, 2024 by james

Charles Dowding has designed some lovely module trays for starting off his seedlings. I’d use them in a heartbeat. Unfortunately in the volume I’d use them, I really can’t justify the cost. I particularly like the fact that they have … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 4th May 2022: When I grow up I want to be a pineapple

Posted on February 7, 2024 by james

I’ve posted before about growing pineapple plants from the top of a fruit that has been eaten. I’ve been keeping working at it and had a couple of successes along with quite a few failures. I suspect it’s something that … Continue reading →

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Hamming it up

Posted on February 7, 2024 by james

From time to time we have been known to partake of the occasional slice or two of hamm purchased from the local butcher. A butcher who is highly recommended, it has to be said. My wife got chatting to someone … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 3rd May 2022: A double-decker xylophone

Posted on February 6, 2024 by james

Ok, perhaps not 😀 At the start of 2022 I needed to make up a lot a frames for beehives, but storage once made up is a bit of a problem, especially as my bee shed was due to move … Continue reading →

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Another try at the Polka

Posted on February 6, 2024 by james

I have a bed of Summer-fruiting raspberries and a bed of Autumn-fruiting ones. At least, I did. A couple of years ago all of the Autumn-fruiting ones died. I suspect my father-in-law may have tried to kill some bindweed using … Continue reading →

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No dig diary, 6th February 2024: New beds

Posted on February 6, 2024 by james

I need to get cracking on the new beds in the veggie plot as I have strawberry plants that really need to be planted out. I received them before Christmas and had to plant them into pots because I didn’t … Continue reading →

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A bit of a stick-in-the-mud (almost)

Posted on February 6, 2024 by james

I decided back in September that I wasn’t going to have enough home-made compost for my needs this year and that I’d need to order some in as well. I then proceeded to put the purchase off for as long … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 13th April 2022: Incorrectly-made brood boxes

Posted on February 5, 2024 by james

Years back I got hold of a load of polystyrene brood boxes and supers from Abelo for much cheapness because they were made with both top- and bottom-bee space, as you can see from the photos. I’ve been wondering what … Continue reading →

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