Category Archives: Smallholding

Return to the beer shack! Arkell’s Kingsdown #1

Posted on October 2, 2020 by james

[20th June] Brewing is another thing that has taken a back seat of late whilst I tried to get other things finished, but today I finally managed to find some time to start of a brew — a nine gallon … Continue reading →

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Veg plot 2020, #8

Posted on October 2, 2020 by james

[14th June] Well, more orchard than veg plot, really. I planted four cherry trees in our orchard some years back. One is a “bitter” type cherry whilst the others are early, mid and late-season dessert cherries. The mid-season tree (which … Continue reading →

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Veg plot 2020, #7

Posted on October 2, 2020 by james

[June 13th] It’s been quite a busy day in the garden for us whilst dodging the rain. My daughter mowed the weeds (they always seem to grow even when the grass doesn’t) and between washing batches of bottles for the … Continue reading →

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Veg plot 2021: The compost arrives

Posted on June 11, 2020 by james

I ordered this last week because I wasn’t 100% sure what I’d get and I wanted time to think things over depending on what turned up. As it happens I’m quite pleased. I didn’t get my full order of six … Continue reading →

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Veg plot 2021: Going “no dig”

Posted on June 11, 2020 by james

It’s very early to be thinking about next year’s veg plot now perhaps, but I think I might need to. I’d heard about “no dig” gardening a few times and a couple of local farmers seem to be doing well … Continue reading →

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Veg plot 2020, #6

Posted on June 11, 2020 by james

Not sure this is an entirely welcome visitor. I suspect it may be nibbling on our pea shoots as they’re looking a bit sorry for themselves below a height of about 20cm. Unless I’m much mistaken it’s a Red Legged … Continue reading →

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Veg plot 2020, #5

Posted on June 11, 2020 by james

When strolling around checking on things a few evenings back I noticed a few positive changes… We have courgettes on the way: and some strawberries, though we won’t get many this year because they’re new plants. And some tiny chiles … Continue reading →

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Veg plot 2020, #4

Posted on June 11, 2020 by james

A few photos from late May. I’d spent a fair bit of time over the previous few days getting bits and pieces done in the veg plot, though hadn’t entirely finished. In this corner I have some butternut squashes with … Continue reading →

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One of the more unusual bee swarms I have collected

Posted on June 11, 2020 by james

I received a phone call from a local chap who said he had a swam of bees that had just settled in a rusty 45 gallon drum in his yard and could I take them away because they were actually … Continue reading →

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Going nuts in lockdown…

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

Whilst I was wandering out to the veggie plot the other evening I found a series of holes dug in the grass alongside the raspberries. Closer inspection revealed that we’d had a visitor keen to retrieve something they’d hidden last … Continue reading →

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