Newts
The newt pond lies in an overgrown corner of the garden. It wasn’t planned as a newt sanctuary. Initially the pond was installed for treating sick fish. At six feet across, the pond holds roughly 100 litres of water. The big pond holds about 8000 litres. I reckoned that it would be much cheaper to treat ailing fish in a small space until the fish experts at Byways Water Gardens pointed out that a sick fish can be treated in a large washing up bowl. So I put a couple of goldfish in the pond to keep the mosquitoes under control. When the...
read moreKeeping chickens in our garden
We have kept chickens for three years and we love them. A lot of my clients keep chickens and I got the longing from watching them. Danny was encouraging but I overheard him telling his brother to make the run no taller than 5’4″, my height, so as to avoid chicken cleaning duties! I didn’t care and still don’t. I quite enjoy cleaning them out each week. There is definitely a Wendy house element in keeping a small flock.Ideally, chickens are locked up at night but allowed free range during the day. Unfortunately our min...
read moreWild Plum or Damson Jelly recipe
My Wild Plum Jelly recipe is at the bottom of this post. Click here for Wild Plum Jam. It’s nearly midnight and the kitchen is filled with the smell of simmering wild plums. Delicious. I went out hunting for them late this afternoon and picked about eight pounds from the hedgerows at the end of the village. As there are still loads ripening with the promise of more, I decided to use all the plums for jelly. The wine and chutney can wait till later. I always feel a bit of a devil when I find food for free. At this time of year I have a...
read moreSweet peas and wood pigeon, the most evocative scent and sound of summer
There is nothing to compare with picking the first posy of sweet peas. The heady scent from something so delicate. The fragile flowers, at best with buds. We have a special vase for them. I think it might have been home to a scented candle once but it is now perfect for these flowers that fade so fast. When the vase is off duty it sits on the windowsill with the other special things: the Buddha, the basil, my frogs. When I first came to live here a friend from London used to stay regularly at weekends. Her grandfather had been Head Gardener at...
read moreThe role of Beekeeper’s Assistant is now a permanent position
When Danny asked for a pair of beekeeping gloves and a hive tool for his birthday, I realised that he was finally hooked. He’d been very keen for me to keep bees but assured me that he would not be involved in anything except eating the honey. That was fine with me, I was happy to attend the courses of the Cambridgeshire Beekeepers Association. The empty hive looked great beside the pond and it looked even better when the new colony was installed and bees were drifting in and out. It was only when I bought home the nucleus colony that I...
read moreMy Mum raised Frogs and Toads, whilst I worked in London
When I found the cottage fourteen years ago, Danny had not drifted onto my horizon. Shortly after moving into the cottage, I had to work down in London. I had been offered a free studio in a prime location and I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. Even though I have no children, I had responsibilities, one highly intelligent, independent mover and shaker who assured me he could do everything except prepare his food. My old dog, Fly. My Mother obliged with the childminding duties. My Mother loved staying in the cottage. She explained that...
read moreCucumber farming
We have grown cucumbers for three years in our PIUY (put it up yourself – from a long thin box marked “greenhouse” – it took us 2 long days) . The first year we grew three tiny cucumbers that shall remain nameless. As beginners, we were delighted with the result. The next year we grew even more of the same variety and then suddenly disaster. Initially it was mouldy fluffy stuff on the leaves. I checked the Organic Gardening Book and dusted with the recommended treatment. Everything perked up. But within a couple of days...
read morePea pod wine – sounds disgusting, must be good!
The first wine that I wanted to make was Pea Pod. This wine had a starring role in an episode of The Good Life. As our peas had barely produced a flower let alone a pod, I searched the vegetable section of Tesco and found fresh peas in the pod. I hadn’t realised how light pea pods are. As I podded steadily, Danny made a mercy dash to buy yet more packs to get the right weight of pods for the must.The next few weeks driving the car became quite hazardous as it was hard not to keep an eye on the hedgerows for damsons and plums. Kind...
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