Alternative ways to heat a greenhouse
The windowsills in the cottage and the greenhouse are already packed with seedlings. I was determined to get everything off to an early start this year. The little electric propagator is working 24/7 and seeds are germinating really fast. Even though the greenhouse is lined with a thick layer of bubble wrap it needs a bit of extra heat to keep the temperature above freezing on really frosty nights. Do you remember that I bought an ancient Eltex greenhouse heater at the church fete last year? When the frosts hit I tried to light it with no...
read moreFlowers from the garden: February 2010
It’s been just over three years since I gave up buying flowers for the cottage. In January 2007 I decided to save a cool £500 a year and not buy those tempting bunches from the supermarket. The first year was quite tough as I didn’t grow many flowers in the garden and I like to have vases of flowers dotted about the cottage. Gradually I’ve overhauled the herbaceous borders and planted more flowering perenials. This year I’m even growing flowers from seed to sell at the garden gate in the summer. Over the years I’ve come to...
read moreThe Cottage Smallholder February gardening competition. The winner is…
As expected we’ve had some great entries for our February gardening competition. It was really difficult to choose just one winner. As I mentioned previously Erika from Lunar Organics is sponsoring this competition. The prize is one of the beautiful moon gardening calendars and explanatory booklet plus three packets of biodynamic seeds that the winner can choose from the Lunar Organics catalogue. There were 26 entries for the February competition and Erika and I had a hard time selecting a winner as there were so many brilliant ideas. In...
read moreValentine’s Day – a true celebration of love
Over the years I’ve experienced the full gamut of Valentine’s Days. From the lonely days of not receiving a card when even the birds seem to be flying in pairs to the time when I was sent a huge bouquet. It was so large that I couldn’t travel home on the tube and had to take a taxi instead. Being a bit of an old romantic I enjoy Valentine’s Day. Forget the expensive candle lit meal in an exclusive restaurant, the heart shaped presents and flowers. All that I want is a card and a hug from someone I love. Two people in the cottage...
read moreSurprise present
This morning’s hard frost meant that the Min Pins didn’t hear the postman glide up the gravel drive. His visit is usually a daily excuse for barking their heads off and tweaking my eardrums and patience. Because they are small, they yap. Big woofs are fine but high, shrill barks are a bit testing – especially early in the morning. I also didn’t hear the postman and was surprised to find an exciting envelope on the doormat. When I picked it up it had a crinkly feel. What could it be? Who was it from? I opened the envelope...
read moreIt’s official
Things have been hectic here at The Cottage Smallholder. I have finally been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME), which developed from the bad kidney infection that I had in summer. The diagnosis takes a long time as you have to be tested for the full gamut of other potential illnesses (cancer, thyroid problems, TB etc). All those tests were negative and I’ve completed the six months of prodding and poking. I’m now booked into seeing a consultant neurologist on Tuesday. But I don’t want to dwell on being ill –...
read moreSlow Cooker Chef: Tender pork shoulder braised in light beer, with apple, ginger and honey recipe
Danny bought some pork shoulder steaks this week. He wanted to try out a pork, mushroom and cream recipe that he had found at the local supermarket. “The pork is sautéed in a pan. I don’t feel confident as I reckon that it should be fillet.” He was right – the pork was chewy and disappointing. It wasn’t Danny’s fault. Shoulder was the wrong cut for the recipe unless you really want to put the sharpness of your teeth to the test. He did however make an excellent rice and bell pepper dish to accompany the pork. This was the...
read moreMitch Albom: Tuesdays with Morrie. A review.
A new Internet friend wrote to me saying how good it must be to have the time to escape through reading. I haven’t been doing this recently. Nor listening to the radio. Just doing the blog and tending my seedlings. All reading has been directed to increasing my knowledge of biodynamic gardening. “Yes,” I thought when I read her email, “she is right. I need a distraction. To escape into another world.” The next morning I woke to find that the books had shifted on the big bookshelf beside my bed. We have a lot of books and the...
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