This Blog is a record of my love of the countryside, all things in it, especially old tractors, growing good food, drinking good tea and taking time out to enjoy life.
2013 saw me reserving the few fruits we had from the young first year strawberry plants I had recently planted. Saving them up in the freezer until I had around 2lb in weight of fruit.
Obtaining a fool-proof jam recipe, I set about adding the same amount of sugar to the strawberries, along with the juice of half a lemon. Bringing this too the boil and then turning down to simmer. I kept a close eye on the mixture for some time, stirring occasionally. Foolishly, I left the mixture for perhaps 60 seconds while I made a cup of tea and when I returned I could see it was over done. I still potted the mixture up, but upon opening some days later to try the jam, we required a jack hammer to get anything out of the pot it had set that hard. Gutted would be an understatement, I had wasted all the fruit we had for the year.
2014 has seen a better crop of strawberries in their second year, and I set about making a Rhubarb, Raspberry and Strawberry Jam.
Same recipe, same method, although this time I did not leave the stove!
The garden at home is now constantly changing with the warm weather we have had recently. Fortunately we have also had recent rain which has spruced things up a bit as it has been very dry for weeks now.
After well over 2 years hedgehogs are back in our garden. A very welcome resident indeed as we get a lot of wood lice , slugs and beetles that ravage our plants. Now I know the hedgehogs are back I know they will be keep the pest population down and away from my plants.
Second year for many flowers, Lupins have bloomed and are finished flowering now we are in July but they put on a fantastic show and were actually taller than the eves on the greenhouse
Fishing for small carp in my local pond I could not believe it when I landed 2 Tench and a Crucian. I had no idea Crucian carp were resident in my lake.
Remarkably the bailiff has not been round with his petrol cutters and the whole edge of the lake has become overgrown-fantastic. Taking advantage of this I fished very, very close in under some overhanging giant grasses.
Picture of vintage wicker creel, rod bag and vintage fishing bait tin.
I planted these in September 2013. Very slow to grow but now I have them drying on a bench in the greenhouse. This is the perfect location for onions as there is a vented window right under the bench pushing air upwards, and the onions get a direct blast of sun from the roof.
Although from the same family, the opposite must be remembered for Garlic – keep them out of the sun and in cool conditions to dry them off and store.
Picture of bottles of Elderflower champagne next to a wicker fishing creel
For years now I have talked about brewing Elderflower Champagne, and now following a kind recipe given to me I have finally produced a batch. I have added my own ingredient which is a handful of Lavender. Lets just say the resulting concoction is explosive. I have left it for a fortnight but am having to crack open every bottle morning and night as it still seems to be fermenting. Oh and by the way, it tastes delicious.
16th June beginning of the 2014 fishing season, I have been very fortunate to be able to fish a small lake deep in darkest Wessex, steeped in history.
I cannot remember the last Tench I caught and could not believe it when the float ‘zipped’ away and I landed the Tench pictured. I was very lucky to land another in the morning as well as 2 Roach. I also fished that evening and caught another roach – magical place.
The farm at Beamish is actually a working farm, it is not simply there for show and originally belonged to the Shafto estate. A lot of old traditional methods, long since died out in modern farming are kept alive on the farm.
This year I have started all my onions in cell trays. This has certainly given better germination as I have been able to set them away in the greenhouse before planting out. Varieties the same as 2013 White Sturon and Red Baron.
This year I am chitting the early potatoes. I made a mistake last year when I bought my potatoes for the season I kept them in their bag in the dark. When I cam to plant them they had all sprouted. Never-the-less, this did not seem to affect the yield I got from them.
This year I am planting the same as last. Arran Pilot as first early with the addition of Pink Fir Apple as part of my main crop along with King Edward for the Christmas dinner table.
Along with veg, I have sown many flowers aiming to get as many insect attracting plants into the allotment to aid in pollination, these include Borage, Rudbekia’s, Cosmos, Echinacea among many others.
Although the weather has been really mild of late this snow snap came and lasted for a few days halting the continuation for rubbish extraction and sifting of the soil as the ground was rock solid.
Picture of snow fall covering the raised beds at an allotment
With a week of good weather this February, I took delivery of my 12×10 greenhouse, what will become the hub for everything I intend to grow.
The raised beds have been levelled out and are ready for planting in the spring. I have added organic fertiliser to beds that will need it, and left it out of beds where I intend to grow such things as carrots as they do not require feeding.
Water barrels have been installed at either side of the greenhouse to take rainfall from the greenhouse roof, very effective they are too.
Automatic vents are in place in the greenhouse to open and close the windows in warmer weather.
New Years Day sees the very first plants being planted in our allotment. Bare root gooseberries, early, main crop and late raspberries , Buddleia, and a number of Clematis plants on the back fence to bring lots of pollinators into the allotment.
All planted with microrhizal fungi in order to develop really good root systems. Along with good old horse manure.
After 4 years on a waiting list for an allotment, August 2012 saw the start of the clearance of what only can be described as a rubbish tip to make way for installing raised beds and a large greenhouse.
The pictures are from September/October 2012. When we first took over this allotment, you simply could not even see the ground it was that thick with weeds. It was so thick, it was impossible to get a spade into the ground. I ended up spraying and leaving for 2 weeks. I wish I had started my allotment picture diary back then to get a then and now comparison. Needless to say, it has taken a massive amount of work, time and money.
We managed to fill a one tonne skip. Finding at least three different wooden structures and countless panes and bucketful’s of smashed glass. Trips to the local tip were endless.
I dug a two foot deep trench all the way round the allotment and part of the wire fence is buried to this depth in order to make the allotment rabbit proof.
I also dug a French drain, filled with rocks and stones at the front of the allotment in order to alleviate any flooding issues that may occour.
The Wonder of the World, The Beauty and the Power, The Shapes of Things, Their Colours Lights and Shades, These I Saw, Look Ye Also While Life Lasts. – "Denys Watkins-Pitchford".
The Wonder of the World, The Beauty and the Power, The Shapes of Things, Their Colours Lights and Shades, These I Saw, Look Ye Also While Life Lasts. - "Denys Watkins-Pitchford".
The Wonder of the World, The Beauty and the Power, The Shapes of Things, Their Colours Lights and Shades, These I Saw, Look Ye Also While Life Lasts. - "Denys Watkins-Pitchford".
The Wonder of the World, The Beauty and the Power, The Shapes of Things, Their Colours Lights and Shades, These I Saw, Look Ye Also While Life Lasts. - "Denys Watkins-Pitchford".
The Wonder of the World, The Beauty and the Power, The Shapes of Things, Their Colours Lights and Shades, These I Saw, Look Ye Also While Life Lasts. - "Denys Watkins-Pitchford".
The Wonder of the World, The Beauty and the Power, The Shapes of Things, Their Colours Lights and Shades, These I Saw, Look Ye Also While Life Lasts. - "Denys Watkins-Pitchford".
The Wonder of the World, The Beauty and the Power, The Shapes of Things, Their Colours Lights and Shades, These I Saw, Look Ye Also While Life Lasts. - "Denys Watkins-Pitchford".
look ye also 
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