Container gardening

We have blue skies again here in Co. Down, after a couple of days of rain, which was very good for the plants.

Anyway, I thought it was time that I shared my cobbled together attempt at container gardening this summer.

It was a bit of a mish mash, as I'd planned to garden on site in Leitrim, but, that wasn't to be, so luckily, I put together a few containers so that I wouldn't miss my gardening and home grown veg fix - whatever the circumstances!

My aunt's fantastic barn with the glass roof (see above picture) has become home to lots of crops this summer and works great as a greenhouse .. but I'm trying not to take it over too much.

The picture below shows the half of the barn that I've been using. In the foreground are peppers - sweet and chilli, behind that is the sweetcorn, to the sides are tomatoes and right at the back are some cucumberesque vines, a cucumber and a late bloomer of a melon .. and some peanuts.

Here to the side are some squashes (do I ever learn??) - both are courgettes in this picture (do courgettes officiallly count as squashes? .. they do to me) and another tomato.

One of the courgettes has good flowers and already a growing fruit (you can see it in the middle of the picture if you look carefully).

I tried cucumber, in too small a pot really, and was pleasantly surprised that I already have a lovely fruit forming and couple more looking promising.

Here are the sweetcorn. They are the riskiest of all. I'm not sure if they are meant to do well in pots, but as I had seed ready I thought I'd try. I half thought of trying them outside, but it gets windy up here and I thought they would be stressed. Anyway, the barn is warmer.

They are very close together, so it will be interesting to see if they do ok.

You can already see the stalks forming that will have the tassels and cobs, so I might be in with a chance - as long as I keep them well watered etc. I just can't pass up the chance of super fresh sweetcorn, there's nothing quite like it.

I have a few different tomatoes. This one is a purple ukrainan plum variety, you can see it starting to elongate already.

My other type are cherry tomatoes I think. The seeds are from plants that I grew in this barn in 2008, so I'm hoping they will do well. They already have good fruits forming.

I also tried some peppers this year and they are flowering also. I think this one is 'Nigel's Outdoor Pepper' from Real Seeds. I didn't risk him outdoors!

This is Sweet Chocolate Sweet Bell Pepper, as from Real Seeds. I get lots of my seeds from them.

Here we have hot purple pepper, the foliage is quite dark on the plants and the flowers have a lovely purple hue.

I also started a couple of peanuts - in big pots this time - to see what happens.

Well, that all that's in the barn. Of course, I did do a few things outside as well.

We have some carrots (that I forgot to photograph) and some celery that is nearly ready.

I put a few flowers in containers to brighten the place up. They got a bit slugged, but there are some survivors. I think this is a scabious - from a mixed annual packet.

I'm very excited about the broad beans. The pods must be nearly full size by now. (I can be caught hovering nearby with a pan of boiling water, desperate to get shelling and eating them)

The ducks are enjoying their pond lots - here they are 'poolside'. As for the chickens, Bennie is doing well but unfortunately Madeline passed away, soon after my last post. So, Bennie is our only chicken right now. The ducks keep her company so she's not too lonely, I hope. We'll figure out what to do soon enough. I don't really want to get any more hens until we are back down in Leitrim. We shall see.

I love this kale, with it's pink stems and veins. It's really tasty too.

Further into the garden - Elvie suns himself near the teepee (his favourite spot when he's not on my knee).

I took the risk of putting a couple of squashes at the base of the teepee, to see if they would grow up well through it. (It also means they aren't hogging valuable barn space and it's ok if they get thuggush - as squashes ofthen do).

On the right is a blue banana squash (the trick with them is to cook them whole, as the skin is hard to cut into) and on the left we have a summer yellow patty pan squash.

Here's a close up of a dianthis (carnation) - aren't flowers amazing natural works of art?

We also have some fruit in the garden - not in pots. Here are some of the raspberries we brough over in 2007.

Here are some of our lovely apples, also brought over in 2007. Can't quite remember wnat variety they are .. some sort of Russett maybe .. but I do remember that thy're very tasty.

Here are some of my aunt's currants - black and white. They've been here for years, never fertilized or tended to and yet they come back strongly year after year.

I couldn't have a summer without a calendula somewhere (in a pot this year). I never have the heart to eat them, they're just too pretty.

I have no such hesitation with the parsley though. This is a french curly parsley ..

and this one is an italian giant flat leaved variety.

Well, thats about it for now.

I may not have a polytunnel, or a dedicated garden this year, but it doesn't matter. There is always room for a pot or two!

I also have some salad leaves and new potatoes .. and peas .. and beans .. that I forgot to photograph.

I'll let you know how well everything crops.

X Ferris

Diamond days and stone days

A friend said to me a while back ' Some days are diamonds and some are stone'. Well, I have my eye always out for diamonds, but we've run into a fair few stones recently.

Mind you, the weather has been great and the garden up at my aunts has it's share of diamond plants, such as this scented rose.

So, it's been a while since I've posted - I guess we've been a bit distracted.

Since the end of May its has been a bit crazy.

On Monday 24th May I found out - by checking online - that our planning application had been .. REFUSED. Needless to say, I was utterly shocked. I found out later that it was due to 'technical errors' made by the engineer. Long story short, we have to put the whole application in again, from scratch and so it looks like it will be late August before we're able to return to the build.

That day went from bad to worse when Frenchie the hen decided to dive under the wheels of the van as we went off for a well needed breath of fresh air after the shock of the planning refusal. She died instantly. Normally, the hens run FROM the van and we make sure that they are nowhere near it. She ran direclty towards and under it. RIP sweet Frenchie. (Here's a picture of her from last winter).

That was certainly a 'stone' week - with Sam being called to the GP to be told that the blood tests from his finger showed high blood glucose levels. They diagnosed him with type 2 diabetes that same week. That was another shock - but we've got on top of it .. and we're now exercising more and refining our diet even more and he's showing great improvement!

We've even started painting the outside of the house up here - brightens the place up a bit.



Sam did make a trip down to site in Leitrim last week. Our beloved house is still standing. Here it is .. in case you've forgotten what it looks like by now!


The beds where the polytunnel was have gone a bit wild - here's the mint - enjoying the rare hot, dry summer.


Here's a few onions..

Solstice came and went, with just a quick candle lit in celebration as Sam took quite ill, a kidney infection, and had to spend a few days in hospital to recover (he got rather 'toxic' and they were worried the infection could spread). He was out before midsummer's day though and is making a good recovery now. It also seems that the diabetes might have been misdiagnosed somehow, as the doctors noticed how normal his BG levels were when he was in hospital. Actually, they are quite confused by a lot of things, including why he got the infection so badly. Anyway, he's doing really well now - and BG levels are still tip top.

The garden is still glowing, with roses and other wonders.


Our last 'stone' is that my favourite hen (I know I shouldn't have a favourite but I just can't help it), Madeline, is quite poorly. Both her and Benny, our two remaining hens, were a bit ill, but some meds in the water soon sorted Benny out - who is in rude health again - but, alas, Madeline has not responded so well. She has good and bad days. The vet said to nurse her and thats what we're doing. We're trying to entice her with tasty food and giving her lots of attention. I'm not sure if she'll pull through or not, but we're doing all we can. Here she is, the hen in front, in this pic taken last winter.


She really is the sweetest hen, very silly, with a daft floppy comb and gentle nature. Fingers crossed that she pulls through ok. Whatever happens, she's had a great year with us - a world away from her previous life as a battery hen. To remember their first taste of fresh air, to see them get used to the feel of grass under their feet, chase a flying insect or tsate their first piece of pasta - they've all had a good time.

Of course, I haven't been able to resist doing a bit of container vegetable planting. I'll elaborate on that in the next post, but for now here are some carrots ...


tomatoes .....

and sweet and chilli peppers....


I'll post again soon, showing some more of my container experiments.

Fingers crossed there are some diamond days ahead!

Free ranging chickens

I just love to see my girls out 'free range' wandering around and having fun. In fact, there's hardly anything more amusing than watching their antics or having them following you about.

BUT I've always known that there were risks and downsides. The fox is the most obvious risk and there are other downsides, such as droppings in unexpected places.

Actually, when I first got the ducks and then the chickens I was all for keeping them permanently penned up - but as they got a bit stir crazy and ever more desperate for larger areas to roam I relented. After all, why keep them cooped up when there was land for them.

So, I took on the risk and enjoyed their freedom.

This week, I've had to come to terms with that decision. Winkles (pictured below) has been missing since Tuesday and is now presumed to be a foxes dinner (although I can't help hoping that she's just gone broody and will wander back soon - I'm ever the optimist).

We miss her. She was the feistiest of all four chickens. If she is gone for good, at least her last year spent with us was, presumably, more fun than her earlier life as a battery hen.

I shut the birds in all day yesterday (not that it stopped Bennie, who went 'over the top' and had me convinced that she also had become a snack for Mr Fox - before sauntering back, unharmed, an hour later).

By this afternoon myself and Sam decided that it was worse to deny them their freedom to free range (after them having it for so long ... and after them having NO freedom as battery hens) than to risk the fox, so we've let them out again to do what they do best - poke about and have fun.

We know it's risky, but, thats life. I just hope that we - and they - don't end up paying a high price for their freedom now. We'll keep a close eye on them, of course, and will try to improve on security, but I can't help being a bit nervous.

Here's all the girls ( a while ago) helping out with the gardening.

Here's Frenchie being garden supervisor.

Here's a picture of their pen (pictured last winter) up here at my aunts. It is a reasonable size and can be moved about. It does need the electric tape bringing up from Leitrim if security is to be improved.

I don't think there are any easy answers for this situation. Sam reckons that in a way they are safer free ranging because if a fox comes he may just take one and the others can take cover, whereas if they were penned up and the fox got in they would have nowhere to hide.

Of course, the set up is better down in Leitrim, but, as there is no movement on the planning yet, I have no idea when we'll actually get them - and us - back down. It's a real shame to be missing the lengthening days.

Fingers crossed that we'll good news on the planning front soon and that Mr Fox won't be coming to visit in a hurry.

Oh Dear

Well, this blog is our warts and all account of our adventures in our field. This post tells of one of our wartier moments.

Unfortunately, this Monday we had a rather nasty adventure, well Sam did.

We were down checking over the site, Sam doing some mowing and myself sorting out the old tunnel area (we're still not able to resume the build so were busying ourselves with other stuff) when Sam had a bit of mishap with the lawnmower and we had a serious trip to the Accident and Emergency of the hospital.

I won't go into the details - a bit gory and long winded, but the whole experience has left Sam with quite a bit less of his right hand ring finger than previously and some injury to his right hand little finger also.

We're still in a bit of shock really, but he's come through the surgery well and is determined to be back playing music as soon as humanly possible.

I must say a huge thank you to Kim and Alistair for looking after Sally and for driving us from Cavan hospital to Drogheda hospital (so Sam could see the surgical specialists) and to Milly and Tony for putting us up in Drogheda and recusing the van. Thanks also go to everyone who saw the ambulance and was concerned and to all friends who have sent good wishes and healing. Thank you all.

Here's hoping that next month will bring some better luck and that by this time next month Sam will be well on the road to recovery .. and that we might even have our planning through.

Here is a picture of himself smiling through his adversity!

Mice, slugs and Spring blooms

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I had a mammoth seed sowing fest - and have these shelves up now in the barn to accommodate all those new seed trays. I had the seed and even if i don't know where I'll put all the plants I couldn't face not growing them this year.

The weather has been quite warm during the days for a while, so I've also been hardening some seedlings off outside.

I thought, with the weather warming, that I wouldn't have a problem with mice anymore. If you remember, they ate some broad bean seeds - from the pots - back in February.

Alas, I underestimated the dedication of mice to finding a good snack. Stupidly, I'd put some seeds on the bottom level of the shelves and that proved too much of a temptation to Mr / Mrs / Miss Mouse.

I noticed on Thursday that I'd lost some cauliflower, calendula, sweet peas, sunflowers and nasturtiums. I've had to re-buy the nasturtiums and sweet peas. I have reserves of the rest.

If you look closely at this pic you can see that Mr Mouse likes a nibble of nasturtiums, but won't finish the lot!

On Thursday I also noticed that the broad beans I'd put out this week have started to get slug damage.

You can see it here on these leaves. I did a night time patrol yesterday and caught three big slugs!

Yesterday, Frenchie the chicken had a relapse (she was a bit poorly over Easter - but improved again). The vet thinks it's a gut infection. So, we've had to separate her, so we can give her medicine in her water. She isn't impressed. We put Madelene(the friendliest and daftest chicken) in with her at night to keep her warm and cosy.

Here's Frenchie this morning in her makeshift little pen.

Hopefully, thats all our 'bad luck' for now (I'm trying to not even think of the ongoing planning hold ups - we're now waiting on the reedbed report, which we need before we can make our next submission. We were meant to get it three weeks ago - but it's hard to hurry anything up in Leitrim - even if it drives you daft waiting!)

Anyway, it's a new day today and I have some replacement seeds ready to sow.

Our potatoes are starting to make an appearance now in the bags.

My red lettuce if finally turning red (after being green with nasty dark blotches).

Outside, work goes on clearing the drive at my aunts.

I even got her a couple of herbs for the sunny south facing bed, which should be done soon.

For myself, I couldn't resist a wee anemone that will probably come to Leitrim with us. It's always out so early in the year, I find it really cheery.

Outside we have some willow cuttings that I'll try to plant up.

They are this years prunings from the teepee we made a few years back.

Out in the lane, the spring flowers are well underway. Here's the aconite (?).

and here's some wood anenome.

I'm not sure what this is, but it's growing up the wall of my aunts house. Small, but beautifully formed.

Here's her Camellias, just coming into flower now.

Even her redcurrants and showing signs of life.

I've even taking some cutting some rose prunings. It's a big, old fashioned, shrub rose. I'll pot it up soon and see if it 'takes'.