The end of August and despite Autumn's early arrival, the veggie patch is still productive
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Sorbet having a cat-nap
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Look at all those lovely jars of honey - 38 to be exact
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Feeding time for the boys
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Dick smiling for the camera!
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End of August and our cabbages are strong, healthy and very tasty!!!
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Brussel sprouts - all we need now is some tinsel and a turkey!
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The poor summer means that we are having to wait for these sweetcorn to ripen
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Butternut Squash - a huge success last year, so this year, we're growing even more!
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Rainbow chard - a unique vegetable, very healthy but rarely seen in shops as it does not store well
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The 4 courgette plants are still very productive - courgette cake anybody?
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Last week of August and the pumpkins are swelling up nicely
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Dan's sister-in-law, "Pricey", scraping the honey from the sides of the extractor
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Liquid Gold!!!!
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The uncapped honey frames are put into the extractor, ready for spinning
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Dan's brother Ricks uncapping the frame of honey using the accessory built by Ciaran
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Dan shaking the bees off of the frame of capped honey
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Dan opening up the hive to start the honey harvest
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A mid-August harvest bearing in mind that it's like Autumn out there!
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Ciaran smoothing off the corners to make the finished article
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Dave & Ciaran making the honey frame supporter
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The first accessory - the honey extractor stabiliser
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Dan's dad Dave showing Ciaran how to make some honey-harvesting accessories
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Salty Ol' Sea-Dogs!
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Smoked sausage!!!
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In anticipation
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It works - ish
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With Dave's supervision the fire is prepared for the smoker
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Tina & Victoria feed the birds
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Tina walks the birds back
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They've escaped!
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Ciaran rounds up the escapee geese
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It's a boy thing!!!
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Master craftsman at work!
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Ciaran's first solo butchering experience
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How to gut and butcher a rabbit
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Dan shows Ciaran how to skin a rabbit
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Phase 1 of the smoker complete
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Ciaran hard at work
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Ciaran getting ready to make the smoker
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Spoon feeding!
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Tina has the boys eating out of her hand!!!
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Tina getting acquainted with Dick & Dom
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Pumpkin pie anybody?
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Our first pumpkin
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Begining of August
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1st of August's harvest
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What they lack in good looks, they make up for in taste!
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Our turkeys look like something out of Jurrasic Park
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Sorbet with cat flu
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Getting ready for the Gin & Tonic
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The veggie patch at the end of July
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Dick 'n' Dom fattening up nicely
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Feeding time for Dick 'n' Dom
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More than enough to share!
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Ducks having a wander around
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Ducks having a wander by the bee hive - honey roast duck?!?!
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We shall definitely be planting more of these next year!
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Dan the lamb
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Looking and smelling gorgeous
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Using a spatula to push all the honey through to the filter
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The extracted honey being filtered into the holding bucket
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Dan and his parents capturing every last drop of honey from the wax that was cut from the frames
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Dan, his Dad and Victoria watching the honey being spun out of the frames
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The golden harvest that lies beneath the wax
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Cutting off the wax to reveal the honey
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Putting the first frame of honey in a bee-proof box
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19th July and Dan prepares for our first ever honey harvest
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Colonel Sanders - eat your heart out!
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Who says we're not getting our 5-a-day?
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It won't be long now!
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12th July and the runner bean plants are looking good
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A baby lavendar plant recently transplanted
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Giant sunflowers brightening up the veggie patch - plus, of course, they're bee food
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12th July and everything is strong and healthy inside the polytunnel
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The cherry tomato plants absolutely love the polytunnel - look at the number of fruit and flowers!
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Cherry toms in the polytunnel - absolutely gorgeous!
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The cucumber plants, once Dan had finished pinching out
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Dan nipping out the cucumber plant in the polytunnel (and holding his stomach in!!!)
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Sweetcorn plants after Tracey straightened them out!
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Carrot and swede (which is looking a little worse for wear)
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One of our pumpkin plants making a comeback
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French white bean (haricot blanc) plant
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No denying that Unwins pansy seeds are the best so far!
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Cabbages are just beginning to be ready for picking
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The rabunda strawberry - the "least favourite" of our 3 varietes
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The rabunda strawberry plant
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The cirafine strawberry - looks ARE deceiving!
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The cirafine strawberry plant - very sweet, but "ugly"
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The actual cijosee strawberry
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The cijosee strawberry plant - the most productive so far
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Early July and the latest produce from the polytunnel
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Runner beans beginning to thicken up
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One of our honey bees at work
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Dan inspecting one of the frames within the hive - looking for eggs and the elusive queen
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Who needs to count sheep?! ... one ... two ... three ...
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Dan inspecting his beehive
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Due to high winds, our sweetcorn is now growing at a 90 degree angle
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48 hours and this will be in Tracey's creme fraiche and lemon sauce
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In a few more days we can begin to start harvesting the courgettes
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Summer flowers
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Dan mowing the front lawn - don't worry, he uses his tractor for most of it
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Early July in the veggie garden
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3 hens and no eggs yet
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No such thing as an ugly duckling
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Our 5 ducklings growing fast
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A few fattener upper chickens take a break from eating to have a drink
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Fattener Upper chickens filling their faces
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The 2 smallest turkeys are spending time in A&E so they can fatten up quicker
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Indie gives Sorbet yet another wash!
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Indie finds Sorbet's ticklish spot!
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Indie being loving to "Hello" (formerly called Dec)
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Come down or you'll get in trouble with the owners!
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What's this thing do?
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Sorbet trying to catch flies! Let's hope he grows up to catch mice as well
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Be careful!
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Indie keeping a watchful eye on Sorbet
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Are you my brother?
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Sorbet getting himself into knots while trying to wash himself
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One of Traceys' pots - full of bloom
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Cabbages coming along nicely
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Sweetcorn nicely established and growing well
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Courgettes are going great guns now
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Passion flower growing along the terrace - pretty to look at and damn good bee food as well
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Cute!
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Clever kitty
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Sorbet trying to get into the printer!
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Our 5-a-day - eaten within minutes of being picked.
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Slow growing, but will be worth the wait - our own lemons!
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Guess what veg we had for dinner tonight?!
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Another potato plant dug up, another plate of spuds for dinner
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Our first courgette on it's way
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Our first giant sunflower of the season
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One of the hanging baskets in full bloom
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Say cheese!
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Dick & Dom learning that apples are actually edible
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And now for something from the fruit cage
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Rich pickings from the veggie plot
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Ta-da! Now where's my hose?!
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Dan get's his uniform
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Dick & Dom require some Ambre Solaire!
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Strong and healthy cucumbers begin to form
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First red cherry toms
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First pepper growing in the polytunnel
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Tomarillo plants growing in the polytunnel - anyone know what to do with them?
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Green & purple basil expertly transplanted by Tracey
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Pots beginning to bloom (excuse the weeds!)
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Ghostbuster!
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Dan - happy as a pig in shit!
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Dan hand feeding the pigs on "Day 2 of Pig Brother"
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Pigs'll let you do anything as long as you feed them!
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Dick being hand fed pig pellets - a bonding moment!
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The runner beans are improving day by day, but it's still a long way to go
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Dec finds a shady spot
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Go Girl !!! One of our honey bees doing what she does best!
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A good show of lavendar after last years turkeys ate most of it!
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Summer flowers have taken a battering from the constant storms, but nature will survive
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25.06.08 In another week, we'll be picking these peas
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Summer hasn't even started properly yet, but the winter cabbages and sprouts look healthy
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Our pumpkin plants have made a feeble start - but fingers crossed...
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Despite a slow start, the courgette plants are now beginning to flower
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Runner beans - not as dense as last year, but at least they're growing!
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A mud pack is so good for the complexion!
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Another day in paradise!
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25th June, 2008 - Dick & Dom, Day 2
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Future ham!
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A world of new sniffs and smells
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Plenty of room for 2 pigs
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'ere bruv! Come and smell this!
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Dan strokes Dom and whispers words of encouragement!
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Dom follows his brother Dick into the pen
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Dick has a quick sniff of his new surroundings
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Dick goes first into the pound
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Dick & Dom arrive home
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Organic rabbits!!!
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Matt & Caitlin making good progress with the rabbit run
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Dan digs trench for securing bird pound
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First water lilly
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Matt & Caitlin make the framework for the rabbit run
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Neat & tidy thanks to Matt & Caitlin
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Brussel Sprouts planted by Matt & Caitlin
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Matt removes broken and rusty wire
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Matt & Caitlin repairing rabbit hutch doors
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Caitlin getting to work around the runner beans
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Matt & Caitlin hoe the veggie patch
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Matt hangs DVDs
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Caitlin hangs the dvd mobile in the turkey pen
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Matt & Caitlin prepare the netting to secure the bird cage
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First pickings of soft fruit
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Blanche & Henrietta
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Henrietta
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Dan moves the duck house nearer the pond
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Hello? Is anyone else coming out to play?
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White turkeys
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Bully boy bronzer!
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Cardboard city!
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Dan putting new turkeys into their nursery cage
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Our new ducks - cute, huh?!
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Time to take the new livestock back home
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The livestock market where Dan loves to spend the housekeeping money!
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Our first raspberry
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Strawberries!
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Mid June and the brocolli is looking good enough to eat!
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First crop of redcurrants
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Healthy cucumber plants
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Cherry toms shaping up nicely
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Mid June and inside the polytunnel
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Dan and a feathered friend
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The chickens in their new nursery pound
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Dan makes a shelter for the turkeys
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Indie, Tilly & Dec
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Tilly & Dec
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Dan secures the bird cage
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The framework of the birdcage is all in place
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Erecting the bird cage
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Sweetcorn planted
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Pumpkins planted
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The new arrivals settling in to the nursery pen
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Geoff arrives with 10 chickens to fatten up
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Dan preparing the ground ready for more planting
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The red robins are now well and truly established
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Potatoes and onions doing very nicely
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Mid June and the runner beans have got a strong hold
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4 courgette plants just planted out from the polytunnel
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Inside the fruit cage
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Mid June and our first strawberry!
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The brassicas growing well - at this rate, we should have plenty of veg for the winter
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Mid June and the first brocolli heads are now showing
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More cabbages planted in the safety of the fruit cage
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Early June and the brocolli and peas are doing well
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Geraniums look good but no sign of the hydrangea
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Tilly admiring the pots!
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Flower pots showing signs of a good summer display
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4th June - veggie patch taking shape - beds rotovated and ready to plant
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Fully dressed and ready for action - time to let the bees out of the hive
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Dan opening the hive door - notice that this time, he remembered to use the smoker!
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6 pepper plants inside the polytunnel - these plants are watered using a micro-spray
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3 recently transplanted cucumber plants with straw mulch and a micro-drip
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Cherry tomato plants coming along nicely
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A young tomato plant (St Pierre variety) inside the polytunnel with it's micro-drip irrigation
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Eager for an early harvest, we've left a pot of strawberry plants inside the polytunnel
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Seedlings are coming along nicely inside the polytunnel
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Tracey taking the tractor back with Indie & Tilly in hot pursuit!
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Small, but perfectly formed
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An idyllic afternoon fishing in our own pond
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Not quite the 30lb carp Dan had been dreaming of, but it's a start!
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Shredded twigs and bark act as a mulch to reduce weeds and retain water
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Job done!
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Dan on his way back to dry land
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Tracey giving one of the trees a short back and sides
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Dan attacking the overgrown pond area
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Veggie patch nicely weeded and ready for action
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One of Bunty's babies - just 4 weeks old
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One of Mimi's babies
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Tilly admiring the flower pots
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Indie chasing honey bees - unfortunately, not ours!
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Cutting the lawn has become a race between rain showers
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Digging the bean pit
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Full of hope for our hanging baskets
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One of many pots (a.k.a bee food)
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Rotovated, weeded and ready to go!
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Dan putting up Tracey's hanging baskets
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Indie and Dec enjoying warm sun on the terrace
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Guess what Dan found in the straw bale!
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Getting our "training bees" for bee school
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Our 1 surviving chicken who's now been renamed to Gloria (as in Gloria Gaynor, I will survive!)
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Planting water lillies - the sun was shining, but the water was bloody cold!
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April Rain - Pic #4
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April Rain - Pic #3
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April Rain - Pic #2
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April Rain - Pic #1
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The Wanderer Returns
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With all the rain, at least the geese have got something to swim in
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Our friend Karen with the most important job of all - cups of tea!
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Tracey putting in the spuds
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Finally getting around to finishing off the fruit cage with help from our friends
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Smile Please
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The Wanderer Returns!
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Spring has sprung!
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Off to Bee School
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Haggis - they taste better than they look!
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Dan making Haggis
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Mar 08 - With 'mixys' in the garden, our breeding stock need to be vaccinated.
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After a long drive to their new home, Ant & Dec snuggle up in a seed tray for a cat-nap
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Mar 08 - Our "organic mouse poison", Ant & Dec are the latest additions to our home farm
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Rocky - the new buck rabbit - he'll be ready for work at the end of March
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Feb 08 - Waiting for another stick to be thrown!
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Feb 08 - taking a nap in the winter sunshine
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Aug 03 - From little acorns! Indie at just a few weeks old
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Aug 07 - Man's best friend! It doesn't matter who's working in the garden, Indie doesn't leave them
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The dogs sharing toys - aaahhhhh
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Spet 05 - Big Bruv makes a little room for Tilly
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Sept 05 - Tilly at 4 weeks old
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Rotovated and ready - the fruit cage just needs it's roof and it all systems go. Bring it on!
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May 07 - it all looked so good - how were we to know it'd all go so wrong!
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This is what it's all about
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Now you see them, next you don't - we don't have a lot of luck with ducks
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Almost ready for the pot! Another 2 weeks and these rabbits will be dispatched
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This year the chickens have a much larger enclosure
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