20 April 2004 - Spring has arrived!
We finally finished lambing and feel quite pleased with our 11 lambs and even though we had several singles they are huge. They already have their father's horns poking through which may be a problem with the children if we decide to keep any. To celebrate and to catch up on some sleep we raced up to the Lake District and then on to Scotland for a few days. We had a wonderful time in gorgeous weather and drove for miles. We are now back in the pouring rain and feel exhausted!
Knowing that we may have a chance to get away gave us the energy to move on with the gardening. Angus managed to finish the autumn digging!! And then proceeded to sow everything that needed to be in the ground. Potatoes and shallots went in first and then the onions we grew in January. We sow many seeds in to pots and trays in the polytunnel in an attempt to give them a head start over the slugs and snails that seem to take over the garden from now on.
We try to be totally organic in the garden but resort to pellets where beer and traps have failed. But we have to take extra care in using them because we have Roman snails that we all love including one called Boris that lived in the herb garden for a few years.
Anyway we rushed to the garden when we got home to find that nothing waited for us. Potatoes and broad beans are showing well and rows of carrots, beetroot, radish and mange tout peas are clearly marked. In the green house and polytunnel more beans, marrow, courgette and cabbage are well on the way. Lets hope that no merciless frost comes our way.
The daffodils and narcissi have been fabulous this year but are now moving over for the bluebells and primula. The old beech wood smells heady in the warmth and its blue carpet makes it difficult to walk which is probably a good thing since the wild garlic that is also there has its own pungent aroma when crushed.
Our neighbour, Lucy has been making the best organic pork sausages with the garlic and with the young lovage that is shooting up now. Last month the garden had a yellow feel to it but now pink and blue are taking over with blossom, lilac and alpine clematis. The fruit blossom looks encouraging but the rhubarb is already going to seed. We have had to make our first batch of jam in the jam factory- rhubarb and ginger is bottled, labelled and ready for selling. We are busy making our goats cheese too which is supposed to be quiet at this time of year but which instead has stayed hectic. We buy in our milk from local suppliers who are all kidding now and have thankfully masses of creamy milk for us. The grass is now growing and the main sheep field is a picture with cowslips and primroses.
It certainly benefited from Luke's (my son) attentions with our old David Brown tractor and second hand harrows at the beginning of the month. He managed the work in spite of nearly loosing his toes to a fly mow earlier in an accident that should never have happened and which aged us all and taught us a lesson about suitable clothing for work.
I suppose the parts of the garden that I love the most are coming in to their own now with spring bulbs, pulmonaria, and violets. But everything has its season including the weeds and already we are fighting with bindweed, dandelions, and bitter cress. It will have to be hand weeding though as we have seen our first butterflies and the bees are hovering over the new flowers.
Jessie our puppy is proving a natural with the sheep although she has a little to learn in the garden and we must keep her away from any visitors, particularly those wearing white.
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