Thursday, 5 May 2011

Growing


Potatoes planted


and more potatoes


A cool shady seat for a tea break


Strawberries, salads and herbs


and parsley.   


The essence of Spring!


Our first harvest!


and the result.

Lots of hard work, taking advantage of this wonderful sunshine. More beds dug out today, ready for the carrots, onions and beetroot.  Temporary raised beds will serve for the rest of our veg crop, as we wait for the drainage work on both fields.  Now our focus shifts to the peat banks - no doubt the subject of a future post.
Not many words today - I am so tired - in such a good way. xx

22 comments:

  1. I love your photos-everything looks so wonderful. Love all the containers for the strawberries, herbs and salad, etc.
    Help me out here, is that a lot of potato or is it just my lack of experience with growing potatoes?
    Have a good, well-deserved, rest!
    meggs.

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  2. Well - it depends Megg. We planted 50 kg - so that is around 110 pounds. That is a lot for us, so we will certainly be self sufficient in spuds, and we will give some away, as not everyone is growing here. potatoes are a good breaking in and clearing crop, and the land has not been grown on for many years.
    Night night. x

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  3. I love the container with the strawberries in....waste not, want not!
    Sue :)

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  4. The sheep are having fun!!! And the soup looks yummy. I won't be planting anything for a month yet.

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  5. You can never have enough spuds! I am hoping to put a few more in, we have two lots at different stages so far, hopefully it will provide us with some spuds throughout at least Summer and early Autumn.
    I too have been planting in old tyres etc, you need to utilise every space in the growing season!

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  6. Is that nettle soup. Do you have a recipe that you'd be willing to share? Thanks!
    ~Nikole

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  7. nothing beats the way you feel after a hard days productive work! exhausted but so at peace.
    There were nettles? so wonderful!

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  8. what lovely pictures. the three i particularly like are the seat right in the wall, the leaping sheep and the basket of your harvest. i am glad the sun has shone for your hearty and energetic work and i wish you and yours a wonderful rest as you sleep.

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  9. Wonderful pictures. I'm sure your sleep will be the best sleep after all that spent energy in the sunshine assisting mother natures work.
    BTW - thanks for the advice on following your heart recently, it really helped with some decisions we are making.
    Blessings.

    xx

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  10. So wonderful, beautiful pictures xxxxxxx

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  11. Wonderful photos, strawberry plants look so healthy, yummy times ahead!
    We have a small garden of 0.2 acres and this is our first year of growing fruit and veg. This week we've planted a grape vine.

    I love the sheep photos.
    x

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  12. It's like a breath if fresh air just reading this post Jacqui! I can just imagine having a well earned break on that wonderful stone bench. And I know what you mean about feeling tired in a good way, it's such fulfilling work isn't it, fills you up as well as wears you out! Hope you got a good rest xx

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  13. Wow, all that space to grow potatoes! How wonderful!

    I love that exhausted feeling from a day or two in the garden/allotment. Great for your body and soul.

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  14. Plenty of spuds, BC, you'll have them coming out of your ears! Are they first earlies, seconds or maincrop? Or a mixture like we have? And aren't those lambs a hoot! We always watch out for what we call the "lamb grand prix" in the evenings, when they all run around together doing a circuit of the croft, or round an old black house. Makes us laugh every time. :-)

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  15. Thanks all. Albedo - they are both - Eerstelings (Duke of York) which are first earlies and maincrop Kerrs pink. And yes - we will be eating a lot of potato based dishes - lol. I love the lamb grand-prix - what a great name for it. it is the cutest thing.

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  16. Nikole - here is my nettle soup recipe
    It is one of those things that doesn't really have a set format. Usually I collect some nettle tips - just over half a large carrier bag. I sweat 2 onions and a couple of garlic cloves until they are nice and soft - add a large diced potato and cook a little bit more - then add the nettles and some good stock ( about 3 pints) salt and pepper and simmer until the potato is soft. Blitz it well with a hand blender or liquidiser. I add a glug of cream at the end and reheat. If you happen to have a couple of leeks about you, then feel free to add them in place of one of the onions. Some chopped chives sprinkled on top look nice too.
    I love this soup. No-one ever believes it is made from nettles.
    4K - a grape vine sounds very exciting.
    xx

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  17. I love seeing the things you are planting. I don't think anything makes a place feel like home more than having tubs and ground with things planted into them. It's like pouring your love into the future isn't it and makes a place feel closer and more connected.

    I love those old, stone pots and the little bench, I can imagine you sat there with a cuppa while you survey what you have growing! xxxx

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  18. I love to see your posts and see how you aree getting on. I saw the nettles and smiled when you said " Our first harvest!". Weeds keep coming even when you cant grow anything else. I hope you get your drainage sorted. I am just watching Monty Don gardening his wet garden. Love to you all. Don

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  19. Anonymous7/5/11 14:20

    Nettles!!!! "When in doubt use nettles"! They are such a go-to herb for me and I planted some just this year. folks in the US are not quite as familiar with nettles, except as a pest that hurts!
    Beautiful photos and your soil looks so rich and amazing!

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  20. Anonymous7/5/11 16:58

    Wow, you have been working hard. I hope you have been taking plenty of tea-breaks. Thanks also for the recipe for nettle soup - I believe nettle is very rich in iron, so this could be a good thing for us vegetarians. I must find a nettle patch somewhere in the city!
    Your photo of the leaping lamb is especially wonderful.

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  21. thanks for the recipe. I will be making this right after we move, as our new place has loads of nettles :)
    ~Nikole

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  22. Your garden looks like it's coming along very well. We've been out in our raised beds too. I'll do the second planting tomorrow. It's so nice to finally have nice weather.

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