Heavy Weather

Greetings,
I would like to be able to update you on all the fascinating things that have been happening on the holding since I last blogged (is that even the correct word?) however, I can't. Mostly this week it has been raining. A lot. I hope the myriads of daffodil, iris and tulip bulbs I placed  gently into the earth before the skies opened have not been consigned to a watery grave.

Back in the sun lounge things are sprouting out all over. The sweet peas have already germinated and I have been obliged to move them out to the polytunnel in order to slow the little blighters down. This almost inevitably means that I have laid on an interesting new addition to the menu for the army of slugs currently resident on the holding. On the basis that the hedgepigs can't get into the polytunnel I have been throwing slug pellets around like confetti. Fingers crossed everyone..,...

No picture this time as an acre of mud has little to recommend it as artwork.

Preparing the Ground

One of the joys(?) of smallholding is the constant search for new income streams which might raise one, if not out of poverty, at least a little higher above the mire. My latest cunning scheme is growing cut flowers. This has several things in its favour.
1. It will make use of land which is currently producing only a good crop of nettles for which there is little discernible market at the moment.
2. Exmoor tends to produce sheep, cows and pheasants so there is a bit of a niche into which I hope to wriggle
3. I like growing flowers
4. If my market research and planning are all to pot at least I will have a garden full of flowers and a cheap source of birthday presents for all my friends.

Having gone to the time and effort of fencing off part of the paddock for floral use, I decided to use the existing veg patch for the bulbs and overwintering plants since it was handily weed free and close to the house. Naturally I will spend the winter months digging over and manuring the new area for the planting of veg and more flowers. There is nothing I enjoy more than trudging around in the freezing rain with more mud on my boots than in the barrow. I can hardly wait to get started. In the meantime you might like to see the fruits of my labours so far.......

Yes, well, any smallholder worth his or her salt has to have imagination and optimism. There is actually more than this but it is covered with agricultural fleece and my 7 year old camera can't handle that much reflected light.
Not only have I sacrificed the veg patch to my new passion, the sun lounge has also been brought into play. I have repaired the ceiling and insulated the glass. (Something I never actually bothered to do for my own comfort or that of my guests.) It is now half full of pots, seed trays and bits of unlabelled vegetation that I am confident will develop into highly desirable shrubs and potted plants with the coming of spring........
In the meantime I continue to milk the goats, make cheese and upgrade the house from barely habitable to fairly dry and comfortable.
It's going to be a busy winter.especially as I now have this blog and the website to worry about