Dont tell me you didnt sing along!

Day eleventy billion of the Covid 19 (Coronavirus), lockdown in Scotland.  I was going to do a post on the chicken coop and pen and the retrofits we have added to make it work well for our set up.  I didnt take the pictures as we hadnt finished them all and will probably make more changes.  I will document the progress.

For today, I give you another youtube.  We have to look on the bright side of life as I dont really know what else to do.

Be safe
Be well

While Staying at Home to Save Lives!

Tomorrow, I will try to post about the retrofits we have added to the shop bought chicken coop and pen.

Stay safe 
Be well

Celery Leaf

Re-sprouting celery

What is this plant?

Can you help me?  What is this plant? 

 it is popping up everywhere.  

The Elements

Checked the vehicles this morning, to see that the solar panels are topping up the batteries.  Yep, that is correct, -4 oC.  Wind is coming from the opposite direction today, so a little bit warmer this afternoon.  

Been out, putting compost into pots to try and grow seedlings on in the dining room.  No idea if this will work, but no green house means we have to be inventive.  They can grow on, whilst we think about the beds.

Reading a lot about permaculture at present.  I am hoping to get lots of ideas and what is possible in my area.  Gosh, it is time like this that I become really homesick. This is a challenge.  I hope I can defy the elements and grow something in the garden.  Wish me luck.

Be well

Next stage

Now that the chickens have their area, coop, run and their free range area, I can now decide where to put beds in.  They have to be raised as the back garden is very uneven and rough.  Where it slopes it doesnt drain well and will become water logged.  I need to look at each area and think hard about where to put things to get the most of the light and what can fit in the space.  Its not small by any means, a person in a new build house would think that they had the best plot in the estate if they had this area. The exposure and the massive trees cast shade and the plants could become wind burnt if I am not careful.  

Chickens left to right, the one that looks white is a Buff Barred, she is called Edna.  The one resting on the ground is a Columbian Black Tail, this one is called Agneta and the one showing off on the top of the wood pile that we call 'Pride Rock', this is another Columbian Black Tail called Sharon or Shazza.  She gives the alarm when we approach, I hope she doesnt turn out to be a cockerel!  lol  

They are quick to put themselves to bed and to come out of the coop in the morning.  They havent mastered roosting yet and seem to all pile into the one box?  lol  they are getting a bit big for that.  

Grow Your Greens

I have featured this youtube channel before.  I really enjoy watching youtubes about gardening.  I find this and Nonna Gina really relaxing.   He is very excitable, but I think this shows how passionate he is about his garden.  

What vegetables are you growing this year?  

Tears for Fears - Mad World

As there is no tip open to take the garden waste away I now have to process it by hand.  I am using secateurs to snip the leaves off and chop the thin bits of stick into the bin.  Giving it a good kick every so often to make it all sift down and leave no gaps.  Or at least that is the idea.  There is no recycling in this area of Scotland.  I know, shock horror.  I normal separate all of my waste and take it to the tip and dump it into the right bins.  At present there is now where to take it, so it is slowly mounting up in the shed.  It does mean though that I can throw garden waste into the general waste bins (right or wrong this is the only option at present as we do not wish to burn it and put any more pressure on the emergency services if we cant keep it under control...).

Snip snip snip, kick kick kick.  The dogs are loving it and are running back and forth with their toys as this is all great fun to them.  It is managing to be sunny at present, there is as always, wind.  lol  

There is some more chopped wood to move and we have some wood left over to make some raised beds, although we cant leave the property I feel I am at least being a bit productive.

We need to do some shopping tomorrow, some for us and some for my 80+ year old FIL.  Wish me luck.

Stay safe.
Be well.

Gardening in the Coronavirus Pandemic

I have been chopping things down in the garden today, I am dreading trying to get rid of all the holly bush I have hacked down.  I have also gone a bit crazy chopping at a tree that is giving too much shade to a large area.

The picture is beech tree seedlings trying to grow.  I was hoping that it was monkey puzzle tree, no such luck.

There is also a plant that I have no idea about.  It seems to spread under the ground and come up somewhere else...  I will take a picture of it another time.  It is huge.  It is about 1.2m high by 3.5m wide clump.  It is taking up too much space.

I planted some of my plants from last years shopping frenzy at Morrisons.  Every time I went I bought some plants on their £1 special of the week.  Heathers and the such like.  I also bought some conifers (dont worry they are dwarf kinds that dont get taller than 1m and the other 1.5m).  I will slowly start adding these to the border at the very front of the property.

I still have lots of fire wood to move from the other border, I still have plants to go in there as well.  

I have 2 camellias that are in flower, the first is one called Ruby Wedding, it is very pretty.  The other one was a bargain £1.75 job from Aldi that I bought and potted on as soon as I got home last summer.  I have a few of these ones.  They are exceptional bargains and if you have the time to grow them on you will save a fortune.  I cant really afford to buy from the garden centres, the camellias would have probably been £10 for the size they have grown to in the past year.  Its worth looking when you are shopping, if and when we go back to normal. 

I am very anxious at present.  I am 500 miles from my parents and the rest of my family, it is weighing heavy on my mind and I feel homesick for a home that no longer exists.  I think many people will probably feel like this.  

Please stay home.
Be well everyone.  

Be Well