Saturday 31 December 2011

Seeds

We've now placed our seed orders for next year: five, in total. I shan't list them here, but I'll put the plans on the kitchen garden page at some point, along with variety details. We've also got some way with the activity plan for the year—as normal, March and April are hectic, with lots and lots to sow and plant. We think there's enough space on windowsills, but I always worry.

The Daft Cat (Domino) managed to hurt his leg (probably a fight), and has been, reluctantly (read: with claws) allowing us to examine him. I think it'll heal soundly, having been caught early, cleaned, and dressed. He still seems happy to eat cream, though.

Domino with Cream (© Ian 2011)

Friday 30 December 2011

Kitchen Garden Planting Planning

We've spent a lot of the last few days finalizing the vegetables we'll grow this year, and how they fit into the beds. It's a complex operation, but one we'll only have to do—hopefully—a few times, before being able to recycle previous plans.

We think we're there, and just need to translate the physical plan into an action plan (that is, what needs doing each month (sowing, planting, harvesting, feeding...), and order the necessary seeds. As part of this, we've also been out to the garden centre, and picked up a few bits in their sale, including a second cake platter, and a candle set.

Out in the garden, I've turned the compost heaps, and also lifted a couple of square metres of turf to go to Liz's grandmother in Ludlow (I managed to find a non-mossy patch!). I also had a tree surgeon out to look at some of the poplars on the edge of the garden. They're getting a bit awkward, and risk losing major branches in high winds. They're also not especially attractive, and might be shading the solar panels (slightly)—and I could use the firewood. We plan to have five of them taken down in the New Year, to give some space to the smaller trees amongst them.

Lastly, the foster-children have left: it's been in the pipeline for the last couple of months, and they've moved back to live with their grandmother. Jenny and Philip are now taking a couple of weeks off, before the matching process for their long-term placement children begins.

Tuesday 27 December 2011

Of Stoves and Shopping

A number of Liz's Christmas presents to me were virtual—ideas for things that I had some choice on, and which needed me to decide and order. These are quite typical, as I like having a say, and can normally find a good deal. I've been bemoaning my baking sheets for some time: originally non-stick, their coating has gradually worn and peeled, and they're decidedly unhappy. At worst, one gets scraps of coating on the bottom of one's bread roll. We've found some possibly replacements: solid silicone sheets (which, by design, will not lose coating) that go on top of metal sheets (for solidity). Also now on order is a nutcracker (a fun mushroom design: you screw a wooden plunger down into a cup, which crushes the nut: I never get on with plier designs); and a pair of welly liners (Liz loves hers).

We also spent a lot of time looking at our options for installing a stove in the sitting room. The open fire, while quite attractive burning, looks rather dull when not lit. Open fires are also hideously inefficient at putting heat into the room (20%, by some accounts, with the rest going up the chimney), and the open chimney lets cold air in, and warm air out, the entire time.

We live in a smoke-control area, which limits our choices, but we've seen a few that we like. One option is to get a back-boiler stove, and hook it into the central heating, so that we reduce our oil use and warm the whole house when the stove is lit, rather than predominantly the sitting room. No decision yet, though...

Monday 26 December 2011

Two Christmas Days

Yesterday, obviously, was Christmas Day. However, we and Jenny and Philip decided to make it a children-oriented day, and today, while the foster-children were with their grandmother, have a grown-up Christmas Day.

Christmas Tree (© Ian 2011)

Christmas Day Part I, therefore, was predictable. The children excitedly opened their presents from Father Christmas before breakfast (when we arrived). While Liz and I cooked lunch, the five of them (and the dog) went out for a walk (cooking lunch wasn't so selfless!), and we ate when they got back. As for the last couple of years, I dismembered the turkey (an enormous 15lb bird), and we only roast the stuffed breast—the rest will be used up over the coming weeks, having been frozen. As normal (apologies for the immodesty) it was very tasty; it's much better cooked this way, as the time/temperature can be designed for the breast, without worrying about getting a balance for the whole bird. After lunch, tree presents (the children's) were opened, admired, and played with, and we watched both the Gruffalo's Child and the Snowman (a staple). We'd gone round yesterday evening to sing carols, and previously watched the Gruffalo, so we've had a good number of child-friendly activities.

Today, Part II. Jenny and Philip came over for brunch, after the children had gone (the stollen we cooked on Christmas Eve). We tried a pork recipe for lunch, roast in cider with pears, and with a very good chestnut stuffing, which may become a regular recipe. Otherwise, presents were opened, mince pies consumed, and hot berry cordial quaffed. I think the cordial is a great success, and very enjoyable. We'll have to make at least as much next autumn, once we see how far this batch goes. It's very frugal in mixing, as you only need a small amount per mug, and we do have about 3 litres.

The decorated fireplace (© Ian 2011)

Friday 23 December 2011

Preparatory Baking

We spent most of today baking, having spent yesterday, the first day of our holiday, cleaning and tidying. I managed to break my bike (blown out rear wheel), so I've had to order a new wheel, but there you go. Today has been an extravaganza of cooking; stollen for breakfast on Boxing Day, gingerbread houses (presents), bread, mince pies, and muffins (as in breakfast muffins). The mince pies use mincemeat made on New Year's Eve last year, and is delicious.

Gingerbread Village (© Ian 2011)
The village is for the foster-children, hence there being three houses, and three figures (I'm particularly pleased with the reindeer, though I say so myself). Royal icing does make surprisingly good mortar...

Monday 19 December 2011

Hedging

Our hedging plants (for alongside the septic tank, along with the willow that was delivered last week) has arrived. It's a combination of several species, chosen to give a quick-growing low (3-4ft) hedge, but productive. There's two hazels (a purple filbert, and a Pearson's Prolific), and a few each of cornelian cherry and myrobalan plum.

Cornelian cherries (Cornus mas)are only edible ripe, but they can then be eaten raw (a sour cherry/cranberry), dried, or cooked into jam. Myrobalan plums (Prunus cerasifera) have similar uses. They both ripen in late summer, or into September. Hazels need no introduction!

We'll heel all of them in, possibly in an out-of-use vegetable bed, until we can cut and dig the bed they'll go in—that might, in reality, not be until February, although the weather's so mild that it could be next week!

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Gladioli Lifted

We had to lift some of the gladioli to free up pots for the dogwoods, etc; we've now taken the rest up, too. They haven't really died back, but it's getting cold enough to worry that they might freeze. I hadn't realised, but it's almost exactly the same time that we did so last year. They're in the workshop, rather than the garage, so hopefully they won't freeze in storage, and will be planted back out in April or May.

Sunday 11 December 2011

Christmas Party

We had a few friends up for the weekend, as a Christmas celebration. Much food, games, and carol-ing, and more food, including this gingerbread house.

Gingerbread House (© Ian 2011)

Lots of fun, and a nice way to continue the run-up to our holiday.

In garden news, our seven new fruit trees arrived on Friday, and we've heeled them into a barrel to wait for holes to be dug. They are:
  • Pears
    • 'Williams Bon Chrétian'
    • 'Beth'
  • Apples
    • 'James Grieve'
    • 'Egremont Russet'
    • 'Falstaff'
  • Cherry 'Summer Sun'
  • Plum 'Victoria'

Also arrived were our Midwinter Fire dogwoods, and red, gold, and osier willow (for hedging next to the septic tank). The dogwoods are now planted up in pots with lemon cypress, ivy, and primroses, in the front garden, which has livened it up enormously.

Lastly: here's that reindeer photo I promised.

Reindeer from the Cairngorms Reindeer Herd (© Ian 2011)

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Pickling

We pulled up the last of the beetroot at the weekend, as we thought they were unlikely to grow, and the weather's turning colder. They're all a bit small, so we decided that they'd be best pickled, as accompaniments for salads next year. Accordingly, we boiled them, rubbed off the skins, then bottled with hot spiced vinegar (which immediately turned red!). While we were about it, we've also done a kilo batch of hot pickled onions. We prefer them this way: you pour boiling water on them, peel them, then cook them in spiced vinegar for 7 minutes before bottling while hot. Less crunchy, and very tasty. They'll be ready in a few weeks.

Unfortunately, the weather station's had a blip, and lost the data for the last four weeks, which is a pain. Should be back to normal soon, though. The weather's turning very windy, and cold, which it'll be interesting to record.

Sunday 4 December 2011

All Lit Up

As planned, we spent today putting up the Christmas decorations. They're restricted to the ground floor, but do extend through it... There are lights in the sitting room (where the tree is, too) and dining room, and fir and holly everywhere. Anyway: it all looks very festive. I'll take some photos, but now I'm going to bed!

Saturday 3 December 2011

Busy Morning

We're out this afternoon, so we had a busy morning tidying up outside.

Liz has now weeded all of the fruit beds, and I've finished repairing the netting. I haven't replaced the cord at the ends of the raspberry beds, but that's looking much less urgent: all of the net-to-net joins are now done with weather-resisting polypropylene cord.

We've pruned the gooseberries, though not the currants. The gooseberries have sprawled rather, and have pretended to be creepers or groundcover, so we've carefully tried to cut them back to suitable buds to avoid the same thing next year. They still look bigger than this time last year, so we should still get a reasonable crop.

We took up the last of the beetroot, the turnips that have done something (there are about four more that haven't really swollen: we'll see if they get anywhere), and collected some kale, sprouts, a celeriac and a leek. Definitely into winter veg production now!

The rhubarb has now arrived, so we planted them (enriching their spots with compost; they'll have another mulch in the spring). We now have four Timperley Early (right hand); three Victoria (front three on the left), and three Suttons Seedless (back three on the left). They don't look like much (anything) at the moment, but will hopefully spring into life next year.

While out there, we've also removed all of the sprinklers from the irrigation system: they're better avoiding freezing, and we won't need them for the next few months.

Friday 2 December 2011

Microgenerator

Slightly ahead of schedule, our solar PV panels and kit have been commissioned. They finished yesterday, and the system's managing to generate today, despite bad weather, which is pleasing.

PV Panels being installed (© Philip 2011)

It's a full 4kWp system of Sanyo HIT panels, coupled to an SMA Sunny Boy inverter. The FIT application (for microgeneration payments) is being processed, but as of today we should now be electricity-negative (we ought to generate about twice as much electricity as the house consumes). Of course, because we use power overnight, and when it's gloomy, we can't match supply to demand, meaning we'll still pay for electricity — but the power we generate will find a use elsewhere.