UNDERMINED

We’re being attacked on all sides by pesky little creatures at the moment.  The moles have now dug so many tunnels I’m worried that the house might start sinking - and we have had an invasion of mice.  They are sweet little fieldmice and Alice is very fond of them, so we have to put down humane traps (except when she’s not looking).  They go back to the fields in spring (stopping at my greenhouse on the way to eat all the early peas), but until then we’re at war.

Not much is happening in the veg patch, but I’m still able to harvest a few hardy crops.  there are plenty of leeks, lots of kale, a few miserable sprouts (no-one wants to eat those now) and lots of oriental mustard, which is much hardier than it looks.  Growth slows almost to a standstill at this time of the year, but as the light levels increase, if we get even a few days of warmer weather, it will start up again.

PEA SHOOTERS

                                

Fresh new shoots in dark earth must stir something primordial in some of us.  Those first stirrings of growth do more to shake off a lingering winter depression than any pills - or is it just me?  I’m having problems sowing peas, or rather, problems with things eating peas - mice go mad for peas and beans and can sniff them out wherever they’ve been planted.  I’m thinking of sowing mine in a lead casket, as they’ve penetrated everything else.  It must have been a very long winter for wildlife, as crops that aren’t usually touched by pests are being attacked.

If you don’t normally grow anything form scratch do try it.  It’s exciting to
see seeds germinating, growing and eventually doing what they should - whether that’s giving you armfuls of flowers, bumper crops of edibles, or a little bit of each.  Look on the website  to see what I’m sowing this year.

INFINITE MONKEYS

It’s been a miserable Monday morning so far - I think this day in January is called ‘Suicide Monday’, when everyone realises they have no money (or hope, or both) left.  I’ve been trying to come up with a new look for myself - something recognisable as Hornbrook Manor Farm.  It costs a lot to commission someone to come up with a logo, or look, so I’ve been doing what I always do and doing it myself (which also explains why my home-made website is so slow and quirky).  I call it the infinite monkey game (you know - where there's an infinite number of monkeys, all typing  infinitely away and eventually one of them will produce the works of Shakespeare), except that I’m the only monkey and not infinite, but I am prepared to bash away at something that I have no idea how to do, until it’s just about acceptable.  Or not ...  I’ll keep bashing.

WINTER SUN BATHING

The chickens are normally locked up these days, as they can’t be trusted not to make a beeline for the veg patch.  The foxes also seem to get extra hungry at this time of the year and even grabbed a one from under our noses last year, but if I’m out in the garden for a while in the afternoon I let them out.  Hens love to bathe in dust and the ground is too soggy everywhere at the moment to make dust.  Everywhere except one place - under the conifers at the edge of the garden.  Don’t ever try to grow anything near the base of a line of conifers - when we’re knee deep in mud here, it will always be a dust bowl - even the most tenacious weeds don’t bother trying to grow under its shadow.  But it is hen bath heaven there and although they make a huge mess fluffing out earth all over the place, it makes me smile.  You can just tell that they really love it.

UNDERMINED

                                

Sometimes I can see the claws of the mole, busily piling up its latest hill and occasionally I’ve seen its whiskery pink-tipped nose poking out, but mainly we just see where it’s been - and it’s been EVERYWHERE.  I might collect up the earth from the hills, as it makes wonderful ready sifted potting compost, but it is also making a complete mess of every patch of grass in the vicinity.  Apparently they only tunnel madly  when they’re trying to impress the opposite sex - creating palatial mole abodes beneath our feet n the hope of luring lady moles. It’s probably just as well that they're rather shy, as I’m going off the little beasts...

                                

I have been late in my seed sorting this season.  Normally I sift through my packets and make my list between Christmas and the New Year.  There are quite a few things that we can start thinking about sowing soon - under cover in a heated greenhouse, or on the windowsill as it’s still much too cold to sow directly into the garden.  Light levels are increasing, but  not quite enough yet.  If you have any packets of seeds left from last year, they should still be viable.  Most seeds last longer than the sell-by date on the packet, the exception being carrots and parsnips, which are best sown fresh each year.