What’s the point

Just got back from dog training. Yet again another week other not listening to me, the instructor not really bothering. Is there any point?

Seed potatoes

I bought my seed potatoes today. Decided to buy them from my local nursery – meaning a reduced choice, but I could chose the exact number of tubers I wanted and inspect them, as well as saving money on postage.

So this is what I got:
Duke of York (First Early)
Red Duke of York (FE)
Catriona (Second Early)
Kestrel (SE)
Wilja (SE)
Edzell Blue (SE/Early Maincrop)
King Edward (M)
Maris Piper (M)
Pink Fir Apple (Late Maincrop)

That should keep us going!

I’ve decided not to chit the maincrop ones – just put them in at the same time as the earlies.

The simple things

It’s the simple things in life that really make me happy.

At the weekend I managed to het a few jobs finished off (and others started) that have been hanging around for a while. The planks for the fencing are now all done and ready to put up, the poly tunnel got tidied and compost spread on the central bed ready to be planted. I started sorting out the shelves in my room.

Some thing that really made me happy was bringing in some stored potatoes from the garage. I usually keep a supply in the kitchen but that had run out. It’s daft I know, but just opening the bag and finding that they were still OK and hadn’t gone bad was such a joy. They tasted great roasted with some chilli and garlic too!

This morning I stopped on a hill during the morning walk with the beastie to watch a spectacular sunrise and the world wake up. Not a bad start to the week.

If a job’s worth doing…

I know, I should have done it properly the first time round. My excuses are a) lack of time and b) lack of experience.

I’m talking about the beds in the polytunnel (PT).

I bought the PT about July 2005 -  the company had a 10% off everything sale (which when you’re talking about PTs is worth doing).I then had to wait for the crops I’d grown where it was to go up to finish, clear the ground  and put it up. Owing to heavy frosts and then very late heavy snow, I found myself doing this at Easter – a wee bit later than I’d hoped.

Anyway, I wanted raised beds and so dug the topsoil off the paths to create this (along with compost etc). In my haste and inexperience I didn’t secure the boarding along the paths anywhere near well enough and halfway through the summer most of them collapsed, making the watering, weeding and harvesting very entertaining.

Now however, with very little growing in there, I have fixed them – a little more belt and braces this time.

Chickens

I’ve been thinking about what breed of chickens I’d like to get (once I’ve made the coop etc). I know full well I’ll end up with whatever I see at the time, but it’s nice to do a bit of research so I know what I’d prefer and why.

I’d like to get dual purpose birds so I get a decent quantity of eggs from just a few birds, but can then breed them for meat if I want to at a later date. Seeing as I’m only looking at getting 3 birds I’ll probably stick to one breed for now.

The current favourites are:
Rhode Island Red
Sussex (probably light)

Then:
Plymouth Rock (DP)
Barnevelder (not DP, but lots of eggs)
Maran (not DP, but lots of dark brown eggs)

I’d also quite like a couple of Araucana, just for the novelty of having different coloured eggs (blues and greens mostly).

We’ll see.