12 months (Feb&Mar)

February 2016

February began with storms confining us to the house where we started to plan in earnest for the year ahead. Choosing kitchen furniture and fittings along with a new greenhouse were high on the priority list closely followed by our fruit and veg seed order, including potatoes, garlic and onions, all placed in the hope of better weather to come.

 

Once Storm Henry had passed we managed to get outside again, clearing the chicken yard and preparing the area for the coop.

 

A few days later our first chickens arrived, Morag, Wilma and Maisie. They settled in very quickly and Wilma even laid an egg within a few hours in her new home. Having never kept chickens before it was all very exciting, we spent most of the day watching them, listening to them cluck and feeding them from our hands. 

 

We knew this was going to be a busy month with the installation of the new biomass heating system, new windows and doors being fitted and the start of the kitchen rip out. As seems to be the way with us the 3 day biomass fit took 8 days spread over 3 weeks. Still, at least we had hot water and heating from one system which was great.

Keen to get ready for the growing season we also ordered a new greenhouse which would hopefully be ready in March (long after everything else was finished) and planned for it to be sited in the back garden above.

 

The above area, next to the woods had a marshy patch at the top and the majority of the central area was laid to grass with a small rough square of land in the middle. Around and beyond that some (possibly) fruit trees were in an orchard arrangement with a large uncultivated wild area at the very bottom. As a break from the workmen (or lack of workmen) we decided to dig over the central rough area and prepare it for vegetables.

 

We made the most of the occasional dry days by collecting sticks for firewood and stacking it in the byre for next year. The strawberry bed also had a makeover as it was full of weeds and strawberry runners.

In the hope that we would be able to sort out the byre roof we started to clear the brambles, weeds and trees growing alongside and through it.

 

When the farm was a working farm the byre was used to house the dairy cattle and drained into a midden. It was many years since manure had flowed into it and looked quite clean. In fact M even got the canoe out for a little paddle, thankfully it had survived the move and was still seaworthy.

Rainy weather meant lots of reading and researching was completed alongside lots of Internet surfing. Having only had one apple tree at our last house we were desperately keen to have a variety of fruit trees to plant in our orchard (in the loosest sense of the word) and ordered the smallest (and cheapest) sizes possible of 4 apple, 2 cherry, 2 plum and one damson trees. We also felt the need to provide food for birds and wildlife and so ordered 100 edible hedging plants which consisted of blackthorn, hazel, cherry plum, crab apple, hawthorn, blackberry, sweet brier rose, oleaster and common elders.

 

Despite the unforeseen delays in the biomass system and the lack of kitchen rip out activity this month at least we were able to say that we had successfully had new windows and doors installed. The garlic and onion sets arrived and were planted out immediately in order for the garlic to catch the final frosts.

March 2016

It was with much excited anticipation that we entered March and we just couldn't wait to get started on the kitchen project and hopefully the greenhouse. The old kitchen was due to be ripped out in the first week of March with the new fit during the 3rd week. The kitchen company had kindly lent us a standalone oven to use while we were without cooking facilities - and so it began.

 

Just to try to explain a little: the kitchen area was originally the old diary, decorated with pine cupboards and in a yellow and green theme. It was split into a kitchen and office by a strange dividing wall/shelving unit which didn't quite reach to the ceiling. The ceiling was quite low and was made of large polystyrene ceiling tiles supported by metal struts and the lights were bare tubes. The floor in the kitchen was wood and the office was laminate.

 

Once the divide and the office floor were removed the room looked massive and we were excited to see how it was going to develop. We had hoped that upon removing the lino that the office floor would match the kitchen wooden boards. We took soooo many photos of the evolution of the kitchen that it could fill a blog all on it's own.

 

However, it's probably best to keep this brief and limit to a couple of before, during and after photos and just mention that the project was not completed in the expected 3 weeks and that yes it was frustrating and ridiculously annoying, but a little more about that in April and May.I had to include a couple of photos from when all the walls were stripped back as a reminder of the time when it was like living in a dark cave.

 

So to recap, by the end of March we had ripped out the old kitchen, re floored the office, removed and raised the ceiling and re boarded it; stripped back the walls, insulating the exterior walls, boarded all the walls and completely plastered the whole room.

We were able to cook in the shell of the kitchen most of the time but the craft room became the alternative cooking area and believe me this was not by choice. It was a cramped and almost impossible area to use but somehow we did manage to produce some reasonable meals.

March had always been a busy month for gardening and this year proved to be no different. Although we wanted to wait to see what flowers and plants emerged in the garden we had brought quite a few shrubs which needed to be planted out. I was also keen to get my fruit and veg seeds started and despite the lack of space sowed a first lot of tomatoes, peppers, chillies, beans and peas. The baths were put to good use with an early sowing of lettuce, radish, beetroot, sorrel and rocket. We found some old plastic cloches which fitted perfectly and encouraged the seeds to sprout within a week.

Due to some heavy downpours we decided that the chickens needed a little extra protection and M built a shelter which also used one of the old windows on one side, they seemed to like it. As we were worried about storing the chicken food M found some old wood and built a large rodent and weather proof container which houses the dustbins containing the food. 

 

At the start of march we covered the newly dug and manured veg patch with thick black polythene in a bid to both suppress the weeds and warm the soil up before planting our potatoes. 

   

The trees and hedging arrived in the middle of March and we spent a very long 3 days planting 100 hedging plants and 9 fruit trees. The planting info recommended that the elders should be planted at the ends of the hedging and as we had a few left over we planted a row of 6 elders (last photo).

  

The peas had sprouted really quickly and as we found some old blue tubing and plastic in the byre we decided to get them in the ground early. I had a sensible caption and decided that I didn't want the greenhouse in the back garden as it was a real chore carrying everything through the chicken yard and trying to open and close gates with my hands full. The new plot was behind the byre where it would get the benefit of full sunlight. We had initially planned to put some raised beds here but the ground was so poor and full of rubble it was deemed inappropriate. However, M did build me a seed bed which would have sun but also protection from the greenhouse.

 

We have always loved being outside and this was a good month for us, our tiny blueberry bush joined 2 which were already surrounded by chicken wire protection. M had longed for a rhododendron and got his wish as we planted one we bought from our local garden centre.

The month ended with more seed sowing, planting out our rose bushes in the garden, planting primroses, bluebells and snowdrops in the woods and most exciting of all, seeing the foundations completed for the greenhouse.

12 months (Dec&Jan)

December 2015

At the beginning of the month our old and poorly car finally took it's final breath and had to be replaced, although to be fair M wasn't too unhappy with his new (2nd hand) car. However, one planned and most eagerly awaited arrival in the house was an electric blanket. I had resisted this unnecessary purchase for years, probably all our married life, but finally succumbed as it now appeared to be an essential item in this house. Oh my it was wonderful, gone were the days of racing to bed, getting changed quickly into layers of pyjamas and bed socks and that gasp when the cold bedclothes just took your breath away. No more cold sheets for us, a toasty bed and 6 different temperature settings!!

 

We were hoping that December would be a quiet month as the cold weather started in earnest and outside work slowed significantly. Lighting the fire and snuggling up inside made this an extra special time of year. Although we are not keen to encourage cold callers we did have an enquiry regarding biomass boilers which sparked an interest in how we could not only heat the house effectively but also efficiently and using green energy. Lots of research followed with the ultimate decision to be made in the new year.

I decided to tackle a few long overdue craft projects in a bit of a blitz of Christmassy joy and eventually completed my Christmas stocking advent calendar on the 19th. I seemed to have accumulated lots of mini cross stitch kits and was determined to do a couple of the Christmas ones but unfortunately I ran out of time to turn them into tree decorations this year, maybe for next year.

  

Then I found a felted bird kit which I think was a present and I must have had it for years so I made one of them for the tree. I had a go at making one of Sarah's Repeat Crafter Me Christmas trees but couldn't find any little lights to decorate it, however, I still thought he looked cute.

Although very much a novice crocheter I have always loved having something to work on in the evenings during the winter months. M probably thought we had enough blankets by now but I couldn't resist having a go at a C2C in the beautiful colours picked by Heather at The Patchwork Heart.

We always try to buy a new decoration at Christmas time and this year Doh arrived and was installed as a permanent fixture in the living room.

  

M is definitely the more creative one in the household and he set off to the woods in search of foliage to put together a table decoration. I have to say it looked beautiful and matched mum's Christmas table runner perfectly. It was a wonderful first Christmas in our new home.

M's birthday lies between Christmas and New Year and off to the beach we went to start another tradition of an early morning birthday walk. It was cold but the sun was shinning brightly and the dogs had a great run around. The house was filled with relatives for a few days of food, fun and lots of walking; all in all a terrific end to 2015.

January 2016

The post Christmas and New Year period often used to feel like a bit of anticlimax and it can sometimes feel a little blue but not for us this year as we had so many exciting things to look forward to. Once the decorations were packed away and the house was cleaned up we started to plan for the year ahead: fruit and veg, chickens, pigs, biomass, doors, windows etc etc....

 

The snow arrived and changed the whole look of the woods.

 

I loved the look of the snow on the bare branches, some of the trees looked so beautiful. 

There were definitely no thoughts of any outdoor work being done although we did have a play and for the first time in many years I built a snowman. This is M's effort as his was much better than mine. We built a little family of them and I was amazed that they stayed for days before melting away.

 

Next to M's barn was an old byre and although the roof was collapsing along the centre, both ends were secure and pretty much watertight.

 

It provided some very handy storage for all the wood and logs and stuff left behind by the previous owners. We started tidying up and moving things around to see what we had, what would be useful and what definitely needed to go. We also made some enquiries about getting the roof fixed but out of the numerous companies we contacted only a few appeared and to be honest they were all pretty disinterested. This was a project for another time.

   

One of our first priorities was to tackle the cold and draughty house and initially this meant looking to replace the wooden back door (no picture) and the wood/glass side door (which was a nightmare to open and close). We also wanted to change the aluminium framed windows in the main part of the house as they just seemed to suck the heat out of the rooms. While we were finalising the doors and windows contract we happened to see a local kitchen company and on the off chance asked if they could sketch out a plan for our kitchen; little did we know what we were letting ourselves in for.

At the end of 2015 we had become interested in a new biomass heating system and so we began in earnest to put out feelers to investigate the possibilities, learn more and ultimately obtain a few quotes. With the byre, windows/doors, kitchen and biomass appointments this was one very busy month.

By the end of the month our excitement and enthusiasm for getting started properly on our smallholding couldn't wait any longer and despite the poor weather we decided to buy a chicken coup. Although we're both pretty diy savvy we thought the plastic design would be useful from a hygiene point of view as it is easy to clean and it should hopefully prevent any red spider mite problems. It arrived quickly and thankfully we were able to assemble it inside as it was still so cold and snowing again outdoors.

Now all we needed were some chickens.

12 months (Oct&Nov)

I had intended to start blogging a year ago as a record of our new life as smallholders but never really got around to working out what to do and how to begin. Thankfully I managed to keep a daily diary of everything as we went along which is proving to be pretty useful. As we celebrated our first year it seemed a good time to get a wiggle on and investigate this blogging malarkey. So, 12 months have passed and I thought it would be prudent to record a brief post on what we have been up to. A lot has happened and hopefully I can summarise it all in monthly bite size segments.

October 2015

This was our first (and last) big move and once the removals men had left, the task of unpacking seemed daunting but once our bed was assembled there no longer seemed to be a rush to do everything at once, thankfully. What I remember most about October was how cold this old 1900s farmhouse was and how grateful we were for the wood burner and massive supply of logs left by the previous owners. Three different heating/water systems caused a lot of confusion and running around in dressing gowns trying to find a hot shower!

We also found out on our second day that we had no tv signal, not normally a catastrophe for us but the rugby world cup was on and we just couldn't miss that. Hence the aerial man appeared that evening to fit a dish for our freesat and then, with the fire lit, we dined on pizza, garlic bread and fizzy wine while watching sport - blissful.

Unfortunately during the move our car and computer died so time was also spent trying to revive them which was both frustrating and expensive. Despite the large amount of cleaning, unpacking and sorting to be done we couldn't wait to explore the woods with the dogs. We successfully developed a system of unpacking a few boxes and then heading out for a walk.

  

We even got the ride-on mower out for a test run.

   

The Stanley stove took a bit of getting used to but thankfully M became a master of the stove and I was more than happy to let him chef to his heart's content. Having our own (little) wind turbine has been quite exciting and we have become serious weather watchers, trying making the most of windy days to get washing etc done.

We are truly blessed to be in such a wonderful part of the country and in the early days ventured out to investigate the nearby beaches with the dogs. Even on the not so sunny days it's a beautiful place to walk.

The view from the top of the dunes was just stunning.

I also needed to find a temporary home for all the plant pots we had brought from our old house. In my eagerness to keep gardening I had taken a multitude of cuttings of all our favourite plants with no idea whether they would be suitable in a different climate. My thinking was that if we could provide them with some winter protection they may have a chance. For the first time ever I planted some acorns, from the woods near our old house where we used to walk the dogs, in a vain attempt to grow some oak trees.

However, the majority of the month was spent attempting to unpack, putting up pictures and generally making the house more homely. It was also amazing to find so many things we had forgotten we had and to find the perfect place for them all. One of M's wishes was to have all our books accessible and in one area and thanks to the previous owners who left us numerous bookcases, this was a delightful achievement - now we just need to get around to reading them all! Another of his wishes was for a proper man shed and he now has a huge barn where he can potter, make stuff and paint (pictures). I on the other hand am fortunate to have my very own craft room which was instantly filled with a variety of crafty projects to complete.

November 2015

The weather in November was surprising good, a little chilly but quite sunny which meant we could get out and about doing some jobs, mainly clearing weeds and with M using his new strimmer/brush cutter. Walks along the beach on chilly days were invigorating and gave us the best start to the day you could possibly imagine.

 

I also managed a trip to the Knit and Stitch show with mum which was great fun but did ultimately just increase my number of 'to do' craft projects. Darker evenings allowed for time to catch up on some crochet which had the additional incentive of needing to be finished in time for Christmas.

 

I successfully completed my niece's Christmas present, she said she liked pink and purple so I did a ripple blanket using the pattern from Lucy's Attic24. I had a little go at some C2C crochet and tried a couple of Sarah's Repeat Crafter Me Christmas squares. Although I didn't want to make all nine into a blanket they were fun to do and looked good as wall hanging decorations.

During this month we started to try and identify some of the many trees in the woods but unfortunately the task was made much more difficult since most of them were bare and our twig identification skills were poor.

November is our wedding anniversary month and tradition has it that instead of buying each other presents we tend to buy one present for us. This year it was our 11th anniversary which is steel and so we bought a steel weather vane which was positioned on the corner of the house. I just loved the fact that it looked like a black Labrador! 

 

Strangely we have lots of old bath tubs around the farm and so we made the most of the dry weather to clear them out and refill them with compost in preparation for the growing season. We even rescued a couple of trees growing in them but had no idea what they were and looked forward to finding out in the spring. The baths were not the prettiest things in the world but functionality takes precedence around here. While I was away at the show M was busy clearing drains and generally doing all the messy but essential jobs such as building compost bins. However, he did manage some time to begin sorting out his man shed!!