Myrtle my bluebelle hen is feeling and looking much better, she’s now living with the old ex battery hens and things are going well. Due to her docile nature, I believe this is for the best. She has taken to dustbathing in the empty veg beds recently and really ‘purrs’ with delight. I decided to get [...]
All posts by Karen
Why You Shouldn’t Get Up Close to a Dustbathing Hen
Posted by Karen on May 30, 2012
http://thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/why-you-shouldnt-get-up-close-to-a-dustbathing-hen/
Pineberry Parcel
At the beginning of the year I contacted David Lindsay at Mow it Sow it Grow it, to place an order for pineberries. Having read all about them I really wanted to grow them myself. Looking at pictures of pineberries, the fruits look very much like albino strawberries which are said to have a taste similar to pineapple. My parcel [...]
Posted by Karen on May 28, 2012
http://thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/pineberry-parcel/
Prickly Peas and Carrots
This year I’ve had a real problem with mice digging up and eating my pea seed, also snails and slugs eating my carrot seedlings. Thanks to my slimy and furry foe I’ve had 3 long rows of carrots wiped out and endless amounts of pea seeds. I’ve started the carrots again, carefully placing clippings from [...]
Posted by Karen on May 26, 2012
http://thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/prickly-peas-and-carrots/
Introducing the New Hens
I thought I’d share some photos of the new hens, taken when they first arrived almost 2 weeks ago. First up is Ginny, a Speckledy hybrid hen bred from a Maran. She’s very sweet and easy to catch, she quite likes to be picked up and handled and eats from my hand etc. She should lay brown eggs. [...]
Posted by Karen on May 25, 2012
http://thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/introducing-the-new-hens-2/
Farewell Lily
One of my old hens, Lily, was sadly given sleep at the vets last Friday morning. Even though it’s never an easy decision to make (for any animal), this was the right decision for her. She was a rescue hen and experienced 4 years of ‘freedom’ with us, which of course is a lovely achievement but this also [...]
Posted by Karen on May 14, 2012
http://thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/farewell-lily/
Grow Your Own Parsnips
If you’re new to vegetable growing perhaps you’ve found parsnips tricky to grow? So far (touch wood) I’ve had good results with growing parsnips so I thought I’d share some tips on how I grow them: Buy seed fresh every growing season to increase germination success, germination is generally slow. Sow from March onwards, direct into the ground (once [...]
Posted by Karen on May 10, 2012
http://thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/grow-your-own-parsnips/
Jobs for May
May is the month when seed sowing is in full swing, space in the greenhouse is filling up fast with seed trays and pots. Hardier crops started earlier in the year should be hardened off during the day before planting into their final positions. Tender crops such as beans and squashes can be sown undercover now. If the [...]
Posted by Karen on May 8, 2012
http://thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/jobs-for-may/
Fit to Burst
I was and still am fit to burst with pride to see my little blog, a place where I share my passion for growing food, wildlife, living an organic way of life and looking after chickens, up there, featured on the Freshly Pressed page. Wow! Thank you to all my new followers, those who stopped [...]
Posted by Karen on May 2, 2012
http://thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/fit-to-burst/
Being Crafty While it Rains
The rain is back. I thought the roof of our house was going to cave in on us last night, from the sheer volume and speed of which the rain came down. I really miss my veg garden and allotment, I haven’t been able to get much done out there, or at my plot. There’s not [...]
Posted by Karen on May 1, 2012
http://thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/being-crafty-while-it-rains/
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Welcome to The Garden Smallholder, it's a blog about growing veg, fruit and keeping chickens in a rural back garden.
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