Vertical learning

 It has been a great start to the year.  For me, mainly due to the absence of the sheep.  I hadn't realised quite what a handful they had become until they were gone.  It's always the way.  You want something.  You really want it bad...and so you accommodate it almost beyond the point of common sense.  We always knew it would be a steep learning curve when we moved here and took on the farmhouse and land....personally speaking there are no undulations, my learning experience is positively vertical.  We are in the process of procuring stock fencing which is no mean feat - there is serious hedge clearing to do....yes more about the hedges!

But back to the great start to the year.  We had friends, family and fun.  Lots of all three.  Health and safety would have had a fit......quad bike loaded with people towing a road trailer stuffed with straw and carrying yet more people (mainly children) - at times a small toddler boy who I must say had the broadest smile I have ever seen!

We went careering round the fields to find the pond, and the 'Westyard playground' as the small girl has coined it. Here, a series of mossy willow trees are to be found.  Many are growing horizontally across a large ditch forming a network of 'fairy ladders' and 'goblin bridges'.  And below....to your peril to find out as a few small children did, almost losing their wellington boots in the process...a fast flowing drainage ditch with very squelchy sticky mud (thankfully, its clean water so no pollution issues here!)


The children enjoyed riding the smallest pony - albeit bareback as he doesn't have a saddle.  In fact he's never been backed but didn't so much as blink at having small people on his back.  He was a star....but sadly has now returned to his owner for some serious box rest as he got laminitis.

Its a shame as I was told many times that there is no need to worry this time of year as the grass has no nutrition therefore the greedy ponies can eat as much as they want.  Not so in Jason's case.  Luckily his owner is a veterinary nurse so he's in good hands and hopefully may return in the spring.

Our one riding pony has Cushings Disease (google it if you are interested) but it means that she will also be very prone to laminitis therefore has to have a seriously strict grazing regime come the spring.  The vet has recommended two hours pasture grazing a day and the rest of time be contained to the concrete yard.  Seems brutal, but it's not worth the risk.  Sore feet for a pony can get very serious.

Its been another physical month with lots of jobs being done.  I have started to notice the daylight hours lengthening.  Not by much but it does mean we can squeeze in more outdoor time after school.  We now have our 'proper' sign up on a wall that was previously hidden to us behind hedges of ivy and brambles.  It has now been been restored to its former glory and given pride of place.

The whole family has joined in on some of our jobs.  The growing room got lots of attention one weekend - with the 5 year old and the 85 year old digging over a bed together.  It has been cleared of last years old and dead plants and is almost ready to go.

It is a large breeze block building with a transparent roof and soil bays.  Originally built for pig rearing, it has been modified over the last 20 years to become a giant greenhouse....but with a wall of windows facing west; mains water, electricity and concrete floors.  It is moderately ugly however its growing potential totally overshadows its lack of aesthetic charm.  I am so inspired that I have recently ordered a new greenhouse book to see what else I can grow outside of the usual tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers, courgettes, melons, not to mention a few herbs....a grape vine, or two...some exotic flower perhaps?  Let alone the propagation potential...now that's nearly dirty talk.  I better quit while I'm ahead.

Two years at horticultural college as a mature student studying organic horticulture and propagation has set me in good stead to fill this space with an abundance of produce.  Now, if I could just remember it all...it was a few years ago mind, but like riding a bike you never seem to forget the basics.  Needless to say I'm relishing spending a bit of time being constructive in the garden and have discovered a plethora of bulbs coming up all over the place.

I realised a few weeks ago that most of what we've done has been destructive.  We've torn down tree after tree.  Had bonfires most days to reduce hedgerow brash into ash.  What's been saved has been logged, split and stacked.  The 'Ologist, who today has returned to deepest Africa, has spent most afternoons sneaking off to his barn.  He has filled a whole bay in the barn - previously breezeblock pig pens - with close to 8 tonnes of split cedar.  It is a real 'Pooh Bear' feeling to look at it knowing that once dried will provide an almost never ending supply of wood for our indoor fires.  Not to mention the fact that its 'free'.....well
almost.  We only had to buy a tractor, log splitter oh and 21 acres of Devon countryside to get it.  The next door bay is rapidly filling up with split ash and oak which doesn't take as long to season thankfully.

Our next project will be to get the drive sorted out.  The pot holes have grown faster than spring brambles.  The drainage is non existent, and we've had to rescue two cars so far as unsuspecting visitors pull to the right to avoid the pot holes and end up in the very deep ditch.  It will be a big job with a lot of re-stoning and grading and drainage required.  Lucky for us one of our neighbours is in the agricultural construction business - the job will be like dusting cakes with icing sugar to him - for us it is pretty vital.  It is the major artery to the property...block it and we have a serious problem on our hands.  I'm NOT using the tractor for the school run...besides, I can't reach the pedals!

We have had some beautiful and inspiring mornings this winter.  On my way out to do the morning chores (which include shoehorning the dog out of bed, open up the chickens, check on the ponies and break the water trough ice) I have managed to remember to take my camera - with fully charged battery and memory card on board.  Some of the photographs have been very rewarding and one of my favourites I have gratuitously posted below at extra large setting.  It shows off our newly thinned and laid hedges with piles of logs awaiting collection.  In this bare and crisp landscape we have formulated more plans for the future of how we will move forward with the ergonomics and flow of the farm.

Oh, and the crowning moment this month was to spot our very first snowdrop.  Now we are madly trying to identify the other bulbs that are rapidly pushing their foliage above ground; they include hyacinths, daffodils, narcissus, crocus, cyclamen, aconites and a whole load more I shall need a reference book for.

I offer fair warning, with no apology....my next blog may well be overwhelmed with photographs of winter and spring flowering bulbs.