Red & BBs retirement home......
- Thread starter British Red
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Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Looking good Hugh. I've been given some rhubarb seed but its a bit old???
Might give it a go but mine will need dividing as you know.
I've got a darn mole here whose upsetting me at the mo!!!
He keeps coming up in the middle of the veggies and toppling them over!!d
Might give it a go but mine will need dividing as you know.
I've got a darn mole here whose upsetting me at the mo!!!
He keeps coming up in the middle of the veggies and toppling them over!!d
The chap who I went to see on the organic farm said he was paid as a kid to watch mole hills and when they started moving shoot it with a shotgun!!!
It's the shock wave that kills them he said!!
What dya do with moth balls put them in the run? Does it just make them move home?
Trying not to kill the bugger but he's testing my patience d
It's the shock wave that kills them he said!!
What dya do with moth balls put them in the run? Does it just make them move home?
Trying not to kill the bugger but he's testing my patience d
That's the way with the shotgun - if you watch the runs they tend to move along them at a regular time of day. Neighbour of mine has had quite a few that way.
Mothballs - just lob em down the surface holes - doesn't hurt them but they don't like the smell - mind you if you have an extensive run, traps are the way to go - I favour the tunnel trap over the scissor type but its not as easy as it looks!
Mothballs - just lob em down the surface holes - doesn't hurt them but they don't like the smell - mind you if you have an extensive run, traps are the way to go - I favour the tunnel trap over the scissor type but its not as easy as it looks!
Was recommended by Holly's school friends Dad who is a mole catcher to get traps from here as they are way cheaper than anywhere else
https://www.theflatpack.co.uk/merchantmanager/index.php
https://www.theflatpack.co.uk/merchantmanager/index.php
Wrong critter - this is a mole
[video=youtube;fePU5CIHpas]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fePU5CIHpas[/video]
Here's the end of June update
The long stemmed wheat has...very long stems! About 4'8" two or three times the height of modern varieties. Should make for great straw, but I need the seed heads to plump up!
Wheat 09-07 by British Red, on Flickr
The sugar beet is flowering - several feet high and strongly smelling - I really hope to get some seed from this!
Sugar Beet Flower by British Red, on Flickr
Its a great year for strawberries
Strawberries by British Red, on Flickr
Strawberries by British Red, on Flickr
Cherries and apples look good too
Cherries by British Red, on Flickr
Apples by British Red, on Flickr
The Yacon is off to a slow start
Yacon by British Red, on Flickr
The broccoli looks good though and the net keeps the cabbage whites off
Brocolli by British Red, on Flickr
The peas aren't great - early pigeon damage didn't help
Peas by British Red, on Flickr
The field beans are magnificent though
Field Beans by British Red, on Flickr
Field Bean by British Red, on Flickr
Brussel Sprouts are well away - and the calendula is keeping the whitefly off
Brussel Sprouts by British Red, on Flickr
The Oca was slow to start, but grows till December so we may be all right there
oca by British Red, on Flickr
Carrots and parsnips both doing well
carrots and parsnips by British Red, on Flickr
Onions are magnificent (I do like my alliums)
Onions by British Red, on Flickr
...and the garlic is harvested!
Garlic by British Red, on Flickr
All in all a better year than it looked at the beginning!
The long stemmed wheat has...very long stems! About 4'8" two or three times the height of modern varieties. Should make for great straw, but I need the seed heads to plump up!
Wheat 09-07 by British Red, on Flickr
The sugar beet is flowering - several feet high and strongly smelling - I really hope to get some seed from this!
Sugar Beet Flower by British Red, on Flickr
Its a great year for strawberries
Strawberries by British Red, on Flickr
Strawberries by British Red, on Flickr
Cherries and apples look good too
Cherries by British Red, on Flickr
Apples by British Red, on Flickr
The Yacon is off to a slow start
Yacon by British Red, on Flickr
The broccoli looks good though and the net keeps the cabbage whites off
Brocolli by British Red, on Flickr
The peas aren't great - early pigeon damage didn't help
Peas by British Red, on Flickr
The field beans are magnificent though
Field Beans by British Red, on Flickr
Field Bean by British Red, on Flickr
Brussel Sprouts are well away - and the calendula is keeping the whitefly off
Brussel Sprouts by British Red, on Flickr
The Oca was slow to start, but grows till December so we may be all right there
oca by British Red, on Flickr
Carrots and parsnips both doing well
carrots and parsnips by British Red, on Flickr
Onions are magnificent (I do like my alliums)
Onions by British Red, on Flickr
...and the garlic is harvested!
Garlic by British Red, on Flickr
All in all a better year than it looked at the beginning!
Hugh as always I am green with envy, we have two cheery trees in my garden one has a deses and wont produce more than a single cheery a year. And a small pot one that has a single red cheery that when picked tastes vile.
Only Three years old those trees mate - but you do need to net over any fruit cherries set or the birds get the lot!
I love cherries and hoping for bumper crops as the trees grow
I love cherries and hoping for bumper crops as the trees grow
Looking good there!
My runners are starting to look happier than they were. Field beans flowering as are the bush peas. I can't eat the spinach quick enough ( as thought)
Sprouts getting better need thinning + a better cover needed now the debris material is here!!
My runners are starting to look happier than they were. Field beans flowering as are the bush peas. I can't eat the spinach quick enough ( as thought)
Sprouts getting better need thinning + a better cover needed now the debris material is here!!
British Red, as stated by everyone else, I'm quite envious of you and yours! I've looked at the pics for a while now, and you've done a wonderful job on the house and the land. Even here in Canada, your little house is the iconic type we dream of retiring in. BTW, congrats on your retirement, can hardly wait to get there myself. Loved your pics of the onions and garlic, was going to offer to come over and help you pick them, but see that you've already harvested them... Have fun at your new place. P.S. Would be nice to see some photos of the area you live in, when you go for a ramble. 
Cheers Alex
Cheers Alex
Thanks Alex - you can help digging up Oca from under the snow if you like
This is our area - its known as "the Fens"
Normans Cattle by British Red, on Flickr
Ancient Salt marshes. Cold and windy a lot of the time
Shire Mares by British Red, on Flickr
Lots of farming and birds
Curlews in meadow by British Red, on Flickr
Mistle Thrush Fledglings by British Red, on Flickr
Pigeon Flock by British Red, on Flickr
Very flat - and HUGE skies
Fenland Sunset by British Red, on Flickr
Red
This is our area - its known as "the Fens"
Normans Cattle by British Red, on Flickr
Ancient Salt marshes. Cold and windy a lot of the time
Shire Mares by British Red, on Flickr
Lots of farming and birds
Curlews in meadow by British Red, on Flickr
Mistle Thrush Fledglings by British Red, on Flickr
Pigeon Flock by British Red, on Flickr
Very flat - and HUGE skies
Fenland Sunset by British Red, on Flickr
Red
Thanks for the pics. Fen sunset is spot on. Can you go out walking on the Fens? Is it private or restricted in some way? Know I'd have to watch out for the cow 'patties'. P.S. You take some nice pics.
Cheers
Alex
P.S. You take some nice pics.Cheers
Alex
You can, people walk them - and shoot them - the wildfowling is incredible. Dangerous for the inexperienced though, the channels and creeks fill fast when the tide comes in
Salt Marshes by British Red, on Flickr
If you get caught in the mud - which can be neck deep like quicksand - the crabs don't worry too much if you are dead yet!
Shore Crab wars by British Red, on Flickr
Lovely spot - but deep soft mud and fast tides can catch the unwary out!
Salt Marshes by British Red, on Flickr
If you get caught in the mud - which can be neck deep like quicksand - the crabs don't worry too much if you are dead yet!
Shore Crab wars by British Red, on Flickr
Lovely spot - but deep soft mud and fast tides can catch the unwary out!
Red, lovely pictures of the area you live in. Sounds and looks like where you live is very similar to where I live, the island Sint Philipsland.
This is a salt marsh about 20 minutes walking from my home:
They surround most of the island, a number of them have been made into fresh water 20 years ago and are now forests with low biodiversity, many ticks and blue green algae. The governement is going to make them salt again in the coming years though.
We're not allowed on the salt ones at all, although people used to be allowed to hunt on them and gather plants like marsh samphire. Now you can only harvest the salt water plants with a permit and only in certain places.
Oh, and everything's flat here too.
This is a salt marsh about 20 minutes walking from my home:
They surround most of the island, a number of them have been made into fresh water 20 years ago and are now forests with low biodiversity, many ticks and blue green algae. The governement is going to make them salt again in the coming years though.
We're not allowed on the salt ones at all, although people used to be allowed to hunt on them and gather plants like marsh samphire. Now you can only harvest the salt water plants with a permit and only in certain places.
Oh, and everything's flat here too.
We harvest samphire with huge sacks here Niels - it grows in huge amounts and gathering 100 kilos doesn't make a dent!
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