Saturday 18 May 2013

Saturday at the smallholding

The cold grey weather hasn't put off the Lightweight Camping Club as a few more arrived for the weekend, there are now 10 small tents on the field. This is one corner.
I started the day by making a gooseberry and rhubarb pie and got the things ready for a vegetable curry, with  homemade bhajis and homemade naans. Then I went outside ( fleece and fleece hat STILL required!) I started by sowing some runner beans in trays in the greenhouse then potting up and tidying some more herbs which will go out to sell later. I have several  huge pots of various Hostas, but they have been in the same pots for years and had been infested with weeds - especially this which looks like a harmless violet but BE WARNED, if it arrives in your garden you will NEVER get rid of it.
It must be related to violets but the roots are very invasive and the flowers turn into seed pods which pop and spread everywhere. It would be fine if it just stayed in the flower garden but it gets into every nook and cranny and every pot. I decided that 3 Hostas would have to go, I managed to rescue 3 smaller ones but will look out at car boot sales to restart my collection.
Him Outside did lots of tidying and weeding and prepared 2 beds for runner beans. He also took the fleece off the courgettes, but they do look sad as they got badly damaged by the wind.
Then it was all the normal jobs - cleaning campsite loos, checking bins, collecting, sorting and boxing up 8 dozen eggs.
The doorbell went mid afternoon and a lady asked to look at the campsite, she had clipboard and checklist and I was a bit puzzled, but she was doing an advanced 'reccy' for a possible visit by a group of 6 friends in September. They had come all the way from Leicestershire to look! They admired the bluebells under our Horse Chestnut tree and said that it has been so cold where they live that their bluebells are still not out.

Then it was time to finish cooking the curry, get cleared up and prepare ourselves  for an evening at The Eurovision Song Contest! I doubt UK will win but having grown up watching it for as long as I can remember it is compulsory viewing.We have a packet of chocolate coated peanuts to nibble as a treat! What an exciting life we lead!

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