I’m very excited this year. Mum and I decided to buy some seeds to sow. I opted for poppies, which I put in the ground around the caravan and I planted some nasturtium seeds in pots. None of my poppies came out: from a whopping 2000 set of seeds! My nasturtiums on the other hand keep popping up everywhere, after what seemed another disaster. Mary (Steve’s mum) bought me some more poppy seeds and since monitoring the soil everyday for the last week, it looks like this time round they are coming out.

 

I have planted the nasturtiums in with my geraniums (which are yet flower), my beautiful purple Heuchura which will create a magnificent contrast of colour, in their own pots and with a lobelia. My other summer bedding plants have been put in a Belfast sink, some kind of cast iron bell shape pot and an old drinking trough, all salvaged from the farm! Steve drilled holes in them all so drainage shouldn’t be a problem. I am out everyday checking on growth, budding, and flowering, and of course watering when required. I cannot wait until the pots are all over spilling. The Cosmos are flowering nicely and the grass I bought has really grown. Herbs that I bought with my sister last year have come back thick and fast and my nasturtiums are just going to be fab.

 

I also sowed some courgette seeds and three out of five are coming up, it is all so satisfying.

 

p.s Since taking the photo of what just looks like soil (a before shot of my poppies), I have now edged the grass so it looks a bit more like a border, ready for my poppies to fill.

Well, I said yesterday that I was going to put some photos up of our caravan, but I got home last night and remembered that we needed to clear the hedge trimmings we had thrown in the cow field the night before.

We had decided to 'trim' the hedge which divides the farm house garden and the field beyond. The reasons for the hedge originally was to keep cows and sheep out but it had got that high that not only did the garden feel way too enclosed it was actually blocking the magnificent view behind and light. The hedge is some sort of berberis and therefore very prickly and mean! Steve did all the trimming and I went about clearing it up, using a pitch fork and throwing it over into the field (good exercise). Our cows are in that field on and off all summer and although I had a little pang of ‘Oh god, what if the cows do come in’ they didn’t, therefore we had no escapee’s and everything is fine. I now have an amazing view when I sit out in the garden.

So last night we picked it all up with the tractor and grab and took it to another field to burn. The bonfire was mesmerising and the views were superb in what ended up being a beautiful eve. The first shot is before it was trimmed (I should have taken some more), the rest is after, along with Steve and Buster, our fabulous sheep dog!

I mentioned yesterday that my sister had taken the photography of my products and it is really with her help that I have managed to get this thing going. I hope this blog will progress to become a documentation of my life and not only about the things I make. There is a fair amount going on at the moment and I guess the first place to start is that I live in a caravan on a farm. I will get some pics up hopefully tomorrow where you will get to see some before and after shots (we ripped much of the inside out and started again). Anyway, the reason for living in a caravan is that we (that is Steve and I) are hoping to convert one of the barns on the farm to live in. All very exciting!

 

As it turns out my sister, Emma is in a similar situation, having moved down from Reading her and her hubby, Mark are planning on making a life on his parents farm. She is living between a Yurt, much lovelier than a caravan but not as practical, so a caravan too. We did ask our Mum what she thought of two of her daughters being trailer trash! She just laughed. I am sure you will see a lot of what Emma gets up to as well over on her blog.

 

In the meantime, here are a few of her photos, which she is now fortunate to make a living out of, something to do with her talent I’d say.

 

Well, this is my first blog post. Here are some of the products I have got up on my shop on Folksy 

A big thank you to my talented sister Emma who took all the photos.