The helleborus is sometimes known as the Christmas rose, probably because when there is little else growing in the garden at this time of year, you can count on these beautiful flowers to be in full bloom. Hellebores are native to the mountains of Europe...
Hybrid chickens will come into lay between 18 - 22 weeks of age. This is called POL, Point of Lay. Pure breed chickens may start a little later that this. An easy way to identify that a chicken is at or reaching this stage is that she has a good sized,...
The flower garden Cover large non frost hardy plants with horticulture fleece. Cover newly planted bulbs with wire netting to prevent squirrels from digging them up. Water cyclamen plants that have died down during the summer. Lift and divide asters....
A chick’s effort to free itself from its shell is crucial to the chicken's life cycle and it will die if you interfere in this mysterious process. As I have said before it is part of the natural selection process, only strong chicks survive the hatching...
The flower garden Continue to dead head dahlia and salvia to keep them in flower until the first frosts. Prepare to bring in tender plants. In the South it will be ok not to bring them in yet. Herbaceous perennials mat be lifted, divided or relocated....
The flower garden Plant out dahlia, canna, lilies outside. Dead head winter and spring bedding plants regularly to encourage flowering. Peg rhododendrons to the ground so that they form new plants. Plant out sweet peas, pinching out the tips to form a...
The flower garden Complete pruning roses before new growth. Lift and divide perennials and replant immediately. Sow sweet peas in a cold frame. Prune deciduous shrubs for example fuchsias back to the base. Remove pansy leaves affected by mildew. Cut down...
Broad beans are thought to be a helpful in the treatment of water retention and obesity, thus improving kidney function. Broad beans are low in cholesterol and are therefore helpful in the management of heart disease. Broad beans are rich in choline which...
White and small amount of black yarn Abbreviations Rnd- round ch(s)- chain(s) sc(s)- single crochet(s) st(s)-stitch(es) sc2tog-single crochet 2 stitches together Head Rnd 1: Ch 1, 6 scs in circle (6scs) Place a stitch marker in the first sc of each rnd....
Living of the land, rearing livestock, consuming own grown seasonal food, fishing and foraging, being less dependent on the outside world. Self-sufficiency is the new ‘good life’. With some effort growing your own fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs is...
The Silkie is so named for its soft plumage, which is said to feel like silk. The breed has several unusual characteristics such as blue skin and five toes. They are bred for showing as well as making ideal pets for children and adults. As a breed, they...
There are strict guidelines as to the amount of space a battery hen should legally have. Generally a chicken should have an enclosure to protect from bad weather and predators. Ideally they should have enough space, including a fair size run for them...
The flower garden Prune shrubs such as weigela, deutzia and ceanothus after flowering. Pick off dead flower heads of rhododendrons, lilacs and azaleas. Dead head roses unless they are valued for their autumn hips. Pick off any diseased leaves. Trim early...
All chicken have mites, which is why they dust themselves but the warm weather multiplies them. These mites feed off the chickens blood supply, making your chickens anaemic and if left untreated die. The total kill ready to use solution containing pemethrin...
The flower garden Give hippeastrum bulbs as gifts which are forced to be in flower at this time. Give poinsettia plants. Plant out new rose bushes. Plant hellebores for winter colour. The kitchen garden Cut down Jerusalem artichokes. Prune side shoots...
The flower garden Prune rambling and climbing roses. Cut down annuals and take to the compost bin. Prune acer now to avoid stems from bleeding once the sap rises in the spring. The kitchen garden Mushrooms are growing at this time of year. Kits can be...
The first few days of a chicks life is fairly peaceful. They require a warm quiet environment where they can sit or sleep. I tend to provide them with a soft fluffy blanket on a bed of hay and under a red heat lamp. This seems to act as a sufficient replacement...
London’s Olympic park gardens cover 111 acres. The gardens were designed by a British landscape company British LDA Design and the American company Hargreaves Associates. The planting design was led by James Hitchmough who specialises is in perennial...
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew covers 132 acres on the river Thames in London. The grounds once belonged to the Royal family but in 1840 it was handed over to the state. Today it houses 1 in 8 of all flowering plant species in the world as well as endangered...
Silkies - Look at the feathers on the chick's head. Males tend to have feathers that stand upright and curve towards the back, while the female head feathers tend to form in a rounded feather puff. Look at the comb when it develops within two to three...
The flowers of the Elder tree can be used to make cordial but I prefer to wait until the tree has developed berries and they have turned black before I harvest to make jam. Forraged fruit gives a more complex flavour than that of usual berries. Picking...
Abbreviations K – Knit Inc – increase stitch sts – Stitches k2tog – knit two stitches together ML – make a loop by knitting the stitch as usual but not dropping the stitch from the left hand needle, bring the yarn from the back of the knitting to the...
Easy to fit to baby, not over the head, no fiddly buttons or complicated popper system, quick and easy knit, only 1 ball of DK required. Cast on 110 stitches (sts). Knit (K) 35sts and place marker (PM) (right front), K 40sts PM, K 35sts PM (left front)....
Duck eggs have a gestation period of 28 days. As with chicken eggs it is a good idea to mark X and O turn on either side to ensure a full 180̊ turn, if hatching in an incubator. Eggs should be turned 3 -5 times a day (ending up on opposite side than the...
Using 5mm knitting needles and 4ply or double knitting yarn Cast on 15 stitches Knit 2, turn and knit back 2 Knit 4, turn and knit back 4 Knit 6, turn and knit back 6 Knit all the way across the row Repeat these rows until the scarf is the desired length...
/image%2F1540244%2F20170520%2Fob_a65655_p-pod-001.JPG)
