Cold winter days

    Since the last blog the weather has not been kind. It has been cold particularly when you take into account the wind chill factor. Having said that I managed to get one day on the garden and planted my shallots and most of my onions. I also hand forked and weeded the garlic bed with my new patent pending hand fork! In the poly tunnel amazingly coriander is starting to grow. The cold weather though has slowed up the 18 Jour radishes.
    As I write this the weather has taken a turn to the milder side. Yesterday it was a freezing -7C today a balmy 13C and the outlook is for the milder weather to continue. No doubt it will rain and once more stop me from getting on. I have dug up more leeks and carrots. The carrots are now pretty much done. I also managed to cut down a small fur tree that has been annoying me for years. Now need to get the stump out! More fencing posts obtained which means work in the fields putting up posts before the ground gets too dry. 
   On the animal front the hens are laying more regularly with the longer days and now a return to milder weather. At least two a day, more often three and now and then five. I expect to be getting four a day soon. The chickens are being chickens and turning over any ground I dig or fork. The sheep are surviving and grass is  getting very short.

Garlic bed

Shallots