New Babies

Yesterday I decided to let the new chickens have a taste of freedom again. I've made a small enclosure of chicken wire so that they can enjoy some freedom and still be safe from the bigger girls. Well that didn't work for long. When I looked outside they had 'flown the coop' and were happily grazing on the lawn! The big girls just ignored them!

So today I let them all out together. They were fine - Rosie has taken a shine to the top of the eglu run. Their wings have not been clipped so they can fly out of reach of the big girls if needs be. And I think their voices are starting to break. Rosie clucked at me today instead of cheeping!

Square Foot Gardening

That Omlet forum has a lot to answer for! First it was an eglu and 4 chickens; then a second eglu and more chickens; then a veg garden and a serious bid for self sufficiency (well, mabe a bit of veg for dinner at the least). After much huffing and puffing, OH deigned to help me build them and they were ready by mid April - just in time to plant out some peas, runner beans and cucumbers that I'd already started in pots. And in just 3 months - voila!

In the far bed are: sweetcorn, runner beans, peas, courgettes, carrots and leeks.

Middle bed: dwarf french beans (note to self - this means dwarf plants, NOT dwarf beans, so in future do not plant at the back behind the broccoli), broccoli, peppers, spring onions, leeks, tomatoes.

Nearest bed: Assorted planted by my sons and eaten by the snails living in the kniphofia, radish, lettuce, cucumbers and nasturtiums.

I also have potatoes in bags, curly parsley in a window box and more tomatoes in another window box.

Produce so far = plenty of radish and salad leaves, peas, potatoes and one sweet little courgette!

It's a start anyway!

New Business

The Recycled bag Lady is born!

My bags appear to be quite popular so I've spent the afternoon making more patchwork bags; purchasing a domain name and creating a new email address. I am henceforth to be known as the Recycled Bag Lady - appropriate not only for what I do but also for what I am!

It's quite exciting really - who knows whether or not it will take off? For now I will test them on family and friends and see how it goes from there. This is the blue bag that started it all:

Watch this space!

Stuff of Dreams

This is an experimental blog for now - I haven't a clue what I'm doing; how to add links and things; so just playing and learning as I go along.!

But in the end I hope to have a boring account of some of the things that I enjoy doing and want to remember - things like days out with the kids; gardening; chickens; oh and my latest venture - making bags out of old curtains!

This is my first attempt - I'm quite pleased with it, and I've sold one already with orders for 2 more in the pipeline. I've always dreamt of being able to make things to sell, but although I am very 'arty farty' (as my husband likes to say), so far I haven't come up with anything saleable - until now. Wish me luck!