Tree Fungus

A lovely winter’s walk today and we spied some interesting tree fungus. Does anybody know what type it is?

Winter Tree Fungus

Strawberry Jam

The last of the strawberries going into some lovely jam.  
Strawberry Jam on the #HenSafe smallholding

Learnings:
Strawberries need a lot of pectin added as they don’t contain much themselves.

August Harvest and Ratatouille


August harvest. HenSafe smallholding.
A perfect day to harvest the summer veg and prepare some ratatouille. Although it’s always best fresh, I always freeze some for winter months and if it’s allowed to thaw naturally then the pieces remain intact enough. If they do decide to fall to bits, ratatouille soup is lovely too!
August Harvest. HenSafe smallholding.
Learnings:
  • Remember to leave space in the freezer for harvest time.
  • Use a bigger pan :D

Best Tomatoes to Grow


The heatwave has given differing results for tomatoes this year. The little Rosada F1 plum tomatoes in the greenhouse have done really well and are deliciously sweet. 
Rosada Tomatoes. HenSafe Smallholding.
The heritage Marmande in the polytunnel haven’t done so well and have suffered with greenback which happens when conditions are too hot and sunny leading to uneven ripening. The top starts by staying green and then just doesn’t ripen properly, in this case remaining yellow. The bottom of the tomato is still edible and this batch is going into some soup for winter. 
Marmande Heritage Tomatoes. HenSafe Smallholding.

Our unpredictable weather means that growing the heritage varieties in the polytunnel will be a bit hit and miss. Maybe next year I’ll try them in the greenhouse. 


Learnings:
  • Unpredictable weather = unpredictable crops.

Mint Moth


A perfect little mint moth landed on our kitchen window this morning. Enjoying the sunshine and warming its wings. Looking forward to some more summer sun. Fingers crossed...
HenSafe Smallholding. Mint Moth.

Learnings:
  • Herb gardens outside the kitchen window pay benefits.

The Beast From the East


HenSafe Smallholding. The Beast From the East.
Wow. This amount of snow in March is really unexpected. Feeding the chickens some extra corn to keep them laying nicely. Our HenSafe automatic door opener still functions perfectly :D Robust, Rugged, Reliable. #chooseHenSafe