Wednesday 7 January 2015

Update from Anglesey

As the seeds I have ordered begin  to arrive through the letter box and we start to think of a new growing season, I realise that almost the whole of last years season went unrecorded on here.  I blame the most excellent Anglesey summer and the fact that that the internet connection here is shall we say... fluctuating!  So, a review of 2014 before the looking forward to exciting developments!

This was the year when chilli and sweet pea obsessions grew to worrying proportions! Despite the fact that I forgot to switch the heater on in the greenhouse during a few cold spring nights, the chillies thrived, I sold young plants, big fruiting plants(someone even bought some fruiting plants as they matched their lounge) and fresh chillies and still had enough in variety to use freely, preserve, festoon the house with and make gifts. All my chillies were grown in peat free compost, Melcourt to be exact, which is made from composted bark and I was more than happy with the results and its a beautiful compost to handle. I particularly liked the 'Palivec' chilli, a large goats horn type with medium strength.


The task of cutting the sweet peas was usually happened at 5.45 in the morning as I was having trouble keeping up the picking. However, as the weather was dry it was difficult to keep up with all the watering and  the stems became shorter near the end of the summer and I was actually quite relieved! That soon wore off though and the first lot of seeds went in  during October for the coming year. Two favourite varieties are Albutt Blue and Anniversary, both picotee.



The kitchen garden, greenhouses and vegetable plot were very productive. Once again I grew too much of some crops and struggled to keep up, so a resolution to grow less beetroot and summer cabbage and chard is a must. We are still munching our way through all the winter veg!

Reminds me of summer!

Romanesco

Burgess Buttercup squash

Loads of coleslaw!

Cucamelons, tomatoes 'sweet olive' and 'sungold'


Plenty of cut flowers

While we were busy in the garden so were the bees and August was time for a big  honey  harvest! Then we embarked on the task of selling it at various fairs which proved to be most enjoyable, meeting up with friends old and new. The enthusiasm from customers, friends and family has really encouraged us. As we had such a large quantity of good quality wax I have been experimenting with making more hive products and this has led us to trading as Smallholder Plants and Bees, selling vegetable plants,  and other edible and bee friendly plants, honey and hive products! What an exciting year it is going to be!



Extracting the honey and some of the resulting products. Smallholder Plants and Bees now has a Facebook page.