Monday 26 May 2014

To everything a season.

At last things are settling down into our 'Summer' way of life here on the farm.   Today sheep and this year's lambs have arrived for the Summer and are in the big pasture.   Each mum has two babies (any more and it is difficult for sheep as they have only two tits each).   What always makes me smile is that mum lets the lambs wander wherever they like and then, when she wants them, she just calls - once.   Immediately her two come to her.   All sheep sound alike to me, but a lamb recognises its mum's call and I have never seen a lamb disobey that call to come.

Also heifers have come for the barn pasture - eleven of them, some British Blue Cross and some Limousin Cross.   They are a frisky lot at the moment.

 I have been gardening today and have had little time, but once things settle down I will post photographs of both the sheep and lambs and of the heifers.

On the Lane things are really beautiful.   Cow parsley is a froth of white blossom and the hawthorn hedge is covered in May blossom, so there is a lovely almondy smell as you walk down.   But look carefully in the grass and you will find so many treasures.   There are patches of deep pink campion, swathes of ladies' bedstraw and one large patch of Germander Speedwell (Bird's eye) which is the deepest, most beautiful blue.   The buttercups are going back now but there is plenty to take their place.

Silaging is still to come for us and I must say that I am rather pleased about that because as I walked the Lane after lunch each silage meadow had curlew giving alarm calls and hovering over the long grass as I passed - a sign that there are nests on the ground.

The farmer and I bedded out all our tubs and pots this afternoon, so now we can tick that job off the list.   The trouble with gardening is that it is never done.   You can't spend an afternoon working in the garden and then come in thinking 'well that's the garden done' because it isn't.   By morning weeds will have sprung up in places where you didn't see them yesterday, green fly, black spot and the like will have found something to suit their taste - and leave these things for a week and they will have taken over.

There is something to be said for a concrete back yard.

15 comments:

the veg artist said...

I associate concrete back yards with my brother-in-law. A more miserable individual would be hard to find. The joy of sowing a seed, nurturing a plant and watching it grow is so totally lost on him, as are most of the other joys of life. Gardening is such a simple, life-enhancing pleasure, I intend to be growing things as long as I am physically able, and appreciating them long after that. As, I suspect, will you!

Heather said...

The hedgerows look as if they are decked out for a wedding - it's such a lovely time of the year. I have been planting out today and have more to do tomorrow. All the plants are from free seeds with various gardening magazines and I think each seed must have germinated judging by the quantity! Luckily I have three gardening children who have each taken plants.

Sue in Suffolk said...

My idea of hell would be a house with no garden.

Frugal in Derbyshire said...

Got to have a garden haven't we.? I've always struggled to relate to people who don't like gardens and slab over everything. No friend of the bees.

Tom Stephenson said...

Now I've got that bloody 1960s song going through my head. Thanks a lot, Weave.

Cloudia said...

I so enjoy walking here





ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^=

Unknown said...

I am sure the photographs of your yard will come out amazing. Spring is finally in full bloom :)

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

I love your descriptions of life on the farm - I feel like I'm right there. Our Hawthorn trees are blooming everywhere too.

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Arija said...

With your love of nature Pat, I never would have thought that anything could be said about a concrete back yard that is not detrimental. Your meadows and lanes sound delightful and curlews nesting would thrill me to bits. I'm glad to have spur-wing plovers nesting on the paddock.

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

It's one of the reasons I like not-over-tended hedgerows. The plants organise themselves according to what will best grow where and with whom and don't seem to get overwhelmed by pests. (Bramble patches are a different matter.)No weeding necessary!

MorningAJ said...

Oh Weaver! Sheep don't all sound alike at all. They have different calls, and they even have regional accents. They don't sound anything like Yorkshire sheep down here.

Crafty Green Poet said...

The hawthron is magnificent up here too, and lots of other beautiful plants in bloom too

I'm not in favour of concrete backyards except for small portions for sitting on and pathways.

Hildred said...

Concrete!!!!! Oh, Pat, - I'm sure the weeds spring up on purpose so that we can spend more wonderful time in the garden and feed our souls....

mrsnesbitt said...

TT time Pat - we'll "wave" as we pass on Friday!