Review 2015 Part 2

Here is the 2nd part of my review for 2015.

By July the garden was flourishing and we were preparing for the 
very first garden opening for Farm Africa.
We wanted Freshwinds Garden to look as perfect as possible.

  The cob shed floor needed to be completed and we had some help from visitors.

 

By July we had several beds protected with rabbit wire and this helped enormously.

Everything in the polytunnel was doing very well.

The cob shed floor was completed and we got all the tools hung up.

The veg beds were flourishing.

The entrance was given a new look.

In August we opened the garden and made over £1,000 for Farm Africa.

The garden looked lovely and the weather was perfect.

There was tea and cakes in the barn....

....tractor rides......

.......donkey rides......

......and a BBQ for helpers in the evening.

A tiring but most satisfying and enjoyable day.

Pond creatures continued to thrive and provide much excitement for visitors.

The potato harvest was abundant.

My £1 pack of gladioli from Aldi was the greatest floral success
 as well as the helichrysum (as always) 

The polytunnel was a continuing joy.

The rabbits loved their outdoor run.

A new tortoise run was constructed.

Everything continued to grow and produce right through September.

By October, 17 stone ladybirds had been refound. These have provided much enjoyment for children staying at the farm, either in the searching for, or in the hiding again.

 Harvesting was still going strong in November.....a record year.

We had some nice days but not enough to finish all the jobs by Christmas.

The last event for the year was the Carols in the Barn, a very popular event in the village.

For a change it was not cold.

Santa came.

And we all enjoyed the singing.

I have loved every minute of our time at Freshwinds Garden and look forward  

to all the new plans and projects for 2016.

Watch this space.

A happy, healthy and prosperous new year to everyone who reads my blog.

Freshwinds Review 2015 Part 1

I have taken so many photos at Freshwinds Garden this year, that I am finding it hard to choose which ones for this review. I have decided to do it in two parts as there are so many things

 I want to include.

Overall it has been a good year and the garden has certainly been very productive.

I once would never have admitted this, but the animals have been an added attraction, to myself and the visitors, especially the children. I have missed them now the winter months are here.

Our family and extended family have enjoyed coming to help, see the animals or just enjoy tea, buns and scones when we have a break.

Many projects have been completed and there are many more in the pipeline.

Here are the pictures....

January saw the two donkeys Rosie and Alice, warm and sheltered in the barn.

 

The empty polytunnel was ready for the off with dahlias safely buried in soil and under old carpets.

.

The compost had rotted down well, another January job.

There were lovely days for teabreaks in February.

The garden was just coming back to life.

The orchard was enclosed to make a rabbit and guinea pig run.

In March the first lambs were born.

We began to rethink the entrance area.

And the work on the cob shed floor began.

 New arrivals caused a stir.

More lambs were born and one mother had seven babies.
 

 In April we set up the craft shop on the costermongers cart.

The polytunnel got a new set of pockets which have proved very useful for smaller items.

The frogs and newts returned to the pond.

In May the polytunnel was planted up.

The beds were protected by old net curtains at this stage in the year.
It worked.
 

We cut chestnut poles for the bean rows.
 

 This was Flash Harry in May.

We also set up the little nursery.
 

In June we had the first discussions regarding the opening of the garden for Farm Africa.

Wrens nested under the old yurt cover.
 

The chickens loved pecking over trugs of weeds but most of all they loved the worms.
 

Harvesting began in earnest.
 

And the polytunnel began to fill out.
 

And that`s just the first half of the year.
More to come.