Anglesey Smallholder

There will be no sunflowers this year – not unless I plant another batch.  I returned from holiday to find that the slugs had eaten every last one of them.

I will hopefully plant some more, however “real life” has taken a turn that will severely curtail my outdoor activities this summer.  I’ve been offered the opportunity of a second job.  I already have a full-time job, 8:30 to 5:30, and so taking on another job in the evenings and weekends is a real push – however I managed it over Winter and so maybe I can manage it again.  I’m very short on money, and the house needs some expensive repairs.

I am disappointed that I will not be able to spend any time outside this summer – I had been really looking forward to planting some things and watching them grow.  Now it looks as though I will be lucky to find enough time to cut the grass, let alone do anything else.  However, the extra money will undoubtedly be very helpful.  The house needs to be re-rendered, as the render is hollow or falling off in patches.  Re-rendering should help relieve some of the dampness in winter.   Many of the stone walls and outbuildings are crumbling and in desparate need of repair.  I had planned to do it myself but now I will not have time, so I will have to pay for those to be fixed as well.  In spite of this, the freelance work should hopefully pay enough that I will come out on top.

It is a shame to lose another summer, stuck in front of the computer while the world continues on its path around me, however I need the money and so I will have to put my plans on hold for yet another year.  C’est la vie.

My first seeds have been planted!  My inaugral crop is going to be: sunflowers.  If they survive the gale-force winds here, my hope is that they will attract birds and insects.  Once the seed heads are ripe I shall harvest them and store them unti l the winter, when I will give them to the chickens to peck at.  If the chickens don’t like them (which is very likely – the chickens are fussy and just like their special food mix), then I’ll let the wild birds have them.  Or I may just eat them myself – we’ll see.

I have planted two varieties, red and yellow, in individual pots in compost.  Once they germinate and grow large enough, I will transplant them into the garden.  I’m not sure where I’ll put them yet, as they will need a sheltered spot.  Here’s hoping that they germinate and survive the gales.