A new year has begun, and the garden is already showing signs of life. Apart from the daffodils and snowdrops poking up through the ground, this beautiful and fragrant Viburnum flower is putting on a beautiful show!
Category: Chilcotts Farm
Latest on what’s been happening on our smallholding at Chilcotts Farm.
A Bite Out of Every Apple!
It would appear we have a mouse problem in our store! After carefully picking and storing our apple crop, It would appear a little mouse family has come along and taken a bite out of nearly every apple!
Even worse, it would appear that we have had rat visitors too with big toothy bites out of some of the store squashes.
Mr Fox is out and about
We have unfortunately lost a duck and a chicken over the last couple of days. Taken by Mr Fox! We haven’t ever had any issues with Foxes, but this year we have lost 3 ducks, 2 chickens and a goose!
Autumn Fire!
Wow! The colours of the medlar in autumn is incredible!
I have never eaten the fruit. Each year I store it, ready to eat, and never get around to it.
I am not sure if it is the fact that you have to let it get to the point of rotting before you eat it that puts me off?
However, I wait until the spring and the big flowers probably make up for what I may have missed.
Walnuts are falling!
I checked the walnut trees a week ago to see if the nuts were ready.
The tree still showed the green fruit intact with no signs of releasing its nut from the fruit.
I checked again yesterday, and within just one week, the tree had started to drop its fruit. The green fruit had split open, and some of the nuts were lying on the ground. Others were just about to fall.
I quickly gathered and picked all the nuts before an opportunist squirrel or mouse had the opportunity.
They are now all drying in the warmth of the utility room, to be eventually stored in our outside store, ready for eating at Christmas!
Walnut fruit 
A walnut tree shedding its seed, the walnut 
This year’s harvest of walnuts
North Devon Homegrown Hazel Nuts
Today has probably been the first chilly morning, the temperature is beginning to turn. However, it is dry and sunny, so a chance to gather in some of the nuts.
We have a small young nut orchard with cultivated varieties. Primarily, hazel nuts, but also walnuts and sweet chestnuts.
Before Mr & Mrs Squirrel take my hazel nuts, I thought I would get in there first and pick them.
The walnuts and chestnuts aren’t quite ready yet, so will leave them for another day.
Winter Harvest is Underway
This year I have had a varying crop of apples. The Cooking apples aren’t as abundant as normal, but I have some cracking eaters.
These Fiesta apples are really tasty and soooo juicy! A real prize apple!
Fox Attack & a Goose Killed
Yesterday afternoon one of our geese was killed by a local fox in Bickington.
This year we have now lost to foxes two ducks, a chicken and now a goose. We have not had loses like this for the last 7 years.
Fortunately, each time it has only been a single bird taken, and appears to be an opportunist always attacking in broad daylight in the afternoon. I suspect a young brazen fox, or a parent feeding cubs.
A warning to any other poultry keepers, or small pet owners in the Bickington or Fremington area, be vigilant!
This is what I want, I really really want ….
I have a two acre field, I really want to turn into (revert to?) wildflower meadow. How do you do it? Can anyone help?
It seems really complicated and expensive.
Done the research over a few years and got the facts, just spent £40 on seed! (mixture of perennial and annual from Pictorial Meadows #PictorialMeadows) only does 10 square metres. 2 acres is equivalent to 8,000 square metres …… so at a price of £32,000 …. not really achievable????
A lot of money, but it needs to be done right, so hopefully this autumn we will get started. I then just need to work out how to do it affordably over the next 5 years ….. yes a 5 year project ….
#RHSGardensRosemoor have stared a wild flower meadow, and it is looking good. They are just down the road, if they are reading, perhaps someone could help out, after all we are members. I could pay in honey, vegetables or fruit ….. but I suppose that is coals to Newcastle???
Anyone any thoughts on how we can do this in an environmental way, for little cost, to achieve a native meadow.
The Geese Have Finished Laying
The geese have finished laying for this year, so we no longer have goose eggs for sale. We have a broody goose sitting on the last eggs laid, so maybe some spring goslings? Hopefully more goose eggs available from late February next year.
We still have plenty of duck eggs for sale. Please knock if you want to buy.