Upcoming Virtual Presentations

Greenwich Library have asked for 3 more virtual powerpoint presentations over the summer.

July 29th 7pm

THE YORKSHIRE DALES:FROM HERRIOT TO HOME
Set in the heart of Northern England, this rural landscape formed the backdrop of James Herriot's book and PBS TV series "All Creatures Great & Small"
This presentation includes photos and descriptions of the dales from medieval times, to the present day, and follows a circuitous route from the northerly Wenslydale where James Herriot entered the Dales in 1939 to the southernmost  Airedale where I spent my formative years.

Aug 22nd 2pm 

STONE IN THE GARDEN 
Describes not how, but where to place stone in the garden, and which material to use when creating contrast or harmony. From steps and paths to direct or invite,through mosaics, follies, benches, seats, and other whimsies, to ponds and patios to relax and refresh.

Sept 24th 7pm

STONEWELL FARM

Creating a sense of place. comments on the ever evolving community here at Stonewell Farm. Sometimes tragic, often humorous. A community as one, on hearing the alarm call of chickens, ducks or turkeys, All eyes, including ours look to the sky for the circling raptor.

Stonewell Farm 9am June 9th 2019

This year I mixed Garden Tone into the Hanging Basket and Planter medium, which I will replenish mid summer. Another 3 weeks and they will be properly filled out.

For now they are progressing nicely.

Most of the peonies are flowering along with the Salvia, Tradescantia and Geraniums.

A slightly different angle to show off Peony Raspberry swirl.

Here at Stonewell farm, despite the cold Spring, our fruit trees are full of fruit, as witnessed by the peach tree top left.

More Peonies, but this shot will truly pop when the Philadelphus by the utility pole blooms.

Thalictrum and Nepeta add to the pastel shades and Physocarpus 'Diabolo' is just starting to flower (right)

Peonies, Peonies, Peonies, we need scratch and smell digital photos.

Geraniums, Nepeta and Anthemis (white center) will soon dominate the sunny part of this border.

When all the flowering shrubs are done, the variegated Aralia will still brighten this corner.

This is predominately a Spring border. The dark wine Lilac (green) displays magnificently against the golden Physocarpus. but for now, the chocolate coloured Physocarpus is about to burst into bloom.

The Physocarpus behind the blue Spruce has been heavily grazed by deer and is unlikely to flower this year.

This week, I have stepped back to show the profusion of bracts on the Dogwood.

The ducks where reluctant to be photographed in this shot.

So I took the mountain to Mohamed.

Fall's bounty

Today feels like our first Fall day and Summer is closing. but we do have bounty from the garden and orchard to soften the blow.

and the flower borders are still full of colour.

All we need now is for Sooty to hatch.

 Then we can fire up the oven and get back to enjoying hot Pizza.

All things come to she who waits.

I took this photo on the twentieth of March as part of the "Easter eggs or ducklings post" at that time, Nora had been sitting on her eggs for three weeks. The incubation period for a Muscovy duck is around 35 days, making her hatch date sometime the first week in April. We usually give them an extra week as the outside temperature can sometimes delay hatching. Perhaps the eggs had become chilled and infertile during the March cold snap.We decided this weekend was the cut off date.

Yesterday When Nora was on the pond soaking her feathers (High humidity is very important during hatching) I went to check her eggs and this is what I found. Patience is a virtue.

This morning she was still sitting, so hopefully there will be more ducklings and more photos.
Just two more, but well worth the wait.

Easter Eggs or Ducklings?

In the midst of yet another Nor'Easter, one has to believe that the ducks know best and Spring will not be long in coming.

Caillou, the matriarch of our flock has this year decided to make her nest in one of the chicken egg laying boxes 

which may help contain her eggs, as she has a tendency to scratch her eggs out of the nest.

                                      

Nora, so named because her sister Dora wandered far and wide throughout the woods, until one day her exploring took her to the point of no return.

The incubation period for a Muscovy duck is around 5 weeks, Nora has been sitting for three weeks

Cinco, a daughter of Nora, got her name because she has made her nest under the Pizza oven sink countertop

She has 4 eggs at present and will start sitting when she has a dozen or more, which will probably take another couple of weeks.

The almost identical sister of Cinco, who we named  Mayo, has been sitting for just over a week

and as you can see, has a full clutch of eggs, 17 in total.

Studley, on the left and Sir Francis, are our two drakes.

But don't put away your snow shovel just yet, as Coddle hatched 4 little duckling back in December.