Puddings & Hedges
By wthan
5 comments
Hi
Not much to report today I haven’t managed to get out in the garden at all, I have been chained in the kitchen making Christmas Puddings, made 14 but only got 13 left!! Well we did have to try one didn’t we?
Dad had been out with the petrol hedge cutter, it always worries me when he disappears into the wide blue yonder with a big sharp machine. He has trimmed the new hedge between the lane and our land, he was working for about 4 hours and only 2 vehicles’ passed him, The Postman and an itinerant scrap man looking for old metal. The hedge is original to the property, but once we had removed most of the brambles and stinging nettles there was not much left. We have layered several pieces of Hazel and have tidied up a few of the larger trees Oak, Beach and Birch. Where there are gaps, we have planted Beach Hedging Plants, & Holly. We have also put in some Lonicera (Lonicera pileata) which we had struck ourselves from an old straggly bush. The Lonicera in this form is not a native hedge row plant but it is very fast growing with a good spreading habit, we will trim in the spring as well as the autumn, the berries are a good source of bird food. In due course we will root some traditional Lonicera (Honey Suckle) and put that in as well.
27 Oct, 2010
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Comments
a job well done, but I think I'd have left a few bramblles in. I love brambles and so do the birds.
28 Oct, 2010
Hi
Whistonlass, Yes the pudding passed the taste test, I have made another 8 today, I do sell them at the market and I make sure that the label states made with eggs from our own free range hens.
Hello Seaburngirl do not worry we have left plenty of brambles for the birds just not in that particular place, hopefully when all the winter clearing up is done we can make some more nest boxes for them to nest in the spring. We have 5 lambs going to slaughter on Monday, when we get the meat back, I will render down the fat, then store it in blocks in the freezer, when the weather gets cold, it is ideal for making in to fat/seed balls for the birds.
28 Oct, 2010
glad there are still plenty. hope it didnt sound like a telling off, it wasnt meant to be. I just love brambles.
28 Oct, 2010
Totally agree Seaburngirl got to have those brambles otherwise no blackberry and apple pie, lush...
29 Oct, 2010
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24 Oct, 2010
Your dad is simply amazing...so much energy/stamina! Your hedge, when developed with all the various plantings will be quite a sight and with honeysuckle it should smell divine too.
And you've been busy in the kitchen with making your Christmas puddings (are these to sell at market?). So the sample pudding passed inspection I assume? Taste-testing is fun! :)
27 Oct, 2010