Hello from me

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Hello from me

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Greentwinsmummy

Joined: 15 Mar 2025
Posts: 5

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 25 5:52 pm Post subject: Hello from me

I’ve found my way here via the Green Living forum which for years and years has been a big part of my life

but in a few hours it won’t exist.

I originated from Bournemouth, lived in an Edwardian detached house and started with growing vegetables and two browns and two bantams in my back garden, life then had far more in store for me and I ended up in a small village in West Dorset working as a housekeeper at the Manor House there and living in a tied cottage with my twin girls.

I looked after their small flock of Suffolks, some geese, more hens and then moved to having my own meat birds. The years passed in a blur of hard work

until I met my now husband who just before meeting me had agreed to buy the 15th Century farmhouse we now live in from his uncle. It has been farmed by his family from between the wars. We’ve got 15 acres and the rest is still owned by his uncle and has tenant farmers on it who also have their own land nearby. A year after moving here we added a shepherd’s hut overlooking the Marshwood Vale and 2018 we started converting old outbuildings into two holiday lets. That’s had me flat out busier than a bug in a boarding house

and quite frankly the past ten years we’ve been here have been a blur.

We’ve got lots of hens, two cockerels, a turkey, two Labradors , two cats and six Ouessant sheep. My vegetable growing has fallen by the wayside and that makes me sad but with my husband working away I’m spread pretty thin, our poly tunnel is a sorry sight and as for the raised beds

Nearly all have been covered over and are laying quiet whilst two huge dumpy bags of organic compost sits laughing at me waiting for me to get it gently onto each bed. We do the raised beds as no dig. I’d love to think I can get at least one with some dwarf beans in this year. I forgot to add my husband keeps bees and has two hives that with luck will swell to three this year.

Wish me luck!

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35115
Location: Devon

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 25 7:14 pm Post subject:
Good luck!

Greentwinsmummy

Joined: 15 Mar 2025
Posts: 5

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 25 7:17 pm Post subject:
Thank you Jamanda , I need to reprioritise things

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16173

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 25 9:20 am Post subject:

We used to keep a lot of bees, but with working the woods, that has rather fallen by the wayside, although we still have one hive. Husband has been keeping bees for over 40 years. Don't know a lot about Ouessant sheep, but just looked them up and see they are a primitive breed from Brittany. What is their wool like? I am a spinner btw.

I know the feeling about the gardening. I have just about managed to keep 4 raised beds and a greenhouse sort of going, but the crop last year was abysmal. Too much work in the woods and not enough energy in my case.

Hope to have some interesting discussions with you.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 43734
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 25 11:58 am Post subject:

hello, we are quite friendly, the archives cover most aspects of growing and critter wrangling

my growing and critter stuff is very reduced from past decades, at the mo the yard is still getting a makeover (so far not bad),

i have a few hand feeding wild birds and a mouse castle for the long tail sammisons and hope all will oblige with modeling for snaps by tripod as well as the happy times when i could swing a camera( my camera is a bit heavy with the 100 to 400 on the front

sustainable and ethical is difficult but we do try

any vermin issues, just ask

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9909
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 25 4:23 pm Post subject:
welcome I had Ouessant sheep grazing my fields for a few years - nice sheep, tough little things. I also grow veg using the no dig method. I think your idea of getting one thing going, getting the veg bed back little by little is the right way forward good luck

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