Whats happening on Pippettes Farm this April?
There’s a lot of subdued panic as everything is now growing like crazy, all at once and we don’t know where to start!
No.1 Priority is our seeds for the skin care, teas and clinic.
Greenhouse
There's lots of seeds starting to spring up in the trays in the greenhouse; Chamomile, Yarrow, Sage, Echinacea, Holy Basil, White Sage, Peppermint, Yarrow…. plus Parsley, Mustard Leaf and Rocket – which have been put in coir pots and are being sold outside the shop in Exmouth Market. Our vegetables are organic and very hardy – so if you’re passing the shop, please visit and purchase a pot and you won't be disappointed!
Open Meadow Beds
Our new beds have been mulched, edged and we have started to seed and plant out.
Back breaking stuff and breaking all the rules as an Osteopath!
250 lavender plants later we still need about 150 more – but in 3 or 4 years we should have a good supply to distill our very own Pippettes essential oils which is very exciting.
Last weekend, in the rain, I prepared a bed and planted Calendula seeds directly – about 250 . I have lots of seedlings but I saved these seeds from my best plants last year and I want to see how they do.
Hedge fund :-)
We have invested heavily in bushes and trees. The hedges we planted last year are showing good signs of life – it's exciting, as again in a couple of years, we will (fingers crossed) have an enclosed meadow that emulates the feel of a `green walled garden’. The hedge protects us from the harshest wind and weather, yet allows access for light, airflow and all nature and wildlife in general (except rabbits!).
The ‘hedge’ should incorporate our home and workshops too, so the whole area will have a feeling of an organic self sufficient biome, which is one of the fundamental biodynamic principles.
In the meantime … it’s back to work with weeding, growing, sowing, and more weeding. I dream of a weedless garden.
Welcome Back!
Our lovely gardener Nick is back this week after having his fingers sewn back on (accident at his home – not with us!).
He’ll be such a help to Karen who has been doing a super job keeping everything running.
Dogs
Bert, our lovely Sydney Silkie that came back to the UK with us from NZ, is hating the cold so he only ventures out in the warmer months. He’s 14 and feeling his aches and pains. We are keeping him in shape active with raw feeding, acupuncture, Devils Claw, fish oils and probiotics.
Doris – “the scruffiest rescue Yorkie in the world”, ventures out keenly but doesn’t last as she’s still a very nervous little dog – she prefers to watch from the window with her toy ‘Mr Sock’….. need I say more!