Garden in Crisis

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We have made a start on the garden at the back of the house.  Mike designed the stone garden using rocks found on the farm.  We are trying to create an attractive jungle with areas of  more common plants.

I went to the garden centre yesterday armed with some vouchers we had been given as presents, one dating back to 2008, which luckily they accepted.  I bought rockery plants to go behind and between the bamboo, whilst it is growing up, some herbs including Mint, Ladies Mantle, Lavender and Thyme and some Agapantha and Mombresia.  Previously we went to a nursery called "Desert to Jungle" and bought Bamboo, Fatsia (not sure if that is how you spell it) and some other jungle plants.   We will also be transplanting our Honeysuckle, Hydranger, and some other shrubs from the area which used to be the garden when we had behind  the log cabin.

A day in the life of........

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Jax, my son's dog, is staying with us for a few weeks while the rest of the family are on holiday in their French holiday home.   She is a retired working sheepdog (David used to have a small flock) and so when she comes here she likes to organise the alpacas.   To start with she was moving them around so much that I decided to move them to a different paddock so that they were not disturbed.

They are now back free-ranging and Jax, for the most part, leaves them alone, but it seems she cannot resist the temptation to tidy them up at least once a day.

The cria are getting more independant day by day.   The love taking the high ground of the earth mound outside the barn.

It is also a great suntrap for them.

Fleeced

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Mike is now on the waiting list for a double heart bypass and replacement mitral valve.  He is glad in many ways as he is beginning to feel short of breath and tires easily.

I have sold the Gotland sheep and they have gone to two very good homes, I believe.   Apart from cutting their toe nails, when I need someone to hold them, I can carry out most husbandry on the alpacas myself, whereas I needed help with the sheep.

I have 3 x 2k bags of fleece available to hand spinners at £18 per bag..   All our alpaca fleece has either been sold or gone to the mill for spinning.