Finally a busy week where it feels like we’re making progress. Partly helped by having some shorter jobs on our to-do list that mean you can cross more things off in a week and get that sense of satisfaction!
Our big achievement this week was weeding almost all of the kitchen garden. John has done an incredible job and cleared almost everything except in the fruit cage, which means we can now see (and finish) the crops left over from last year and get ready to plant the new seedlings out. It looks so much better! And he found time to top up the potato bed too – it’s always a job that creeps up on us and more so with all the sun we’ve had recently.
We also weeded the snowdrop bank and planted out some periwinkles in the hope they will take. We’ve struggled to plant anything there that remains – it gets so dry and is shaded by the light purple lilac so most of the plants and bulbs fail, and the weeds take over. My mum also donated some violets on my last trip home so they’ve gone in too, with our fingers tightly crossed!
Our chilli (and now aubergine) greenhouse has a new water butt – the gutters were leaking into the greenhouse so we’ve installed a water butt to try and divert the water and make it usable. It’s a little rustic-looking and has made good use of gaffer tape where the connecting hoses change dimension but John tried it with the hose and so far so good – no leaks inside and the butt is actually filling up. Typical we do this when there’s no rain in the foreseeable forecast – at least it’s done now.
We finally got round to feeding the fruit trees with calcium and superphosphate – arguably a couple of months later than you’re supposed to. The blossom on the plum and pear trees seems to have come and gone with tiny fruits now forming; while the apple trees still have some blossom on – hopefully there’s still time for the nutrients to have some effect. And John has finished the last of the incinerator pile left from our winter pruning – although we have several trees that have died and need cutting back, so I’m sure we’ll end up creating a new pile soon.
With a gap in guest bookings, John took the opportunity to complete some maintenance and upkeep in the Farmhouse. He’s replaced shower seals and completed our annual inventory to check for items broken or missing that need replacing. Following recent guest feedback (family are always usefully constructive!) we’ve added some new items in the kitchen – coupé glasses, a spirit measure, a juicer, an ice-box and food clips and bags. We consistently receive great feedback about how well-equipped the kitchen is, but it’s strangely satisfying to add something new that we think most guests would use.
We made a bit more progress with the Cow Shed, although with a three day weekend coming up we‘ve left some things until then. We’ve painted the first coat in the bedroom; and we’ve finalised the design for the laundry ‘extension’ and put the order in. It’s always slightly nerve-wracking pressing the button on a self-designed interior but luckily we know (from experience!) that DIY Kitchens will check it before anything is actually built.
On Sunday John took part in the Exmouth 10k (coming an impressive 11th out of 114 overall and first in his age category out of 14, well done John!) which gave Evie and I an excuse to hang out on the beach for a bit. At about 40 minutes away, Exmouth is a bit further than most of the beaches we recommend to guests, although it has a long and beautiful sandy beach and plenty to do and see in town. It’s dog friendly until May so we just got there in time – it was quiet but lovely to see the few people there with dogs enjoying the freedom and the soft sand! It’s one we’ll be adding to our recommendations list as soon as we have time…
Ley Farm Cottages 