About paulrainger

Smallholder trying to be selfsufficientish. Previously an environmental campaigner, and Founder of Bristol's BIG Green Week Festival. Me, I'm just a lawnmower, you can tell me from the way I walk.

Happy Beltane from The Secret Acre

Here we are again, about midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice, at least in the northern hemisphere, with the garden once again bursting back into full life.

We may have to visit a Henge today to celebrate!

At least the Asparagus has been enjoying our wet spring weather, even if the seedlings have been suffering from the unseasonal cold.

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Wake up now, this is the time you’ve waited for

The start of February marks the traditional Druid festival of Imbolc, celebrating the beginning of spring, being about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

Of course these days, Imbolc is some six weeks ahead of what we now tend to think of as the official start of spring in March, but nonetheless, this is the time when the first earliest signs of the garden waking up start to appear.

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Meet the new Barn, same as the old Barn – Part 5, Little Red Roofer

As Christmas edged ever closer, and with the British Larch cladding and roofing membrane now on, it was time to battle November’s almost constant rain and wind to get water tight before the snow.

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Meet the new Barn, same as the old Barn – Part 4, Larch Cladding

With the structural frame of walls and roof safely constructed, it was time for the cladding and roofing membrane.

Like the pig sties, we again used British Larch cladding supplied by Vastern Timber, which had recently arrived across the fields.

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Meet the new Barn, same as the old Barn – Part 2, Second Foundation

Having safely demolished the old barn, and removed the asbestos, before it fell down, it was time to start preparing the foundations.

Since preparation is key, the first act was actually to install a new field gate in the paddock to allow access to get materials deliver to site.

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Meet the new Barn, same as the old Barn – Part 1, Gone!

Last year, we rebuilt the pig sties, turning them into useful sheds.

This year we are tackling the Barn, which has miraculously survived the last two winters without falling down completely, although we did lose part of the roof.

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Here come the Crops

And we say, it’s all right.

Despite the Climate Change driven drought, summer abundance arrived at The Secret Acre.

It all made for a busy July and August, along with the usual influx of willing helpers at the start of the school holidays.

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