The Mid-Downpour tidy up ...

Not before time I have managed to kick Peep off the keyboard and take back control of our blog to give a well requested update to the urban farm following part one of the rainy season in South East London. I know from comments you have enjoyed hearing about Peep's arrival and adventures but am also aware how many of you want to know what has been going on post monsoon round one.

I thought the best way to do this was to go for the tidy up in pictures...



Towards the end of last week we had a good mix of sun and rain and were seeing the beautiful colours of the pots and baskets we hang all over our garden room to give us a bright and inspirational space in which to work...

Then came the rainy season and Saturday morning we thought our garden area looked a bit wet, the grass hides it well but there was a lot of splashing under foot on the way to the coops and the greenhouse...








But then I had a peek through the fence at our neighbour's garden and thought we had got off light...ours is raised a few inches from those around us as the previous owners didn't like all the moss that grows among the grass as there is an underground stream running across below our gardens apparently...






The fruit is ripening...who knows how given the lack of warmth and sunshine, but its now a case of trying to pick it from wet trees and bushes and getting all those lovely raspberries into a sorbet as quick as poss to keep that gorgeous fresh flavour.

The plums can be eaten off the tree as they have held up quite well given the attack of global warming.!

As the cherries are all split they will go straight into pie...

Must now throw the net over the Kentish Cobnut tree before the squirrel gets any funky ideas like last year when she took all the cobnuts and hid them all over the garden in pots, tubs, under one of the chicken coops...in fact we still find them occasionally...well this year we strike first with the fruit net to keep her out.







To protect our gorgeous chooks from the high water in their coop we have deep bedded them on wood-chip and straw for summer...can you read that twice and try to believe it?















Having the little chick Peep around has been a good reminder for us to revisit our Hen hygiene practice.  Red mite attack began last week and thanks to top advice from Zarla (@zeeteecee) on twitter we have a new dust on the way to fight the critters as well as using carefully placed Vasoline on perch ends to stop the mites getting to the chooks at night.  Also we are keeping our disinfectant regime high up the priority list as the little one needs protecting in these early days and mildew on drinkers will not provide the best start. We use this Vanodine V18 for so many cleaning and disinfecting jobs, it is brill stuff.









The little one and Bantam family have done pretty well through the wet weather, being raised on slabs they are dry as in the covered coop and with regular war on the red mite we have kept it clean as, although Mother Hen is not satisfied and has taken to digging a nest in the wood-chip under the hen house in the run for her and little Peep at night, despite us keeping the nest box and hen house spotless?

And OK...final word to Peep...

Hi Guys, managed to get back on the typing thingy for a quick word...I am doing really well even though the last couple of days have been a bit chilly and boring.  Apparently I have to stay in when it rains cos I cant get wet as my little body would get too cold.  But I wanted to show you my lovely new wing feathers...just look at them, I know I'll be flying soon, and they are a bit brown buff so maybe I wont be as darm as Midnight when I get all my feathers through.
Love Peep x