Farm Gate News

 

15/10/20

In the patch

The chocolate lace (Dara) is still going strong. 

Hare’s ear (Bupleurum) has branched sprays of low green flowers on long wiry stems and makes great long lasting filler. 

The Alstroemeria has started to flower – just one colour but it’s a beautiful golden yellow.  This is also quite tall and lasts well.

Cornflowers are also just starting to flower; colours include blue, black, pink and white.  Very pretty little accent flowers, especially if you are after a wild flower meadow aesthetic.

Ranunculus are on the wane and the stems are getting shorter.

Shearing

The shearers kept us busy last week with early starts and very full days, moving sheep, baking cakes and making tea.  All done for another year!

We had a bit of cool weather so ran the lambs into a fresh paddock with plenty of long grass and shrubby vegetation to protect them.

Pheonix the alpaca who has the role of protecting the lambs was also shorn – he looks really weird.

Conservation reserves

Billy buttons (Craspedia) are flowering.  Lot of golden yellow orbs on long stems brightening up the landscape and looking amazing en-mass. 

Starting to see snakes, browns & tigers, moving about.  This means confining the furry farm helpers (Teddy and Archie), unless supervised for their own safety.  They are quite happy with the arrangement as it usually involves a special treat, maybe a nice beef bone to enjoy while lazing about.

Weather

You can’t have farm news without a weather report!  So although technically it is spring we have had a bit of winter and a taste of summer, and the changeable weather pattern looks as though it is going to continue.  The rain is making crop harvesting problematic – no one wants their hay to get wet, but the flowers are enjoying it.