A Year in Stempster

 We were going to have our Story Day today but it seemed a shame to spend our last good weather day inside so, instead, I did something I've been putting off for some time. My potting shed is my goal for next year. There is a greenhouse in the Kitchen Garden, but this is really Dad's, and I don't like to use it too much. Besides, it's only small and gets very full through the year. Eventually, I'd like a polytunnel in the orchard, but that'll be a long time in coming, so I've been saving up for a potting shed where I can work in the Kitchen Garden when we're having April showers. I also really like the classic designs of potting sheds, and I have great plans for decorating it! First job, though, was the thankless task of clearing the wood pile and bits and bobs from where the potting shed is destined to go! This wood pile has been a feature since before we moved in, and some of the wood was rotten beyond recognition, some had screws and nails at weird an...

  The BBC usually refuse to accept that snow exists, so often it's a surprise when we wake up to a snowy scene. Given that they are forecasting multiple snow showers, coupled with high winds over the coming days, it must be going to be fairly deep! Stempster is made up of lots of roofs, all going in interesting directions. The result is an exciting looking building, but also that there are multiple slopes around the house. This means that, if the snow is too deep, an avalanche is deposited from the roof onto the floor, causing an alarming sound as it slides down. Any plants that are in the way of the avalanche are squashed beyond recognition. So, in the event that the BBC actually admits to a snowstorm on the way, the wisest thing to do is move any pots of plants away from a roof slope. While this is easy for small pots like the 15cm jobs for the Meditation Garden, a wooden raised trough full of compost is a different matter. As soon as we tried to move it, one of the legs split an...