Tag Archives: Old Sleningford Farm

Change and adventure

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Helen

Some may see change as adventure. Perhaps adventure always includes an element of change. What would you say? Certainly, I feel I have just had a weekend which included adventure and change. The adventure came in the form of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts, Permaculture | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

A walk along Ripon Canal

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Helen

I was recently introduced to wetlands near Ripon, a small city in North Yorkshire. In spite of going to nearby Old Sleningford Farm for six years, I still don’t know the area terribly well, because we have largely driven to … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Hackfall

Posted on August 2, 2020 by Helen

I don’t always read my emails. There are so many that the majority reach the bin before they are opened. Then occasionally there is one which I’m glad I took the trouble to look at. One such the other day … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, forest garden | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Trying to stay sane

Posted on February 3, 2020 by Helen

Over Christmas and New Year, my body behaved in a way I found disconcerting enough to propel me to the doctor’s. Already feeling anxious, I’ve now found myself cramming my time with activities to divert my thoughts but as I … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Gardening, Health | Tagged , | 13 Comments

A wreath for next Christmas

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Helen

I’ve lost count of how many Wassails we’ve now done at Old Sleningford Farm but this one has to be the best I’ve attended. Perhaps this is in part because my daughter was an enthusiastic maker of headdresses, which was … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, forest garden, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Winter starts with white now

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Helen

There seems to have been more frost this year than I remember for a long time. Thus, at the Old Sleningford Farm workday, I was glad for once to be wearing gloves when pruning the apple trees. Officially, it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Permaculture, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Marjoram or oregano

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Helen

On Sunday, one of our jobs at Old Sleningford Farm was clearing some of the raised beds for this year’s plants. It was then that Rachel, who runs the farm, offered me the following herb: It may be marjoram or … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, herbs | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

A forgotten pocket

Posted on March 16, 2019 by Helen

Over the winter at Old Sleningford Farm, we cleared an area of dead vegetation. I asked if I could keep some of the seed heads for my garden and put them in my jacket pocket. Then I didn’t wear the … Continue reading →

Posted in Pond and bog garden, soil management | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Lichen or something else?

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Helen

I hadn’t been totally sure if the daffodils were out early this year or if was my forgetting when the normal time was. But at yesterday’s Old Sleningford Farm workday, everyone confirmed that I hadn’t got muddled. In any case, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Seedballs in small spaces

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Helen

Before setting off for the annual Wassail at Old Sleningford Farm, I managed a few minutes in my own garden. Not a particularly onerous task but one that gave me immense satisfaction. At the Permaculture Ambassadors’ Conference in Birmingham last … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture | Tagged , , | 4 Comments