On The Smallholding | October
October has been a month of pumpkins. Pumpkins everywhere. Counting them, washing them, dreaming about them. It’s been a very busy month here, and nearly all of it has revolved around The Great Pumpkin Harvest.
The Great Pumpkin Harvest
Autumn has returned to Pontybat Farm for the first time in two years. It isn’t in the same format as before, as the field is no longer ours, but it’s still very picturesque. It’s all about autumn’s beauty, and it’s nestled in the courtyard between the house and the stone barns.
The Great Pumpkin Harvest has just finished, and it brought a bit of everything: beautiful sunny days, strong winds, the first two storms of the season, heavy downpours, and the return of the famous hot chocolate. In the last week, the trees on the roads leading to Pontybat have turned and are looking glorious.
Christmas in the background
Whilst pumpkins have dominated my line of sight, Christmas has been plugging away quietly behind the scenes. It’s been a hard resist not to start stripping out the pumpkins and decorating Christmas trees! Stock should be arriving in the next few days, and I’ve got some bits and pieces to finish making before we open again.
A different look around here
Things look quite different this season. We’ve been putting up semi-permanent fences to see if we like the feel of them before committing to anything more permanent. It’s surprising what a boundary fence does to the feel of a garden!
The animals
The ducks have started laying, just as the chickens go off the lay. The duck eggs have been popular in the shop, when there are any! Sadly, we lost a chicken earlier this month, so we’re now down to two.
The kitten has grown. Bandit doesn’t look very kitten-like anymore, and he’s already started to prove himself, catching the odd wayward mouse that has dared to enter his lair.
The garden
The harvest has carried on through the month. The strawberries have only just finished, and I picked my last ripe tomato from the vine about two weeks ago. The wildflower seeds I planted hopefully in September have come up looking really good. I just need to decide on a permanent home for them in the garden so they can put down some strong roots before hibernating.
The big tree in the orchard has given us what feels like a trillion apples. We’ve been selling bagfuls in the autumn shop, and they don’t look like letting up anytime soon!
Getting cosy
As the nights get colder, the chimney sweep is coming to repair our fires and sweep the chimneys. Cold nights will soon be a distant memory, and my hands can’t wait! In an old farmhouse this size, central heating is a cost I don’t even want to imagine.
Until next month,
Annabelle x