We don’t know what we’ve done right this year. The strawberry plot we planted two years ago seemed all but dead. We had a handful last year, but nothing much to speak off, and only a few more the year before. We’ve since read that it can take two years for strawberry plants to get established in the garden, and it appears that fact is right.

Even the cuttings from the runners that are in soil nowhere near the bulk of the plants are bearing lots of red fruits. The first year we used straw under the hanging fruits to cushion them and stop them being eaten by soil-dwelling predators, but this year we’ve forgone the dry yellow stuff, and the fruit has been fine; clean and nibble free.

The only other thing we’ve not done is to weigh what we’ve had. There’s been at least three bowls the size of the containers in the picture above, and already there’s probably the weight of one more sitting outside. We quite literally can’t keep with them. And, as with all our home grown produce, these are much tastier than shop-bought red fruit. Anyone for strawberries?

…and here:

The longer summer days are really wearing him out. Tonight when I came in from work, it really was a case of letting the cat out of the bag.

It took them a couple of days, but those feathered ladies now know what to make of it. We’ve wanted to put a new perch or set of perches into the enlarged compound for a while now; it’s just a case of sourcing the right materials.

Logs or thin tree trunks would be fine, although shiny broom handles might be a little too small in diameter. In all cases, it’s the job of attaching them to the compound frame or wire sides that could prove to be a logistical downfall.

So, at the weekend we changed around the current log configuration, and at once doubled the area on which our three birds can rest their legs and feet. The longer branch that was previously almost on the floor is now at least 30 cms off the ground, making for truly higher vistas.

Margot, stunt chicken, strikes a pose

Reluctant at first, they now quite like it, and strut up and down as if they’ve had their new climbing frame since day one. It’s not only the new perches that are giving them more stimulation either, as we’ve started to scatter premium bird seed in the bark chippings so that they can scratch and peck their days away.

In other chicken-related news, we’re still thinking of getting Barbara, Gerry, and Margot some new playmates, and they may be of the ex-battery variety. Arriving featherless and with one beak puts us off slightly, but we’re told they soon adapt and grow back their feathers. Quite the opposite of Margot then, who, through moulting, is still intent on losing a few of hers.

Today dawned light and bright, if a little breezy. After an egg on muffin breakfast, we got the bikes out and cycled through the park to Writtle, where we stopped for ciders and cokes. It was the ideal excuse to give Nik’s new project bike a test ride, and flattening tyre and squeaky brakes aside, it did well. It turns out you can buy a used bike for £25, spend a little more on parts, and have a decent machine.

While we were out, I really noticed how much everything green has come on in the last couple of weeks. Not just in the garden either; the paths to Writtle were full of leaves, and here in the garden what flowers we have are in bloom, and the pink tree of unknown origin is about to do its’ bloom for a month and then it’s gone’ thing. The greenhouse is full of beans, chillies, lettuces, and tomatoes, and some have even made it into the plot proper. Which only means one thing; summer must be just around the corner.

But, just like last weekend, we’ve had a fun two days. Mum and Bart arrived from Lowestoft on Friday evening, and we caught up over a butternut squash and leek pie supper. With Saturday’s changeable weather, we headed into town for a walk around the market, buying some cheese, and mooching around the shops.

Saturday evening was cards (‘Blob’), a speedily made sausage plait and Eve’s Pudding, with champagne and wine, while yesterday’s sunny spells let us whiz over to Harlow, to look around its very large and renowned garden centre. Bart is developing a penchant for gardening late in life, and so filled the boot of the car with lots of greenery, eager to plant his new babies out the back of the house.

We had a night off last night, and went to Immo for supper. Usually busy, it was very empty, and the food wasn’t quite up to the usual standard, either. My spaghetti carbonara was a little wet and runny, but the Frisco Parmesan wafer starter and ice cream dessert upheld the tasty tradition. We still enjoyed what we had, though, and got home in time for tea before bed, and pre-11pm early night – we must have them around more often.

This morning’s breakfast was a little more low-key than both Saturday’s and Sunday’s (only eggs and muffins for our sleepover visitors), and the only job to do today was to replant the dragon tree in the front room, which true to mum’s word, had outgrown its pot and become root-bound. A new container was the easy remedy, and with cheese and crackers for lunch, mum and Bart were on their way home.

It’s always more than lovely to have visitors for the weekend, but it does take it out of you, especially two weekends running. But, both were worth it, with lots of fresh memories made and relaxing times had. The tables are turned a little this weekend, as we’re off to Viv’s in Darlington to meet up with Andrew and Sheila, and to enjoy the relaxing Easter weekend up north.

And, although we’ll do our bit to tidy up ourselves, at least this weekend, there’ll not be copious amounts of cleaning. Only maybe copious amounts of food, which, after the last two weekends, isn’t necessarily a good thing – the super-slim beach body due to my lack of willpower is a long way off yet!

Arriving, the place looked very salubrious, with painted black windows, and an exterior that blended in with the bleak industrial estate around it. Raised above floor level, the rink itself was large enough to contain a Saturday afternoon’s worth of teenagers, and with murals around the walls and the smell of chips and junk food, we were transported back to 1987.

We were there to celebrate Pat’s 65th birthday. Our next-door neighbour, she was there with her family and friends, and the idea was that as the whole afternoon was a surprise, she would skate around, bumping into people from the road. As it turned out, we were the only ones who went, but along with our London friends Emilie, Luke, and Katherine, we had a very enjoyable afternoon and were soon whizzing around the rink.

Nik and I managed to stay upright (unlike the other three who had minor falls), and Katherine’s tumble apart, went home relatively pain-free. It turns out that Pat had fallen, too, chipping and cracking a bone in her right arm, resulting in a plaster cast that has to stay on for six weeks. She (and we) want to go back, though, and as there are over 21 nights and a roller disco on a Saturday evening, I think we may be back rolling on wheels again soon.

The rest of the weekend was taken up with the London Three’s visit. Arriving on Friday evening, we caught up over dinner and cards, while on Saturday we bought cheese from the market, did the skating, and then as late afternoon turned into evening, enjoyed gins and ‘80s music. Tuna Jalousie and Eve’s Pudding with pink champagne and wine followed by more cards rounded off the day.

Sunday dawned less wet and brighter than Saturday, so we used the morning for geocaching at Hylands House, before Luke had to dash off for an afternoon rendezvous in Brighton. Making the Café on the Water at Hanningfield Reservoir our last stop, we had a filling lunch before taking the girls to Billericay to catch the train back into town. They had a good time, though, and as with most London dwellers, were surprised to see the stars, amazed by the peace and quiet, and pleased to meet the chickens.

It’s ironic that just as the brighter mornings and evenings arrive, I finally get around to fitting the Pedalites that Nik bought me for Christmas. The self-powered lit pedals have sat in the shed for the last three months waiting for both the time and the weather needed to fit them. But, both arrived last weekend, and so now I’ve joined the thousands of Pedalite users around the world.

A bit of a pain to fit granted (although with a fitting the same as your previous bicycle pedals), but it was worth the effort. What are Pedalites? The clue is very much in the name. Costing £34.99 a pair, Pedalites are pedals with flashing lights in them, for greater visibility and safety when riding your bike.

And they’re bright, and even brighter in the shed. I didn’t christen Nik’s pair ‘disco pedals’ for nothing. The technology is relatively simple. As soon as you start to pedal, the Pedalites collect kinetic energy from the crank turns, and store it, so that the lights continue to flash when you’re freewheeling or are at a stop, for as long as 5 minutes.

The makers claim that traffic can see the lit pedals from up to 1 km (half a mile away), and that they give the rider ’360 degree visibility’. And, Pedalites are not only very bright, but also strong, too. The pedals themselves are made from Dupont polymer with metal stud feet grips, and the lenses are polycarbonate.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the battery-free Pedalites, which of course come in more than a little useful when you forget your usual lights, or it’s not quite dark enough to warrant using them. The company that makes them has recently branched out into other products, too, such as lights for running.

Some would say Pedalites are a little pricey, but it’s no cost if they keep you safe, and anyway, the cost should be recouped when compared to the typical cost of batteries otherwise. But of course, don’t forget that safe road manners are free, and however good Pedalites are, they should be used with a high visibility vest, other supplementary lighting, and a cycle helmet.

We actually noticed the first two on Monday, but nearly all of the plants are now showing signs of having taken, and if they continue at the this rate, it won’t be long before we can transplant them into proper pots and put them in the greenhouse.

Elsewhere, our horticultural fingers have been doing things, too. Nik had a very busy couple of hours in the garden at the weekend, planting ten broad beans, two rows of white onion sets, and a row of early cropping carrots, which we’ll replace with later ones, once these have been harvested in the early summer.  We’ve also started three varieties of potatoes chitting.

As winter seems to (hopefully temporarily) take another cold grip on this week, we wonder if we’ve jumped the gun a bit. But, homemade plastic half-bottle cloches should, we hope, keep them warm and dry. It feels good to be planting once more, and means that with a bit of luck, spring is well and truly just around the corner.

It’s March, and so with spring supposedly just around the corner, we planted the first of the 2009 crop this afternoon. We’re going for the full gamut of vegetables once more (the new for ’09 garlic is already in and shooting and all the other seeds we’ve chosen have arrived), and though planting proper begins in April the Black Russian tomatoes went in today.

Yes, that’s right, a different variety to our usual and successful Golden Sunrise and Moneymakers, the Black Russians are deep reddy-brown in colour, and should be a little more unusual. As last year, we used the paper potter to make degradable newspaper containers in which to plant the seeds, and dug out the mini propagator that will provide warmth and cover while we start them off indoors.

Once we’d popped the seeds into the paper pots, we covered with 1cm of soil, watered just enough to moisten them, and lined them up in the propagator on the patio door ledge in the dining room. We’re starting them off indoors due to the 18-20 degrees C temperature the seedlings need to get started, and once they’re off, they should germinate within 7 to 10 days. Then, when large enough to handle, they can be transplanted into proper pots and kept in the greenhouse.

After a false start last weekend due to transportation and location problems, we made much better progress building the new chicken run yesterday. The 12ft x 8ft enclosure was much easier to erect than we had thought, although took the expected time of around 3 hours. There were 6 of us though, as a very keen Chris and Jenny came around from next door, and Andrew and Sheila gave up yet another weekend day to help us out.

There’s no way 2 of us could have done it. It would have taken much longer, we wouldn’t have had enough pairs of hands to steady panels and tighten screws, and we’d have still have been outside cutting the wire for the makeshift fox proof skirt when it got dark. As it was, we just got the boards around the bottom edge to keep the wood and bark chippings in.

‘Cluckingham Palace’ does look fantastic, though, like a proper enclosure at a zoo or an aviary. Which, to all intents and purposes it is. I made an ‘all this for 3 eggs a day’ quip while we were building, but it really was worth the effort. The wood and bark chippings on the floor let the laying ladies scratch and have a bit more stimulation, while the raised Omlet Cube on large paving slabs lets us put the food out in the new metal and plastic containers somewhere where they should stay dry.

It was an enjoyable day with everyone working together, just like neighbours and communities did years ago, and, after a day of game playing and catching up with mum and Bart, Ean, Sandie, Doug, Kevin, and Janice in Lowestoft on Saturday, rounded off the weekend nicely – even if the last two days have left us tired and more than a little exhausted and unprepared for the week ahead.

So, does a new bigger space make for happy (or happier) hens? We think so. Clucking around the enclosure at the end of the day, they had space to be on their own if they wanted to, or to be together as a flock, and seemed genuinely more content. It’s probably all psychological on our part, but we’re certainly happier and excited about the whole situation. Let’s hope our three birds will be when we introduce more playmates for them later in the year.