Chooksandroots

LATEST ARTICLES ( 235 )

• Patio

  

  As I exit my back door, there’s a small courtyard patio area, then some steps. To the left are the old coal store and outside toilet and a shared access runs... Read more

  Posted on 25 May 2014 GARDENING, HOME

• House History

  

  The house I’ve moved into is an end terrace, built in 1888. I was keen to find out a bit about the history, with it being over 120 years old, so contacted a... Read more

  Posted on 23 May 2014 GARDENING, HOME

• New Garden, New Beginning

  

  So, I’ve moved into the new place - it’s a Victorian end-terrace - and have a whole new garden to sort out. When we moved here, it consisted of a path, a lawn,... Read more

  Posted on 22 May 2014 GARDENING, HOME

• All Change at Chook Towers

  With the winter behind us, and spring most definitely on its way, it seems a veeeery long time since I’ve been a Bloggy Blogster. Read more

  Posted on 09 April 2014 GARDENING, HOME

• Trevor Tree

  

  We’ve always had an artificial Christmas tree. Every year we haul it down from the loft, wrestle it out of its box and bedeck the living daylights out of it. Read more

  Posted on 23 December 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• I’m a Celebrity – Get Me out of Here!

  Today I discovered something rather unsettling about myself. Always being the one called upon to retrieve massive spiders from the school showers (and to my... Read more

  Posted on 03 December 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Blackberry Vodka – the Update

  

  You may remember, way back in September(oooh… almost sounds like the beginning of a cheesy Christmas song!)No… I didn’t give you my heart or anything sloppy lik... Read more

  Posted on 28 November 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Putting the Beds to Bed

  

  With the nights drawing in, the weather getting chillier, and the simple fact that I’m a bit of a fair-weather gardener, I’ve started to wind down the garden fo... Read more

  Posted on 16 November 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Farwell Winnie

  

  Winnie – the black chicken on the rightThis week I bring sad news from Cluckingham Palace. Winnie, our oldest chicken is no more…We re-homed Winnie a good few... Read more

  Posted on 27 October 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Marrow Brandy

  

  Well, it would seem that after the awesome growing season we’ve just had, autumn is well and truly underway. Unable to get out into the garden due to the frankl... Read more

  Posted on 17 October 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• The Mystery Squash

  

  Sweet dumpling squashWay back at the start of the year, I sowed what I thought were butternut squash seeds. The plants grew healthy and strong, and I had way to... Read more

  Posted on 13 October 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Harvesting the Spuds

  

  Wandering around the garden at the weekend, I decided to give the leek bed a bit of well-deserved TLC. I’m delighted to report that the leeks are looking... Read more

  Posted on 09 October 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Mashed Squash

  

  Sweet dumpling squash and cumin on roasting trayJust a quickie (oooerr Missus!) this morning.Since I made soup with my sweet dumpling squash, I’ve been looking... Read more

  Posted on 07 October 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Carrots for Christmas

  

  A couple of weeks ago I was having a good old chat with a fellow gardener, when he leaned across conspiratively, and asked:“Have you planted your Christmas... Read more

  Posted on 25 September 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Berry Good Ideas for Using up Fruit

  

  This article appeared in The Hinckley Times on 12 September, and came out of my recent post about Blackberry Jam and Blackberry VodkaI’ve heard several reports... Read more

  Posted on 22 September 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Undone by Kinky Beans

  

  This is the Hinckley Times article that came out of my village show blog posts – published there on 5 September 2013… After all the hype, build-up and... Read more

  Posted on 19 September 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Sweet Dumpling Squash and Courgette Soup

  

  Now I’ve found out that my mystery squash was a sweet dumpling, I thought I’d transform it into a lovely autumn soup.Sweet dumpling squashServes 4You will... Read more

  Posted on 12 September 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Losing the Plot Over Caterpillars

  

  A couple of weeks back I decided – as they seemed determined to scoff it anyway – to let the Cabbage Whites have free range of the brassica bed. Read more

  Posted on 12 September 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Wordless Wednesday – Clever Vegetable Carvings

  

  Read more

  Posted on 11 September 2013 GARDENING, HOME

• Blackberry Jam

  

  Still wanting a recipe to use up that bag full of blackberries?Look no further…You will need: Equal weights of blackberries and white sugar A sachet of pectin... Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2013 GARDENING, HOME