Whittling down the stored squashes, February 2025

I thought there were only two left, but I have photographic evidence:  there are three squashes on my windowsill;  I've been having trouble keeping track of this batch ever since I grew them in 2024!  Before we cooked the Big One, which was far too big for the windowsill, they were all on the living room floor on their own two mats;  one of the remaining squashes, at the left of the photo, does overhang the windowsill by a little bit--it's about half the size the Big One was (it's also the furthest left in the photo in the second linked post).

Three squashes left, February 2025

Something I noticed last year;  while these squashes started out green, and were fully ripe when picked, they have gradually been turning yellow/light orange while in storage.  The photo above doesn't really pick up the color, but the one below does, cooking in the slow cooker.

Cooking it up for puree, February 2025

The flavor and texture has been excellent again this year;  the Big One mostly got cooked into puree, as it was just too big for the fridge after cutting it open.  I had both my slow cookers running for a couple of days to get through it all, and the cut open squash stayed on my kitchen table until I got through it all.  When I make puree, most of it gets packed into my silicone muffin pans to freeze in small portion sizes (about 3/4 of a cup) and then these "muffins" get packed into freezer bags, really handy for taking out what I need.  

What do I make with frozen squash puree?  I like to put a couple into a stew or curry to thicken it (with a dash of vinegar it's very similar in taste/texture to a tomato-thickened stew);  I've found a low carb muffin recipe we like (link opens to another website);  as a vegetable side dish on its own (add extra butter);  or maybe a pumpkin pie or two.

And I definitely saved seed from my Big One;  I've been saving and growing from my own seed for many years now.  Some of my colleagues at work requested some, and I suggested we have a growing contest for the biggest squash between us--I hope they'll all get a huge one, and we can bring them in to work to show off!

Ducks and chickens, February 2025

Recently I read that Wales has imposed an enclosure order for domestic birds because of the spread of avian influenza.  We live within about an hour of the Welsh border as the crow flies, so I am expecting the same for our birds any time now.

Free range, February 2025

Because of this, I'm implementing as much free range for my own birds as I can;  the two ducks are getting it in the morning, including the veg patch.  I've covered over the most delicate plants with netting (including a newly planted row of strawberries) and they can help themselves to the rest;  while omnivorous, they tend more towards the carnivorous/insectivorous side--chickens tend towards herbivorous.  The ducks don't much bother about my plants (though they do dig/dabble a bit and can trample).  I want them in there for slug patrol right now, their favorite treat.

Envious, February 2025

In the afternoons when I get home from work I usher the ducks back into their own yard, shut the gate to the kitchen garden, and invite the chickens out for their turn on the lawn:  they get to free range until dark.  Chickens are not yet allowed into the kitchen garden and the fencing around it is low enough for them to jump/fly over;  I have to be home to supervise their free ranging.  Where the ducks might unintentionally flatten a few things, the chickens would scratch and peck everything down to nothing;  there are plenty of weeds I'd like them to annihilate (and hopefully they will later in the spring) but right now my cauliflowers, cabbages and pak choi are too precious.

The different preferences of chickens and ducks really complement each other in the veg patch:  one cleans up the pests and the other cleans up the weeds.  Both give excellent fertilizer too.  My chickens are laying a few eggs a week, and Girl Duck does keep sneaking off by herself, to Boy Duck's dismay;  but I haven't found any duck eggs yet this year (she doesn't lay in a dedicated nest).  

We are ready to cover our chicken yard completely if we get an enclosure order;  the ducks will have to join the chickens in there (not fun for anybody) but there is enough space in both the house and the yard for all eight birds.  I might even see about putting in a few perches into the yard to give the chickens a place to rest out of the way of Boy Duck:  he is pretty aggressive to them, though luckily he isn't very fast or sharp.

A little bit of pruning

After a very sunny and pleasant Sunday (for the beginning of February, that is) I had managed to get a couple jobs done in the kitchen garden at home;  normally I prefer to visit the allotment on the weekends--as I'm more likely to strong-arm the husband and son into coming with me--but there's been too much going on at home recently (we've had the whole house rewired and what a mess!). 

The fig tree after a little haircut, February 2025

It was so nice though that I left my housecleaning and went out for some gardening instead:  I lightly pruned the fig tree and tied down a couple longer branches next to the fence (pictured above).  I also made sure to pick off all the medium sized immature figs;  these won't go on to ripen properly in my climate but I leave the tiny ones to grow into new season figs.

Ruthless with the redcurrants, February 2025

I already pruned the blackcurrants, whitecurrant and the mature redcurrant in the perennials section earlier this winter;  I was pretty ruthless with the blackcurrants--for a couple years I've not been able to harvest them in time so I wanted to make it easier for me to get to them:  maybe this will motivate me!  I also have several younger redcurrants grown from cuttings which I really need to move to the allotment;  these I chopped down by half to make them easier to transport:  hopefully by next weekend, rain or shine.

Incidentally all the prunings go to a woodpile to dry for next winter's kindling;  I have a pretty big pile already.