2017 Goals ~ Let’s go with Healthy, Wealthy and Wise… and a couple donkeys

I absolutely adore that the advent of the New Year gives one a sense of renewal, a chance to reflect and consequently focus on ones short and long term goals.  We have lots of changes planned for 2017 and, I must say, yes, I must, that we are very, very excited (and a teeny bit scared).  We will be putting all our eggs into our  entrepreneurial basket and focusing our time specifically ~ Pumpjack’s to our new wine business Terroir au Verre and me, Piddlewick, to my Pumpjack & Piddlewick  Shop and the life that goes on behind it, so our blog will get a bit of a face lift too this year.

Welcome 2017! It’s make or break time.
(Hmmm, maybe not a good euphemism when talking about entrepreneurial eggs.)

Building Compost Bins – out of bits and bobs

Compost Pile – in the beginning, it was a heap.

When we first moved to our new home* in France, there were a few obvious projects that attracted out attention – the vegetable garden (maximising its space and putting in a mini-vineyard) and the compost heap. Literally. It was a heap.

Making a Vertical Garden – recycling the previous year

Last year was our first year working our vegetable garden (our first time gardening ever in fact) and we tried a series of different methods; raised beds, wattling bed, pallet planters and vertical hanging wall, to see what worked well. All were made using recycled materials and are being continued into this year, with almost no changes except for a relocation of some of the pallet planters and a some amendments to the vertical garden as a result of lessons learned.

The compost is calling… “fork me, mulch me, throw me around”

The sun is finally deigning to show its face and its almost warm. Spring is definitely late this year, at least in terms of things coming up and going in in the garden.  I’m a little behind in my getting the soil ready for planting, I think, but since I know diddley about gardening, I leave it to my common senses to determine what to do when and just see what happens.

I’ve been thinking about asparagus.

What’s In Store – From Us To You

We have been travelling the world for the last few years, making wine. In 2014, we took a leap, to follow our dream and make our own wine in France. To assist in supporting this dream, and with true entrepreneurial spirit, we are also putting our creative juices (or should that be wine?) to the fore in making a variety of additional items, crafted from the world around us, to sell in our shop Pumpjack & Piddlewick.

Making a Hanging Garden Bed

I admit it wholeheartedly, I am in love with pallets. They are right up there with shipping containers in versatility ~ but maybe, just slightly, more transportable and easier to work with. So, when I came across a picture on Pinterest for a hanging garden bed made from pallets, I fell in love. It went top of the project list

Broccoli Stems – there has to be a solution

Last night I made the most amazing Broccoli Stem Pesto, so good I felt I had to actually write about it. Not because of how good it was, but that fact that it is made with Broccoli stems, not a floret in site. For those who follow me, in any manner, you are well aware that waste is something I strive to avoid.  And right up there is Broccoli Stems.  It is just one of those things that when you have cooked the rest of the broccoli, you look at and go… And?!?!?

Turning my hand to handmade beauty products

Something I have been aware of as I get older is the sheer quantity of chemicals I have been putting on my skin over time.  It took moving to the countryside and a complete lifestyle change (and a lack of expendable money) to finally get me to do something about it. And now I am asking ~ what took me so long?!?

Breakfast in Bed Pallet Headboard

Today was a lovely day. Sun shining, daffodils starting to show their faces, hanging out with  the rabbits this morning. And, I built a simple headboard out of pallets, complete with shelf and hanging pockets for pillows so we can lean against whilst having our breakfast in bed, comfortably, everyday. Tick – off the list.

How to – Vertical Garden Planting ~ using recycled milk bottles

Every time I tweet about our recycled milk bottle, wall garden I get lots of interest. And it kind of makes sense. After all, the cost is minimal, the space is minimal – could be done almost anywhere you have a vertical space, inside, outside – and looks rather cool (at least I think so).