Upgrades to our Homestead and a Spring Garden Tour 🌺
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Beijinos e abraços,
Carissa, Iwan, Frankie & Albi
Our Story:
We are Carissa, Iwan & Frankie the sausage dog, and in 2020 decided one night over a bottle of wine that moving from North Wales to Portugal would be a good idea. Within a month we were on the road to Portugal to find the perfect piece of land to call home. We picked up Albi, Joao and Simao the cats along the way, as well as Diogo the podengo and a flock of chickens.
Subscribe to follow our project as we turn an old stone barn into our home, and learn the ropes of looking after a piece of land to make an abundant garden and one day, our very own winery.
Nearly an hour. You’re spoiling us this week. 😉👍❤️
If it was up to me and most of your viewers, we'd watch you two (and pets,parents and wildlife) 24/7 it's like a slice of heaven once a week. THANKYOU ❤
I think you might need a hammer drill for drilling into brick/stone/render etc
Yes agreed also mains powered as they have a bit more oomph over a sustained period of time .
Awww, my little bit of heaven on Saturday mornings! The sounds of nature, and the sight of Iwan perched on the countertop whilst Carissa clutches his leg has made my day! Cheers! ❤️🇨🇦
😭
Have just started watching …..and the sounds of nature is heavenly ….the birds singing is simply music to the soul 🌻🌻🌻
Have you heard of "chicken tractors?" They're on wheels so you can move them easily when needed. One build and no posts to keep taking up and down. They get fresh grass and bugs all the time. They also have wire on the top, so you don't have to worry about predators. Also duck manure can be used right away as it's not as hot as the chicken manure, which needs to compost first. Duck eggs are said to be very good also. Your farm is looking lovely. I enjoy your blog so much. Thank you for sharing your journey!
Very nice and relaxing video as always.Diogo was blessed that you find him and bet you feel the same thing regard him find you.Such energetic little dude ❤.
Nice garden tour. It's so peaceful where you live and it's a joy to listen to the birds 🌱🌸🐦
7:26 a mains powered hammer drill will always be better than a cordless drill, even a cheap €20-€30 mains drill. However using the masonry bits on brick/stone is what they’re designed for & will make the job easier for you guys
Great tips! Thanks!
anything with sds in name would be better suited to make holes in concrete or granite walls
I sooo look forward to your vlogs. Brings a smile on my face and I feel transported to country side. Diogo is so comical, all your pets are so happy.💚
I can't believe how green everything is! This rain we've all had in Europe and UK is good for something😊 The homestead is looking good. Diogo's greeting of Sian was so sweet ❤
With regard to aphids, Planting garlic, chives, leeks, catnip, fennel, dill and coriander will help repel aphids. Marigolds are also known to drive away a number of unwanted pests.
Diogo The Magnificent's greeting of Sian was completely fantastic!
Haha he’s such a bouncy dog!
Diogo is always busy moving around like crazy 😅
Nice to hear Cuckoo calling in the background, on their migration back from wintering in Africa, heading north maybe to the UK.❤
That welcome for Ewans mom by the dogs was priceless!! And I don’t think I would ever get tired of hearing the cuckoos, I smile every time I hear them.
Thanks!
TIP FOR GREENHOUSE. Find a product that comes with a flip top or a hinged lid. I use a dairy creamer that has a hinge to pour out your cream and then it snaps close. Glue this entire lid onto the inside of your tarp. When dry, open the cap and use a blade to cut a hole only the size of the cap. Next time you have trapped flyers, open the cap revealing the hole you cut so they can feel the breeze and sun and hopefully find their way out.
Your videos are always so peaceful. It is a great way for me to start my day.
Woww. Portugal really suits having you. Always a joy to watch. ❤️
Lovely to see Sian back. What lovely welcomes the dogs give every time you arrive back to the land, one of the things I miss since losing my dog. Great idea having another closed in area for the chickens as they did make the other side pretty bare lol x
It’s not the drill bits it’s the drill. I was fighting with a cordless drill, but when I treated myself to a corded hammer drill, the difference was amazing!
Use fish fertilizer for growing sweet corn. I’ve always had success using this for most of my veggies. This is what the native Americans used and taught the pilgrims when they got here. I like Organic Neptunes Harvest.
I don’t know where to find them in Portugal.. maybe only online?…
So restful and calm , lovely gentle life.⭐️⭐️
Just enjoyed my Saturday morning fix of your delightful weekly update, your garden is full of beauty, you will reap the benefits of the hard work, dedication and of the knowledge and experience you've gained along the way these past 3 years. It was nice when I heard Carissa say'diolch' to Sian, a pang at my Welsh heart x 🐞🦋🐝🐛🌱🌻
That rainbow is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen! ( At 68, I've seen a LOT of rainbows. 🙃 )
What a fantastic video. Your garden is looking so beautiful 🌾Carissa, when you were sitting in your greenhouse chatting there was such a lovely resemblance between you and your niece in the way you were talking about your planting etc. 🤍 The IKEA shelf looks amazing too. Diogo is just gorgeous and the welcome he gave Sian was so heartwarming. xx
So beautiful!! Your editing is so seamless and just flows. You're creating such a lovely home and the exquisite editing shows it at it's very best. Well done. 🥰🌿♥️
So lovely to see the cats trying to help out build the chook fence 🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛
Lovely video, as always. Your garden is looking excellent. The highlight for me today was Dodo's reaction, his absolute joy and delight, to Sian's arrival😂😂 ❤
Your garden is beautiful now after all your hard work, the chickens are loving the new run, wonderful video both of you xx ❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks so much 😊
You need to get a hammer drill for those hard walls🇦🇺
So peaceful on the land with the birds chirping and the chickens clucking. Wildflowers are beautiful ! 💜🦋
How lovely you look, Carissa, with that hat on!! Such a wonderful outfit☺️😍 a family reunion moments - so heartwarming❤️and oh this pure joy when any of your animals get into the view!! Adorable lil creatures😍
You can catch the insects with a landing net and get them out. I bought a net in a building market for 3 € or so. Great Video by the way. I enjoy every minute ❤
Great video, lovely opening shots of irises, California poppies and you doing flat pack. Love the hat,, quite stylish. Lots going on this week. Happy chickens, hope their previous ground will recover. Please show more Frankie.
A light natural soap solution in a spray bottle works really well at killing the aphids; you should also try to get ladybugs! 🐞
Put a skirt all around the fence, vertically and folding horizontally over the ground, so predators won't dig under the fence?
Wow, long edition and great content, be well. ♥️
What a privilege it is to watch you all. Your editing is so good! Enjoy your week with your mother Iwan. 😊
Could you possibly post a photo of the Coocoo bird? I would to see one in their natural environment. Thanks and always enjoy your vids!
I’ll certainly try! They’re quite elusive!
Love watching and listening to you when you speak about your vegetable garden and flowers and all your plans in general
Going to use that excuse next time my mom visits for a HOLIDAY and get her outside knocking in posts too 😂, she will cope ok i think 🤔 is only 87 😂
You should trim the wings on the chickens so they can't jump over the fence, it does not hurt them any and it makes them a lot easier to contain.
I had the same issue with drilling into granite in my old Cornish cottage. Went through about 6 drill bits and then realised that the ceiling and beam was slightly lower one end (low uneven cottage ceiling with beams) after many attempts I still did not get the depth needed. In the end I bought shorter screws and hung the cabinet on a wing and prayer. 18 years later the cabinet is still in place. Well done for getting it up.
Yes Frankie, your right because of the broken rips,i have the same experience, when its about that kind of accidents and incidents, hope you will be fine one day and live the good life again❤
The walls look amazing, and although I am by no means an expert, I am so proud for you on a great start.
Such a peaceful and relaxing video to watch, the garden is so beautiful with flowers and insects everywhere. ❤
Grow corn directly into the ground when the soil is warm enough.
Potato and leek soup {vicchysoisse) is delicious , made with chicken stock. Just love your blog. Hello From NSW Australia
Drill a smaller hole first. Like really small. It'll go in quicker then use the bigger drill bit. 😁 you're welcome!!
Smart putting the solar panels on to off the pergola right by the house. 👍
I think you should paint the new kitchen cupboard in white. It takes all the attention now. Your garden is beautiful and I love Diego ❤
I think you should have put the fence around your garden to keep the chickens out so they can still come out during the day.
It’s so relaxing watching you both work. Always so much to do. I love growing my own food - but on a much smaller scale. You are such an inspiration and a fabulous team. Love the new kitchen cabinet, and yes, two would be great ❤
Enjoy your lovely visit with Ewan's darling mum!!❤❤❤
Hard work doesn't come without a bruise or a broken rib or two!! LOL!! I spent three days setting up a very big garden bed of mine!! No worries!! Took me two days of resting in bed afterwards cause I couldn't move!! I lugged twelve bags of soil...compost...and manure all by myself and I was STUFFED at the end of it!! LOL!!
Yep but it’s so worth every pain . I have a bad knee so it seems impossible to get down and back up but I keep pushing
Lovely to experience gentle nature in your videos. Howrver, we use a hammer drill with masonary bits for cement and stone walls. Hellishly noisy but effective. And regarding masturtiums, often the aspect matters: an east to southeast aspect, and they like a bit more moisture. We grow them at the foot of tanks, fences, and other walls, from seeds directly sown into enriched soil. In fact, most larger-seeded plants are grown in situ, not pots, once frosts have passed.
It's looks so peaceful where you live and the sounds of the birds are fabulous. A really nice garden tour.Thank you for sharing
You can make home made sprays to kill aphids and other pest . Use 1 tbs of dishsoap to a gallon of water . Spray on the plants .
Fabulous video, just loving all the birds and flowers 🌺
I love seeing Carissa’s perfectly matched pair of “Frankie Socks” in the first 10 minutes of this great vlog.
Iwan I know just how you (and Carissa) feel. My husband hurt his back whilst we were Island hopping in Thailand for two months. I had to stop him trying to carry any of our luggage but he hated seeing me carrying it all. Hope you'll soon be carefree sneezing! 🤞
Congratulations on your fantastic greenhouse factory!! So wonderful! 😊 Your prickly pear looks very happy in its new spot. Veg garden is coming along nicely, love the fences. Maybe Nick and Andrea will save their vine whips next pruning season and you could have a fence all around the veg plot🤔😊
Hey Good to see you reading the instructions before attempting the build We envy you being in spring Re the concrete drill bits, they are designed to be used with a drill that has hammer action included Cheers from NZL
Too make my plants strong I put egg shells in the blender and sprinkle rhem, over newly transplanted plant ir seeds, it helps make them stronger.I agree with building a chicken tractor,.saves a lot of time and energy, as far as I remember they don't cost too much to build and maintain.
My husband uses fennel leaves as aphids don't like the strong smell, he's been using it on the lemon tree this year and it's helped!
I know it’s not an easy life at times, but it’s a beautiful life that you guys are building. Living a dream few are adventurous enough to life. ❤❤❤
Super video guys ❤❤
Those are some very happy hens ❤
Another great video. A hammer drill might make it a bit easier. Regarding the flies in the corner, I know they don’t like wind so maybe a cheap solar fan? Anyway, I’m jealous of the lovely weather. Another great video. Looking forward to next week. Much love guys ❤
Ooh great idea!
Here in southern California Nasturtiums always do best in the shade. They grow wild and we usually don't have much rain ( till this year so far). Hope that helps.😊
Sweetcorn will do better started in small pots. The cell trays are a little to small for them. Keep them well watered and warm. Lots of well rotted manure in the soil will give them a good start once in the growing position. Loved this vlog. So atmospheric with the trees in blossom and mist..
Just an idea to allow bugs out of the greenhouse, perhaps get some sticky velcro, cut a half square segment or v shape that can easily be opened or closed. Alternatively i believe they make velcro zips which may also be a better solution, can also make vents similar to tents to let hot air or humidity out in summer. 🙏🏼goodluck we have loved your videos
Another lovely video!!! Corn,pumpkin & squash grow best if direct seeded…corn should be planted in block of 5 feet by 5 feet minimum for better pollination unless you hand pollinate! Best to ya & happy planting!!!!😊😊😊
The mushrooms help a lot with the soil. I recommend Paul Stamets videos.
This rainbow caught my attention too. The color was unusual and then today another KZheadr posted the same type 7 days ago. It was over California. The channel was Shannon Evette. Beautiful
A wonderful lifestyle 😊
Good morning, Carissa and Iwan. The new cupboard looks great. Thank you for the of the garden, Carissa… you will be busy caring for all your plants. So nice to have a visit from Sian. See you next week❤️❤️
What you need is an SDS drill, this type of drill has a better percussion/hitting than a standard combi drill. The drill bits have different shaft that only fit in SDS. Not sure if SDS is available in Portugal but it would be a new drill either battery or main powered.
SDS drills are great for drilling into hard walls. They also have chisel modes which are handy for breaking up rocks and concrete and mixing things like plaster/render, I got one from Aldi for £50 and its great as another drill on top of the normal.
All 3 of you working on the fence together brought back my warmest memories of family projects on a Saturday morning. 🥰 Iwan, take care of those ribs. Let them heal. 😊
Your soil and weather seems so similar to mine here in Northern California. I love nasturtiums and it seems that they are happiest in a shady spot under a table in my greenhouse. I left a pot outside the greenhouse door and it froze this winter so I have planted more. My cabbage always looks good, but doesn't make a head before it warms up and it bolts. Love watching your yard grow! I have some vego beds and am loving them.
The mushrooms in your bed are 1. A good sign that you have healthy, fertile soil, and 2. That there’s too much water. If the latter is due to rain, don’t worry about it. If it’s due to your watering, pull back on frequency and/or amount. And good on you for not eating them! Also so happy to see the comfrey! Hopefully you’ll be using it to make some home brewed comfrey feed for the garden - it will help so much with your garden’s growth! Consider a trip to the sea to gather seaweed to do the same. Yarrow and borage are also great for making homegrown fertilizers. Free fertilizer is the best! I’m a lazy gardener, so I just put all of these in the same bucket for a super rich, complex feed. You can also make biochar by putting some char in a bucket with water and chicken manure. So many exciting options that are all possible on your homestead! You’ll have such great results if you use any or all of these! If you haven’t watched, The Weedy Garden KZhead channel has great videos on all of this and more. Plus they’re really well made and entertaining.
Another beautiful video
Drill through the wood into the wall so you have the holes marked on the wall......much easier
Hi Carissa. When im growing sweet corn, I found they grow better if directly planted. But my area is not as hot as yours are. But if well watered they should be ok. Love the show. Regards Kim xx
Love you video very much !! Has all the right ingredients. Thank you
The Bosch hammer drill with an SDS drillbit
Lovely garden and chicken video. Also, glad that Diago and Frankie's Grandma has returned to visit them.
awe, I love your video's....
Beautiful life indeed
The complimentary plants to go with the corn would be runner beans ( to climb the corn ) and squash at the base for weed suppression. The native Americans called the magic 3, I believe, ( the complimentary 3 ) 🙏🌞🌻🐝🦋✨️
such lovely spring colours. is autumn here in South Australia. Envy you the growing season to.come
I'm not sure how much masonry drilling you need to do in the future but those little drills don't have much hammer action. A rotary hammer drill will go through it like butter and you can get battery versions. You will need new bits for it called sds bits that clip in rather than the screw chuck on your smaller drill.
Thank you for a great vlog from wild flowers cuckoo & fur babies it’s the best vlog for me love it Wow the chicken have got paradise of goodness for bocking about in Catching up as had visitors on the coldest wettest windiest week in Norfolk 14-21st April colder than winter 🥶
the most amazing thing about this channel is that after a couple years of regular watching, it keeps getting better. It doesn't sound like you're using an impact drill. They may be making the twist drill obsolete. (not to be confused with a hammer drill which is really intended solely for drilling serious masonry? impact drills - also referred to as 'impact drivers' - are particularly useful for driving screws. Many probably keep a few manual screw drivers for nostalgia's sake)
I know were supposed to direct sow corn but chipmunks eat my seeds so I take a pound salad plastic container put holes thru out bottom an an inch above around the outer edge and fill it with soil really well soaked and put my corn seeds in u can put 18 or so in container then put plastic wrap like for sandwiches so place it right against the soil and put it under direct sunlight and they’ll germinate. You know your your greenhouse. Cage is a great place to put the pot where you grow all your other flowers. It’ll grow well in there and I let mine go well over a month and then I take them out to the garden and I plant them, they don’t seem to mind and then the animals don’t eat them because they’re not going for the seed anyway that’s how I grow my corn and it works all the best
✨️As always, I love your videos❤ The cupboard looks beautiful! As well as the sunset or sunrise, garden, veggies, wild flowers, trees, pets, farm animals, etc. Such a delight to watch! Your filming skills are outstanding!👍🥰👍✨️
Try growing your corn in blocks rather than rows. It’s always worked for me. I’m a bit jealous of the variety of birds you have though. Keep up the good work.
Beautiful videos! Great tips for cottage life