Foraging at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon, near Exmoor
Foraging blackberries, elderberries, hazelnuts, wild mushrooms & apples to name a few of the wonderful foods we can gather at this time of year from the hedges and around the fields at Huxtable Farm B&B.
Foraging at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon, near Exmoor
A wide variety of moths and butterflies visiting the farm can also be seen during August in addition to seeing bats fly around the courtyard at dusk.
June is such a busy time on the farm, so much so that I’ve only just round to writing this blog on the longest day of the year when we’re due to see a strawberry moon!
The rhubarb, gooseberries & elderflowers are lovely this year so there’s plenty of fresh produce for the breakfast table; honeyed rhubarb and homemade gooseberry & elderflower jam which is a favourite with everyone.
– The Jacob sheep seem pleased in this warm weather to have been shorn at the beginning of June and we now have lots of beautifully soft Jacob & Jacob cross Texel fleeces for spinners & felters to purchase.
– The birds are busy feeding their young and the Swallows and House Martins are soaring over the roofs & making their muddy nests in the eaves of the farm buildings.
Beautiful roses – RHS Rosemoor
– The Lupins and Roses are full of colour, which reminds me to visit RHS Rosemoor soon to see their beautiful rose gardens during their Rose Festival June 6 – 10th July.
June is a great time to visit the beautiful gardens, National Trust properties, historic houses, harbours and market towns of North Devon & Exmoor or enjoy a stroll away from it all on Exmoor along the side of a river (We’ll share with you some special places to visit!).
Devon Cream Tea welcome
With National Cream Tea Day on the 24th June, in Devon we like to put the cream on the scone and the jam on top of the cream. You can enjoy a Cream Tea welcome any time of year at Huxtable Farm B&B
Leverets, bats & wood anemones at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon
May – The trees have their new leaves and the days are getting warmer & longer. The swallows are back and starting to build their nests and there is also evidence of other young on the farm –
Just picked this year first rhubarb and soon I’ll be able to plant out the seedlings from the greenhouse too. With so much to do in the garden at this time of year it’s always great to have a break and visit RHS Rosemoor Gardens and see what the experts are doing and get inspiration from the other glorious gardens of North Devon; Castle Hill Gardens (just down the road from Huxtable Farm) is looking good this month with it’s camellias in flower.
May is the month we get a lot of walkers staying over whilst walking the Macmillan Way West or Tarka Trail, both passing the entrance to Huxtable Farm – We always enjoying hearing about their journey so far! Click here for information on walking & cycling in North Devon.
If you enjoy a walk in the countryside, Huxtable Farms Devon Wildlife farm trail has a variety beautiful wild flowers and foliage to enjoy in its variety of habitats; woodland, pasture, pond, bracken slope and hedges.
Bluebells (Pink & White bells), Dandelions & Rhubarb at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon
The Devon County Show, takes place this month on the 19th, 20th & 21st May, near Exeter. With something for everyone from prize winning animals, new vehicles & machinery to beautiful crafts & scrumptious food & drink, this is a great day out for all.
In June you can look forward to;
The South Molton Vintage Rally: 3rd & 4th June : Cars, motorcycles, steam engines, crafts, & demonstrations of rural skills.
Clovelly Seaweed Festival, 12th June : Promoting seaweed for its immense health & nutritional benefits
April; Lambs, spring flower – primroses and daffodils. Woodland walks
The last of the pregnant ewes has had her lambs, so we now have a beautiful flock of Jacobs with lambs gambling in the spring sunshine.
The frog tadpoles have hatched and the toads are starting to lay their strings of eggs spawn in the pond.
The Spring flowers are brightening up the garden and farm; dwarf daffodils, primroses (Devon’s county flower) and even the odd bluebell is starting to come out!
Bella, the springer spaniel is happy to show you the way on your walk
Enjoy the farm Devon wildlife trail, taking you for a walk through the woodland, fields and next to the pond and stream.
It’s such a beautiful time of year made even more special by the clear starry nights we experience as Huxtable Farm is situated within Exmoor’s Dark Sky Reserve. At night time you may even hear the Tawny owls calling and see a bat or two flying in the courtyard.
March – Lambs, primroses, daffodils and Easter chicks
The snowdrops have lasted well this year and the spring garden is starting to get some colour with bright sunshine yellow daffodils and primroses (Devon’s County Flower), blue grape hyacinths and beautiful pink camellias.
I love this time of year; the birds are singing, first Jacob lambs have been born so #lambing has started and #chicks are due to hatch at #Easter.
Not only is there so much to see and do on and around the farm, there are so many #Easter #Egg hunts to look forward to at all the attractions in the area; Quince Honey Farm, The Big Sheep, The Milky Way, NT Arlington Court, RHS Rosemoor, Hartland Abbey and find the Easter chicks at Clovelly!
The 2015 Rugby World Cup is coming to Exeter, this Autumn when Exeter Chiefs Rugby Stadium, Sandy Park hosts three World Cup matches.
29th September 16.45 Tonga V Namibia
7th October 20.00 Namibia V Georgia
11th October 14.30 Italy V Romania
The 2015 Rugby World Cup starts on Friday September 18, 2015 with the opening ceremony and match at Twickenham through to Saturday October 31, 2015 for the final match – hopefully with England playing.
Exeter Chiefs have three of their players in the England Squad too; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade and Geoff Parling – Good luck lads 🙂
