Farley Lane

NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS

2008-03-04T06:14:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to all our customers for a successful Christmas. We hope you had an enjoyable one and have a prosperous new year!!

Looking forward into the new year we will be closed for the month of February for some much needed restocking and updating of our web site.

We are sorry for this inconvenience but it is essential and as February is usually our quietest month we wanted to take advantage of this.

I will there fore be looking to bring you an exciting new range of products and expand on the most popular ranges.

If you have any ideas we would love to hear form you!!!!

Looking forward to a fab spring? , make sure you have all your bird boxes, and feeders ready to help out our garden birds. Hopefully your hedgehog houses have kept them safe and through the winter.And the bee houses have kept your insects and bees safe from harm ready to go to work.

best wishes

Morag Pepper

DECK THE HALLS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Are your ready for the run up to Christmas?.

Crowded shopping malls, traffic jams and very tired feet, as well as over used credit cards.
I don't know about you, but i actually do all of my shopping online now.
Not only because I have my own online business, but i just prefer a relaxed stress free shopping experience.
And you can find some very unusual and interesting ideas for gifts on the web.
Of cause now nearly all shopping sites are very secure(ours included) and its convenient!!!

Whilst drinking a glass of mulled wine and eating a mince pie enjoy your Christmas shopping experience at Farley Lane.

Why not go the whole hog and save yourself sometime(and getting tangled up in rolls of sticky tape and ribbon.) Have your gifts wrapped with our new gift wrapping service.

You could even put on that Christmas CD if you feel like your missing out or want to enhance the experience.

BUMBLE BEES NEED OUR HELP!!!

2007-09-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

Bumble Bees are in decline and play an essential part towards the health of our gardens.

You can help turn this around with one of wildlife worlds successful Bumble Bee Nester's.(As seen with Bill Oddie on spring watch.)

They are made from FSC certified wood.This means that the forest operations are rigorously monitored to ensure sustainable lumber harvesting.

And also come with a guide, access tube and viewing panel! A great gift to give to any keen gardener or wildlife enthusiast.

Now is also the time to place your hedgehog houses ready for hibernation. We have just the one to keep your neighbourhood hedgehog warm and dry over the winter.

Again from wildlife world and so made from FSC woods.It has a jute covering on the roof and an inspection lid for easy cleaning and a quick peek on your new neighbour!

Along with insect habitats and solitary bee Nester's you can help your gardens health by attracting the beneficial insects and mammals!

This months special and offer which will continue until December is 10% off orders over £50.00 A great chance to get all your Christmas gifts!!!

We also have more product placements going in Period Ideas in November so keep a look out for those!!!

YOU THINK WE'VE HAD BAD WEATHER!!!!

2007-08-04T02:20:00.000-07:00

I thought this might cheer you up!

This is a photograph Greg took on our recent trip to the Scillies_ see, things can get worse. However all was made better by an afternoon playing cards in one of the fabulous local hostelry's The Mermaid!!!! Excellent

The new ranges are taking off well which is always great to see. Our featured product in Period Living turned out to be the Cedar Nest Pocket and generated a good bit of interest and another free products feature in Septembers Country and Border Life. So keep a look out for that!

In the garden the wet weather seems to have been a bonus for the veg patch. we have had a bumper crop of red onions and beetroot, blackuurants and gooseberrys. The potatoes have been delicious and the sweetcorn are growing well. The only tradgedy this year has been the death of my spinach plants as they were suffocated by the proilific rocket and the tomatoes seem to be late.

Apart from that all is well and the rain also seems to have kept the weeds down, excellent!!

We are having a well earned break to Madeira in August .My beach holiday has been hijacked with a walking/birdwatching trip half way up a mountain in Madeira. I don't know how that happened? So i am afraid orders will be delayed that week, but you probably wont notice the difference if Royal Mail keep on with the strikes!!

Have a good break wherever you are going and i will spaek to you in september!!!

Best Wishes

Morag Pepper

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

2007-06-30T03:39:00.000-07:00

Can anyone see a light at the end of this weather?.

Although i count myself lucky as I live on the side of a valley.I feel so sorry for all those that have been washed out of their homes and businesses.

As for the wildlife? It has yet to be seen how the birds will fare and how all the animals that live underground are coping!!!

I bet there will still be a water shortage in the summer !!.

Being kept captive indoors has however given me the chance to source some new products and see whats out there for you.

New this month will be a select range of Burgon and Ball products.One of the finest makers of gardening tools and still produced in Sheffield. I have chosen pink and blue ranges and can see these doing very well.

In august we have an item in Period Ideas magazine in their feature for Garden gift Ideas.

How exciting I love a bit of free publicity!!

The item featured will be the Cedar Roofed nest pocket at £10.95 made from FSC wood by Wildlife World.

We are still continuing with 10% off for July as you seem to like this.

Royal mail do it again and go on strike ! so sorry for any delays in receiving your orders this week.

speak to you soon when the sun is shining!!

From the Sublime to the Rediculous.

2007-06-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

I'm talking about the weather!
As usual half term got off to a bad start, with lots of rain,wind,thunder storms and lightening thrown in for good measure.
A sign of the week ahead, or so you would have thought.
As usual the unpredictable British weather ,astounds us all by turning it the most glorious of weekends.
Full of sunshine and laughter. lots of oohs and ahhs coming from the cricket pitch in the valley.Far too much vino and food washed down with the company of good friends and family.
Unfortunately all this changing weather has led to the garden looking as though it hadn't been touched in months, and a few days away with your eye off the ball means that all the hours of hard work and back breaking weeding, as if they had never happened.
Never mind a mow always makes me feel better, with the gratification of making things look instantly tidier. And a few hours weeding in the sun is not such a hardship!!
(Followed by a snooze on my newly purchased hammock, life couldn't get much better! )

Would you believe my 40 year old husband has just popped down to the bowling club (crown green bowling) with the boys! (Ivan and Bill both of retirement age)
Bowls i ask you!! I wonder whether that is a new code for the Pub?

I am continuing my 10% off this month and have added a couple of new products in the gardening hamper range. I have had lots of people contacting me recently regarding stocking their products so keep an eye out for loads of new gift ideas!
www.farleylane.co.uk

The picture was taken by Greg of a very friendly song thrush on the Isles of Scilly!
ISNT IT JUST GEORGEOUS!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!

2007-04-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Farley Lane will be one year old on May 8th, and what a year it has been!

I can hardly believe it and feel very proud of my achievements.

Although i cant remember last summer as i spent most of the time on my computer, sourcing my wonderful products and writing my web site. I feel it was worth it and feel very positive about the future of my small but perfectly formed company.

I have been trying to think of a special promotion to celebrate our anniversary and think i have come up with the perfect one.

Free postage on all orders over £30.00 even though the price of posting has gone up 3 times in the last year!

Thank you Royal Mail you have been a great help and support to small businesses.( i don't think)

So for May month only FREE POSTAGE ON ORDERS OVER £30.00 saving all my customers £4.95 .

The weather continues to amaze and everything is looking fabulous! Although the weeds do seem to be out growing all the other plants a few hours spent in the sunshine getting rid of them is a welcome rest from all the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I hope i can out whit them this year and keep on top of things!

The bluebells in the wood are a welcome sight and verify the burst into spring.

I have taken a photo for you to share with me. I hope you like it?

what a difference a day makes!!!

2007-04-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

How glorious has the weather been this week?

Apart from the compulsory holiday flu, i have managed to plant all my seeds and put them in the greenhouse as Greg has finally replaced the broken windows.

I do think its the actual greenhouse that needs replacing, the years of use have certainly taken their toll but the old wooden ,trusty friend keeps on standing.

The photo on the blog this week is one from our walk on Saturday in the Goyt Valley, Derbyshire, Fab!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of the changes have been made to the web site ,it just needs a few finishing touches.

I have added some new products and orders are steadily increasing.All good news!!!!

Both good and bad news in the pond.

The frog spawn has hatched and the tadpoles have fled for cover from the few fish we have left after a visit by the heron whilst we were away for a couple of days! We think they have had about 10/12 fish I'm surprised they could fly away................

This months special offer is 10% off all orders and take a look at our items for sales!!!

www.farleylane.co.uk

let it snow!!!

2007-03-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well that just serves me right for getting over enthusiastic and planting out too early.

I hope my onions and wild flower seeds survive but I'm not sure they will.

I'm not the only one that got carried away by the fluttering signs of a wonderful and long awaited spring.the frog spawn has been frozen to the top of the pond several mornings this week and the parents have given up on their guarding duties.

Some Good news however!!! Greg my husband has taken a volunteers post at the local RSPB bird reserve in Combes Valley and had already throne any spare time and energy he has into his passion for the great outdoors and all its inhabitants(except midges and mosquito's).

He has already boasted a breathtaking close encounter with 4 Deer.

I have been in discussion with my kind web designer this week and have made some dramatic changes to our web site . Keep your eyes out for a new image to match our blog spot.

Aprils special offer coming soon!!!

www.farleylane.co.uk

Daffodils and Frogs

2007-03-10T01:47:00.000-08:00

Well what a week it has been. The difference the first signs of spring make to the way you feel.
On tuesday i happened upon Mrs Frog giving Mr Frog a piggy back in our pond.
On Wednesday the fruits of their labour appeared in the shape of a mass of spawn,
if all those survive our frogphobic neighbour will be packing his bags!!

The daffodils bring a welcome dash of colour and sunshine and yes the grass is growing.
Time to dust off the lawn mower and hope it starts! . I love mowing the lawn, the smell and the instant transformation, making even the most untidy garden look neater.
You can forget for a moment that all the borders need work and just relax and dream of barmy summer evenings sat on the terrace with a glass of wine!!!!!!
Oh i cant wait.
Even Greg has been happy this week , smiling and laughing at the lighter mornings and first signs of spring.

March has seen a good start on the web orders and as well as 10% off we now have a free gift for all orders over £50 of a seed shaker either for wildflower, bird, or butterfly garden.

Have a look bargains galore!!!! http://www.farleylane.co.uk/

speak to you soon, im off into the garden!

My Business

2007-03-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to the blog spot for Farley Lane British Made Gifts for the Home and Garden, Family and Friends.

The reason for this blog is to introduce you to my Business.
To let you know about promotions and special offers and to keep you up to date on what i have been doing both at work and in my garden.

Farley Lane is a web based company selling British Made only products.
Where possible form small suppliers using traditional methods and natural materials.
Please feel free to get in touch if you have a product you think i may be interested in.

Take a look at our web site www.farleylane.co.uk and see what i have found so far.

Spring is in the air.

2007-03-03T06:33:00.000-08:00

Its nearly here you can almost taste it.

Spring !!!

Today i managed to get into the garden before the onset of a bizarre hale storm.

I pottered about in my greenhouse, carefully sowing my seeds, gently covering them with compost and lovingly watering them.

This time of year is full of anticipation.

What will germinate and what will not. What will get eaten by some passing bird, rabbit or so thoroughly dug up by one of my dogs.

Greg my husband has been busy over the last couple of weeks putting up new bird boxes and cleaning out the old ones, ready for what will hopefully be another good year for our garden birds.

I also scattered some wild flower garden seeds on to the area near the top pond (hoping that the frosts have passed) We like to leave this area to grow wild and have placed a pile of logs and terracotta pots for frogs, toads and insects to use.

The sky is full of singing birds, souring buzzard's and the air is clean and fresh, i could not be any happier.

So to celebrate we are offering 10% off all orders placed in March.

SO HURRY AND ORDER ALL YOUR NEST BOXES AND BIRD TABLES.

at www.farleylane.co.uk