At the Leckford Estate we have a wide range of activities and produce to take pleasure in and before you know it, January will have slid into February. Browse through our list of suggestions below, as you might find an item or two you want to retrospectively add to your New Year’s resolutions for 2022.
Learn a New Skill
Gardening is an activity that can be done year-round. January may not feel like the month to kick start an initiative like this, but there is actually a lot that can be done when the ground is still hard and cold. You can check and secure trees and plants to help them through the rest of winter, prune fruit trees, gooseberry and currant bushes, sow seeds indoors for some early summer vegetables and bedding plants or even dig organic matter into your soil to help improve drainage and structure.
Come and talk to one of our specialists at the nursery if you want advice about your garden and how to garden well. We can help you become a confident gardener all year round.
Bird Spotting. Encourage birds into the garden this winter by offering them some well needed food to help keep out the cold. Place bird feeders in safe spots around your garden, including some in sight of your house to give you front row viewing seats! You will be amazed with how many different types of birds arrive. The Leckford Estate farm garden shop sells a full range of bird food, as well as stylish and practical bird feeders for any outdoor area.
Make your own cider. If you are lucky enough to have one or two apple trees growing in your garden, you will probably have enough fruit to experiment at making your own cider. At the Leckford Estate farm shop we offer a large variety of British-grown apples too, so sourcing a few crates of these varieties is another option. Although some basic equipment is needed for the process, the most important ingredients are curiosity and patience!
Become an amateur photographer. If you need an incentive to get outdoors more often, picking up a camera and heading out for the perfect picture is a brilliant way to spend more time in the sunshine. You don’t need any fancy equipment because most phones nowadays have pretty exceptional cameras inbuilt. Just remember to wrap up warm, and maybe even take along a warm drink to keep the cold at bay.
Get Outdoors More
Photography and gardening are not the only tricks up our sleeve for getting outdoors more. At the Leckford Estate we have a beautiful, undulating golf course for you to enjoy. Situated looking over the River Test, the course comprises of two distinct 9-hole grounds, meaning you can take on the challenge of the entire 18 holes or start more easily with only half.
As well as golf, the Leckford Estate also manages 16 fishing beats, with the season opening in May.
Cook More
Cooking is a very relaxing process and can be a great way to unwind at the end of the day. You can find all your locally sourced staples at the Leckford Estate farm shop and we have a library of recipes to browse for inspiration.
Pick up fresh fruit and vegetables and a range of healthy ingredients for your comforting recipes this January. We stock a full range of nuts and seeds that are full of healthy fats and protein – great in recipes but also for snacking on-the-go. Alternatively, include some of our healthy grains, such as rice, whole oats, quinoa and couscous, in your diet to give yourself a fibre, vitamin B and mineral boost.
Buy Organic and Local
The Leckford Estate farm shop offers a huge variety of fresh, locally sourced and organic produce. We take pride in the relationships we have built with our suppliers and farmers over many years, and in turn this means we are fully aware that only the best goes into making our products.
For those needing a little help getting items back home, we offer a delivery service free of charge, or for an additional fee, depending on your geographical location.
Incorporate Environmental Changes
We aim to be as environmentally friendly as possible in everything we do and hope we can give you some ideas for how to become more sustainable. From large initiatives, such as the farming practices we adhere to, to the recycling schemes we carry out, to much smaller, but no less important, activities, such as offering seasonal-only produce and shopping local, we always are trying to do our best for the world around us.
We welcome any suggestions and feedback on this topic, and if there is anything you would like to ask us, please feel free to send us an enquiry.
New Year’s resolutions are usually made in December, but there is nothing wrong with breaking tradition and adding a new hobby to your list to incorporate something different. At the Leckford Estate we can offer you a huge variety of ideas and things to do, so hopefully we have inspired you to do something new in 2022!
