Simplifying Life - Mark II

pagangirl

Sorry Lula - meant to say 'good luck' with the counselling - hope it goes ok.:wave:

Lula-Hula

Hello all,

thanks for the links ceridwen, its certainly given me some ideas - mostly ones way above my budget ... but food for thought. I've already got an area that just needs to be cleared of nasty things & will then be given over to wildflowers & bees etc....

The water will be the trickiest to achieve as although the garden is large ish ( 60 x 40ft) & backs on to fields at the end it is not joined to my home as we are on the first floor so have to go along a path to get to it. Somtimes it's infuriating but it does allow for complete separation & peace .

Mary - I'm glad that your brother is a bit more thoughtful now & hope it lasts until the week end ... positive thoughts still flowing from me too

Pagangirl - virtual gardening has many benefits - no budget & only virtual weeding

Lula-Hula

pagangirl wrote: »

Sorry Lula - meant to say 'good luck' with the counselling - hope it goes ok.:wave:

Thank you - I may be a bit 'messy' to start with so if I dont post that'll be why. Keeping mary as my good example :A

ceridwen

Hi Lula

Water....maybe some sort of large container sunk into the ground to be the basis of a mini-pond. Get some plants of the type that could be planted around the edge of it and would trail a bit into it? Just one or two suitable plants actually in it? A few ferns around nearby. A pebble "energy" spiral. I'm thinking more "woodland" style....

Just tossing in a few thoughts as they occur.....

Hope the counselling goes well.

Lula-Hula

Ceridwen ...

sounds perfect...when can you start

mary43

Lula - don't know I didn't mention it yesterday - as well as the pond we've also go a half barrel nearer to the house that serves as a sort of mini-pond.
It's got an ornamental old fashioned pump fixed to the wall so it looks like it belongs but its does function as a pump. We (or rather OH) lined it with some pond liner we had left (I suppose any really strong plastic would do) and planted bamboos and some other plant (can't remember what) and some small waterlilies. You can get some especially for small ponds or barrells. Not had a lot of luck with the waterlilies but as long as there's water and greenery it looks ok.
We pop a few red geraniums round it in summer but its mostly pots of something 'green'
Good luck with the counselling -I'm sure it will help. Thinking of getting some more myself the way I feel at the moment but I'll give it a few weeks before I visit the doctor.
Woke up this morning with bloodshot eye -oh no, I thought, not conjunctivitus again -checked with the chemist whether stress could being it on and he says no. May not be that anyway and there's me diagnosing myself.
Don't really want to go to the doctors next week..........its full of dental appointments -I exaggerate, its two..........but one is to have crown removed and put on my denture (before it falls off !) -3 days later I get my denture popped back in. Tooth is right at the front so I'm not leaving the house till I can smile without looking like a witch !! Week after that I'm down at mums for the furniture collection - have to stay overnight..........it could be collected anytime from 9.30 to 12.30 and we'd never get there in time. So must ring my friend and see if she'll be at home then. OH is coming with me.........couldn't bear to sit waiting in the flat on my own. It was bad enough staying at Mums house when she was in hospital.

I'm trying desparately hard to feel 'normal' and at the moment not making a very good job of it. It'll get better I'm sure though............must think 'positive'............:o

firework

hi all,

mary - glad to hear your OH is going with you, and I wouldn't worry too much about trying to feel "normal", i'd be inclined to think you weren't "normal" if you did carry on as "normal" IYSWIM! you be as nutty as you need to my dear - it's called coping and it comes in all shapes and forms. lol!

.....................

garden? - well a very reasonable sized patch of concrete which is awaiting inspiration from me - must decide what to grow (in tubs etc) and when . will get to looking at that square foot gardening link - here if anyone else fancies a go.

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

determined to grow a bit of my own stuff from now on. took time out to simplify my ever growing list of old style links on my favourites list - all neatly placed in folders under gardening, cooking, household tips, money saving and of course simplifying ....

actually followed a few up yesterday and finally made HM veggie soup - why didn't anyone tell me it was so easy???? planning do do a new soup every week (till i get fed up) - lol!

Gigervamp

firework wrote: »

garden? - well a very reasonable sized patch of concrete which is awaiting inspiration from me

Firework, when we lived in Stoke we lived in a rented house that had a concrete backyard, so we did this to it.



We just used some of that log roll to make the raised bed, then put gravel and decking tiles down. In the bed we planted some spikey plants to deter the little s*ds that kept nicking the plants, gooseberry was one spikey plant we used! Also planted some honeysuckle for the scent and to cover the wall as well as herbs. We moved not long after it was planted up so I don't have any pics of it once it was established unfortunately. (The landlords were pleased with what we'd done though!)

mary43

gigervamp - that looks lovely :T A lot tidier than my yard that we laughlingly call a garden...........lol

firework - love your folder idea........something I keep meaning to do and so far have only done it in 'half baked' fashion.

Be glad now to get this week out of the way and be back home -for the time being anyway. I can foresee endless journeys back and forth to sign my name on this that or the other but if I can fit a bit of quality time in while I'm doing it, it won't seem so bad.

ceridwen

Lula-Hula wrote: »

Ceridwen ...

sounds perfect...when can you start

Well....if I was nearby - then that might actually be quite a nice idea and I might take you up on it...'twould be interesting to meet a "virtual friend"....:D