the daydream fund challenge thread

Butterflymind

Hello Rhiwfield

Congratulations, it sounds like you've worked extremely hard on your garden. And now you'll have more time to enjoy it.

Davesnave

Another cracking day, though only a couple of hours were spent on making a new raised bed.

The rest of our time was taken up sorting through the rubbish we took from the mound, cleared to make space for the proposed polytunnel. This 'muck' has been lying in the barn & yard, drying out, so we put it into different piles and then bagged up what we could neither burn nor use as rubble for paths, concreting etc.

The result was many tonne bags filled with bale bags, polythene, plastic, Mypex, squashed-up pots, roofing felt, old carpet, items of clothing and various bits of metal and netting! Of course the bags don't weigh a tonne, but they completely fill the back of our big panel van.

Now all we have to do is convince the guys down at the dump that it's not trade waste. Well, it isn't, really. Each trip there costs £15 in diesel, but it saves us the hire of a skip. Besides, there are often bargains to be found!

Good to hear how so many of you are getting the best from this dry spell. Hope it holds for as long as you need it to! Congratulations rhiwfield on completing your garden; it must be a lovely feeling.:)

Rummer

Rhiwfield congratulations on completing your garden, it will be lovely being able to relax for a while and just enjoy it.

Dave sounds as if you are getting a lot of work done, we are terrible when we go to the tip and often come back with more than we took, it horrifies me the lovely useful things that people throw away. One day we found 14 pairs of brand new wellies with the tags still on!

Today I concentrated on planting and starting to organise the greenhouse, I should have done it a long time ago but I have just not been up to it. Now I have the potting area cleared and a number of trays planted up with things for the veggie garden. Tomorrow I will organise the rest of it.

My DD was keen to help today so I got her to plant bee and butterfly attracting flowers in her section of the garden as well as planting edible flowers in the patio pots. Filling pots with soil (dirt in her words) was fun for about 5 mins so I think I have a long way to go before I completely convert her to the joys of gardening.

I have been really inspired by the edible garden programme and it has encouraged me to look at my garden in a different way. As well as the structured areas of my raised beds I have also been looking at other areas of the garden and planning ways to sneak in more fruit and veg while keeping my garden pretty. Once we have cleared and organised the garden as it is we will think of ways to alter and improve it.

ukmaggie45

Heard the other day that the new shed will be delivered and erected on Friday 23 April. :j OH has finished the base for it, and we've been using it as a patio over the weekend... Now I'm wondering if we should keep the patio and have the shed somewhere else! (roll eyes)

Got in another 8 seed potatoes (Charlotte) on Sunday. We still have loads to go in. :eek: No space! :eek: Some will go in potato planters, and eventually go to the caravan, and I expect OH will take some over to DD's garden and plant them for her (she can't reach the ground anymore as is expecting twins) maybe next week.

Really must get on with planting more seeds - overdid things badly at the weekend, so had day in bed at home yesterday. Got a load of root trainers all composted up and ready to plant in, so hopefully will get some done today.

We're really just feeling our way with the new garden - apart from anything else we're not sure what is there, so after taking out numerous buddleias and a ton of brambles and ivy we're not changing much yet. Just gradually clearing and planting the bed we've designated as the veg plot.

Had a load of hoops and netting and stuff arrive yesterday. We have pigeons, squirrels, fox and local cats, so will be netting just about everything!

Still not seen any frogs or the toad, living in hope!

I see Lidl is selling compost bins on Thursday, so I think we'll get a couple more - we had 2 from Aldi about a month ago, both full up already! Plus they're doing a lawn scarifier for about 15 quid - I think I might give it a try. Anyone used one?

Currently I've been raking out the moss and thatch from the lawn, which is why I'm constantly overdoing in the garden. I imagine it hasn't been done for some years from the amount of stuff that I'm getting out! :eek: Anyway I figured it would be worth trying the scarifier, if I don't get on with it it's not as if it costs a huge amount.

Davesnave

Rummer wrote: »

Dave sounds as if you are getting a lot of work done, we are terrible when we go to the tip and often come back with more than we took, it horrifies me the lovely useful things that people throw away. One day we found 14 pairs of brand new wellies with the tags still on!

Yes, it's just not the sort of work I envisaged doing!

Regarding the dump, I had a great little mini pick axe last time, and the time before that a neat little portable telly with remote. Actually, I had a choice of two from the nice hotelier, who was leaving them because her guests now expect flat screens! (rolleyes and rotfl)

rhiwfield

What a great day for getting things done! Washed the splashes of cement dust off the cars and cleaned down the recycling shed and oil tank at the same time.

Managed to pr**k out lots of trays of french marigolds but will leave the lobelia until tomorrow. Planted up six hanging baskets for the high terrace fence poles and will put them in greenhouse when the sun cools to start them growing on. They're out in the shade atm to stop them wilting.

Best of all filled two wall baskets by the front door with free compost and some swellgel and have planted up with garternperle tomatoes and french marigolds. Way too early but as its by the door we can easily fleece them if frost threatens. The globe artichoke's grown from seed were big enough to put out and 3 are now in a new permanent bed with bell cloches for protection. Young lettuce interplanted.

Loads of seedlings in the greenhouse and some tender plants still in the house. By end of week I'll probably sow the runner beans and sweet corn.

Everywhere you look at this time of year there's a promise of the good things to come. Blossoms forming on the fruit trees and lots of bees on the soft fruit. And the first tips of asparagus are showing through :T.

But with all the hot weather one of my leaf salad crops has just bolted and it looks like the April cabbage may soon follow suit.

And with OH having received her redundancy notice and leaving date it looks like we'll be testing our sufficiency skills earlier than expected

choille

Absolutely fabulous weather - really Summer warm. Got the sheep out on the lower hill to rest their usual field.
Got my spuds in & onions, shallots & carrots planted. Moving some Birch that has regened - moving it next to the neighbours as a bit of shelter/privacy thing.

I remember why I live here now seeing the glorious light on the mountains & the snow nearly all gone.

Got a new cockerel to bring in some fresh blood & also to keep two strains & be able to make up groups of unrelated chicks for sale (male/female)- however he appears to have deformed feet & rubbery legs - not good, not good at all.
Have some plants at the gate for sale but nowts shifting - ho hum.

Great to hear of everyones toiling on the land.

CountryCottage

Hi,

I'm new here. As you may guess my dream is to own a cottage in a peaceful location with a large garden so I can become more self-suffficient. I am very frugal and my total savings are £30,000 which may sound a lot but house prices in my neck of the woods are sky high and I want to stay in the area because of family and my job.

rhiwfield

Weather's changed a bit, after last two weeks it feels like winter again! Advantage is that all the seedlings pricked out yesterday are not being heat stressed.

Sowed the runner beans and sweet corn today and finally managed to run out of toilet roll inners. Going to have to start saving now for next year.

Greenhouse is beginning to fill up as plants grow on before being put out.

Rhubarb's ready for cropping and more of it this year. Any favourite recipes out there?

rhiwfield

CountryCottage wrote: »

Hi,

I'm new here. As you may guess my dream is to own a cottage in a peaceful location with a large garden so I can become more self-suffficient. I am very frugal and my total savings are £30,000 which may sound a lot but house prices in my neck of the woods are sky high and I want to stay in the area because of family and my job.

Hi CC and welcome! Good luck on your cottage hunt.