the daydream fund challenge thread

lostinrates

choille, we're very seriously considering a few freezer bound sheep ATM. we're lucky that we are pretty understocked atm, a nice position to be in going into winter, and as regards next years hay. but not terribly productive. We also have barns sitting empty atm....pretty wasteful.

I'm not a huge fan of sheep as a species...as people and individuals I've known a few nice ones, but they've always been too ready to commit suicide for me, but otoh easier to make the last final drive with than something I feel terribly passionate about perhaps Any advice would be welcome.

With weather we're enjoying this late indian summer. DH has been topless all afternoon, and I've been wishing I could be! (come back trees!). Got a couple of garden trees planted, some more fencing done-some out some in....loads of odd jobs.

We've decided to hedge a bit we were going to fence....its next to the muck heap and hedge would be nicer visual. We can't decide what to hedge with. Its our winter field, so needs to be safe for animals in winter, and probably upto a bit of gate side munching, but would be nice to have something productive too...maybe hazels if we can't think of anything more exciting. I've also thought a nice, frivolous rugosa hedge for a bit of colour might be nice! But something productive has to be given first option. Ideas anyone...something a little...unusual perhaps?

ukmaggie45

LiR, how about a blackthorn hedge? You'd get sloes off it to make Sloe Gin. It's very spiky, so good as a keep things in/out once it gets going. Though suspect you'd need a wire fence as back up to it?

We spent afternoon at garden, mainly getting rid of the tomatoes, OH mowed the lawn. It's all a bit of a mess, but house is coming on apace. We hope we'll do better on the gardening when we're actually living in the house. It's a bit difficult even though we're only a 2 minute drive away.

Really pleased with how the house is going - it's been moving along fast the last few weeks. Now the roof is mostly finished and is waterproof we're moving on to the rest of it. I just can't imagine it ever being finished!

Here's the pics on Flickr of the house stuff if you're interested.

Garden is so depressing at the mo that I haven't been taking pics. Shed is full of stuff from house that needs storing for now...

But got 2 kilo of garlic to plant :j , so garden will be good soon!

I think it will be a couple of years before we begin to get the garden producing. If we're lucky we might move in to the house in the spring. But we'll be trying to sort the garden out better before that. For starters we'll be taking out a LOT of stuff we left last year to see what it was.

choille

Hi LIR,

I do like sheep - too much, that's the problem for me.

If the sheep are freezer bound then they maybe old/broken mouthed? Will you put them in your freezer?
Have you kept sheep before?
Re hedging I'd go for a nice mix of blackthorn, hawthorn, bech, escalonia, fushia - depending on your soil type - I'd go for a right colourful mix.

rhiwfield

Lir, I bought most of my hedging, soft fruit and fruit trees from buckingham nurseries

Here's what they say about their edible hedging mix:

"Traditionally countryfolk gathered 'food for free' from woods and hedgerows and there are some fascinating receipes to be found for such fares as Hawthorn Suet Roll made using green hawthorn buds! More usual are sloes from blackthorn, nuts from hazel, rose hips from roses. All the following varieties produce edible fruits:- Amelanchier, Berberis, Blackthorn, Cornelian Cherry, Elder, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Hazel, Japanese Quince, Myrobalan Plum, Quickthorn, Rugosa Roses and Sea Buckthorn. Blackberries can be grown to ramble in existing hedges and raspberries can be planted in a new hedge where they will carry fruit if in a sunny position. Almost all fruit trees can be planted in or alongside a hedge, as well as wild cherries and crab apples. An edible hedge can be an informal mix of plants, in which case an interesting and informal hedge will be formed, or a single species such as Berberis darwinii can be planted and clipped to a formal shape. With all species you will attract wildlife. Single species are listed in the catalogue, or we can offer our own special mixed edible hedge"

Maggie, not sure how you can think about your garden when you're in the middle of a major renovation!

Chickens have had us in hysterics today as they've come to terms with duplex living. Can see where we need to make one or two minor changes but they've mastered the wooden ramp (after a few mishaps and some VTOLs ) After rediscovering the high level coop they managed to lay the eggs in the nest boxes and went inside to roost at dusk :T. Hung an apple on rope down one end and still smiling at hens dodging the backswing after a hefty peck

Winged_one

Well, I may not have added much to the pot recently, but I am doing better on the grocery challenge, which is keeping the bills down. This afternoon, I made a large bowl of plum tomatoes from the garden, along with a couple of onions and some garlic from the plot, and some basil and margoram from the garden, into 3 family-meal-sized portions of tomato sauce for the freezer. The half bananas that DD brought home in her lunchbox this week went into experimental banana muffin (surprisingly tasty for a first try at muffins). Dinner was bacon, a large enough joint for leftover for another dinner (rare to find large bacon joints anymore) and HG cabbage.

DH strung up a row of chillis yesterday in the kitchen window and I will be hanging bay leaves later this week, for saving to use later in the winter. I am starting to make progress through the fruit I stashed in the freezer earlier in the year.

There aren't any car boots near us, but there are a few craft fairs coming up before CHristmas that I am thinking about bringing some things to (mainly sewing but some knitting too).

Winged_one

Actually, fianlly managed to find Dave's photos!! OMG I am impressed with how much you have done!! I am so glad I am follwing you all here!!

Davesnave

Oh, I seem to have missed-out on last night's chat, due to nodding-off after dinner. It's something that happens more often these days!:o

We had DD2 visiting over the weekend*, so didn't do as much as usual, but we sold £20 worth of veg to a local restaurant and began clearing more standing-out space for our plants in pots, which have been terribly neglected this year.

I also visited a neighbour who was concerned that our recent fencing/hedge laying activities had invaded his 'privacy,' because he thinks he may now see our barn when the leaves fall.........although it is at least 300 metres away! This is the gentleman who used to keep his dog half the day in a small cage run, where it barked for hours on end, invading our peace & quiet. :mad: .... After serious negotiations, we came to an agreement that I would plant some nice leylandii behind his place, which is something I was going to do anyway, but previously feared might also offend him. He is the 'jumpy' sort. He doesn't realise that before his dog stopped barking so much, having at last been given the freedom of the garden, he was going to get a 15' embankment!:rotfl:

Maybe there will be no fencing this week, as Pete the farmer has been having issues with his farm machinery all weekend, putting him behind. We can switch to other things, but I really thought we'd have the sheep here soon.

Some of you were talking about hen antics. We find ours go a bit daft near roosting time, when it's not uncommon to see the Vorwerks either in a tree or on the roof of their shed. Generally, we find the Dorkings and Welsummers placid and the Vorwerks rather skittish, but they're all getting on well enough together now.

Finally, on the subject of garlic, I read somewhere that one's own should not be planted because it will lead to a build-up of disease. I find that a bit difficult to swallow, so I have bought one Solent Wight to trial alongside our own, grown from the same source, all of which look pretty healthy to me! Anyone else have thoughts on this?

* In case anyone is wondering, she brought Eric the ferret with her on the train. It isn't easy as the journey involves three changes and takes around 4 hours!

rhiwfield

Davesnave wrote: »

Finally, on the subject of garlic, I read somewhere that one's own should not be planted because it will lead to a build-up of disease. I find that a bit difficult to swallow, so I have bought one Solent Wight to trial alongside our own, grown from the same source, all of which look pretty healthy to me! Anyone else have thoughts on this?

I've grown 2-3 dozen bulbs each year of Solent Wight for the last 4 years from one bulb bought from the IOW garlic co. The plot is moved every year and, touch wood, no disease problems at all and very good sized bulbs

Davesnave

rhiwfield wrote: »

I've grown 2-3 dozen bulbs each year of Solent Wight for the last 4 years from one bulb bought from the IOW garlic co. The plot is moved every year and, touch wood, no disease problems at all and very good sized bulbs

Thanks for that. I intend to do similarly. Garlic is something I'm sure we can sell alongside eggs (&the plants) because it keeps well & has a good weight-to-value ratio.

Lotus-eater

Davesnave wrote: »

Finally, on the subject of garlic, I read somewhere that one's own should not be planted because it will lead to a build-up of disease. I find that a bit difficult to swallow, so I have bought one Solent Wight to trial alongside our own, grown from the same source, all of which look pretty healthy to me! Anyone else have thoughts on this?

I would have thought if you have perfectly healthy bulbs, then it shouldn't be a problem, but I would keep a very close eye on them, in theory you should build up a strain which is better suited to your area.

I would prefer saving your own garlic rather than buying shop garlic and planting that, White rot is the reason for that, once you have it, you have it and I have it........ and I wish I didn't.

I know there are various oniony viruses which affect garlic, so I would save only your very best bulbs and use those and not risk using any bulbs which looked even slightly not at peak health.

Also of coursh, good rotation, sure I don't need to tell you that