the daydream fund challenge thread

choille

I haven't even cleared my beds - I did the nice neighbours while they were on holiday however.

Went for a monnlit walk through my little wood tonight. It's so bright again tonight. There's a frost over in the veg garden. It is amazing how temps vary even over a smallish area.
The veg garden is a bit of a frost pocket.

Planning seems to be out the window for me at the moment. I seem to be muddle headed - think it's the living in a cluttered small space with paper work everywhere.

Rummer

I have been reading more of my book and I am so excited about planning the garden! I have decided to ask for seeds for my xmas this year so I am going to write a list of all the unusual ones I fancy and give it to my parents. Then I can save my pennies for pots and willow supports!

rhiwfield

Rummer, you may be able to get used pots free from homebase (they usually have a wire bin full of them). The pots need cleaning though.

Its also a good time to build up your stock of toilet roll inners. After much trial and error on how to close off one end I now place a large maglite torch glass-end down on the table. Then firm two pieces of newspaper over the upright back of the torch, then slip on the inner. Looks a bit suggestive mind

Another freebie is bean poles and pea sticks, will be renewing my stock this winter from local woodland, the old ones were brittle and made kindling for the fire.

Craft fair on Saturday, with DW almost off the crutches. So she displays her stock, which is priced at cost of wool plus £1-£2 per hour for her time. Then see another stall where the handknits (made over the year) are bargain basement prices, the woman making maybe £1-£2 total profit an item. Didnt do that bad though, DW's most expensive items selling!

All this talk of planning, must do my cropping plan and pick up compost next weekend for spreading on the potato beds. We're very lucky, got two sources of free compost, one from a neighbour, the other from the municipal composting plant

lostinrates

rhiwfield wrote: »

Its also a good time to build up your stock of toilet roll inners. After much trial and error on how to close off one end I now place a large maglite torch glass-end down on the table. Then firm two pieces of newspaper over the upright back of the torch, then slip on the inner. Looks a bit suggestive mind

I don't close them off but rather place them in a plastic tray, wuld closing and end be better?

rhiwfield

lostinrates wrote: »

I don't close them off but rather place them in a plastic tray, wuld closing and end be better?

Lir, just find it easier to move them/plant them without spilling the compost. The paper rots away so even when I sowed parsnip seed in them the roots didnt fork

RAS

choille wrote: »

There is some holly coming up on the floor - which is nice & at the edge some re gen hazel - which is lovely to see.

Is the holly regrowth from the based of a tree that has been stripped by deer or new seedlings. I have seen 20 year old holly stripped but still trying to regrow 10 years later, every year from the roots.

Whatever it is, since holly does not tranpslant well, I would be inclined to let it grow wheere it is if possible, though very young seedlings can be moved.

In time the hazel will make a good nurse crop for other species.

troglodyte

Morning folks,

Haven't started planning for next year yet, need to go through the seed packs. I have filled a lot of the garden with onions and garlic though!

Now you guys are always such a source of good advice so I'm back to ask about another of my ideas...
I need to build a field shelter for an elderly horse (been caring for him for the past 9 months). Looked into timber but the cost for a decent frame, even from the local timber recycling project, would be more than just buying a cheap ready-made shelter, and then we would have to find the time and manpower to actually put it together. Then I thought... how about using straw bales?? If we were going to do it properly, to last years, we would need some sort of draining foundation, but straw is pretty cheap so maybe we could just leave the bales on the ground and then add a few fresh ones every year if necessary. It would be a bit bigger due to the thickness of the bales but it would be nice and warm! Then we could make a roof on a supporting frame, kind of like a bus shelter. Anyone tried anything like this?

lostinrates

troglodyte wrote: »

Morning folks,

Haven't started planning for next year yet, need to go through the seed packs. I have filled a lot of the garden with onions and garlic though!

Now you guys are always such a source of good advice so I'm back to ask about another of my ideas...
I need to build a field shelter for an elderly horse (been caring for him for the past 9 months). Looked into timber but the cost for a decent frame, even from the local timber recycling project, would be more than just buying a cheap ready-made shelter, and then we would have to find the time and manpower to actually put it together. Then I thought... how about using straw bales?? If we were going to do it properly, to last years, we would need some sort of draining foundation, but straw is pretty cheap so maybe we could just leave the bales on the ground and then add a few fresh ones every year if necessary. It would be a bit bigger due to the thickness of the bales but it would be nice and warm! Then we could make a roof on a supporting frame, kind of like a bus shelter. Anyone tried anything like this?

You'd need a lot of straw bales and actually I have found round here and where I've just moved from straw is quite pricey this year!...we thought about it and it made more sense financially to repair an old barn we had (before moving). What's the natural shelter like...hedges? Is he rugged and does he have access t plenty of forage? Our oldies (oldest is in her late thirties!) are ignoring their fab barn while there is so much to eat....fibre rich food is the best way to generate heat. But shelter is a huge bonus for an old horse. Earth floors work pretty well in my experience, so long a the ground is highish and free draining. Much better than bedding in a shelter. We had a flood two years ago that went through the barn, but the floor dried out pretty quickly. Straw would be beautifully warm for him though, the main problem might be if you are just stacking a bale thick then in hgh winds it may topple. Also remember the planning issue for field shelters: even temp structures so used need planning in some areas. If you have other livestock a ''dual purpose barn'' might be easier.

choille

Hi RAS - No, the Holly is the first Holly here as far as I'm aware. A bird must have planted the berries - so to speak. I'm just gonna leave them where they are.

I'm only gonna take out some of these whippy silver birches that are so thin. It is as if the Birch acted as a nuse for the Rowan seedlings - although, mysteriously, they've disappeared. They're probably still there just not as noticeable without their leaves?

Well Harry's here with his brother so up the scaffolding with them for quarter of an hours lift. - hurray!:j

lostinrates

choille wrote: »

Hi RAS - No, the Holly is the first Holly here as far as I'm aware. A bird must have planted the berries - so to speak. I'm just gonna leave them where they are.

I'm only gonna take out some of these whippy silver birches that are so thin. It is as if the Birch acted as a nuse for the Rowan seedlings - although, mysteriously, they've disappeared. They're probably still there just not as noticeable without their leaves?

Well Harry's here with his brother so up the scaffolding with them for quarter of an hours lift. - hurray!:j

Oh, I wish we had some whippy silver birches! We have one boundary with no hedge or trees and I while I want a dense hedge I'd also love some whippy trees to break up the vista a bit too. Pragmatically we'll probably go for ash for fire wood there.