the daydream fund challenge thread

COOLTRIKERCHICK

stitching_witch wrote: »

Another full day at the allotment, and today we have acheived:

• Hoed onion/garlic bed
• Finished door and the netting on the fruitcage (which, at 4.5mX 3.5m, is as big as my livingroom!)
• Planted leek seedlings
• Planted beetroot seedlings donated by Mike on the next plot
• Started digging the next four beds for the brassicas

I doubt we'll get the brassica beds done before DH goes into hospital on Thursday and he'll be out of action for a few months so the brassicas may end up on Freecycle

I have come home feeling things are progressing. :j

wow you have been busy.... glad you feel things are going in the right direction, i know i am nosey, but what op is your hubby having?

i sowed some self blanching celary seeds, and they are coming on nicely, does anyone know what i need to do next? as i am running out of room in my garden, can i put them in pots? even though we got all that space in my m.i.l i want to plant as much as i can in our garden this year...

stitching_witch

I don't mind you being nosey - it's what friends are for! Lol!

On 26th May last year Hubby had stomach ache. I sent him off to bed with some laxatives and no sympathy. By the evening he couldn't stand up and was in severe pain so I called an ambulance still thinking he was being a hypochondriac.

In fact he'd got a ruptured bowel and it took three surgeons five hours to save him. He had to have a colostomy which has since herniated (if that's a word!) so has been off sick for almost a year. Hubby is an engineer so can't do that at the moment. He's not supposed to lift, push, pull etc so no housework and no digging really!

Now, 11 1/2 months later, the colostomy is being reversed and the hernia sorted out so he should be able to go back to work in about ten weeks (all being well).

At the very least, he'll have no excuse not to do the hoovering!:rotfl:

bonsibabe

Well hubby has almost finished his first raised bed and I must say he has done rather well. It is lined and ready for the compost (we will need a fair few bags for it lol).

My mum bought herself 2 new hanging baskets and they came with strawberry plants so they were donated to us as she prefers to grow non edible plants lol, and they are now planted happily in one of my half-barrels along with the weedy looking thing hubby bought me at Mr T's (which looks awful compared to the lovely plants my mum gave me). Although the tesco one has blue flowers and the others have white flowers so there may be some cross-pollination if the blue one survives.

I have planted a load of seeds, although I think I may be late but we shall see. I have planted 3 types of basil, mustard greens, rocket, oriental leaf mix, thyme, marjoram, oregano, sage, dill , cucumbers, aubergines, chilli peppers, 2 types of sweet pepper, 3 types of tomato, some butternut squash. I've used proper pots, propogators, a trough, the barrel for the strawberries and the chilli peppers are planted in 2 old pot noodle pots!!! recycling at its best! Oh yes, I forgot, the kids wanted to plant some lemon and orange pips to see if they would grow so I let them plant 5 of each in a propogator.

Have still to sort out carrots, more squashes, onions, radishes, spring onions, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, and purple sprouting broccoli. But I want something else to grow, more fruit and different veg but I don't have a clue what lol. I have potatoes growing in one of those poundland garden bags but will plant some more as I have another 2 bags so will hopefully have 3 crops of tatties in later summer!

Right am off to write all this up on the blog, and try to make it sound interesting! Hope you have all had a day as productive as me lol xx

bonsibabe

OOh stitching witch, I hope all goes well for you and hubby of course, my thoughts will be with you, xx

azjh77

Thought I would pop in and say hi... I'm an 'Urban Farmer' - closest I can get in a 3 bed terraced house - although we have fruit and veg and chickens.

I've been inspired by the 'Self sufficentish' website - there are loads of people who want to 'live the dream' on there, but until I come into a lot of cash I will make do with my back yard farm...

MRSMCAWBER

Evening everyone

Sounds like there have been some busy people on here today :T
I have altered my signature so that just €s are showing it only takes £127 off -and I will start counting £s too -next month -thought it made more sense than adding it all together and confussing me ...
oh and cooltrikerchick -hubby has banned me from opening the change tin until the 1st of Dec :doh::rotfl:..as its nearly full hubby has got one of his whiskey tubes and superglued the lid on and cut a slot in ready for when the other one is up to the top -Im not sure we are going to manage to fill that too as I now try not to break into notes when Im shopping -still, we will see how it goes

I need to get some more compost tomorrow when hubby finishes work and then hopefully by wednesday everything will be in its final place :j-apart from things like the early purple sprouting broccoli which will move toward the end of the season

Davesnave

Stitching witch, I know hubby's op will be a lot of worry & hassle for a time, but his quality of life will be so much better at the end of it, it's almost something to look forward to. I shall be thinking positive thoughts for you both on Thursday.

Davesnave

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

oooo Davesnave almost forgot well done:T on the good morning you had selling your plants... how many plants did you sell? bet you will be bust now taking cuttings etc to re-blemish your stock...

No, we are trying to run the stock down! Until we get a new place, we're not at all geared-up for all this. The plants are on two sites, one without vehicle access and it's a nightmare, but still better than dumping them in the local tip. No real idea how many we sold; probably about 150, but that's a guess, with prices from £1.50 to £4.00. We have two more sales next weekend.

On the subject of a new place, we are in a dilemma over that too. The property we were keen on has already been extended to the max, and we weren't made aware of that until yesterday, which was a blow. At the moment, our furniture wouldn't fit there, as it's big inherited family stuff going back 100 years & more. We will decide what to do soon, or someone will beat us to it and decide for us! We can't even talk about it properly at present because DW is sorting out a separate problem 100 miles away and won't see me again till Wednesday.

Life is like this for most of us, I think; blooming chaotic!

stitching_witch

I had a very frustrating day at work today so I went down to the allotment when I got in at 6.00.

The plot we have has been created out of an area that was covered in damson trees for 25 years and this is our first season. DH forks over the soil and then I get on hands and knees with a hand fork to get out every last root and scrap of ground elder.

The damson roots are as much as 4cm thick and we measured one at over 150cm long! The ground elder roots are just as bad. Needless to say it's very slow progress. In the hour and a half I was there this evenng I have only managed to weed an area of 1m x 1.5m!

I do feel so much better for having done something though.

I'm off to the sewing room to do a bit to the quilt I'm making for DD & her partner for Christmas - last Christmas that is!!!:o

Davesnave - thanks for your best wishes. We are both actually looking forward to Thursday and the start of getting our lives back to some form of normality - whatever that is!;)

COOLTRIKERCHICK

stitchy:p would love to see some pics of your sewing.....on another furum i am a member of we are allways nosing at other people's crafty things they have made...

glad you had a good de-stress in the allotment tonight...and dont forget we are all rooting ( excuse the pun:D) for you and hubby...

hope he is a good patient, as i know my hubby would really milk it:rolleyes: