the daydream fund challenge thread

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Yup, so I am sitting here writing a brief for the architect....some of the time! :whistle:

Did the RSPB bird survey for an hour this morning.:A DW is in charge, of that, so no idea what it means, but even I can see there's fewer greenfinches.

I think I might have a look at the two less far gone apples and attempt a light winter prune. I think it is the first time I will have done that without guidance and its a little daunting.

Don't want to over prune...which is my tendency. But apples are not roses! Its cold but dry and so, seems a good game for an hour or so now. Hope its not too cold for the trees....

lostinrates

DH just pulled me off the apples. Reasonably pleased.....I don't think I went too overboard.....we'll see though... There is a fair bit dead and a lot of lichen...should I be doing something about the lichen? ... I didn't get back quite to a goblet shape but I can see how I started too, and next years cuts to get me closer still to that shape...so that sounds alright doesn't it?

Now, I have to think about the bigger even more neglected tree in the back garden soon....

edit: re back tree...its nver been a shaped tree...its just a big old apple tree, where side bracnches i the way have been taken of, but its v. tall. I can't really see how to go at it at all!

also got that little border we dug last year cleared out of leaves. Should really rake the grass again...those leaves just keep on coming......but I'm delighted with my little white border. The bulbs we found here are all snow drops it looks like, so though I'm not a fan of spring bulbs in borders they can stay. we have hellebores out, violas and pansies and there are the green of tulips pushing through, and little sings of life appearing where other things were planted.....I can't remember some of what I planted there ...oooops.

alfie_1

edit: re back tree...its nver been a shaped tree...its just a big old apple tree, where side bracnches i the way have been taken of, but its v. tall. I can't really see how to go at it at all!

being ever the doom and gloom master [mistress?] do be carefull with the big old apple tree. my friend had a big miss shapen , always laden , apple tree in her garden and her "new" gardener took it upon himself to hard prune it ....and it promptly died and fell over...
she was mortified and the gardener was fired !
if its fruiting well,sometimes OLD is good enough reason to leave alone !!

i havnt turned RUBES out as i think it is a tad too cold and may be too much of a shock to the system....
imanaged to get a half dozen bales of GOOD hay tday as ours has now gone. used mainly on rubes cos the others werent that interested this winter only in the snow.

im off to the V&A tmorrow to do a bit of homework on my hats.. got some famous makers/owners ones and want to secure thier provenance. [have told my son NOT to chuck away all my collections when i pop my clogs, or i will return to haunt him !! if he knows it is valuable he will hopefully think twice !!] i have quite a few collections of either the weird and wonderfull or just OLD stuff. im a nightmare when im near junk shops/antique fayres etc.... cant resist things...

does anyone know how/if i would benefit if i registered this place as a smallholding ????

went to get mabels fruit from the market throw aways and there was hardly anything so will have to do a tesco run monday for thier reductions... i like her to have fruit etc aswell as her sow rolls. spoilt piggy but a happy one.

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

being ever the doom and gloom master [mistress?] do be carefull with the big old apple tree. my friend had a big miss shapen , always laden , apple tree in her garden and her "new" gardener took it upon himself to hard prune it ....and it promptly died and fell over...
she was mortified and the gardener was fired !
if its fruiting well,sometimes OLD is good enough reason to leave alone !!

Yeah, I guess its a big risk, but the fruit last year was not great...and birds ate more of it that we did....most was that small not ripening stuff...so needs something.

Also, and I need to stop avoiding it....the only nice bit of the garden, where the apple and plum and lots of white lilac are, is right infront of her the extention will be going one day. Chances are I'll have to lose the apple then. Don't want to de-nude the garden....and make it look to ''new''.

choille

Was in a Pound Store today & got loads of bulbs for a £1 for 40 & rhubarb for a £1 - they also have asparagus & seed tatties, currants & rasps & roses too.

The stuff looks good - have bought stuff there before & it all worked out fine. I pack a planter with one colour or two colours of bulbs & give them as a gift. Once the first bulbs finish then the next lot come up - they make a good all Summer show & it doesn't cost much.

alfie_1

i spent yesterday afternoon pruning, trimming and clearing all the front garden....and i so enjoyed myself. i love it when buds and little green shoots poke thier heads up... i planted 5 climbing roses [from the 99p store! raked through them all on the shelf to find the strongest...] under my window, so if 3 out of 5 take thats good...if all 5 take then its gonna look lovely as they are all diff colors. my magnolia tree is covered in buds, hope they dont get frosted.

if anyone likes the "curly willows" [dont know prof name!] then go to a florists and buy 1,2 stems and just put them in the ground,[i just shoved it in,didnt dig a hole! a dampish spot, or somewhere you can water easily till established. i got mine from someones bouquet that i spotted as she was chucking it out!! 5 yrs ago and its about 8,9 ft high now and lovely.

im sat with my back to the fire,roasting but easing my aches and pains...overdid it being pulled around by the hoss's thursday!

alfie_1

Chances are I'll have to lose the apple then.

aaaaaahhhhhhh! leave the poor old pensioner alone until its his time to got to that big log burner stove in the sky then!!
:rotfl::rotfl:

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

Chances are I'll have to lose the apple then.

aaaaaahhhhhhh! leave the poor old pensioner alone until its his time to got to that big log burner stove in the sky then!!
:rotfl::rotfl:

Not a bad plan!

I'm wrecked again...second saturday on the trot that has seen DH in the kithen and me with my legs up for my old back. I was cooking away...with a kettle in my hand when my back went into spasms...not a good time holding hot water.

Poor dh is out of his kitchen comfort zone tonight. Thankfully its all just finishing off, everything was already on or in. And the sweet heart also cleared my kitchen table which was looking a terrible mess.

alfie_1

lostinrates wrote: »

Not a bad plan!

I'm wrecked again...second saturday on the trot that has seen DH in the kithen and me with my legs up for my old back. I was cooking away...with a kettle in my hand when my back went into spasms...not a good time holding hot water.

Poor dh is out of his kitchen comfort zone tonight. Thankfully its all just finishing off, everything was already on or in. And the sweet heart also cleared my kitchen table which was looking a terrible mess.

can i get a DH from where you got yours please

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

can i get a DH from where you got yours please

I always say if I could clone dh we'd be millionaires. He's just...fantastic. He works hard all week and then spoils me rotten at weekends. He LOVES the animals ...sometimes I think more than me..he certainly spoils them more. He cooks, he'll clean if required. He encourages me to go shopping, and carries bags too and has endless patience. He stuffs a good full haynet. He is far more romantic than I am....and much nicer. People can't help but like my DH because he's so darn likeable. I'm well area I'm REALLY lucky.