the daydream fund challenge thread

Davesnave

Well it just wasn't much of a day here I'm afraid, what with Mr Dog's hounds barking aggressively most of the time and the wind bringing it all to us at a rate of knots. I found it hard to think straight, so spent much of the day in the polytunnel potting on my toms and peppers....and planning a pig enclosure.

I also spoke too soon about being free of Hellebore Black Death, as now the plants are past their flowering best, and maybe stressed from making seeds, it seems to develop in the new foliage. I've been inspecting & destroying as I did last year, but maybe it needs a more radical approach.:( It's a bit like TB in cattle, but not as financially devastating, of course.

Glad others had a good day anyway, especially alfie visiting lir's historic pile. When I have a bit of a down day, I think of lir's task of restoring that to its former glory, and then this looks distinctly manageable!

choille

Hi Guys - Glad to here you're all charging on with stuff.
Today been lovely weather & afternoon was spent attempting to catch up with stuff outdoors - always catching up - never quite make it.

Went to Skye on thursday to meet up with a friend up from London - boy had they had an awful journey in torrential rain, but they were still cheery.

Big Military excerceise on here & boats skudding up & dow the Loch in the middle of the night & helicopters flying over low & slow - really James Bond stuff.

Candled eggs in the cooker & a lot were 'off'. Possibly coz they - the hens - have not long come on lay, their fertility is not at its peak?

We have had such torrential rain that flat stones cemented at our little bridge base were washed down the gorge & we had to tie the bridge to a tree on Wed as we feared that would be swept away too.

There is a lot of ground under water we saw on our trip up & over to Skye - what a time for lambs to come. Glad I'm not lambing this year.
Night Night all.

Rummer

mawhahahahahaha I think it is time to get the pressure washer out! I just love it!

rhiwfield

Just got back from the car boot, bric a brac went slow but plants went well, so thats a year's supply of seeds, pots and store compost paid for :j. Sort of satisfying, and a few nice comments about the plants.

Cooling down now after all the sunshine, it's hot out there!

lostinrates

It is hot, isn't it....I've come in for a break from it too. My bck gave way earlier....I was skipping about like a goat earlier, but lost it half way across the field this afternoon. Tried weeding back in the garden sitting, but couldn't get enough force behind the trowel, and kneeling couldn't support myself So cross with myself. I'm recharging now and will have another go in a bit. Its wonderful that evening chores are so distant a prospect!

soupdragon10

Went to a vintage car/motorcycle event this morning - lovely weather and some stunning cars and bikes. No plant stalls which is unusual, and a shame as I need yet more plant labels. I've reused all the old ones so will need to buy a few new ones (not doing badly as I've not bought any for at least 5 years).

Raised bed has started to be built, DD was lugging blocks and mixing mortar this afternoon, and has retired to her room for a rest before round 2. It's so satisfying to finally see it taking shape.

Put the compost in the old bath and have planted the strawberry plants in it, so hopefully they will grow away happily.

DB and SIL are visiting on Wednesday, so will have to take a break from garden to do some extra tidying (they are uber tidy people). Going to be interesting as it's the first time they've seen my reptile collection (never thought to find out if SIL is frightened of snakes well we'll find out Wednesday

lostinrates

Most evening chores done have to walk over later and pull the horses of the long grass. They are getting restricted access to a strip of very lush grass and now only one can boast a figure that needs some building up and one has to wear a muzzle much of the day . The apple blossom really is in full force, the plums almost over, the gage....by far the nicest of the fruit trees we inherited, has a lot of blossom on it. The horse chestnuts, a fortnight ago, were sticky buds just split, and now are in full leaf, the candles growing taller and taller...it won't be long. The lilac being early has jolted be a bit: it was out here when we first viewed the house, and it doesn't feel like its been almost a year! but I guess its not so far off now.

The garden was so thirsty tonight. One of the roses we brought here drooping desperately, one, we might have lost but she looked pretty ropey when we collected her.

Weeds we thought we had a grip on have shot up and are probably lost to us aside from the odd strip to keep seed heads at bay or spraying:( now.

didn't even get into the back garden this weekend, so MUST hit that next weekend. DH and I have realised we've developed the habit of a Friday evening garden inspection when he first gets home at the weekend, and this week did it with a glass of wine. A good tradition to have started I think. I'm a bit worried how much will have shot up before the next inspection though.

alfie_1

hi all,
i did the boot sale with my friend this morning....sold some but not as much as 2 weeks ago... we were just having a laugh and banter with people. happy tho as got rid of some more stuff which is a good thing.:)

i got stuck into clearing my sheds out the back, [not THE shed tho, walked away from that one AGAIN ].these are sort of lean to shedss on dirt floors... i hoiked everything out and then set about putting wood pallets down and then weather board as flooring... have at least a van AND a trailer full for the tip. put the wanted/half decent stuff NEATLY !! back in one so have an empty one now... i then had a mega bonfire with anything that was burnable !!:D
i raked all the ground around, mainly leaves/twigs,from the oak tree...set up my table and chairs and parasol, sat down and had my "cuppa" and gloated how well id done !!!:rotfl:

im so excited at getting my "plains chooklets" soon. they are lovely and SO healthy looking...well done LIR...

i may have to let the doves out soon, half of them are sitting on eggs:o dont like to take em away so probably instead of 16 flying out there will be 32 !!!:rotfl:

my pekins havnt hatched yet but all eggs seem fertile so must have my dates wrong

iv just had a wonderfull deep bath [i kept the original bath here and its enormous !!] eaten and now gonna chill...

you all have been so busy, this weather is so encouraging tho isnt it !! we will all go into a depression if it dares to r**n !!:rotfl:

poosmate....the "ming " will be enroute tomorow.....

ukmaggie45

Had our first barbie of the year yesterday. :j Weeded a container for strawberries I bought last year and didn't get around to planting, trimmed the dead leaves off said strawberries, but ran out of steam then. Maybe will get them planted this afternoon.


Tulips and garlic by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

OH cleared some of the rampant ivy off the netting at the end of the garden... We'd intended to plant climbing roses there, but looks like it's too stony and dry (will prob grow nasturtiums up the netting instead). So now have to find homes for 3 lovely healthy The New Dawn roses.

You can just see the barbie in the top right of this photo. We stick it on a paving slab on the lawn to use it. Wish I'd taken photos of OH feeding it dead wood after we'd eaten our sausage batches!


Nettle bed by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

We were going to get rid of the plum tree over the winter (it only gave us 2 plums last year, and something got them before we did!) but didn't have time or energy, and now it's got more blossom this spring.


Plum blossom by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

Apple blossom is imminent, here's hoping we can get to the house some afternoons this week to see it in its glory. OH is on 5-1 shift :eek: this week, which is why I'm awake and posting at this unearthly hour!


Apple tree and quince blossom by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

Davesnave

You have a lot of early colour there, Maggie! We are still predominantly green, but then the house garden has few flowers in it and is basically just grass. When this was a farm-tied property in the 90s the back garden was only about 35' long and the rest was field, but subsequent owners have, err...increased it.:o We inherited around 1/2 an acre and its now closer to an acre. Of course, most of it is 'market garden' or nursery, and until we do much more work, the ornamental bit will stay small.

Humph! Another very frustrating day yesterday despite the lovely weather. The plastic windbreak mesh we bought on-line for over £100 is so tough and intractable we can't fit it tidily to our frames in the selling bays. Can't get it tight enough; we could do with pete's fencing winch! In fact, it's so hard I cut myself on it twice. We wanted rugged, but this is beating us ATM. A problem with buying over t'internet, though I'm sure it will do a job for us where tidiness is not so important.

Meanwhile, as lir says, the weeds are working overtime, so we need a couple of days to cut grass and go through the pots, or we'll disappear into the undergrowth....