the daydream fund challenge thread

Davesnave

Slight ground frost on the lower part of the garden here at 06:15, but the sun is making inroads into that now. The next 5 nights look benign, so I guess that's the minor panic over.

Winged_one

I managed a few lovely days away and came home to half a jungle! The veg bed in the back garden had really gone wild in the 5 days we were gone! My radishes are now eating size, the broadies are flowering, and the cabbages are getting decently-sized already. There are loads of volunteer tomatoe plants in the carrot trough, so I will be rescuing a few of those in a few weeks - the ones I TRIED to grow in pots indoors have not been very successful (I got 8 seedlings and 10 duds, and 7 peppers grew with 6 duds - some chillis and some sweet in both groups though). My lettuces have also had a high proportion of failures too, and my cabbages and caulis. Luckily I have enough salad for what I will eat, and will sow another tray this afternoon for successional crops, and my FIL gave me some cauli seedlings yesterday that I will plant out on the plot tomorrow. Blinkin' slugs got all the squash family that grew, and I forgot to get a couple of courgettes from my dad (he WAY oversowed!). I'll ask him to bring them at the weekend instead. The 3 hollyhock plants that we sowed last year are actually growing now too (I DON'T do flowers, so haven't a clue whether this is supposed to happen or if they should have grwon last year - but if we get some flowers, it will be nice).

I'm glad though that we have a timer on the hose at home - we could put all the pots next to the veg bed and give them 15 mins every second night. I am not really looking forward to seeing the plot, as the rain butt here is empty again and I don't think that even the few sprinkles we got (I was running in drizzle a couple of mornings) was had here.

Oh well, I need to finish off my quiet lunch and get to work again. I am sowing more seeds today - lettuce, sweeetcorn, another lot of courgettes. And getting some clearing up done indoors (grudgingly), as DD is up in bed sick with a flu (she's really sick because she has curled up in bed, admittedly with portable dvd player, but without complaint - and she does NOT do unneccessary time in bed ever- she hasn't even napped since she was just turned 2!). OH is gone out - he has sorted out my gran's garden (we do the lawn for her) and is on his way to get DD's new bed.

Lotus-eater

Davesnave wrote: »

I think my Golden Sweet Mangetouts got to around 4' 6" last year, when they probably ran out of stick! They might have got to 5' as RAS says, but I burned the sticks and replaced with new, so I'm guessing.

This year, with the Bijous, I've got sticks taller than 6' specially cut for the job. I think they said they might go to 7' or something like that, but anyway, they can only have the sticks they've got. I'm also growing another pea called Delikata for comparative purposes.....

We couldn't keep up with the Golden Sweets last year, so I don't mind if the Bijou produce a bit less.

Thanks, I had an email back from realseeds, which said they both get to about 5 foot. That will be OK, just I can't find space for the Champion of England now.


I forgot to tell you all what happened on Tuesday, you may remember I cut my thumb lengthways a while ago, showing the bone and you all said I should have gone to the doctors. So....

I was playing with some metal and wood on Tues and managed to virtually chop the end of the same thumb (doh!) off, (should have been wearing gloves... (again, doh!)), I had both kids as school holidays and was alone at home. I left them bouncing on the trampoline and rushed in, rang the local doctors/healthcentre and told them I would be there in 4 minutes...... blood spurting everywhere .......... you can't come here, we're still busy dealing with the bank holiday patients and are double booked, you'll have to go to a town which is a good 25 minutes away :rotfl:
I could have done without hearing that tbh

See what happens when I take your advice and try to go to someone who knows what they are doing?

So it's still stuck on with a bit of best Asda sticking plaster.

Davesnave

Glad you had a good break, WO, as the pace of your life sounds pretty full-on!

Even though we don't go far, the state a tidy veg bed can get into in just a week of this weather is something to marvel at. I keep telling myself that the legacy of weed seeds will become les & less, but there's no sign ATM!

stitching_witch

Davesnave wrote: »

Even though we don't go far, the state a tidy veg bed can get into in just a week of this weather is something to marvel at. I keep telling myself that the legacy of weed seeds will become les & less, but there's no sign ATM!

That's a bit worrying! I'm off to Canterbury today to spend a weekend with another MSE'r I've met on the DFW boards.

I'm leaving DH here to look after the chickens, but I'm sure he won't think about watering the seedlings indoors and in the greenhouse. He might pop to the allotment, but only to finish building the last two raised beds and won't even notice the weeds!!:eek:

Davesnave

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Thanks, I had an email back from realseeds, which said they both get to about 5 foot.


.......So it's still stuck on with a bit of best Asda sticking plaster.

Ah, it was probably 7" pods I was thinking about, with Bijou.

If the thumb top is still on there now, I think it's staying!

I avoid doctors and hospitals if I can. Not been since we moved anyway.:D

Only once did I have stitches while conscious, on a head wound, and the trainee nurse ran out of the room, crying. It was her first day on A&E. They dragged her back and asked me to explain how painless it all was, to reassure her! That's what you get when you teach the hospital staff's kids....:rotfl:

Rummer

Good Morning!

I haven't posted for a while but I have been reading, back at work now and just exhausted. Things are progressing well in the garden we had a group of friends come round and help us last weekend so I feel like we have caught up prep wise but I still have a huge number of seeds to get planted and time is running out.

The salad and carrot seeds I planted have come up great and the peas are doing well. Most of the things in the greenhouse are doing well but the leeks and flowers have not germinated at all. I am really annoyed by that as they are some of the only seeds I have paid for. Going to plant out some of the greenhouse things over the long weekend and pop cloches over them so they don't get cold.

I have a giant veg bed to plant up but I am not sure how I want to organise it. Originally I wanted to try a permaculture approach but I don't know how that will work on an empty bed with everything being started from scratch. Also going to sneak some things into the front garden this year, some pretty lettuce I think and some beetroot.

Pennies are really tight at the moment so I feel under quite a bit of pressure to get the garden as productive as possible.

lostinrates

i cut myself night before last. not gardening but rather pathetically opening a bottle of wine to have a glass alone at home! Bled for hours. I did think about a stitch but tbh was too lazy to go and get what I needed from the first aid kit (nb it is not a good idea to stitch yourself anyway: filthy dirty and painful before anyone reads this as a recommendation) and had the glass of wine so couldn't get anyone else to do it. Its little but v, deep. Only when its out of action do your realise how much you use an index finger.

alfie_1

morning... well iv just half watched "the wedding" and my son who was stood here just said "he didnt even kiss the bride?" to which i replied "probably that was an add on by us common folk!!"

as to the comments about what "other halves" notice/observe etc. my BF has complained he cant find any tools in the shed for months SO why doesnt he get off his butt and sort it ?? NOOOOO that takes away the joy of it somehow being my fault he cant find a welding glove !!!! i offered to get in there and help but no, its now because the roof needs fixing first ??? can i please now absolve myself of any murderous thoughts at this moment that are flashing through my mind at a rate of knots.......

Davesnave

alfie_1 wrote: »

morning... well iv just half watched "the wedding" ..

I listened to it in the polytunnel, along with the poplar trees rustling, the chooks cackling and abit of flapping from the plastic, so didn't quite catch everything. At one moment the music sounded like the end of a Star Wars adventure, and I had a crazy momentary vision of the Happy Couple striding onto the steps of Westminster Abbey with Chewbacca a couple of paces behind.....

The Street Party doesn't happen till 4pm. I hope the rain stays off for that, then it can bucket down around 7pm if it likes!