the daydream fund challenge thread

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

How many hawthorns are you after Davesnave?

I'm now also on the look out for well priced common (i.e. dark green, not variegated) holly.

I saw these really good hawthorns with hundreds of large berries when parked in a lay-by in Dorset last December, so I helped myself to a hundred or so berries. It was a council landscaping scheme and fairly new, so I figured they'd used a well selected variety. No idea where I might use them yet, but when I see how many germinate next spring, I might begin to know!

I haven't done so many photos this year, as they'd just be repeats of last year's activities.

On the subject of windbreaks, hedges are best, and our neighbour's poplar trees do a fantastic job before the south westerlies reach the hedge, but they are very noisy, so although I can be in a little oasis of calm at the bottom of the garden, it doesn't sound like it! I think it's abysmal how a lot of windbreak netting is such a hideous, lurid green, which is why I bought black.

PiggyBankShaker

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Hi Piggybankshaker:wave: where abouts are you in south wales?

I'm in the Valleys, at least for a few more years anyway :rotfl:

COOLTRIKERCHICK

PiggyBankShaker wrote: »

I'm in the Valleys, at least for a few more years anyway :rotfl:

which one? swansea? rhondda? neath?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

as the weather has been poo today again, i have been trying to work out a budget, as to be honest over the last few months i have taken my eye off that ball, flip no wonder i havent been able to save anything from the household money:eek: to be honest it was so easy to send hubby out if we run out of something, or send him to go and 'get something for tea' etc, and not realising how much we were actually spending..

I have been trying to do a meal plan this afternoon, using Asda, and i cant get it nowhere near the £50 i was aiming for....

flip Corrie has just started..... will post back later.....lol....

lostinrates

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

trying to work out a budget,

Swearing is frowned upon surely, and I can think of no dirtier word ATM than budget. I accepted two more tiny mouths to feed today too, and I can't stop what ever wretch is eating my (&%UI_POU eggs, soo I'm having to actually BUY food. All the while the chickens are stuffing themselves silly on food.


And the list of wants, and more importantly needs gets longer and longer...


we got a bit done to day. Some weeding about 4 wheel barrows full! the lad not being kept for grass topped (that took me AGES). Definite slowing down of pace though and increase in frustration!

Davesnave

The weather has been more moderate here today, so I even ended up barbecuing! It was lovely out in the still evening air, listening to the birds singing, instead of the trees thrashing about.

With DW holding up a huge piece of cardboard to protect valuable plants, I even managed to deliver what I hope will be a death blow to the artichokes in the form of concentrated glyphosate. These were the artichokes we spent two days digging through last autumn until none was left! :rotfl:

Like you, lir, it's been another day of slow progress through the wilder bits of the veg patch. I only had two barrow-loads of weeds, but I had another one of stones, then three of manure to replace what I'd taken away. Meanwhile, DW was clearing a temporary nursery standing-out area, ready to receive some real plants. She had a barrow-load of stones too!

For us, things are improving after the time lost by being unwell and potting-on plants to sell. However, we have both crows and jackdaws after the hen food. The jackdaws were easy to outwit, as we just hung the feeders beyond easy reach, but the blooming crows are huge....:(

Tonight, I watched a jackdaw dive-bombing a crow that had taken up a lookout position on top of our electricity pole. Clearly, it's not only us that don't like them. At least we don't have a rookery like the one in the village; I think the racket fom that would drive me insane.

choille

Went over to the east today - torrential rain all the way there & all the way back - just never stopped. Loads of folks on cycling hols - gotta feel sorry for the poor wet beggers puffing up the hills! Geeeeeeee can't be much fun.

Hawthorns - years back I picked berries out of a hedge, forgot about them for a year & found them festering in the back of the old van in a carrierbag - planted them in tree planters & got loads - amazing.

Green holly - for some reason LIR we have loads an loads of holly growing under the little birch wood - holly & rowan seedlings - obviously the seeds have been 'dropped' by birds. It must be part of the wood's natural cycle - no mature holly on the croft, so they are being brought in & the conditions must be just right for them to get established I presume.
I did plant Alders that I liberated out of a ditch a few years back & boy have they shot up & also found seedlings down the croft so they like it here.
CTC - Budgets go out the window when we go shopping as we sort of go into siege mentality - buy it while we can, which is ludicrous really as we get out & about most of the time - just a hark back to living in a more isolated place plus the winter carry ons we have I suppose.
Prices here are crazy - everything is so expensive & seems to go up each time you go shopping. Haulage is blamed but I think some use that to hike the price a lot of the time.

Night night.

bottleblonde

Can I join in too please?

I've spent the last week or so reading this thread from start to finish, finishing just now. I've laughed, frowned, cheered & almost cried following all your trials & tribulations over the last few years.. I feel I know you all. I am in awe of what you all have achieved so far.

My 'dream', or should I say 'plan' (positive thoughts) is to move to France within the next five - ten years. I currently live in the South (not very far at all from alfie in fact - who is marvellously bonkers btw!), in a normal detached house with a decent sized garden, about half made over to veg / greenhouse etc. I love gardening but struggle to find the time sometimes, what with work (I'm in removals / storage) and two teenage boys. I did chuckle when I told them about moving to France, but told them 'only when you don't need me around anymore', and they said 'well you can go now if you like'! They know how much I have a deep need to get as 'far from the madding crowd' as I can. I'm very fortunate where I live, it's bordering on rural, but there's still too many people around for my liking. Not that I'm not a sociable person, I just find people are so selfish these days. And it's so noisy everywhere! Grumble over..

My dream is still in the planning stages, but a serious one. I know the broad area I want to end up in (partly related to work) and an idea of the type of property / land I will need. And I really think it will be achievable eventually.. it's the nitty-gritty I need to plan..

I really should have been in bed ages ago as I want to make an early start & spend the day in the garden again tomorrow (altho the forecast isn't particularly promising), but I have a dozen or so 'tabs' open in my browser with all the photos & links you have posted to look at

Looking forward to catching up with everyone..

BB

Davesnave

Welcome to the thread bottleblonde; we're always happy to have new people join us, whatever stage they're at in becoming more self-sufficientish.

France is a more affordable bet for those who can make the leap, and there are benefits relating to weather and pace of life as well in many regions, so I'd say, 'Go for it!'

Here, being a Bank Holiday, it is raining very steadily, and while I appreciate the good it's doing for crops and wildlife, like choille says, it's a shame for all those who are out on bikes or waking up in a tent this morning.

Davesnave

Although we have measured-up, written a spec and put our house plans into the hands of a friendly architect, we're still casting about for a local person to run the results past, because they will know inside the minds of the relevant planners. Anyway, while doing this, DW came across this example of previous work by a local firm which made her chuckle:

http://www.woodward-smith.co.uk/gallery.php?id=ashfordh

"Arr, all us agricultural workers be really posh, round yer!" :rotfl: