the daydream fund challenge thread

rhiwfield

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Rhiwfield might be worth having regular trips to the recycling sites...you might be able to pick a few of those little tyke houses up......if they not one of those sites where you are not allowed to help them recycle

Ours are

Davesnave

rhiwfield wrote: »

Sold an old one for over £130!!

But where will you put your poorly/aggressive chooks now? :eek:

Davesnave

alfie_1 wrote: »

:dance: there is a common theme running now of likeminded minds... ..:rotfl:

shame on you all .......

'Good job it wasn't a marrow!' is all I'm going to say......:eek:

choille wrote: »

Loved the walled garden grounds Dave - wasn't dear if you have the money, but a pipe dream for a lot of folks.

That is one of the original points of this thread, though. We can dream, and in the meantime, make the best of whatever it is that we have.

Given a level playing field, family-wise, I'd not be where I am, which is in a place which I left, never to return. Too many ghosts here. Sometimes it's not just about the money.

Davesnave

Rummer wrote: »

One wee question though, we finally made compost this year and we have planted our courgettes in tubs with the fresh compost and they seem to be dying what could the problem be?

Sometimes I find strong compost can be too rich for small plants if used on its own. The problem with all manures and composts is that their chemical balance is an unknown. I would always use them to enrich, particularly in pots, rather than neat. Soil is a good buffer for chemical imbalances in home made mixes - doesn't need to be a lot.

Lotus-eater

Davesnave wrote: »

'Good job it wasn't a marrow!' is all I'm going to say......:eek:

I'm must admit, I was thinking along the 2 cucumbers/marrow route for a joke. Didn't dare say it. I must be mellowing out in my old age

COOLTRIKERCHICK

rhiwfield wrote: »

Sold an old one for over £130!!

flip how much are they new then????

Winged_one

I am in the process of re-thinking my DCF plans. The temporary overseas posting has gone to the other applicant (which has literally gobsmacked most people in my office - but he was a bloke and I was over-tired doing the interview).

So the extra I could put aside is now foregone, but I don't have to give up the plot either (which I'd probably never get back the rate the list moves locally). We hadn't gone "hell for leather" in the planting this year, just in case, but I have some more leeks to put in and I'll put in more roots and pea seeds.

I am also sore about losing the posting so need to rethink a few things workwise. And one of those is obviously the need to kill myself getting everything done (the guy who got it has a reputation for being lazy as sin). So I am going to get the life part back in balance again - and use some time at home to concentrate on my knitting and sewing again. Getting the planned presents made for loads of people, and getting a little eBay/etsy shop set up too - with the proceeds going in to the DCF.

I have been up to the plot this weekend though, for a couple of hours weeding and general tending. It's looking ok, despite the lack of rainfall. First peas are podding (harvest in maybe 10 days!!), parsnips never came up at all, but turnips are doing great and I have a row of beetroots too. Broad beans aren't ready yet, but are growing well and I earthed up my potatoes. I was able to bring home 2 lettuces, a box of spinach, 7 turnips (enough for dinner for 4) and a large bulb of garlic. And I am eating some bits from the back garden too - carrots, lettuce, and herbs mainly. But the peas there are flowering, broadies are slightly larger pods, cabbages will be edible this week, and I planted out a calabrese to follow the broadies and will probably put a second calabrese into the spot earmarked for a courgette as the slugs got all those that came through (old seeds so pumpkins and courgettes very poor this year). One tomato is planted out, a second got squashed by next door's cat, but I have a replacement and 2 more for against other fences and the 3 for the hanging basket (got the new liner needed over the weekend - will plant out tonight).

And we got some rain overnight as well, so the water butt should be reasonably full again. The county council are threatening "water off" before the end of the summer, so I am making use of a few extra tricks on water while I can (including using the water from the condenser dryer to top up the butt, and cold water while waiting for hot water to come through for washing up, to throw straight over the plants or into the butt). I never thought of those before last week - dryer doesn't get used much but its a bit somedays, and I probably have nearly a whole basin most times I do washing up (we use a dishwasher, so proably 1-2 lots of hand-washing per day) of colder, clean water so will use that in future for the garden.

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

nothing like dropping clues then disapearing !!!!

Beehives.

Hoping we can get them tarted up intime to get them populated this year.

RAS

lostinrates wrote: »

Beehives.

Hoping we can get them tarted up intime to get them populated this year.

Lucky lady

No need to tart them up. Give them a good clean inside with a blowtorch or oxalic acid and gets some frames in the brood box. Floor on a couple of blocks and lid and protective gear for you guys (overalls, wellies, Marigolds and a veiled hat if necessary) to get started.

Let it be known to the local bee group that you are after swarms and they will find you.

There is a surfeit of swarms at this time of year.

lostinrates

RAS wrote: »

Lucky lady

No need to tart them up. Give them a good clean inside with a blowtorch or oxalic acid and gets some frames in the brood box. Floor on a couple of blocks and lid and protective gear for you guys (overalls, wellies, Marigolds and a veiled hat if necessary) to get started.

Let it be known to the local bee group that you are after swarms and they will find you.

There is a surfeit of swarms at this time of year.

Thanks! After cleaning these will nee a touch up at least. Paint very flakey and will be damaged in rain/winter weather.

I'm going to let the bees be dh's ''thing'', I'm quite happy to deal with honey and, when its available, wax though. and cleaning. It is exciting, and feels like the first real improvement in our situation towards self sufficientish. In all other respects we've been pretty much worse this year than the previous couple of years.

we're going to clear a space for them near the Pond ....(for which dh is desperate for a boat for, his inflatable dinghy got munched by rats, as did the inflatable pool we were given. ) . But though we've seen plenty of dear little wooden/plastic dingys on ebay we don't have a way of getting it home with no trailer.