the daydream fund challenge thread

lostinrates

wow, just seen a forecast with ground frost for scotland. Seeing as how I need to spend some time with the pelagoniums that had an accident through the night I might as well prepare to start bringing things back in side. with a view to doing that at the weekend.

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

I know they grow quickly, but how quickly? What is the closest I could plant them? (dutch barn screening thoughts!) Now I'm thinking a couple for flowers with others lopped at a lower height for BIG leaves every year.

You could try them about 3' apart, but for covering up a barn I'd want something more 'permanent.'

Small ones may be cut back by a hard winter but always re-sprout from the base.

ukmaggie45

lostinrates wrote: »

I've been thinking about a very small heated greenhouse near the west facing kitchen wall....it would be easy to run electrics through the wall there, but it would have to be a skinny greenhouse...would it be worth it I wonder, for a small space?
as well as a more normal sized unheated one over on the veg plot?

Thanks for your input on the sweet peas.

Maybe a small lean-to against your wall? I really covet a greenhouse, but too much else needs doing first. In the meanwhile we've got a couple of blow-aways, been worth their weight in gold just for the internal frames (garlic dried on the big one in utility room this year, small frame used for seedlings and plantlets in the spring though mostly they died but that was more to do with state of house and build etc) without the plastic covers. Might install the covers soon and make sure they're tied to fence behind.

The big one I'm deffo putting cover on as in bad weather it will be my smoking space - no smoking house is very hard!

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

You could try them about 3' apart, but for covering up a barn I'd want something more 'permanent.'

Small ones may be cut back by a hard winter but always re-sprout from the base.

I'd leave some to grow tall though...for a filtered view. TBH, I don't mind the barn so much, and behind it there is a nice if not impressive view of fields, so in winter don't mind looking at that. But I want to creat a summer screen for naken chicken rescuing or naked whatevering in our garden that isn't as dense as the horrid felled light and space stealing trees.

alfie_1

hi all,
iv had a fab day on the IOW..:) took my mum and we had a nice lunch then walked the dogs [took friends big dog too so had 4 dogs for the day] along the beach.. the waves where BIG but the dogs were swimming out and then SURFING in !!:rotfl:it was a great day ! when we got back in the van when the ferry arrived home we were nearly knocked out by the smell of hot wet dogs ...:o my mum had by now given up trying to preserve her navy blue cardigan and cream trousers from doggy hair and wet bodies greeting us

alfie_1

two VERY tired doggies !!

Davesnave

We've been preparing all day, and tomorrow we go for the big polytunnel cover!

We had skilled family & friends lined-up for next Sunday, but the forecast is for a breezy weekend, so we're re-scheduling. Hopefully, we can get all the anti-hotspot tape on in the morning and then pop the cover over in the afternoon with help from a few local friends. It will be the best chance we have, since the forecast is pretty unsettled fot the rest of the month.

On the subject of electricity, I put 25 metres of cable underground to our last greenhouse, sealed in plastic water pipe, but the rules have changed since then, I expect. For the poly, I've run armoured cable from the barn, but I'll have to get an electrician to do the ends. Once it's in and approved, I'll do my own thing around the tunnel itself, probably inside plastic trunking. You need a good mains radio to cope with rain, hammering on a polytunnel skin!

Our conservatory here is unheated, but it has walls and a window + double door shared with the living room, where the woodburner lives, so things survive in there. Sometimes there's frost on the glass, but I'd say its equivalent to our old heated greenhouse. If there's an opportunity for 'free' heat, it makes sense to use it nowadays. Having said that, apart from a garden room, there's no provision in our plans for the re-vamped bungalow....Secretly I'm planning to build something inside the polytunnel if DW doesn't allow seedlings in the 'new' house!

lostinrates

oh alfie,


I can't WAIT to take dog dog for a proper walk. dealing with the frustration of a dog not getting enough exercise is no fun!

She's starting to use the leg a little more now....hopefully in a few weeks I'll have tired dogs too!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

lostinrates wrote: »

can you pm me how to find you on etsy?

btw I found the bag I love, and wondered if I posted it to you if you'd be able to make me a blanket one the same? And what your charge for commissioned pieces would be? I might ask for it for it for my b'day next year from dh.

ooooo flip i dont know if i am good enough to do commisions:rotfl:but if you can send me a few pics first i can have a look first...

found another bit of land.... but alas no way of raising the funds:o but going to have a meeting with my business manager anyway If of the regulars want to have a nose, pm me and i will give you a link, so you can have a gander at it...lol...

Ordering another manniquin today ( other ones being used in antique markets) so there will be no excuse to get some vintage and other clothes etc on ebay...even if i only manage to get 2 or 3 items a week on, it will be something....

flip look at the time better go, otherwise they think i will be doing half a shift again in work...:rotfl:( as if i would do that;):D)

lostinrates

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

ooooo flip i dont know if i am good enough to do commisions:rotfl:but if you can send me a few pics first i can have a look first...)

Its really simple bag, I even cut a pattern for it a couple of years ago and started beading some fabric to make myself a fancy one, but that is as far as I got:o:o. Maybe I'll get the other one finished this winter two. A friend of mine makes that beautiful venetian marbled paper, and also does the same to leather...one day I want one of these bags made from that..but it would be a huge outlay for the leather and then finding someone to make the bag (friend would be horrified at making his leather into a slouchy bag;)) I'll try and take pics this weekend..its black and very old...older than me, so not sure how well it will come out.