the daydream fund challenge thread

COOLTRIKERCHICK

thanks Dave....

there has been a change of plan now.. hubby has put his 2 pennith worth in...lol...

he is going to go and buy perspex to re-do the greenhouse, he said make do with this greenhouse for this year anyway, and he has comeup with a plan for the fruit cage..

wilkinsons are selling these rose arches

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Netting+Trellis/Rose-Garden-Arch/invt/0260859?htxt=PsAGyAqy%2FDSGVBgOHPBfATKVETOKIWHcwqoICuDrG%2FxTcDPfxIrYzUvEu76RzzM6wutKTeo9AOCB%0AtDs76aYYKg%3D%3D

hubby is thinking buy 2 , buy fruit cage netting in focus and make a tunnel style fruit cage.

We still didnt buy any raspberry canes, but after reading some posts i think the autumn ones are easier, due to the pruning, as i know one year i think i might prune the summer fruiting ones wrong...:rotfl:

was thinking of putting some gooseberries up in the m.i.l garden...

once the greenhouse is done this afternoon, cant wait to start getting those broad bean seeds planted

Rummer

Dave have you started sewing seeds?? Don't tell me I am behind already! I have a 6 x 4 greenhouse and I am unsure what to grow this year. To be honest none of the things we have ever grown in the greenhouse have worked and I think that might be because I try to grow too much in it. Any suggestions?

Davesnave

Rummer wrote: »

Dave have you started sewing seeds?? Don't tell me I am behind already! I have a 6 x 4 greenhouse and I am unsure what to grow this year. To be honest none of the things we have ever grown in the greenhouse have worked and I think that might be because I try to grow too much in it. Any suggestions?

Don't worry, it's only chillies and sweet peppers, which need a long season, and I've not sown all, in case we get another really cold snap. I will maybe do more later when I do the tomatoes.

It's a bit difficult advising folk about what to grow. It has to be things you like, not just stuff that's expensive in the shops. I shall be keeping toms, peppers and squashes in the tunnel this year. It will get to hot for some things, like lettuce.

Rummer

I will get my peppers and chillies in this weekend! I am more thinking of the amount I would need to plant, we like tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and squashes but I think in the past we have tried to squeeze too many plants into the space.

Rummer

Oooohhhhh I am so excited! My OH is thinking over letting us have chickens! Any advice from those who currently keep chickens or any sites you would recommend?

Poppycat1

My advice would be not to go spending a fortune on housing. Try and get a second hand one if you can.

I have been keeping chickens for about a year now. It's soooo exciting to go a collect your own eggs.

I have a book called Hens in the garden Eggs in the kitchen. I wouldn't buy it but get it from the library.

3 hens kept us in eggs last year with a few given away. We now have 5 and are hoping to sell a few eggs on the doorstep.

I got mine at Little Hen Rescue, there site has some information on how to keep them.

Rummer

We have a standard garden shed that we were thinking of adapting but I didn't know if that would be suitable. What do they cost roughly a month in feeding?

Poppycat1

Your shed should be fine. They will need a perch that they can easily jump onto. They also like a nice clean nesting area. I use straw (£1.80 a bale.) in the nesting box and floor.

The cost of feeding them can depend on how much household scraps you give them. My parents boil up their potato peelings for them and mix in cornmeal. They also have lots of weeds from the allottment. They love leftover pasta, rice and some bread. They main food is pellets. I think a large bag costs about £9. This will last mine 4 - 6 weeks.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

how 'egg'citing Rummer:D

chickens are really easy to keep, the shed in your garden will be fine, just make sure you make a little pop hole for them with a sliddy door to lock them in at night. i would STRONGLY advise you to have some sort of run off the shed to confine therwise they will scratch your garden, and yuor little tender seedlings will be gone in a flash:rotfl:

at the moment we have a few breeds, i would def go for the a regular breed rather than a fancy one...warrens. marans and blue bells are good ones.

please be carefull when you are buying your birds... there are some big commercial chicken breeders/dealers around, and their stock are not the best...

and one last thing make sure they are Hens, and no cockerals.... as you might get trouble with the neighbours.... i am just waiting for the knock on the door, about the crowing...

I must admit.. its best to readu up on the basic care etc on them, but some books you can get really do go over the top....

RuthG

WOW! Please can I join in with this too? I have spent most of the day reading the entire thread - I feel like I know most of you! [Whatever happened to MRSM?]

Anyway, a brief introduction is in order I guess.

What you ahve all been writing about is also my dream too. I found it really exciting reading about davesnave gettiong his plot and sorting it out; and Im really rooting for choille to get into her new house and out of the caravan asap - cant have been much fun in the recent very cold weather.

I currently live in the country with my DH, though at times it seems more like the inner city. I already have a large house and garden (about 3/4 acre in all, including the bit the house stands on). Never really done much with it to be honest. Have a huge area that is totally overgrown that was a veg patch for the previous owners, but now grows heaps of nettles, dandelions, dock, thistles and brambles.

Due to certain things that have happened (which I wont bore you with) we have been wanting to move somewhere more truly rural, but that cant happen at the moment for various reasons. So we have decided to do the best with what we have at the moment. DH works 70 miles away from home and I work (self employed) all over the country, so livestock is not an option at present, but there is plenty of scope for veg growing, provided we can secure the garden.

The house itself is in need of finishing - we bought it some years ago to revovate and it hasnt yet been completed.

So what's the dream? We want to make the most of what we have, complete the renovations, then move somewhere else to run B&B and a small holding. The rpeference is for N Yorkshire, but prices do seem prohibitive for what we want. Also, we arev not getting any younger. I was cheered to read that some of you are similar ages to DH and me, so we arent totally cracked in the head for stillwm anting to move to our dream place! I am 53 and DH is just 60. Both of us are fit and healthy though - DH is a member of a local search and rescue team and we both enjoy hiking for our relaxation.

So that's it really. I'll shut up now and let someone else get a word in edgeways!

Ruth