the daydream fund challenge thread

Davesnave

KittyBoo wrote: »

I bought an ex council house in what the local government describes as "a most deprived community".
I have a big back garden that has fruit trees, veg plots and my chooks.
I sit out there in the warmer weather and enjoy living the simple life.

Hello KittyBoo. Sounds like you have a pretty workable alternative to the 'country estate!'

Jayne, I don't believe there are many schemes that make serious ££ on smaller land holdings, but where you are is as important, if not more so, than the acreage. Anything on a minor road or up its own track, though maybe idyllic, is not great for attracting customers. Many would-be entrepreneurs conveniently forget that when they fall in love with a place, but it's the reason more fail than succeed.

If it helps, in our last year of trading, DW and I sold under £15k worth of plants, and that was in a comparatively rich city with an affluent hinterland. To do that, we had to chase Joe Public, rather than have him come to us, so there were heavy transport/marketing costs. However, on the plus side, our great leader's Tax Credits scheme is an absolute boon to small producers, who work long hours, and part of expenses like transport, 'office' heating and even council tax can go against profits, meaning that little income tax may be payable. The net result was that we just about stayed solvent!

As we know, there are those who sit on their bums all week, playing the system, so why shouldn't hard-working, productive folk have a slice of the action? Answers on a postcard please!

rhiwfield

Bought 4 fruit trees yesterday to put in the new stone beds being built adjacent to the road, 2 pears (Williams bon Chretien and Conference) and 2 apples (Saturn and Winston). Chose bush trees that lend themselves to training and will have about 14' of bed to each tree. First straining wire will be higher than usual, about 2'6", and we'll underplant with a floral display given its the front of the plot. Really pleased at progress so far, can see the work being finished in 10 days with the new trees in place.

After finishing the back garden yesterday and tidying up, was trying to imagine what it will look like midsummer in full growth. Loads of seeds germinating in the house, and growing on in the greenhouse, including globe artichoke for a new permanent bed at the back. Most of the rhubarb crowns transplanted last year are coming up and you get the feel that it will all suddenly burst into life as the cold weather eases.

The future's bright, the future's pear shaped

mambury

Davesnave wrote: »

As we know, there are those who sit on their bums all week, playing the system, so why shouldn't hard-working, productive folk have a slice of the action? Answers on a postcard please!

couldn't agree more.... after all rules are there to be bent!

Davesnave

mambury wrote: »

couldn't agree more.... after all rules are there to be bent!

Well, not exactly bent, but certainly taken full advantage of. ATM we are not in business, so although we're doing many hours of preparation, we've not tried to claim Tax Credits. It will be different next year though, and you can bet that every receipt is being kept for the tax man!

JayneC

Hi again,

Thanks for your input Dave. I'm not looking to make pots of cash but need to know I'll be able to pay my bills and work out how much hard cash I'll need up front as it were!! Going to concentrate on paying debts off, which may be doable with 18 months ish and then try to save as much as poss, meanwhile exploring business opportunities - hadn't thought about WTC that's a very good point! Don't know why I didn't as we've claimed them previously when kids were little and I was only p/t!!

Anyhoo as I'm having to make do with my little yard for now I'm happy to report have finally managed to get out there and make a start on preparing for my grand reorganisation!! I've even measured it all and made a plan! Went on a permaculture design course last weekend which was really helpful and gave some excellent ideas, so hopefully will have a productive year.

Looking forward to hearing how everyone else is getting along.

Jayne x

stitching_witch

When is this cold weather going to go away??? I have garlic in the cold-frame which is nearly an inch tall but it's too cold to go down to the allotment to dig the beds. I need to prepare the potato plots and the bed for the onions and shallots too. I was brought up in Singapore (army child) and I don't *do* cold!

I might just do some seed planting indoors tomorrow. It'll help me feel I have achieved something. DH and DS3 have almost finished the chicken run today (they're braver than me outside ) so it shouldn't be long until I get my girls - I've only been waiting since October.

Back to the sewing room tonight as I have two corsets to make ready for a "corset party" booked in a few weeks. :T Hopefully the first of many......

JayneC

Ok started moving things about today and realised my 'plan' is not really going to work as I'd hoped in practice, so have redesigned and think it will be ok. I've moved some paving and already made loads more room for growing. I've shifted my pear tree (only tiny was new last year) into asunnier spot and put my apple tree against my fence as I'm going to train it along there. Moved my raspberries to a less sunny spot as I don't think they like full sun, seemed a bit sad last year, and put some strawberries in the ground (I usually have them in pots). I have a bit of a 'woodland' area with my raspberries, a few foxgloves, bluebells and strawberries in a semi shaded spot, should be able to get some salad leaves in there too, probably rocket and lambs lettuce as they will look after themselves - self seed and spread naturally. Need to plan my sunnier spot next, think I'm gonna try growing a cucumber up my arch. I was thinking of square foot gardening but think I'm going to go for a less formal approach - dense planting still but in a more scattered arrangement. I'll let you know how it goes.

Jaynex

rhiwfield

stitching_witch wrote: »

When is this cold weather going to go away???

These settled days in SW UK are superb for getting work done around the garden although the ground is staying frozen til lunchtime. Supports are in for tieing asaparagus, strawberry beds surrounded by woven twigs from hedgerows for later bird protection, concrete bases laid for sheds and sheds moved, stone walls being built and paving laid.

Garlic sown in November now beginning to show though the broad beans sown at the same time have been trashed by the hard winter. Even with the continued frosts can just see green tips on gooseberries and jostaberry.

Off now to take dog out and then to burn the self-seeded trees and a few conifers dug up from the site of the new fruit beds. Its difficult not to be cheerful with this glorious sunshine

JayneC

What a beautiful day today. Got my path relaid which was extremely hard work - had major fights with compacted gravel!!!I've revelaed a border that was under flags, it's virtually solid clay!! I've turned it over and left it _ should've done it before the snow, it might have broken down a bit! I'll have to try and find some manure to dig in.

Feel like I'm finally making progress and will actually have some room to grow this year, must make sure I don't get over ambitious! Don't want to go back to work tomorrow, want to stay home and dig some more...!

am stopping myself from sowing seeds as I need to plan where they're going first and can't do that properly until I've got my garden sorted.

rhiwfield

Forecast says this will be the last of the sunny days for a while and I'm taking time off from cutting a hawthorn hedge down from 8' high to 5' high so it can be better managed in future. Amazing how useful antiseptic and plasters can be! Upper arm muscles are seizing so thats it for today.

Will need to get permission from neighbours to tackle other side, which is down a 6' bank so a ladder job.

Half the solar PV installation arrived this morning (inverter, switches, meter and fusebox) so my main task today is making tea for the installers. Tomorrow should see the solar panels arrive and the system commisssioned. Nothing to do with GYO but sort of related to being partially self sufficient

Pricked out the tomato seedlings at the weekend and then left them in the greenhouse in the sun . Many dead seedlings later.........