Becoming self sufficient from scratch-my diary

Moozle_2

Well, i'm back from shopping. I managed to get from Aldi: tomato seeds, plug cabbage and cauliflower, strawberries, 2 growbags and a rhubarb plant from Homebase:D (where I very nearly got carried away and bought loads of things):o Total spend today £13.69... but I feel like I have got lots to be going on with now.
Oh, and I have been offered some half whisky barrels surplus from the church plantings. Will arange to see them and hopefully can get them in my car.:rolleyes:

Moozle_2

This is the first area I have decided for a veg patch. Since this was taken I have finished digging it over and dug my home made compost into it.

MSE UPDATE - sorry had to remove photo as it was too wide. Please can you load back as a smaller image.

This is the area I have identified for the chickens. As you can see its already trashed! Its bigger than it looks though and i'm going to flatten it out and fence it.

MSE UPDATE - sorry had to remove photo as it was too wide. Please can you load back as a smaller image.

Moozle_2

This is the patio area at the top-very shady,not sure what to do here? Answers on a postcard please?:p

Then the kids play area with the chicken area to the right


MSE UPDATE - sorry had to remove photo as it was too wide. Please can you load back as a smaller image.

Moozle_2

Update: Today planted Rhubarb and strawberrys (From Aldis). Planted plugs of cauliflowers and cabbages into small pots that strawberrys came out of. Then sowed pea and sweet pepper seeds into plugs and mini greenhouses that plugs came out of . So now my kitchen windowsill has been taken over.:rotfl:
Planted chives (Uprooted from where the fruit bed is) into pot on my steps and planted a mint in this way as well.
Moved compost bin (and remaining compost) to the back of the garden.
Pheww, my 3 yr old 'helped' me and is covered in compost but happy. I think having her as a helper is going to cost me in terms of things getting overwatered :rolleyes: and seeds getting lost and seedlings broken but its all good fun, and hopefully the kids will enjoy and learn from this as much as myself.

On the funding front my neighbour gave me £20 for this month looking after her son and I have agreed to look after another neighbours cat over easter for another £10. I have listed some stuff on ebay so fingers crossed for that.
I need to start thinking of other ways to become self sufficient apart from growing stuff and eggs. Hmm, maybe have a drive over to Loch Fyne at easter and do a bit of seashore foraging.

Hope everyones getting lots done in this fab weather.

XXXXXXX:p

SEE

Moozle wrote: »

Well, i'm back from shopping. I managed to get from Aldi: tomato seeds, plug cabbage and cauliflower, strawberries, 2 growbags and a rhubarb plant from Homebase:D (where I very nearly got carried away and bought loads of things):o Total spend today £13.69... but I feel like I have got lots to be going on with now.
Oh, and I have been offered some half whisky barrels surplus from the church plantings. Will arange to see them and hopefully can get them in my car.:rolleyes:

I sowed my rhubarb from seed. 99p for 60 seeds, and all of them germinated. I gave all the plants away except for 5 which I kept for myself. If you have the fancy for trying new things and don't want to spend a fortune, I highly recommend these.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Premier-Seeds-Direct

shine387

Hiya, I've just been reading through the start of your blog and have to say good on you! I'm thinking of giving it a go this year as well!

In answer to your dilemma about what to do on your patio area you could plant more veggies in tubs and even strong bags (like the ones you get compost in) and grow them there. I grew potatoes like this last year and it went quite well, even though I was a bit impatient! Just a thought

Keep up the good work!

fiftyeighter_2

Hi a query for anyone who can help. i really do fancy the idea of making home made wine but dont know wher to start. i.e what appliances do i need etc etc etc. i think i saw that ken68 mentioned wine making to someone. hey there, if you did, would appreciate some knowledge. thanking you in anticipation.

Ken68

fiftyeighter wrote: »

Hi a query for anyone who can help. i really do fancy the idea of making home made wine but dont know wher to start. i.e what appliances do i need etc etc etc. i think i saw that ken68 mentioned wine making to someone. hey there, if you did, would appreciate some knowledge. thanking you in anticipation.

Years since a made wine and beer, fiftyeighter, got all the gear from Wilkinsons.
Warning the more you make the more you drink.
With beer being so cheap in the supermarkets, don't think it pays to make your own, but if you have a surplus of fruit every year, well worth doing home made wine.
A friend and I made 100 gallons of apple wine, made it in September, drinkable by Christmas, just daft really, sloshed all the time.

Lotus-eater

Ken68 wrote: »

A friend and I made 100 gallons of apple wine, made it in September, drinkable by Christmas, just daft really, sloshed all the time.

Ouch Ken :doh:

You would have been better off making cider, at least you wouldn't have been out of it all the time. Maybe........ last time I made it, it was around 10% :rolleyes:

tomsolomon

betterlife wrote: »

ive decided as i wanted more ducks anyway females anyway im going to mark the eggs and let her hatch the 1st 7 or 8 then take the eggs after that for eating, oh how exciting! with ducklings and my cat being pregnant it will be like having my own farm lol.

Little tip....

You cant eat the cats.......:rotfl: