really old style living?

Kitchenbunny

I would love to, and it is a work in progress for when I retire that we are as self sufficient as possible. I want to learn how to grow as much as possible (starting with a couple of small cherry tomato plants this year, and moving up to some fruit, etc, in coming years), bulk buy luxury items and trade with other like-minded people for a change. I have mentioned to DH about keeping chickens and that is a work in progress. I'm looking forward to reading this thread as it progresses.

KB xx

mardatha

If it was all too easy then we'd get bored.. maybe . I think the excitement and challenge is to make the best of what we've got, and beat the snags. I always envy people who live round the corner from supermarkets & grab fabulous whoopsies ...
But we can move into intensive veggie production next year, all of us. Use what we did wrong this year and do it properly next year.
Work out ways of storage, getting the most into less space.
I need to work out menus and decide what to get first. And I need to conjure money out of thin air to get the bulk supplies started. Anybody got a printing press ??:D
I SO need a kick to make me get moving . I am in slug mode.

ceridwen

Come on then Mardatha - move it lass...move it....:D

Just think of it as "having your second wind" - now you've got OAP status:rotfl:

...and you're certainly right about "using what we got wrong this year". Got me a friend coming round to help me move my "greenhouse" soon - its vanishing in a sea of greenery at the moment - as I didnt realise JUST how much better my tomatoes would do this year - now that they're acting as if they're turbocharged (courtesy of that diluted dried seaweed I'm feeding my plants with this year). I can barely move in that bit.....wishes had left greenhouse where it was in the first place...

ceridwen

...and I've also found out why established gardeners say "Grow what you like".....well I wasnt to know I probably don't like orpine until I started growing it....

I've tried the young leaves in salad so far - nope - I dont like that. Next up - is trying the stems, roots and frying-up the leaves - so I know I've tried all angles of eating it (and ..yes it IS edible...). I suspect I won't like any part of it - but need to "satisfy honour" here and check out whether there is ANY way I'm going to like it before I ditch it...

mardatha

What the hell is orpine ? Bet it isnt as bad as KALE... shiver

Penelope_Penguin

mardatha wrote: »

What the hell is orpine ? Bet it isnt as bad as KALE... shiver

I love kale Orpine is a type of sedum - never tried it myself.

mardatha

I have a forest of the bloody stuff out back. I am hiding it in soups and stews, but you can only do so much and then....
YOU CAN TASTE IT !

smileyt_2

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

I love kale Orpine is a type of sedum - never tried it myself.

I like kale too. Unfortunately I left my little seedlings in their pots on the ground last night instead of lifting them up and the slugs ate it all overnight:mad:

I have an allotment so I'm trying to grow as much as I can, but it's hard because I have depression and sometimes can't drag myself down there. But each year I manage more, so there's hope. I couldn't be totally selfsufficient though as I live in the inner city and need dog food for my dogs (they wouldn't survive on what they could hunt around here!)

I am going to start stocking up, though. I'm doing a carboot soon, so will be shifting a load of stuff. That hopefully will make room for some stores of flour etc.

smileyt_2

mardatha wrote: »

I have a forest of the bloody stuff out back. I am hiding it in soups and stews, but you can only do so much and then....
YOU CAN TASTE IT !

You'll be very healthy, Mardatha - kale is very good for you.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

What the hell is orpine ? Bet it isnt as bad as KALE... shiver

A sort of sedum type plant grown in gardens purely for decorative reasons normally - but some types are edible (including the one I got).

Well - you don't know you don't like something till you try it.....:rotfl:and its one of several things I bought that were a bit unusual.

I'm eating the nasturtiums I've got in the garden - I like them okay - and throw the flowers and leaves from them in salads. I've got some lovage as well - and that's turned out to be very much like celery - so I like that and find it handy to just be able to take off a few leaves from that when a recipe calls for a bit of celery and use that instead (and its very fastgrowing:D).

So - win some, lose some. I just suspect the orpine is going to come under the "lose some" banner....:(

So - it IS worse than kale. I like kale actually Mardatha - and was surprised to hear you say you're growing it...having read your opinion of it expressed before now....:rotfl:

Had you thought of trying growing a bit of perpetual spinach or chard instead? I've had some of the perpetual spinach - and I like that. I've now got little chard seedlings growing away on a windowsill (and I already know I like that).