really old style living?

Mrs_Bones

katholicos wrote: »

You seem to have the garden of my dreams

igaveupnowimback wrote: »

Hi,
Reading Mrs Bones post about having fibromyalgia, I too have this but still have to work and study. I know only too well the pain and exhaustion that comes with that. Before that worked full time as I am a lone parent so no other income.

However I too, like all of you, would LOVE to grow my own things - but I start out well then am too overwhelmed to tend things and it becomes a mess! How can I make an ORGANISED start?

I planted potatoes, and all I got back were the ones I put in! Tomatoes were lovely, but not many of them. Strawbs eaten by birds and/or creatures despite netting! Peppers also eaten.

I live in a rough area and a greenhouse wouldn't last two minutes.
Only successfully grown chives, basil, parsley.

I'm happy cooking, baking, creating stuff. Bit scared of bottling, jars etc cos of maybe not sterilising properly, getting mould etc.

In Scotland, temperature fluctuates a little - not a lot of sun!

Need help - maybe I need to start in babysteps - and KEEP GOING !

Thanks for the welcome

Katholicos, I love my garden but somedays I wish it was smaller as it just seems a shame when I can't get to pick a lot of the fruit, but happy that the birds are fed.

igaveupnowimback while you can, keep working, I miss my job so much and seeing people even more, but I do understand where you are coming from about the exhaustion because all your energy will be going on work and now studying as well. What are you studying?, thats something I keep thinking about. I went on a fibro course at the local hospital have you done that, the main thing they try to drum in is paceing with doing just a small amount each day, not going full till at things on your good days and not then be able to do much the days after. Have to admit I still have problems doing that, I'm always too impatient :rotfl: and when feeling good, try to do too much, but you do have to learn to put things in order of what you most want, you should see the state of my house at the moment it's a tip, but my energy is going on the garden so the house has to wait. Re the bottling, I was worried about the sterilising bit before I started, but now I either time it do at the same time as I have the dishwasher on and put the bottles in that or do them in the oven and so far it's worked ok.

I was wondering if everyone here tends to keep a store of food all year around or more in winter? I have been wittling what I had in my freezer down over the summer months in order to have room for this seasons fruit and veg and also use up most of my pantry stuff, but now Autumn is on it's way I'm getting the stockpiling instinct back and started to put more stuff away.

mardatha

I keep a stash always, jusst in case of strikes or shortages etc.

Hippeechiq

mardatha wrote: »

Yes that's it ta !! They did put some meat in but said you couldnt taste it and I would leave it out and just use the rest. With that amount of booze in it it's bound to taste nice slurp

For the mincemeat, mix all of the mincemeat ingredients together in a large bowl, using your hands, until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and heat over a very low heat for 3-5 hours, stirring occasionally, or until it has reduced to a thick, dark paste.

:eek:

Bit costly on the electric/gas front though, eh?...unless you're lucky enough to have a Rayburn or an Aga

Edited to add Just realised you said you'd leave the meat out :rotfl:

Hello MrsBones :wave:

mardatha

Crockpot pet !

mardatha

http://video.news.sky.com/skynews/video?videoSourceID=023134&flashURL=feeds/skynews/latest/flash/070810-rear-your-own-online.flv

Hippeechiq

mardatha wrote: »

Crockpot pet !

Ah, right! Didn't think of that

Interesting link. I'd love to keep chickens, my Dad used to keep chickens when I was a little girl, they're lovely old things

I know those peeps had three on the roof of a London flat, but I'm not sure could keep some in the middle of a town in a paved garden, or even if I'd be allowed come to that as I'm a council tenant - shame

mardatha

I have wanted chickens since I was about 9, the OH wont let me get them. I KNOW that if we got some and he tried the eggs then he would change his mind, he is so *&^%$! annoying.

missychrissy

Hippeechiq wrote: »

Ah, right! Didn't think of that

Interesting link. I'd love to keep chickens, my Dad used to keep chickens when I was a little girl, they're lovely old things

I know those peeps had three on the roof of a London flat, but I'm not sure could keep some in the middle of a town in a paved garden, or even if I'd be allowed come to that as I'm a council tenant - shame

Alys Fowler (Gardener's World) did a series recently on 'Edible Gardening' in which she grew veg etc in with her flowers and shrubs. She also kept 3 chickens in a quite small Victorian terraced town garden.

It might be worth trying to find it on BBC2

kippers

I love this thread.

I have had an allotment for over 5 years now and at the beginning of this year i got both the allotments next to mine, so i now have 3 altogether.

I gave up work 2 years ago as my part time job was so stressful it was making me ill. I took a year long horticulture course which i loved and now I drop my DD off at school at 8.50 and go to my allotment until I pick her up at 3.30 during term time. I find it harder during the summer holidays as i visit my allotment from 6.30 to 8.15 so i can back home ready for my DH to go to work. My DD1 is 12 and my DD2 is 10.

I have loads of fruit and veg and have 2 apple trees at the moment. I have a lovely bramley apple tree and on my new plot is a beautiful tree but i don't know the variety. I do know the tree is an early variety and the apples don not store so i have just bought a fruit press so i can freeze the juice in plastic bottles and pop a bottle in DD's lunch box each day as she loves apple juice.

The two plots i have just taken over need alot of work but i have already had a wonderful harvest from both. I want to be as self sufficient as possible, though i do live in a town. I do intend to keep chickens oneday at home and i am still talking my DH round at the moment. I would love to keep bees (which my DH really can't understand) but at the moment i can't afford the set up costs or the price of a course to learn about it, so this will have to wait.

My life is really hard work and very frustrating as people think i just 'sponge' off my DH and watch daytime telly all day...this is so far from the truth as i spend loads of time pickling, preserving, freezing etc for the winter. It's so nice being close to nature and i think myself very lucky. I cook from scratch and make my own bread and try not to use chemical cleaners etc.

My family love the food i grow and can't get enough of my jams and pickled onions. My close friends say i should sell my produce but i have enough supplying my family of 4.

Anyway, enough about me

ginnyknit

Lovely to hear from you kippers, yes it is hard work isn't it? You have to do a lot everyday to keep everything ticking over. My mind is constantly on my 'work'. Every success is a boost but sometimes things fail and you worry. Lots of us on here who have chickens know the stress involved in that - will they be there when you get up every morning is the biggest one!

My Dh suffers very bad health but I feel that making everything from scratch with few chemicals in the house I am doing my best for him, and my tiny grandson. Let people think what they bl**dy well want hunny. They will be the ones with huge fuel bills and cold feet this winter and probably not have enough ready meals to feed their families if everything goes elbows up with strikes and so on this winter :beer:

Btw Wilkinsons have a 75% sale on veg seeds guys, and a few of the pound style shops have them at 19p !!!