Preparing for Spring!!!

annie123

Frugal wrote: »

Wish i had got some garlic in but maybe next year

It's not too late for garlic, you've still got plenty of time.
Whilst the autumn is the traditional time to plant it, I've done it as late as March and still got good bulbs. It's the cold they need/like, and we still have plenty of that yet.
I will be putting mine in this weekend.


Feels spring like today, even if I have frost outside.
Got the heating off and windows wide open to get a decent air exchange, the daffs 4" tall and my first primrose has flowered.
Not a cloud in the sky at the moment:D loads of birds in the garden and the ladybirds in my kitchen keep waking up, have to be very careful cooking and cleaning, they seem to get everywhere!

I'm looking forward to less stodgy food, nice salads and light puddings, just wouldn't be right to eat that now, and a good spring clean, inside and out.

And really, really, looking forward to the clocks going forward :j
I seem to shut down as soon as the sun sets

Chloris

Frugal wrote: »

Good idea - I might try to make papier mache ones Saves a whole load of stress with breaking real ones!!!

A good idea for Easter/Ostara gifts/hunts is to make a papier mache giant egg around a balloon. When it dries cut it in half, fill with goodies (chocolate, stationary, stickers...), stick back together (tape and a bit more papier mache, then make it beautiful with paints and glitter. The children get to hunt for a giant egg and then smash it open! The MSE part is you don't have to pay for over-inflated chocolates, you create your own packaging!

Justamum

This morning the car windows were all iced up, but now it's really like spring! I've just been around wiping down tops of wardrobes and tops of doors, skirting boards, bannisters etc, and yesterday I sorted out under the stairs, so I've got some of my spring cleaning done already.

This thread is far more cheerful than the preparing for winter one (not that there's anything actually wrong with that thread, just that you know you are preparing for cold, miserable weather)

Linda32

What could I use to label my plants in the garden? Yeah labelled lolly sticks but I haven't got any. Any freeby household OS ideas you can share?

ooooooh I know cut up yoghurt pots with permanent ink

Hi, you can use cut up Margarine/Spread tubs as well, I've been known to tippex out last years label as well, and re-use these labels

Yategirl

Fab idea for thread - thanks Frugal! I have been feeling really down and fed up with the constant gloomy weather - just feels as if winter has gone on for longer than usual this year so the recent couple of sunny days have really cheered me up!

Washing on the line (Yay! reduced condensation in the house), windows open wide to let the fresh air in (and reduces condensation lol!), back down at the lottie getting the beds prepared for spring and sorting through seeds to see what else I need for the new season. Have also cleaned out kitchen cupboards and done a spring clean of the bedrooms.

Still need to defrost small freezer and tidy back garden - I hope to get at least the garden done over the next few days and the small freezer in the next week or so.

pinkmami

I'm slowly decluttering the house as in the next 2 yrs we hope to move so slowly does it! Trying to shift DH's stuff without him noticing as he's a hoarder. Helps as I'm a SAHM & can do this when he's at work!!

We need to clear the garage hence why I have a skip on order:j therefore can "get rid" quicker. Garden needs sprucing up with the walls needing a coat of white Sandtex, wooden table needs fixing as the dog jumped an the already wobbly top, and a window needs replacing in the garage as the wind blew the pane out.

At the moment is resembling Onslow's garden from Keeping up Appearances!!

Eenymeeny

I've been giving this a bit of thought and one of the things I've done is download a language course which I'm listening to while cleaning, ironing etc. Even comedy programmes or audiobooks can be a real tonic for the darker days. (I find the BBC pretty good for choice, and free!) I'm also trying to lose weight so that I won't feel old and frumpy through this summer and won't have to wear baggy clothes (especially on holiday!) Anyone else who has abandoned the chip pan you can use the old vegetable oil to clean up your gardening tools!
Thanks for the reminder on the garlic. Would it work if I just use a few sprouting garlic cloves that I've found in the bottom of my veg box?
Sorry if it sounds more like my New Years resolutions but I do hope to carry them on into Spring:o

shegar

Been busy too today,went and got some bird and hen feed........went into QD stores got some lovely thick cream 600 GSM hand towels Egptyian cotton only £1.99 each so got 3....they really are thick towels for cheap ones........

Stopped off at tesco got some ready made cottage pie for te with lovely leeks ,swede, and caulifower, lot of stuff reduced..........

Ive decluttered the shed it really just needed a pick up, not much at all to chuck out, same with the house I hate clutter so I never have any, I always tidy as I go everyday so I dont accumalate stuff.:D so I dont have to declutter......Yea I did when I had the boys small and they were at home............ive hardly got any ornaments cos I hate those too, so that keep the dust down, I dont have carpets, so I dont get ingrained dirt, just have laminate or tiles flooring so much easier to keep clean, with mop and bucket, I have leather sofas so I just damp cloth them down one a month, makes my life a lot easier having very little carp hanging around..........mind you now the sun as been shining the windows need cleaning,:eek:............

The saying is "if you dont use something for 6 months then you dont need it" so throw out what you dont use and need........

Eenymeeny

Forgot to add that I've started a declutter box. Will drop bits and pieces (dust collectors) into it and hope to ebay a few at a time. clearing rubbish (sorry treasure!) and making cash at the same time.

ChocClare

Yes, sprouting garlic cloves should be all right. What have you got to lose, I say?!

I do the same with any manky potatoes. You don't need a huge garden, just a bucket with a few holes in the bottom (or a heavy duty plastic sack for that matter; few inches of compost, three potatoes evenly spaced, cover 'em over and let Nature take its course. It's a bit cold for potatoes yet (they don't like frost), so I keep 'em in the conservatory in which we never set foot at this time of the year. Keep covering 'em over with compost as the leaves come through until you reach the top of the bucket or bag and water regularly. 12 weeks or so after you planted them you can tip them out (you might just want to reach down and check they're a decent size first) and you'll have "free" new potatoes. If you can manage a couple of potatoes a week you'll have a constant supply after a while, even if you haven't got a big garden. I do buy seed potatoes if I'm growing in the ground but for container growing, use up your leftovers!