How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

ceridwen

bertiebots wrote: »

You have started something now you know:D I had never considered an edible hedge! I have searched edible hedges and am amazed at the choice ...but my only concern is the size things would grow. I also appear to be a month too late on the ordering front as they are usually planted upto april:cool: More research needed;)

I suppose the other issue I have (and this is really stupid because its no one elses business) but the little estate I live on is...er...well..a bit...erm.. posh iyswim ...of course I am not and pure mse amazingness got me here in the first place (and a well timed house sale). But its not the sort of estate where you see people growing their own , except for me that is:eek::rotfl:! Think Privet Drive (from the harry potter films ) and you get the idea. So I suppose what I am getting at is -I wonder what the neighbours would say to me planting a hedgerow in my front garden (rather than a palm surrounded by pebbles or block paving for the BMW:rotfl:) ..like I said stupid but I can see the lace curtains twitching already;)
Oh and btw the area my little posh estate is situated in is not posh at all, but who am I to shatter peoples ideas of grandeur?:rotfl:?

Actually - my thoughts on "poshness" and any suggestion of you maybe "lowering the tone" by planting up a hedge (be it edible or otherwise) - I think you may find that its all the better idea to plant an edible hedge then. They will probably be a lot happier to see an edible hedge - than a just purely boring decorative-only hedge. Certain types of "growing your own" are actually a growing fashion now (pardonez-moi - I've been catching up my Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall programmes - hence the punning...). Edible hedges (as opposed to boring clipped box hedges for instance) are "natural looking" and "natural looking" is good...and fashionable.

Edible hedges come under the "fashionable" hedging - so, far from being upset with you, they might well copy you. Palm surrounded by pebbles is a few years out of date as a fashion actually - seriously!

Reet. Thoughts:

www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/6318063/Grow-your-own-edible-hedge.html

www.hedging.co.uk
(and search for edible hedging)

and if theres any raised eyebrows from the neighbours - start muttering about "Been watching Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall programmes and picked up a few thoughts.....:)". No - I'm not joking either...;)

.....as for me....I'm just plain jealous....I'd love an edible hedge. I loathe boring decorative ones with a passion - but I LOVE interesting, multi-species natural-looking edible ones. Wish....wish...

EDIT: Also - why stop at the hedge? Why not have a potager? All sorts of links re potagers online...will try and find time later to check where I stored a link online to a particularly good one a while back...

ceridwen

lostinrates wrote: »

Couldn't care less what the neighbours think. BUT if you do, why not some one upmanship with small trained fruit trees...a hedge of cordons or fans. O'm planning a pleached row of pears here.

.

...errrrmm....errr....actually....given the right house at some point and that is exactly what I intend to do myself..:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:....errr...<cough> and slinks off exit stage right.

Reason being - its darn good space utilisation - a way to get the maximum amount of that type of fruit out of minimum space and no problem with how to stretch up to pick ones at a height either. Dead practical.....:)

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

How about a nice low-growing vine? 'Organic wine production', you can tell them. Seriously though, you could grow blackcurrants, redcurrants and whitecurrants. As long as you don't go for rhubarb or blackberries (brambles) there's nothing wrong with growing something useful. You never know, it may catch on.

Personally - I've already tried the grapevine some years back and it didnt work out for me. Quite a few grapes - but they were all far too tiny and never did ripen up properly, etc. Not that successful an experiment - but maybe I didnt know how to look after it properly and/or chose the wrong type of grape???

I have got plans for at least one out of blackcurrants/redcurrants/whitecurrants if/when I manage to move ever.

lostinrates

ceridwen wrote: »

...errrrmm....errr....actually....given the right house at some point and that is exactly what I intend to do myself..:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:....errr...<cough> and slinks off exit stage right.

Reason being - its darn good space utilisation - a way to get the maximum amount of that type of fruit out of minimum space and no problem with how to stretch up to pick ones at a height either. Dead practical.....:)

I've gone a bit pleaching crazy in the last year, trying to work out good hedging solutions here. The thing putting me off a bit is that its becoming so fashionable and I'm a little concerned people might think I care about what people think and am following the fashion....I know, that's contradictory!

The pears are going to replace a tree I have wept over losing, a beautiful oak which looks like its reaching out to embrace the house, but sadly, his roots are reaching out to destroy the house. we'd hoped to get away with a root prune but its not looking like that will suffice. I love trees, and I'll hate losing it so the pleached ones will give privacy while being less ''rooty'' and then at the end further from the house I'm debating perhaps a couple of burnt sugar trees.

Sconelover

Helpful stuff jackie... I know a lot of people are worrying about how they can tighten their belts in times of a recession.

ceridwen

Think we've attracted a would-be spammer building up posts - ie sconelover. They're racing through the forums putting up mini posts.

Who wants to do the honours - and check out and, if need be, deal with?

Memory_Girl

bertiebots wrote: »

You have started something now you know:D I had never considered an edible hedge! I have searched edible hedges and am amazed at the choice ...but my only concern is the size things would grow. I also appear to be a month too late on the ordering front as they are usually planted upto april:cool: More research needed;)

I suppose the other issue I have (and this is really stupid because its no one elses business) but the little estate I live on is...er...well..a bit...erm.. posh iyswim ...of course I am not and pure mse amazingness got me here in the first place (and a well timed house sale). But its not the sort of estate where you see people growing their own , except for me that is:eek::rotfl:! Think Privet Drive (from the harry potter films ) and you get the idea. So I suppose what I am getting at is -I wonder explaingi what the neighbours would say to me planting a hedgerow in my front garden (rather than a palm surrounded by pebbles or block paving for the BMW:rotfl:) ..like I said stupid but I can see the lace curtains twitching already;)
Oh and btw the area my little posh estate is situated in is not posh at all, but who am I to shatter peoples ideas of grandeur?:rotfl:?

Me too - but very old historic house in the centre of town and the garden is to help DS1 with his home schooling this year as well as to provide much needed eatables.

I overheard one of my OS Old Dears (that I shop for and run errands) explaining to a "net-twitcher" ............. "but Darling she is a writer...... you know they can be a bit "creative"

BTW I write mostly on this site:rotfl:

So maybe you let it slip that your Grow Your Own project is research for an upcoming book / tv series/ Hollywood Movie.:D

OS - The Hollywood Movie - now who would play Martin??

MG

dollydaydream07

will be having a soup week this week and eating lots of broccoli!!!

went to tescos late last night and managed to get a few packs of soup mix for 9p each so have lots of veggies to make soup with from those

broccoli's were reduced to 10p each so got a few of those too

thinking soup for lunches and cooked lamb roast today - if theres any leftover lamb it will be same again tomorrow, then i'm thinking cheesy broccoli pasta with some bacon for a couple of days, maybe for a change i'll do sausage and broccoli pastasure i've got a pack of sausages in the freezer) maybe another cooked dinner or two

either way i reckon i'm well on my way for a No Spend Week as i won't need any bread or milk and have plenty of food in

thanks Mrs Veg Plot - i think i can do it

bertiebots

:easter_os:easter_ba:EasterBun:easter::icotbaske .................... I almost forgot so HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! xx


Thanks everyone on the edible hedge advice ...its made me chuckle this morning and inspired me to get on with it. I know a good little garden centre where prices are very reasonable, so will at some point go and see what they have available. If they dont have what I am looking for then I will wait and perhaps ask santa for an edible hedge for christmas!

mummysaver

Bertie - I had the same thing with a neighbour, he actually thought the land was his though and had his solicitor check it out! I planted a lavender hedge, quick and easy and doesn't need much attention after initial watering and establishment!

Spent yesterday building and filling my raised veg beds, so fingers crossed that we shall be harvesting our own potatoes, spinach, peas, beans: runner, borlotti and french, strawbs, raspberries, courgettes, beetroots, lettuce, carrots, toms and sweetcorn! Plan for today is to tidy up, read that as clear and weed vast swathes, the beds round the edges of the garden, and get the rhubarb in the ground and then plant up some more seeds.

Really enjoying this weather and looking forward to a bit more food self sufficiency!