As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

Reverbe

I dont kill spiders. I love them - they eat all the vile flies we get in here:)

Winged_one

I had the weekend to myself and managed to spend 8 hours on the plot on Saturday, so hoping I'll get some crops into the autumn now as a result (I had lots going on for harvesting about now, but will have a gap in a couple of weeks with very little apart from cabbage until the leeks are ready). I put in lettuce, radishes, corn salad, french beans (dwarf), broad beans, peas, turnips, swede, beetroot, kohl rabi (experiment as we have never eaten or grown it before) and planted out 2 pumpkins and a winter squash (might be too late, but I can try!).

Most of the veg this week is from the garden/plot though, which is good. Broad beans the past 3 nights (and another tub still in the fridge), peas and new potatoes tonight, spinach on Wednesday, lettuce for my lunches all week, and a few turnips (white ones) to play with, and raspberries for desert everyday!! I have a bacon joint and can pull a cabbage from the garden if the weather is truly rotten one evening (forecast is not great for the latter half of the week so comfort food might be needed).

scottishminnie

Well, back at work today so won't be able to enjoy the last of the sunshine but made the most of it while it was here:D

My friends party went very well, the weather was glorious although I seemed to end up inside for most of Saturday as I'd been promoted to be in charge of all the food. She had a last minute panic on Friday night about there being enough desserts and I had a frantic request to whip up another just in case so ended up making key lime pie alongside the grasshopper pie, trifle, pavlova and cheesecake. This was in addition to 2 desserts being brought by other guests. Pretty much everything was eaten - we had some chocolate orange dessert left and a small amount of apple pie but the pavlova was gone in seconds. Note to self - 8 portions obviously isn't enough!

Yesterday I spent mostly in the garden. I was all set to bin my spring onions as I'm so disgusted with them but hubby thinks I should threaten them and then allow them a week to get their act together before I empty the tub so they are still there. My potatoes and red onions look fine, the beetroot are still a bit pathetic and the carrots just look like weeds (hmm, maybe they are just weeds!)
I planted some cos lettuce in a grow bag in my nice new cold frame and I think there is room for a second grow bag in there so will probably just have some more lettuce as we go through lots.

I probably should be starting to think what I can grow in tubs for winter/autumn - any suggestions?

I really do need to move my tomato plants outside - they are about 3 feet high now although my mother lectured me that I'd let them get too far on before I nipped them back and she doesn't think I'll get any tomatoes:(

I'm very disappointed with my apple trees - normally they are both very fruitful however one has about 10 tiny apples and the huge tree has absolutely none which is maddening. I must admit to feeling a bit down about the amount of effort I've put out on my garden this year v's the return. I guess that's how it goes sometimes but I can't shake off the feeling of utter failure. Much as the apple trees are pretty if they are aren't going to produce anything much then they will be hauled out - no room for passengers in the garden these days:)

shelley_crow

Aw scottishminnie, I'm not a natural gardener but how old are the apple trees? Is it possible that you will see more returns next year? My parents had loads of apple trees in their garden when they moved into their house, the glut was so big that the apples went around the neighbours too. The trees were at least 50 years old though so well established.

Looby_Lou

Scottishminnie - I think this year is a bad one for apples. I have 2 trees that normally would be laden with apples, this year one has none and the other just a handful. I think the weather must have been wrong when the flowers were setting, and the lack of rain won't have helped. I'd give them another year to see how they do before taking them out.

starsandmoon

Well I had my stage 2 appeal over my wage cut and although I managed to get it up a bit more Il still have a loss of between £80 and £100 a month from October. This is coupled with a Xmas shutdown where you dont get paid and my ex losing his job so no maintainence.

Thank god I dont have any debt or Id be sunk. Have bought a portable gas heater as I can get the gas fairly cheap, will start sorting Xmas out and Im buying my DD and myself winter clothes in the Sales.

A friend who works for a different organisation has had a wage cut of £300 a month :eek:. They are at the end of their tether trying to pays bills etc

On the plus side I managed to be in Asda when they were doing super markdowns. I got turkey breasts for 70p, pate 20p, 3 leeks 10p, mushrooms 10p and posh yoghurts 20p. There was a bit of a scrum. Does anyone know how to feeze leeks? Do I blanch them first?

jediteacher

Where has the time gone? Cannot believe that baby Daniel is 6 weeks old today! :eek:

We had some good news last thursday. The neighbours from hell have been evicted for 3 months. The week before we won an injunction order against them which means that should they come back they will automatically be arrested and straight to court. It's a long story but at least we have the summer holidays without living in dread as to what is going to happen. I had to submit evidence to the court (which was 14 pages long) as the council did not want me to appear in court as they wanted to protect my identity as I have two very small children and the judge agreed. It's been a bit of a unique case and it even made the national news!

Anyway, things are still manic here but hopefully next week it will calm down a bit.

I'm a bit worried about my veggies compared to everyone else. No tomatoes yet, courgettes refusing to grow, carrots look like they've wilted, beans not doing anything and peppers loosing their leaves! The only thing that has grown is the raddish. Even my rhubarb this year was a damp squid. I usually have more than I can cope with a give it away but this year I only had enough for two crumbles!

I was lucky enough to get the ocado offer and order so saved quite a bit on nappies and essentials and have enough food to keep us going for 2 weeks. Will only need to top up on fresh fruits, milk and bread.

I'm also starting to get back into my mystery shopping so I can start paying off the debt again. Not much there at the moment but every bit counts. I put the money from this into a seperate account and pay off a bit from the highest interest card.

Sending really big hugs to all those that need or want them.

kidcat

Jedi - that is wonderful news. Is there any hope that they will stay evicted?

jediteacher

kidcat wrote: »

Jedi - that is wonderful news. Is there any hope that they will stay evicted?

Thanks kidcat. The main court case to evict them permanently is in december and the council are also seeking to banish them from the local borough. It is a relief and also if they do return after the 3 month ban only the mother and the 2 youngest children are allowed back and if they step out if line just once between then and the court case they loose the house for good. Fingers crossed that they do not return.

mardatha

jackieglasgow wrote: »

Ah but Mardatha our turnip is not the same as theirs, they are talking about our swedes Our turnips are their swedes IYSWIM?

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Well they should bloody well learn to speak English !
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