TallGirl seeks new financial freedom & hope to loose a few pounds on the way.

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

New fence looks fab... I'm jealous. Mine is currently being held up by a combination of our bushes and compost bin and next doors weeks and derelict greenhouse!

TallGirl

Thanks I am really happy with it and a bonus next door paid 1/2. Been so hectic today had the postman, a delivery driver, my neighbour and a friend all turn up at the same time. Then this morning while on a conference call I had the Freeglers turn up for the slabs.

Just done 3 Mystery Shops so need to get on with things work wise.

Can plant my trees this evening as the pots turned up so panic over with them.

Cats are dragging a lot of dirt and mess into the house from the garden but with it being sunny today it should dry the garden out after yesterdays rain. The patio is bare soil now but happy the slabs went to a good home and not a landfill site.

TallGirl

Right back from work and managed to spend an hour in the garden painting the fence where the deck is going in tomorrow. Looks really nice now and kind of fits in better with the new one don't you think.


Also next door and two freegler (new freecycle) have been to take the slabs so its virtually clear. Saves the landfill site and I had so many that wanted the slabs. Please remember Freecycle/Freegle before you throw anything garden related out even old plants and you get someone to dig them up for you.


Sadly I am away on Business until Friday so I shall not be able to follow the progress.

Did a bit more shopping than the paint and a brush today (£35 that is a lot I think but should be enough for the whole fence) found an Aldi and they still had the garden stuff got new secktuears (cannot spell and no spellchecker here). Also got some seeds another propagator for the new seeds, plus some dried fruit and some nuts etc. Came to £13 so quite cheap. Wanted some marigold seeds (not the gloves) and they were £1.49 in Robert Dyars but 79p or 2 packets for £1 in Poundland. Got my Nematode feeder its just a Miracle Grow one not impressed as I paid £10 I am sure I could have got it cheaper but its got the wide setting you needs for the Nematode. Sepa I did not read your post properly its actually just slugs I have a problem with hardly ever see a snail but I shall keep using the other stuff in case I still have a problem.

Cannot wait to see it all when I get back Friday and for the patio to go down. Should really get myself together to go to the gym at 6pm for Zumba but need to pack for tomorrow and also there is a gym where I am staying tomorrow so would not feel too bad if I didn't go.

TallGirl

Time flies really good productive and social weekend as BIL and GF is over at the moment.

Garden is really coming along I have got the front fence almost painted used 1 tub so only have 1 left which I am not sure will be enough for the rest. Patio and deck is complete and today they are just sorting out the bed digging out all the rubbish soil/rubble/chalk replacing it with two types of lovely topsoil.

Pictures in a moment.

Spendingwise gone a bit mad but also made some money. Needed a new facecream and I have sentivie skin so went for the Lancome one I got last time. I was £38 but if you bought two things you got a free gift set. I got two but I am going to sell most of the free gift like I did last time as it raised me a bit of money and I don't need it all.

Did not MS in a drug store so got some shampoo and other bits I needed so that was £10 worth of good and £10 fee to come. Did not even have to pay for parking.

Got some more compost in Makro J Arthur Bowers compost 100 litre bags are £6.99 buy one get one free so that was just over £8 with the VAT for 200L. Planted up the 4 fruit trees and got the blueberrys in the acid soil. Looking at the bed for the fruit and veg it looks so small but so I hope I can get it all in.

Bit of bad news the builders managed to chuck out my carefully saved old slab I was going to use for edging and replace some broken ones. I have away all the others to Freegle and neighbours and now I have none. Quite annoying really.

Anyway here are the pictures as promised:



Before Picture:

TallGirl

Before the work started two raised bed rest of veg in pots and bags only 1 fruit tree an apple that was looking very sad.

Patio way too small

TallGirl

Starting to look a whole lot better:



New patio slabs close up

Weronika

I have a slab envy now

TallGirl

Morning all just spent an hour digging old plants out of the garden to put in the skip before its emptied. Might as well make the most of it. They finished yesterday the veg bed is now full of lovely soil and they had a load left over which was taken away. Luckily I got all my pots filled up and I got some spare for other parts of the garden. Should not need to log any more top soil home now.

Not sure when to start planting up the new bed might wait until after we have been to the garden show I think I will learn a few tips etc. Looking at the space its not that big which I why I dug out the old self seeded plant ready to put in my raspberry and blackberry.

Yesterday I used the gripple system to put on wires for the honey suckle. Looks great but I have to take it down again as I meassured it 20cm one end and 30cm the other so it looks lop sided. Should be easy enough to do and hopefully I can reuse the wire. Also painted the fence now only got 5 panels left to do but 3 1/2 of them are by the side of the house you cannot see to they might have to wait.

On MSE news I transferred last years ISA to the new Santander one (I was with Santander already) its the Major one where you get 0.1 % more if he wins a major in the next two year which I think he will. Its fixed for two years but you have to get all of next years allowance in by mid May which I cannot so I am going to open a new one for 12/13 and that way I can have access to one if I need it.

Right need to do some work quite productive yesterday but a load more to do today.

TallGirl

Just thought you might like a picture of how it looks now all the landscaping is done. Still need to plant things in the grown as all the tress and bushes are still in pots as you can see plus sow some grass seeds on the bare patches.





Builders coming back Sunday to fix 1 tile that is loose.

We are off Mystery Shopping tonight for dinner then its the Edible Garden Show tomorrow with a hotel overnight and then home early Sunday and hopefully get the rest of the fence painted and some more gardening done.

I am super pleased with the results it was expensive over £5000 even with next door paying for 1/2 fence but worth it. Will be some very expensive vegetables but I will have the joy of that garden for years to come. Cannot wait for the warmer weather.

Hope you all have a nice weekend.

TallGirl

Well back from Kenilworth and the Edible Garden Show it was ok, in two large halls in the middle of nowhere and loads of people. Quite packed actually and really busy. I only managed to get to one of the sessions but it was good if a little bit basic.

Loads of products on offer many from garden centre and my goodness different prices to Lidl and Aldi but of course much larger plants than they sell and more specialist.

I would go again but with out DH so I could go to more of the talks but £12 to enter is expensive I think.

Hotel was nice £50 was good free coffee, fruit, water and biscuits and they were nice proper smart coffee machines. Fab breakfast too with home made smoothies. Room was a bit pants but still for £50 not bad.

Got back at 11am so went straight in the garden to sort out a lot of things that needed to get done.

Painted 1 more fence panel, fitted wires for two honey suckles, dug in blackberry and raspberry cane, Put plum tree in ground and got 9 potatoes in the grown too plus Asparagus crowns.

Tried to dig a hole large enough to put the blackcurrant in but the roots are as thick and an arm where an old tress was and they look like they are still growing. Cut a load out so hopefully that will help. Really hard work.

Seedlings coming along nicely, only 1 climbing bean still but quite a few peas etc.

Best bargain of the show was 4 magazines for £1 plus 12 packets of seeds. Got sprouting broccoli which I needed plus some lovely blue sweet peas plus a load of others. Two of the magazines were Garden Answers and Digital photography much better than the English Garden one I currently have.

Been to in laws to see MIL, need to chill out now and have to dinner. Quite a productive weekend. Will leave you with some pictures.