No T Words mentioned at all - a fresh start

[Deleted User]

Evening SM - we've got drop apples too, I've managed to keep pace with them this year and keep us in blackberry and apple crumble, and also the neighbours. We are over courgetted though and DH is getting a bit antsy over all the different courgette based things I've been making. Never mind, we'll miss them when they're gone!

I can't get used to dark evenings, it seems to have happened so quickly this year, perhaps we've just been too busy to notice , who knows. It has been gloriously sunny and warm down here today, but the evenings are starting to have an autumnal chill to them.

Picked 4and a half pounds of assorted tomatoes from the poly and greenhouse today and they are now in the freezer for pasta sauces this winter. The blackberries are STILL giving me half a colanderfull every day and the french beans the same. I've nearly run out of freezer space, but I think we'll need all the home produce this year if the shop prices go up and up. We'll have to have a real effort to use up the rest of last years veg to make room for this years.

Love the making of minature gardens, my oldest DD was an avid Brownie and I can remembe her entering the competitions for the area and there was always a minature garden categorie which she loved, happy memories. Have a lovely weekend and enjoy your lovely home cooking Cheers Lyn xxx.

scottishminnie

Good news - the miniature garden got second prize and a rosette -yay! Small child is ecstatic and I have to say the finished article was quite impressive - she even made a gate from a wooden spring loaded clothespeg which she took apart - I thought that was most inventive. She's planning next year's already!

The drop apples went into an apple and cherry crumble - I have a big bag of dried cherries from Costco so I threw some in for good measure - very tasty.

The paving stones around the washing line are complete and the grass seed has been sown. While hubby and I were sowing it the noise levels and chirping from the nearby trees reached an absolute crescendo. I swear the little birds were spreading the word about what we were doing. I don't grudge them a little as long as they don't eat too much!

I'm off to do some mending before bed tonight - caught my heel in the hem of my dress as I came in the front door tonight and pulled the whole thing down. It won't go back up by itself so I'd better get on with it!

[Deleted User]

Morning all, been a bit busy lately and have been zipping up and down to DD1s new house to be in for deliveries, do DIY and generally be useful. DD2 home for a flying visit this weekend which is really lovely as she's a busy bunny and it's difficult to find time for her with all the rest of her commitments. Went for a lovely walk in the New Forest yesterday we usually go at this time of year to collect crab apples to make jelly. None at all available this year, just nothing on the many trees we know of, not a single one. I think the wildlife will suffer greatly this coming winter, I will make a big effort to keep the birds fed at least. Off to DD1 again this week for a couple of days to be in for yet more deliveries and put flat pack furniture together (lucky us!).

The garden is still producing well as is the allotment, still getting good amounts of blackberries and we picked the apples from the front garden tree yesterday. So many were falling we thought they will keep better if we pick rather than having them bruise as they fell. Juiced all the damaged oned and got another gallon to ferment into cider. Not a bad crop all in all and I'll check and wrap them today to go into storage.

DD2 and I are off to a garden centre this morning for a girlie chat and giggle and then home for a roast lunch, first time we have had a roast for ages, so that will be very nice.

Hope you are all well and enjoying life, SM well done on the minature garden, FTM hope all well with you and the family and that the HS is still going sell. Cheers Lyn xxx.

prepareathome

I should receive my last constant garden order next week so have to get out and clear the area of summer crops to plant them - I have four beds 3ft x 8ft long but hope to have more dug by next year. I enjoyed having the constant garden this year but actually missed growing the plants from seed so will not buy it next year, just maybe any plants I find slightly harder to grow from seed or supplement what I have as don't have that much space for lots and lots of seedlings.

So hopefully next spring should at least have the over wintered vegetables ready for harvesting and at least they won't be eaten by slugs.

scottishminnie

We are currently across the pond on holiday however I was worried if I lifted some of my veggies, potatoes and onions, before we left they may not last too well as they are very wet.

Hopefully things may have dried out a bit by the time we get back!

[Deleted User]

SM - Enjoy your holiday, leave the veg to look after themselves until you get home Cheers Lyn x.

flowertotmum

Hi all...
SM..just relax and enjoy your time away..the veggies will be ok i'm sure of it..
MLW..you sound like a busy bunny..and your dd's are very lucky to have you there to help out.

Well i have been kinda busy too...teaching the girls..i am very surprised at how fast the days go..we spend all morning working and have lunch then we play games in the afternoon..word games,number games that type of thing..
I have been trying to fill my the freezer with goodies..baking cakes and shopping for whoopsies at the local co-op..
The other news is that hubby has dug up the veggie patch,dug it over then rolled it and has put grass seed down..seems he missed the lawn too much.
His master plan it to get a skip when he is on holiday and totally bin our very old greenhouse and all the carp in it and behind..then put the polytunnel where the greenhouse is...must admit i am relieved he has finally got a plan..and am so looking forward to having my lawn back..and the old greenhouse is dangerous too..bits of glass keep falling off and i am terrified a good gust of wind will have it down.We have also decided to grow our spuds in tubs and tomatoes and strawberries in baskets..gives up more ground space..
Today we trimmed the big trees as they were blocking out the sun and my washing was taking forever to dry..hopefully now the sun can shine through and dry it quicker.
Had the engineer out to old fridge freezer..he fixed it..so now i have that one in the utility room plus a chest freezer and my new fridge freezer in kitchen..its total bliss..i have my chest freezer for meat and soups plus frozen meals i make.The old FF is for my eggs and milk and bottom of it is for cakes,cookies,pies and bread,fruits and veggies. The one in kitchen is for everyday meals..fishfingers,sausages,HM pizza bases,quiches that sort of thing..so i am pretty full up on food.
Have cleared out the little flower bed at the front of my porch..was almost sick..cat poo everywhere it stinks...so am going to get some gravel and put that down..hope it stops them..and hubby had a another great idea...to trim all shrubs and little tree's in front garden and put gravel down ..so now i have to find almost a ton of the stuff..won't be too hard i hope..just might need a hand to barrow it...
Have been on a walk to CS and got the girls some lovely thick skirts and long sleeve tops for the winter...got myself a tiny glass jelly mould for 50p..and my treasure of a very pale green glass vase..it just has a hint of green in it..its beautiful and has pride of place in my living room...got to get some flowers to go in to now...o and that was 50p too..so with the girls clothes i spent £4 altogether..not bad eh...
Right i have waffled enough..
love you all
ftm

flowertotmum

Sorry me again..just got to tell you we have a squirrel who seems to visit us every morning and has a play in our garden..the girls spent 2 hours watching him yesterday..he is lovely..and not the least bit scared of us...
Have just remembered me and the girls are going to do a science experiment a week..National Geographic for kids is amazing and Fern spends ages reading it all...found a way to make our own lava lamp and a small garden in bottle..i have a biggish one so we are going to wilkos to get some mini houseplants and have a go.
ftm

[Deleted User]

Hello everyone, hope all is well with all of you and yours, have been up to DD1 for the making of flat pack furniture and that is all done and we are back home. I expect you are all as busy as ever with your multitudinous activities hope it is all going well Cheers Lyn xxx.

scottishminnie

Hi all - I hope you are all well and surviving the latest round of flooding. I'm beginning to wonder when we should start work on the ark?!

I called home to check if everything was ok and there doesn't seem t be any damage - we are on top of a hill so it would be pretty drastic if there was flooding however my mum tells me that the grass seed we sewed in the week before we came out here has been totally washed away and the weeds are flourishing in its place:(

That's not good as there has also been frost so no chance of grass until next year now. Still, there is nothing I can do about it so no point fretting.

Stay safe and dry everyone - speak soon.