Daydream thread continues.....

rhiwfield

Itismehonest wrote: »

In a former life I spent quite a bit of time visiting the Valleys. On one memorable occasion a local in the pub asked me "Where do you come from, love? Cardiff?" "No", says I, "a little further East".
.

Just as well you said that, its a well known fact they eat people heads in Cardiff, if I remember Satellite City/High Hopes correctly

ISIS, welcome!

Rummer

rhiwfield wrote: »

Rummer, I've been saying the same thing, so scaredycat atm with my back that weeds taking over and for the first time for years I havent got loads of seedlings in the GH.

BUT cleared two beds today, and the other day got 4 beds sown. Most of the tree and soft fruit looks good, asparagus is coming up and rhubarb cropping well. And got lots of herbs, and leftovers from last year (leaf beet, parsnips and leeks) still cropping for a little while longer.

I think there is a lesson in that a balance between permanent food/herb plants and annuals means you still get a crop even when you slack off as I've been doing. And having lots of raised beds makes it easy to clear one or two at a time and feel you've achieved something.

So why not do a bit at a time, maybe 30 mins a day and just see how it goes

Thank you, you are right, little and often is what I need to do. Been keen the last couple of days but there has been torrential rain

Itismehonest

Herein lies the problem, unfortunately.
Keeping on top of land, even when one is totally fit, is a full-time job & the weather means that 9 times out of 10 you're always playing catch up.

There have been times when I longed just to sit outside & relax but I kept seeing things out of the corner of my eye.
Oh, there's a weed.
Darn, the grass needs cutting again.
Must get rid of the bracken/docks/nettles.
Need to dig that bit over/prune that back.

If you want to keep on top of everything it's impossible to relax unless you can bring yourself to not see things around you :rotfl:

Isis_Black

Hey thanks for the welcome :-)

Hehe I'm a WOTW nut dragged my hubby to the live show 3 times now lol 3rd time included my kids lol
Sadly cannot afford to see the new revamp this year :-s

I'm just so excited to get going on it
Yeah I so want and need low maintenance I'd like to be in my potting shed planting new plants instead of cutting the grass and trimming round the borders lol

I have some beet root seeds planted in pots on my kitchen windowsill and I think the compost may have had a beetle egg or what ever as I found a little baby black beetle :-) so took a pic thrn put him outside before 1 or my 4 cats found him lol

Got cress growing too that's a usual yearly thing I grow lol love it :-)

Also my hundredth time of TRYING to grow Chinese lanterns!!! Past 3 yrs tried growing them without any luck :-( luckily still got a few seeds left to have another go and I'm sure I'll try again next year lol

Picked up a few bargains in morrisons the other day, some models with a plant should have been £7 reduced to £2.79 :-). Got2 they were pretty, also thier narcissi are reduced to 25p :-)
And a passion flower for £1.79 :-) this is my second go at one of these lol I just adore the flowers :-)

Must say though I can stop going into poundland to see what they have :-) got a purple climbing rose the other day gorgeous I'm hoping :-)

Davesnave

Itismehonest wrote: »

Keeping on top of land, even when one is totally fit, is a full-time job & the weather means that 9 times out of 10 you're always playing catch up.

If you want to keep on top of everything it's impossible to relax unless you can bring yourself to not see things around you :rotfl:

I've accepted the full-time job aspect, and I've no great desire to relax, if that means sitting down, but knowing that I won't always be as capable, worries me a little.....or maybe a lot, actually!

Previous generations had the extended family to fall back on, but this place isn't an appropriate property for my kids. If/when DW & I are unable to cope with the jobs that need doing, we'll have to move on.

I think that knowledge tempers one's relationship with a smallholding or farm, but it's true of any property with a decent bit of land, including large gardens. Too often, in our travels to see various houses for sale, we've seen places where the owners have hung on too long.....

....Or on the other hand, maybe they have just been so happy where they are, their ability in the art of "not seeing," has reached an exceptionally high level!

rozeepozee

Itismehonest wrote: »

In a former life I spent quite a bit of time visiting the Valleys. On one memorable occasion a local in the pub asked me "Where do you come from, love? Cardiff?" "No", says I, "a little further East".

(Somewhere east of St Paul's Cathedral actually :rotfl:)

Being in the country the locals will probably also test you out to see how country-savvy you are. It isn't meant nastily. They're weighing up how well (or otherwise) they think you'll fit in. City-dwellers would probably be just the same to country folk ...... if they noticed them

Edit - Welcome, Isis Sounds like you're planning the sort of garden I like now ...... low maintenance
I have rather a soft spot for Justin Hayward, too.

Cardiff is considered to be England round here

Davesnave wrote: »

I've accepted the full-time job aspect, and I've no great desire to relax, if that means sitting down, but knowing that I won't always be as capable, worries me a little.....or maybe a lot, actually!

Previous generations had the extended family to fall back on, but this place isn't an appropriate property for my kids. If/when DW & I are unable to cope with the jobs that need doing, we'll have to move on.

I think that knowledge tempers one's relationship with a smallholding or farm, but it's true of any property with a decent bit of land, including large gardens. Too often, in our travels to see various houses for sale, we've seen places where the owners have hung on too long.....

....Or on the other hand, maybe they have just been so happy where they are, their ability in the art of "not seeing," has reached an exceptionally high level!

I think we touched on this when we were property hunting, Dave. We saw quite a few pretty desperate sellers. Desperate in the sense that they wanted rid because the "garden" etc was getting or had gotten too much for them either because of age or the death of a partner. Even an acre was proving too much. Many said "we wish we'd moved here at your age and not waited til our fifties [or later]" (and I reckon a few of them were wishing they'd sold a lot sooner).

We're realising that if we decide not to build this year and wait til next, we will have more than enough to be getting on with just getting the land sorted out. We were sort of looking for a full time job in it though. Once the kids go off to school next year, what would we have done in the city? The prospect was not an attractive one. There's only so much time you can spend down the gym, in coffee shops, shopping.... And it's all very expensive!

rozeepozee

rhiwfield wrote: »

Rummer, I've been saying the same thing, so scaredycat atm with my back that weeds taking over and for the first time for years I havent got loads of seedlings in the GH.

BUT cleared two beds today, and the other day got 4 beds sown. Most of the tree and soft fruit looks good, asparagus is coming up and rhubarb cropping well. And got lots of herbs, and leftovers from last year (leaf beet, parsnips and leeks) still cropping for a little while longer.

I think there is a lesson in that a balance between permanent food/herb plants and annuals means you still get a crop even when you slack off as I've been doing. And having lots of raised beds makes it easy to clear one or two at a time and feel you've achieved something.

So why not do a bit at a time, maybe 30 mins a day and just see how it goes

I've realised I'm going to have to section off the garden and do it in bite size chunks as otherwise I look at it and it's totally overwhelming.

Once we are living up there, at least it will be on our doorstep but we only have four mornings a week when the toddlers aren't around (which means there's very littel we can do at the moment as they need full supervision or they fight!) and I have other things to do too. We are looking it it as a life's project

Welcome Iris!

lostinrates

We have had to develop the blind by choice approach. There is only so much we can do at weekends, and less by far i can do at weekdays alone. Better for me to reserve strength t be of use to dh at weekends. Then ofcurse there are the weekends that the cold stunts us, ir the weather or just other areas if life.

Luckily we both hate things to be over manicured, a touch of wilderness always suits a rural property imo.

Itismehonest

Davesnave wrote: »

I've accepted the full-time job aspect, and I've no great desire to relax, if that means sitting down, but knowing that I won't always be as capable, worries me a little.....or maybe a lot, actually!

Previous generations had the extended family to fall back on, but this place isn't an appropriate property for my kids. If/when DW & I are unable to cope with the jobs that need doing, we'll have to move on.

I think that knowledge tempers one's relationship with a smallholding or farm, but it's true of any property with a decent bit of land, including large gardens. Too often, in our travels to see various houses for sale, we've seen places where the owners have hung on too long.....

....Or on the other hand, maybe they have just been so happy where they are, their ability in the art of "not seeing," has reached an exceptionally high level!

Exactly, Dave....... but maybe the housing market steps in & you find you can't sell. Age comes gradually giving you a false sense of security but ill health can come without notice.

Itismehonest

rozeepozee wrote: »

Cardiff is considered to be England round here

It pretty much was in the Valleys, too, rozee.
I was married to someone from the area who could speak Welsh when necessary. The only time I can remember it being used was on a trip to North Wales. We popped into a shop &, when they heard us speaking English they swung from speaking English themselves (we'd heard them as we went in) to speaking Welsh. They were a bit taken aback & rather sheepish when OH joined in the Welsh, too. :rotfl:

rozeepozee wrote: »

I think we touched on this when we were property hunting, Dave. We saw quite a few pretty desperate sellers. Desperate in the sense that they wanted rid because the "garden" etc was getting or had gotten too much for them either because of age or the death of a partner. Even an acre was proving too much. Many said "we wish we'd moved here at your age and not waited til our fifties [or later]" (and I reckon a few of them were wishing they'd sold a lot sooner).

We're realising that if we decide not to build this year and wait til next, we will have more than enough to be getting on with just getting the land sorted out. We were sort of looking for a full time job in it though. Once the kids go off to school next year, what would we have done in the city? The prospect was not an attractive one. There's only so much time you can spend down the gym, in coffee shops, shopping.... And it's all very expensive!

Much the same idea as we had. I was in my early 30s when we moved here.