Daydream thread continues.....

Itismehonest

We've never done any courses, Rozee, but growing our own was purely a sideline of living here & having the land.

We've tended to be led by trial & error, instinct &, above all, the accumulated knowledge of the local farmers whose families have worked the land here over many centuries. Between them they usually know what will or won't work.
We've had scholars say "Do this" & locals tell us it won't work & that we should do 'that'. I can't think of one occasion when the locals have been proved wrong.

rhiwfield

No courses here either, Rozee, though visited Coed Hills for interest. Like Itsme, mainly trial and error. With a relatively small space and steep slopes its been necessary to build retaining walls and access paths and the garden bed system has evolved out of that.

Learned early on its easier to work facing uphill, which then led to terraced beds for the main veg plot, with water tubs upslope fed off lead free roofs/valleys.

Some of the most productive bits are the permanent fruit plantings taking advantge of long edge beds.

lostinrates

Rozzee....I did no horticulture at all, but I was at an agricultural college and university campus for vets for a while.....at the ag college I obviously chatted to some of the 'gardeners' and I studied some basic grassland management and was given a very broad brushstroke guide to 'trees'. Mainly about how annoying they were. So garden is watching, copying and trying for myself. Animals are shamefully trying to adhere to standards I might have tutted at years ago.




No news about dog yet, just waiting to hear. House is starting to look cleaner though as a result.


Alfie, some one is looking for a home for a miniture, it's it Wales. I don't know if I can get it to here, but if I can are you and L interested? Shall I find out more? My om box is full so tell me here if you are.

RAS

rozeepozee wrote: »

Hi All, I'm gearing up to do an introductory Permaculture course put on by Aberystwyth Uni at Denmark Park in Lampeter. Hopefully it will give a bit of a boost to the planning stage of the garden.

OH is going to go on the far more fancy two week residential Permaculture Design Course with http://www.patrickwhitefield.co.uk/ next year.

Do you guys have any experience of courses or are you all hands on experience. Where did you learn what you know?

rozee

I have not done any formal permaculture courses but I have attended the local permie network meetings which means I have picked up quite a lot and I know a number of teachers. The wider network has done some amazing things with very challenging environments. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzTHjlueqFI and http://www.krameterhof.at/en/index.php?id=aktuelles and some of the stuff on swales and on-contour soil preservation techniques is brilliant IMO. And check out http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/

I realised as a result that my plot is completely back to front - all the trees and bushes that would protect the plot from the north and east winds are on the south end (from when I took over), for example. and I use the fruit off my big fuschia, at least until it was knackered by the late 2010 freeze.

There are some huge debates with the UK and European network about some of the major tenets - like the use of mulches in temperate climates. A lot of people who get into permaculture are vegan as well, and the originators were not vegan. And people get seriously hung up on forest gardens and herb spirals.

I encounter lot of claims for permaculture's potential but do not often see evidence that the potential has been proved here, or proved on anything other than an experimental basis. People who are new are often wowed as much by the variety of foodstuffs used in permaculture and maybe do not think about yields. One of the teachers I know commented very approvingly on a friend's permie front garden. I agree it does have more biomass growing than anything else on the street but the choice of plants may not be best as the amount of food it has produced in the last two years is negligible. The guy with the tatties down the street has produce more food value this year.

Have bleated a it, there is a lot of common sense in permaculture - read rhiwie's comments above and many of them could have been made by someone with permaculture training. For people who have no training the basics on zoning (plant your herbs and salads just outside the door and your permanent or low maintenance crops further away) can be really helpful.

rozeepozee

alfie_1 wrote: »

pressed reply too soon....:o

i do hope dog is ok ??

poor choille...........i would tell em you are expecting a discount now for the loss on "wages" for the guy you had organised to put it up ... but couldnt !!

i have been to my parents today, my dads been in agony from his hip/lower back for 10 days now,[been told arthritus in the spine] slowly improving but not helped by builder faffing around re working thier bathroom into a shower [neither can easily manage a bath now]. i was just gobsmacked when last week i saw it in progress...."interogated" the builder, who says hes a plumber ???, the pipework is .......well.......there, ALL visible and apparently it wasnt countersunk in wall because "these houses are built so solid ,its difficult"..... then on monday i went there and he was saying that they[parents!] hadnt ordered the pedestal part for the sink. mum showed him the quote and guess what......oh yeh ! today i rang mum who sounded frazzled and so i shot over there only to find a huge seam open in the KITCHEN CEILING where water had leaked from upstairs airing cupboard,across ceiling, down kitchen wall, into hall fusing light switch.... apparently mum spotted it yesterday, yelled for the workman, he rang his boss who turned up [worker had turned water off by now] and found my mum ,81, on her hands and knees mopping water up off kitchen floor only to say "hey, youve got a swimming pool now" ......grinning ! my mum bless her launched into what she herself described as putting a screaming banshee to shame... he looked up and said "oh thats easy to fix" ..........:eek: :mad::mad::mad::mad:
she told him they wont get a penny until she has had every aspect of the job independantly assesed. this was all arranged through an approved disability shop...supposed to ease the comfort of the disabled......:mad:
i cant sound off at then builders which im itching to do as the stress is already telling on M&D and nobody likes to feel foolish especially at thier age.
ive told them to get thier decorator chap, who they trust, to see what needs doing re the flood. then see what these builders say and compare. iv suggested they get THIER chap to do it and BILL the others but if they didnt pay up mum and dad would feel terrible...
i think im gonna go tomorow to see the shop and let them know what has been happening. i am not convinced this guy is a registered plummer...is it still corgi they have to be registered with ? i know they have to do update exams evry/every other year now.....anyone know ??

poor ma and pa have had to have strip washes for the last 2 weeks and dad is so not well....:( im really worried for him.

sorry to go on but had to let off steam....:o

I've had a similar experience to this with an incompetent builder. I'm sorry but children will not permit me to read your post in full at the mo, but if you need to do a "letter before action" type thing, I could help out.

rozeepozee

Alfie, I'm probably not going to be online for the next week. I'm jumping the gun a little but if you need an example of the sort of letter you might want to write, here is an example, based on my old letter which I've just dug out from the archives

By email and recorded delivery


Dear xxx

Re: Refurbishment of bathroom at xxx etc


As a result of ongoing concerns about the standard of your refurbishment to my property at xxx a senior plumbing and drainage specialist and representative of my insurance company recently visited to undertake a thorough investigation of the plumbing and drains. As part of this assessment, he examined work which had been undertaken by you and concluded that it was substandard in the following instances:

1) The toilet fitted by you in the bathroom at xxx is incorrectly plumbed in:

• The drainage pipe has been routed through the cellar when it should have been plumbed straight into the sewerage pipe/manhole directly below the wall to which the toilet is attached.

• The area around the hole that you cut into the wall to enable the outlet pipe to leave the bathroom has not been sealed on the exterior wall to prevent water or pests getting into the brickwork and causing damage.

• Unsuitable sealant has been used on the pipe work and the pipe itself is already leaking and requires urgent repair.

• The exterior pipe does not have a vent fitted which means there is nowhere for the build up of methane gas to escape except back into the bathroom.

• I have been advised that the manner in which this work has been undertaken is likely to lead to a blockage occurring and the pipe being torn from the inadequate fixings. The insurance company’s senior representative described this work as “a disaster waiting to happen”.

2) Damage to the floor of the bathroom at xxx:

List issues and remedies required as in example above

The insurance company representative informed me that the above works have been carried out to such a low standard that they would not be covered under my household insurance policy were I to make a claim in respect of them, and could void my policy entirely. They advised that the works must be remedied as soon as possible and suggested that I report the tradesman concerned to the local Trading Standards Department. I have since sought the advice of a qualified plumber who has confirmed that the work is substandard and requires rectification.


The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 specifies that when work is carried out by a trader any materials supplied must be of satisfactory quality, fit for the purpose, durable and safe. Reasonable care and skill must be performed in carrying out work and the work should be for a reasonable price and within a reasonable time.

I take the view that you are in breach of the provisions of the Act in that the work that you have undertaken is grossly unsatisfactory and unsafe as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) above, the materials you have provided (for example, the furniture timber and the inappropriate sealant) were not fit for the purpose, the standard of service was significantly substandard and the damage to the joist has left the property unstable and potentially dangerous.

In view of the statements of the insurance company representative, the problems with the plumbing to the toilet at xxx are extremely urgent. To minimize the risk of further loss or damage, the remedial work needs to be done without unnecessary delay given that the toilet drainage pipe is already leaking and the cut joist has left the floor unstable. (As stated above, I would be unable to make a claim on my insurance policy if there is any further loss as a result of this work and would seek compensation from yourself in these circumstances). I therefore propose to instruct alternative tradesmen to carry out this work as quickly as possible and deduct the costs of this work from the revised quotation.


If I hear nothing further from you within 7 days of the date of this letter, I will assume that you agree to these proposals and I will proceed with the works without further notice.

Please contact me by phone or email within the next 7 days to arrange for the collection of any items of your property that are stored in the cellar. If I do not hear from you, I will assume that any items are not required and will arrange for their disposal.

I hope we can now resolve this in as business-like a manner as possible and without further action being taken.

Yours faithfully

Davesnave

We have no formal training in horticulture, but we picked up much by meeting 'proper' plantspersons/nurserypersons and by attending various evening lectures (where I generally fell asleep! :rotfl:)

I sent DW on a one day chicken keeping course. While I'd been torturing plants for years, it seemed important to get the basics right when animals were involved.

As a young man in the 1960s my first real job was looking after a (then) high-tech battery hen unit and a large deep litter house, but I couldn't claim that anything I learned there is of use now, except perhaps the need to observe carefully and spot health problems quickly.

The only course I've been on since arriving here was a basic one for hedge laying. I had my name down for a simple chainsaw course, but I heard recently it has been shelved. Cuts? Lack of interest? I don't know. The Lantra ones are always over-subscribed, but they're not near here and are pricey with it.

Most things related to growing are fairly common-sensical and the rest comes with experience, especially what works where on your own plot. There is no shame at all in muddling around a bit until you get a feel for it.

rhiwfield

Programme tonight on fly grazing of horses locally (Ewenny, Cowbridge, Pentre Meyrick, Bridgend). Sounds innocuous but then camera pans to skeletons of horses and foals, lots of local gossip on threats and intimidation by itinerant owners, horses being bred indiscriminately, starving, and then trucked to graze roadsides, gardens, parks.

Gipsy community accused, particularly one family, Alf/Lir, dont search for this, you'll see images that you'd rather not see

lostinrates

rhiwfield wrote: »

Programme tonight on fly grazing of horses locally (Ewenny, Cowbridge, Pentre Meyrick, Bridgend). Sounds innocuous but then camera pans to skeletons of horses and foals, lots of local gossip on threats and intimidation by itinerant owners, horses being bred indiscriminately, starving, and then trucked to graze roadsides, gardens, parks.

Gipsy community accused, particularly one family, Alf/Lir, dont search for this, you'll see images that you'd rather not see

I am not going to search for it, don't worry, but mainly because i have seen it before. It's not new.:mad::mad:

Itismehonest

Something very similar was happening on the estates of Northern Ireland, rhiw, according to a news item I saw a while ago

In tough economic times animals are often the first to suffer.
I shall wait to see how the moor horse fairs go this year. It can be a bit of a no-win with kind-hearted but completely clueless people buying. The alternative is often the knackers.
Like I said - no win.