make do and mend for tougher times

Pooky

Morning all

Loved, loved, loved the closing ceremony, so well organised and the volunteers seemed to be having a ball. Great to see the prime minister getting into the spirit of things but I was concerned about the lack of the Queen and the two in line to the throne, seemed a little odd and Harry looked very miserable.

DD1 is off to start planning a community project today with the YCS that she's involved in, nerves are beginning to kick in for exam results next week so we've planned to go out for dinner to celebrate whatever she's managed to get.

Out of all the store items I have in, I've run out of washing up liquid!!! How daft. Shall pop into town later and pick up a few bits and bobs, DD2 wants to do some baking so will pick up a new icing bag and nozzles for her to have a go with (my last bag split and I forgot to replace it).

Picked up two Christmas pressies at bootfairs yesterday, we've slashed our Christmas budget seeing as DHs income has now stopped so to find two items, still packaged and looking like new for a grand sum of £1.50 wasn't to be sneezed it. I've now done all bar DDs - I've made a start on stocking bits and bobs and the money for their main pressie is sitting in my ISA. My parents asked for a halogen oven for a joint birthday/anniversary/Christmas present from us and my sisters family, so we treated them to the halogen and my sister has got them a bread maker, they've had them now so that they can start the money saving.

fuddle

I have sown my turnips (is sown the right word?) so that is turnips and spring cabbage. Off to go investigate what to sow in September so I know what to get ready. I hope I can get some produce. I don't do fertilisers etc as scared of the chemicals so it's the soil and nowt else.

Need to look at Landshare that was started by HFW. My council has said I'm looking at least an 8 year waiting list for an allotment. Really disappointed.

I need a watering can so hopefully I can get one with my shopping order, if no I'll have to badger DH.

Mince and dumplings today, going to try frozen veg in the SC too as I have a lot just sat in the freezer.

[Deleted User]

Hi FUDDLE - do you have any elderly folk in your neighbourhood who can't manage the garden any longer? If so they might be happy for you to cultivate the land for a percentage of the crop and an occasional chat. It will help you both, you because you will get the use of the land, and them because it's a friendly face and a chat once in a while. Win win eh? Cheers Lyn xxx.

fuddle

Landshare is no good Nothing near me. I'm friendly with my elderly neighbours but they are very much into pretty cottage gardens not growing produce so that's no good.

My MIL has a huge back garden that she grows her own, I would love to go help out but without the car I would have to get 3 buses to get there. It would be so expensive.

I'll just have to plod on in my garden for now. Going to try parish council, not rely on county council. Fingers crossed.

Aha! I'm doing this



trench composting

The council were selling compost bins for £16 and was tempted but now I'm just going to go dig myself a hole

thriftwizard

Fuddle, look around & see whether there's anywhere you could do some guerilla gardening whilst you wait for something to turn up. I had to laugh recently when some foraging friends confessed they'd been sowing Jack-by-the-Hedge (or Garlic Mustard) all along the riverbank walk that's one of the best foraging spots locally - so had I! We've all been planting our favourite semi-wild plants anywhere they won't look out of place, and harvesting them too; even here on the edge of the countryside, there are not enough people interested in foraging, or confident enough, to worry that there won't be enough for us all. I'm planning to take some of my cherry plum & hazel saplings down to the woodland bit & plant them where they stand a chance of getting some light; I probably won't be here to see the crops (we're planning to move West) but they're healthy little plants that are happy in this locality & someone will have the benefit of them in years to come!
Just about anything I plant in our own garden will get moved or buried by DH, whose passion for energetic landscape design means that nothing (except raspberries & trees, and not even all of those) stays in one place for long enough to grow & fruit. So I'm tending little patches of the wild, the plants are safer there... I did this in Harrow when we lived there and happily grew a nice patch of redcurrants, thornless blackberries & raspberries alongside the Metropolitan line; I wonder if they're still there?!

VJsmum

Hi all - back from my hols and raring to go.

Thanks all in this thread for keeping me going while away. we had 3 weeks away, me and kids were doing New York City by ourselves for a week and then OH was to join us touring Pennsylvania for another 2 weeks. OH went to the Olympic opening ceremony rehearsal and had his passport stolen, so he couldn't come out. It meant that kids and I were on our own and I drove 2000 miles in 2 weeks coping with it all and having little / no adult conversation and this thread filled some of that gap. To be fair kids are teenagers, not babies, but still the conversation can be limited.

At one point, I went to see the Amish - I know a lot on here are fascinated by that lifestyle. It is a beautiful place to live - but searingly hot in the summer (the car registered 95 degrees at one point - well over 30 in new money) and snow in the winter. They have no air con but use blinds which they keep closed all the time in the day to keep the house cool. they use propane gas for heating and cooking. It was lovely imagery seeing men behind horses and ploughs (or whatever) in the fields but it still seems like too much hard work to me. Mind, they are allowed to use machinery and cars - just not allowed to own them. Also don't be fooled - the ones I met (in Intercourse - had to be done, even if just for the photo opportunity :rotfl: I really wanted the town sign to say "You are now entering.." ) were really business minded. the lady who took us on a buggy tour of the countryside had just been in a hot air balloon $200 each for the ride! And they have telephones - just not in the house - she said they need them for business. One of their biggest cash crops is tobacco.

And the teenage boys have buggies with the seats taken out of the back and a shelf put in which has curtains! It seems teenage boys are teenage boys however they've been brought up! Hope they have cushions in it!

Anyway, there is to be some news announced nationally tomorrow which we know is going to affect OHs job and will put us in a period of uncertainty until at least the New Year and possibly beyond - and possibly forever. But I have never regretted money spent on a holiday and I'm not going to start now. We had a thoroughly wonderful time (although obviously missed OH) but we now will have to take stock and make plans.

We are fortunate in that we took some decisions in the last couple of years regarding OHs pension that means we have other income coming in - we are one of those landlords debated earlier in the thread, although we let to students and, I hope, do not exploit anybody. We have been going for 2 years now and have mended / improved anything that has been required. We are currently trying to improve a second property in the hope we can let it this coming year. This means that we will still have a reasonable income whatever happens with OHs job - but there will have to be some changes.

Might stock up on some flour today. We mostly drink Rooibos tea - not sure that will be as badly affected.

It's nice to be back, but I could do with a little extra heat

Mrs_Chip

Fuddle

I don't know how big your garden is, but even a very small space can produce plenty of food. Use every available space by using pots and planters, go vertical if needs be.

I do think you will need to fertilize in some way - pots especially. Dont be afraid of the chemicals, they are Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorous, all naturally occurring and needed for plants to grow and thrive. You can get organic fertilisers, but even the regular ones are safe if you use as per instructions. See here, a mooch around that site should give you the very basics.

Have fun!

kidcat

Fuddle I strongly recommend Ikea bag gardening, it takes little space and really works - I have grown potatoes,courgettes, pumpkins, tomatoes, onions and garlic this way. If you cant get hold of Ikea bags then any large strong bag will do. I think last year someone used Mr T wine bottle bags which are even smaller.

VJsmum - hope all goes well tomorrow for your OH.

fuddle

I'll look into vertical gardening Thank you. I love the idea of wild gardening.

I've bookmarked the RHS site for a mooch later. Thanks.

Roasting veg question. I cannot get used to the taste of frozen vegetables. I find them tasteless. I was wondering if I froze my own blanched vegetables would I end up with the same result? How about if I froze previously roasted vegetables... how would they fair in the taste stakes, reheated from frozen?

When I can do the 6 miler again after the holidays I'll be going once a week so the veg I get there will have to last the week but also I would like a frozen stock just in case too.

fuddle

kidcat wrote: »

Fuddle I strongly recommend Ikea bag gardening, it takes little space and really works - I have grown potatoes,courgettes, pumpkins, tomatoes, onions and garlic this way. If you cant get hold of Ikea bags then any large strong bag will do. I think last year someone used Mr T wine bottle bags which are even smaller.

VJsmum - hope all goes well tomorrow for your OH.

Oh Kidcat, I have loads of the tesco shoppers So many ideas now, thank you every one.