Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

lostinrates

I have been dithering for ages about what to use as a fence/hedge ether the white garden at the front and the red/pink north garden.

I was reading more about pooktre last night. I think its gorgeous. I feel a bit silly even contemplating it while I still agonise over each cut of the pears, but I can very clearly see my mistakes now, and how rushing for height was the right think for me, but won't be great long term....so I'm learning......I don't think it's been a disaster anyway.
So while I don't think I'll be making a fence of beautiful living tree chairs, I'm wondering if I might try something a little more ambitious of a shape living fence? After all, if I am already pruning the plums in that area.

I guess the key thing is to have in mind a shape and to choose the trees.

Haven't got a clue which trees I'd go for. I think six pears are enough. Its an awkward space, between the house and the north boundary hedge, where there is already the Lamarckii thingy whatsit planted, and bearing in mind the house and my deep affection for the foundations that cost so much, something with nice small roots is a must, so four small trees, to grow say, max six feet in height, would be best. And one of them will need to be able to cope with partial sun. (Only east sun through winter, and early spring/autumn). I love the idea of a love seat tree for example, or a pair of them, one facing west for evening sun overlooking the pears and one facing east for morning sun over looking the white garden.

Seems silly not to go for an edible.....but what. For maximum mutant ability am I restricted to apples and pears? If so I might not go edible.

rhiwfield

Maybe a dwarf cherry or possibly quinces? Maybe a dwarf nut tree?

Davesnave

Medlar?

My quince is ruined by blight, but they're not the most shapely or controllable trees.

lostinrates

rhiwfield wrote: »

Maybe a dwarf cherry or possibly quinces? Maybe a dwarf nut tree?

Quinces or nuts both sound fab! Would quinces take super had pruning and shaping?

Though don't know why I am getting so cocky.....I just cut the new vertical leader out of one of my pears:rotfl:

Deep breath and the knowledge it will actually be ok in the end .

In fact, now I have trees at three heights . I'm thinking mr leggy on the end leader can come back down to make a better horizontal leader too and start aiming to get trees at the same height to make things easier in the future. This will help me make better decisions I think. I was in such a rush for height. But if I stop them at the seven foot mark presumably I can let them all catch up then take them all up to ten together in subsequent years.

I am definitely gaining in confidence. :j

Summer pruning done,...still a bit worried its early, because hrs says August. And I was removing blossom off one tree at the same time :eek::eek: but found THREE trees have fruit!

Glou Marceau




Invincible (who is the one still putting on blossom)

.


And sensational




Pretty pleased all in all. No spray, and this summer has been a night mare for fungal diseases. My old roses in the gold border are ravaged. There is a little there, not enough to make me feel uncomfortable. If I get time I'll do a slash and burn, but this dry spell should help. Aphids however have been shocking. I don't know where all our ladybirds have gone. They have been prolific before and we have been so kind to them, yet.....the aphids are ravaging out there. Ravaging.

It's a bit of a mess, but I haven't really done much because its been 'next month, next month, next month' waiting for builders, diggers, etc. it's a bit disheartening, but its still pretty out there, and makes me happy to see how good it looks.


What colour should my June berries be when ripe, anyone know? Red or blackish? They are hard and red so I am guessing they have to go a lot darker yet ( July berries )

rozeepozee

Speed reading... I have escaped my bed because all three kids are asleep in it. It's nice they all want to sleep with me - but I can't sleep with them all!

Sorry you're low, CTC. Do you ever have time to read? How about some book therapy? Sometimes, if you can't change your situation, you can change your perspective. I've become terribly "buddhist" (with a small 'b') these days. Stress tends to hit me in the form of irrational anxieties that seem very rational at the time.

I'm remarkably calm about the build mostly. Probably because there's no backing out now. The new extensions are coming up excitingly mahoosive. Our window man seems to have disappeared into the ether (personal problems). Fortunately, I had a whiff of this in the first week of the build so organised a Plan B window quote which looks like it'll turn into Plan A. I am so glad of my belief in the saying "The best predictor of behaviour is behaviour". If it weren't for this, I'd be having a huge panic and having to think about uPVC instead of aluminium. We've just had the first month's valuations. Alterations cost an additional £4K compared to scheduled costs.... Manageable.

The bantams are doing very well. The frizzle is a total space cadet. Both happy to be petted by the girls, though. One of whom does a worrying impression of Lenny out of Of Mice and Men in terms of her own strength being beyond her appreciation.... She means well and tries to be gentle but I thank every day that the frizzle still has a neck attached to its body.

Big decision now is the external cladding. Our windows are likely to be either mid grey aluminium or white. What are your thoughts on the colours of the weatherboarding? http://www.marleyeternit.co.uk/Facades/Weatherboard/Cedral-Weatherboard-Colour-Selector.aspx The house is a mix of this and a more traditional render. We have to decide the colours next week.

ferretkeeper

rozeepozee wrote: »

Sometimes, if you can't change your situation, you can change your perspective.

Hit the nail on the head there Rozee... like you we are now in it up to our necks, totally committed to being in this property for the foreseeable future, so I have to make myself stop worrying about everything and start focusing our energy on how to make the place work for us.

The stress and worry drains us and diverts our attention - we almost need to bury our heads in the sand but in the knowledge that there is a longer term goal in mind and we have to live with the short term pain.

I couldn't get through the days if I thought about it any other way, and I do have to have escape moments when I shut down and watch a good mindless TV programme I can get into or read a good book.

I never knew I was buddhist - pragmatist and naive optimist maybe, but I like the idea!

CTC - on good form today at the pig sale, hope the boy is settled in well, we should be expectant mums together in 4 months time!

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Medlar?

My quince is ruined by blight, but they're not the most shapely or controllable trees.

This didn't show at all for me yesterday. Sorry davesnave, I was not ignoring your advice!

rhiwfield

I'm a mixture of envious and relieved that my garden and house improvement works were completed a few years back. We no longer have the stresses that many of you are going through atm and we can enjoy the rewards of past efforts.

OTOH the challenges you face add to life's richness and overcoming adversity brings its own satisfaction. When you come out of the house and garden build phase I hope you will be able to relax a bit and enjoy life and not start pining for a new mountain to climb :rotfl::rotfl:

LIR, not sure about pruning quinces, they seem hardy tangled plants and certainly my neighbour's quinces are treated like a hedging plant and clipped annually. But if I could eat nuts I'd quite fancy trying the dwarf almond trees.

Davesnave

Sometimes, if you can't change your situation, you can change your perspective.

Yes, but those of you subscribing to this view are relatively young, which makes it easier to accept compromise and 'jam tomorrow.'

However, many people who get into the smallholding/country living lark are like me and do it later, on retirement. What happens if they make a c*ck up purchase first time around? I'd say the odds are at least even that they will too, the variables being so numerous and affordable places invariably being flawed.

Take this place. Would I buy it again? Probably not, as we're just running 4 acres of it to benefit Pete. Were it not for the fact that I like Pete and many other people in the village, I'd have planned an exit long ago. I'd still have done that if we hadn't had a change in behaviour from Mr Dog, who's been no great problem recently. I didn't move here so that some idiot could decide to ruin my day any time he felt like it, but think I'd be a tad more relaxed if I was 40 and that was happening. After all, I had to put up with a load of bad karma when I was 40 and doing the deputy head bit! :rotfl:

I'd say people should still choose their lifestyle property very carefully, but with an eye to understanding that they may get it wrong first time. It's only when you start living the new life that real learning takes place, no matter what books and articles say. Some of the revelations come from inside too....Did we really think we'd be running a herd of alpacas??? :eek:

Itismehonest

You're starting to sound alarmingly like me, Dave, you old timer :rotfl:

Age & size/type of property & land make an enormous difference.
A few acres at 40 can become akin to running a 1000 acre estate 20 years (or in poorer health) later.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, rhiw, but you never actually 'finish' when you have a few acres.
There's always something that needs much more than a quick potter around keeping on top of things. What the things are differ from place to place but they're still there.
Even farmers of relatively small places who can count their family back generations at the same farm work more hours in the day in their 70s & 80s than those who are used to the more 9-5 life did in their prime.
The day one eases back is the day one starts to loose ground.

On a happier note. Sun, something approaching decent temperatures (enough to compensate for the sea-breeze) & Itsme intends to get out there later :cool:
DH has the better part of 3 acres of hay (not actually, it's just the grass has grown so much) to gradually master which will take days & days & I will enjoy watching him :rotfl:

Glad you're on top of things, rozee :T