Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

ferretkeeper

Choille I've been building up the flock til now so my first lambs for slaughter will be the ones born this year. With the exception of my evil ram who will be gone as soon as his fleece grows back and he puts some weight on, he'll be hogget. So I haven't sold any meat yet but I have orders waiting! I don't intend to sell any sheep or lambs, for the same my reasons as you say, I'll only breed what I need for myself IYKWIM?

Davesnave wrote: »

If you have a neighbour whose land is above yours, there's not much that can be done about water coming from their place to yours, CTC.

I think that's what FK means: i.e. her ditch picks up water from elsewhere. We are the same, though 'elsewhere' is an arable field across the road, all the drains along the road and a field way beyond Mr Dog's, which drains along a footpath and down into the road drains!

When building a pond, it's best to slow the water before it enters, either by having a small dump pond first, where most of the silt can drop, or by channeling through a reed bed, which will have the benefit of cleaning the water too.

Exactly that, Dave, it's already coming onto my land and into my ditch by virtue of the slope of the mountain and there's nothing I can do about it because it's always been that way. Never mind the massive amount of water that the new extremes of rain throws at us...that is not how it's always been :mad:

Water doesn't really gush in, it runs steadily through the very old stone wall dividing the fields, and it always looked clear so hopefully no silty stuff will wash in. I guess it'll take a while to fill and settle to clear though?

the neighbour couldn't redirect the water without it going onto someone else's land which wouldn't be allowed as IHS mentioned.

I'm right next to the river so it's all coming via me whether I like it or not, it's about controlling it and directing it to the ditches instead of flooding the fields and yard :eek:

In terms of contaminated water it'll make no difference either, the animals already drink the runoff as it flows through our place. That said it's only one old sheep farmer up there and I don't see him spraying a lot, too tight fisted I reckon :rotfl:

Really good tips Dave :A. I will have fencing round the pond in the next week or so and I was looking at it tonight thinking about planting the banks, so to plant reeds or my old favourite willow is a definite, I reckon it's going to look great!

Digger man has almost finished, it's not a big pond but the digger is barely visible in the hole! he won't take long to finish...just as well I still have some raised beds to build before he can help me shift the muck and topsoil to fill them tomorrow.

Well another long day awaits me, so Id better get to bed with :beer:

ferretkeeper

Rummer wrote: »

Still little edible growth in the garden I have planted what seems like loads with no results! Not sure why the salad tubs did not thrive, maybe they were too dry?

What can I plant now that will have a chance other than salad, radishes and spring onions?

Monty Don said last night you could still plant courgettes and beans plus the usual salad stuff, but it depends on good weather later in the season to guarantee a harvest...I'm going to take a chance!

Can you get hold of any young plants, he planted out small sweet corn and courgettes, I've just picked up some plugs of cabbage, cauli, sprouts etc...

I'm also sowing perennials and biennials soon, have a look at perennial veg on t'interweb for ideas of things to plant once and harvest forever

Davesnave

We have some ridiculously tall thalictrums in the border this year. Years ago, we used to sell named varieties, but I bought a very vigorous plant from Derry Watkins (may have been white), crossed it with others and ended up with a strain of huge plants.

Normally the wind here puts paid to the large thalictrums, but the kinder weather and a bit of judicious staking, means we have a few bordering on 9'.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

WOW lovely flowers Davesnave..


Here is a pic of those Mange touts, the thing is I pick a handful for the piggies, but I end up munching them all lol





Also remember Davesnave I asked if you knew what hedging/plant that we got here, well here it is in leaf and flowering

choille

I call that a Bottle Brush Plant.....

COOLTRIKERCHICK

the flowers are not as big as the pic makes them out to be lol..

Davesnave

choille wrote: »

I call that a Bottle Brush Plant.....

I call it :
Spiraea douglasii


Bit more:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/22834/Steeple-bush/Details

COOLTRIKERCHICK

OK...Please don't copy my post, as I will be deleting the youtube link later..


this is the footpath going through part of our land.... mot of our land is on the left before an after this video...


if you remember we ha to really push the footpath people to allow us to put the gate there...


as you can see it really does split our land, and people don't think we own it... I jut want to personalise it a bit, especially the first bit wneh you come through the gate, especially on the right... as eventually on the left ( by the green shed) there will be block built farrowing shed and run


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUVbeHYQVFY&feature=youtu.be

choille

Here we have right to roam & it has caused probs, but most folks are respectful. All dogs should be under control & there are other 'rules'.

It maybe just a matter of time & people will accept it.

Here we have someone electricfy a huge length of fence & that was essentially to keep dog walkers out - although they'd never admit it publicly. It's turned into a bit of a war as these things can.
I don't know what to suggest.

Gorgeous day here now & I've just slept. This 'cold' is getting the better of me. I'm jiggered from coughing & coughing & coughing.

We seem to have so many birds coming to the feeders & their young it's a delight to watch. Some of them, especially the blackbirds & robins don't seem to have any fear. It's really great that the trees are providing good cover now.

ferretkeeper

It's tricky when the footpath is also private vehicular access, it's the same a lot of places near me including our lane into the yard.

Do you have people walking where your car/caravans are or do they always go right at the fork? If not I'd consider another vehicle gate there and a sign.

My first thought was stock fencing, on one or both sides of the track. it would serve two purposes, eventually keeping loose livestock out of the garden as well as wandering idiots. But that amount would be pricey, and there's a lot of good hedging already so it's just the gaps that need something...some prickly hedge plants which I think you've mentioned before?

I'd definitely hang a pedestrian gate at the entrance to the house where the pallet is, that says someone lives there and doesn't want you in, and another notice on it saying private property or the like.

What about an occasional fence post with a nice painted arrow nailed to it to keep people on the footpath, like walking and cycling routes have...and maybe extra signs about the dogs and sticking to the footpath.

Choille beat me to it, hopefully people will get used to you being there, eventually, but no one likes change

I must admit it would do my crust in having that footpath going through, one of my neighbours has the exact same problem of loose dogs in her field scaring the ponies! She also can't fence it off, too expensive and it's only rented.

House looks fab by the way!