Daydream fund challenge part 4 4 October 2014 at 10:37AM edited 4 October 2014 at 12:24PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 10.4K replies 816.9K views

Davesnave

Ted_Head said:

It's been very cold here & still very wet. I have done little outside these last few days other than pick up little branches & snap them up for kindling. Too wet to light a bonfire with all the willow I had to take down as I planted too close together.
A bee flew past the window earlier today which is the first I've seen this year. 

I'm guessing you're up north, as it's stayed dry here for a couple of weeks. Bees have been active since the dandelions and primroses opened and our hibernating peacock butterflies have almost all flown from the hen house, where they'd holed-up.

RAS

Another grey windy day here. At least the wind's now coming from the west. Resorted to putting an old pair of joggers on over my thermals and then the trousers earlier in the week. Plus multiple layers on top of the thick fleece, just to keep warm. 

It's been dry for a couple of weeks but the ground has only really died out enough to dig this week. Need to get it planted before it turns to concrete. We've now got water turned on  for the allotments, so I can water stuff that newly planted. Going to get some more seeds planted before I go there today.

Davesnave

The wind duly arrived and I had two bonfires yesterday, shifting all the branches from the stream-side clearance and the large eucalyptus that threatened to wreck our plans for the front garden. Of course, I've had all the useful larger branches from both for firewood, but there was still an awful lot left!

Now as it warms up, I can get back to grovelling, digging post holes for trellis and so forth. We must to relocate the chickens this year, so that will be more posts to go in...

Saw one of our our new neighbours whose land abuts the stream and lower mini-wood, but only at a distance. He has a friendly cat and a well-behaved dog. The latter is a first around here!

RAS

We've been banned from burning during CV, following complaints from neighbours, and it's been too wet until this last couple of weeks. Hoping to get stuff shredded by someone with a high powered machine as it's banned anyway from May 1 - September 30 so not going to have a chance before then. 

Started some more seeds off and planting potatoes. Will put some stuff straight in as the next week is due to be warm and we now have water on the plots. Hopefully it's warm enough for them to germinate.

greenbee

We've had a burning ban too - partly complaints from neighbours, but also pointing out that at a time when people's lungs may be compromised, it probably isn't a good idea. Which is fair enough. 

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Plague finally (hopefully) ending here. Except that I feel like I've run a marathon if I stand up and do anything for 3 minutes - folded a fitted sheet earlier and had to go and have a lie down because I was out of breath and my heart was pounding.

Have been notified by two supermarkets that I'm on the government list. This irks me for two reasons - 1. Neither are my usual online shopping place, who I originally chose because they don't treat orders as mere serving suggestions and actually deliver what you paid for, but they apparently can't cope with updating their lists - and 2. Why am I being told Government/Medical information by a bloody purveyor of chicken nuggets and multipacks of beer at 9.45pm on a Friday night when the Government hasn't got around to telling me this somewhat important information yet?

Anyhow, there should be the grand sum of 80l of sheepswool compost arriving either this week or the next, as the windowboxes need a top dressing and I've already gone out the front and flung some random herb seeds about in the vague hope that some of them stick in the conditions of almost pure sand, constant sunlight from dawn until 4pm and some occasional splashes of water that drain away almost instantly. The same principle has worked stunningly well for Rosemary (in full flower right now), Lavender, Mint, Ivy (been clearing it from the windowframe, but it can do its thing on the garden wall, Grape Hyacinths, Honeysuckle and some random things that I must have sown or planted at some point but promptly forgotten about again. I've also, thanks to the boredom delights of 3 weeks isolation, created a nice little display on one windowsill of house plants, herbs and bulbs so they can get some sunlight.

I've also discovered three pods of (rather good as I remember them) Runner Beans at the back of a drawer. Was wondering if it's still too early to shove them in toilet roll inners; 

Much as I am reluctant to spend too much money with Himself furloughed, albeit on 80% of his average pay for three months, which as he'd been taking up all the overtime going, means he's on a fairly reasonable pay anyhow, I think I might be having to get plug plants later on; seedlings and sowing from scratch hasn't really worked as well out the back where it's mollusc heaven more like woodland with the occasional patch of sunshine at each end of the day. Himself reckons in May that it looks like his part of Dartmoor. Which is very nice, but not quite as productive as I'd like, although the Bracken by the shed is just starting to unfurl, which always happens just before the garden goes mad. Not counting the Dicentra, Dandelions and Green Alkanet, who will obviously be the inheritors of this patch in the event of an apocalypse.

Davesnave

Fortunately, bonfires here don't affect anyone if I have them when the wind is in the right direction. Having many tonnes of thatching materials close by means I have to be extra careful at the house end of the plot, while Mr Dog's inflammable nature is borne in mind at the other end!

No news here really. Neighbour I haven't met yet means business, as tonnes of aggregate and 15x100mm fence posts have materialised behind their plot in the thatcher's yard.

We had some useful rain overnight, but with clear skies and low temps this evening, I can see me running up the garden to the conservatory with trays of tomato plants. Had lots of telephone orders, which will be the way to go in future, I suppose. I wasn't going to sell many this year, but when the plague became worrying, I sowed loads more in anticipation of something like the situation we have. It's one thing I can do for people in my dotage.

Rummer

I have spent all weekend in the garden and I have made great progress. The area behind the greenhouse is now clear of nettles and the paths have been laid and raised beds topped up. Yesterday I built four large raised beds, levelled off a slope to put them on and dug out the paths. Today I will be lining the paths and covering them in wood chip then filling the raised beds. I hadn't quite realised what a work out using a wheelbarrow would be! In the evenings I have been sowing all the seeds and planning how I can squeeze in as much to eat as possible into the garden. Surplus will go to the neighbours, we live in an area where the neighbours all know each other and help out when they can. 

RAS

A grey morning up here and could do with some useful rain to freshen things up. the ground was still so sticky two weeks ago that it was borderline OK to dig. now beds are dug and seeds/ potatoes going in it needs watering some how. Still got some trees to grafted,

Davesnave

Rummer said:

I have spent all weekend in the garden and I have made great progress.

I remember, you've always been very enthusiastic when there's an edible outcome on the horizon, Rummer. It sounds like you're really going for it this year!

I'm not sure about the long range up north RAS, but here there isn't a drop of rain in the forecast as far as the 22nd. Dry spring seems to have been the pattern here for a few years.

Nothing of note to report here, but it would be great if a few more absent friends popped in, just to say they're OK.