The KonMarie method

GreyQueen

I sow from seed, in a drill, and then when the seedlings are big enough, they get transplanted into the proper growing positions. Now is about the right time for sowing from seed, but obviously, if you purchase/ are given seedlings, it's far too early.

Some plants such as leeks have really long growing seasons, so it's not uncommon to have last year's crop in the ground whilst sowing the current year's seeds. I sowed a single packet of leek seed into one long row and ended up with 168 plants at transplant. Some have ended up whoppers and some were relatively slender, but seedlings from the same packet at the same time end up a variety of sizes and they seem to keep the differntial even though they all get bigger.

I've given some away to family and friends but still have eaten plenty, and have four partly-started rows, from the original nine at transplant time, to eat. Where the other five rows were there are now potatoes and the beetroots I sowed yesterday (two rows).

In general terms, because even in a country as small as the UK, there are a variety of climate zones, it's best not to pay to exact attention to sowing times. I attended a talk given by Bob Flowerdew and an audience member asked him in the Q& A bit, if you could plant parsnips in February? You can plant them if you like he answered. They won't grow, but you can plant them.

The small seeds will germinate when the soil temperature is high enough. If you can look at bare soil on your garden and see a host of tiny, cress like weeds germinating, you will know that the soil temp is high enough to germinate the smaller veggie seeds. I've reached that time in my part of southern England, what's going on elsewhere isn't something I know about, but you'll be in time if you look for the weedlings.

You don't really want seeds sitting about in cold wet soil for weeks as they might rot/ get eaten. Like a lot of things in life, a little observation of nature and buckets of common sense will trump lots of book-learning.

tibawo

Hi all, glad to see people are making headway. I have had a bit of a blip, not to make you squeamish but my monthlies seem to just drain me lately and I just want to lie down and veg. Consequently we eat more carp as I can't be bothered to cook and therefore makes energy levels worse! Hoping when I have KD in true motion I can find time to batch cook so see if the food side helps!

Anyways, feeling energy coming back today. Still no car yet so piles will be ready by door to go. Have to get dd2 to smile at Gdad to give her a lift to a party today. I was happy to walk but the weather is pants.

I think I will write my KD plan on here, do it, report back and then do next. Hope no one minds?!

I have no time scale as back to work this week. In an ideal world I will do ten mins intensive tidy and ten mins KD before girls get up in mornings. So..
1. done
2. Done
3. Upload twenty CDs onto iTunes.
4. Do first parcel of Amazon trade in.
5. Stuff to tip, clothes to cash for clothes
6. Four things to ebay. Would love to give to charity but I feel the money needs to be recycled into things like debts!
7. KD books by my bed, I have ones given to me that I never got into that just sit there. These will go to church stock. You can pay about 40p for a used book and donate it back after to raise money.
8. Ring council to move broken furniture so when time comes to KD yard I have no excuse!

Clutterfree

Off topic...

Thanks GreyQueen.
I'm still a novice so all advice appreciated.
I've never grown leeks from seed so may give it a go this year.
Dad has a greenhouse and he lets me use one corner for my stuff. :T
I tend to grow a lot of squash - my fave is butternut.
Our crops didn't do as well last year, though. We had a cold snap in September which made the plants die off too early.
Sweetcorn wasn't as sweet last year either.
Fancy trying celery this year because I use a lot in cooking but have heard it can be a pain to grow.

jinny

Good morning all

Cydney 65

I will take a look at that site. I'm a terrible procrastinator.
I sat around yesterday surfing on my tablet and reading my book.
I didn't leave enough time to pepare a meal for my friend.
So I ashamedly put my poor friend off:o

I have however through guilt invited her today instead when really I had other plans for today. I do things like this all the time. Funnily I make lists too and never even start anything. MK has made life so much easier however I do need to stop getting distracted. Have been reading about it and adult attention deficit disorder. I know I'm not lazy if I can get myself to focus I can do a lot. I get brain fog due to my thyroid condition and it makes me a tad absent minded.
Thanks for the link. Will take a look.

Floss

I'm in my 4th allotment year and have apple, plum, cherry & pear trees, blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries & perennial herbs like bay & rosemary. I have planted all my spuds, half my onions and all the garlic & shallots. Leeks were sown last week in situ, while I have tomato, pepper, aubergine, pepper, courgette, cucumber, asparagus and bean seeds on the windowsill. I always grow French beans and find they freeze really well. I'm currently picking sprouting broccoli and am about to start picking rhubarb too. I will also be growing runners (for chutney), beetroot, sweet corn, mange tout, salad leaves, scallions & radishes, along with tender herbs and sweet peas & lilies for scent!

PollyWollyDoodle

Picking up on a few posts here ... I love Don Aslett and think he makes a lot of sense, I have had 'Getting Rid of Clutter' for more than 20 years and it has helped a lot, but never worked quite in the way that this method has! However without it I dread to think where the clutter mountains would have reached to ...

iQueen thank you for the 'minimalist wardrobe' tip, there is a lot to read there so I'm going to go back to it tonight; it sounds as if it will fit in well with KM. I have purged my undies, tops and handbags but I am saving other stuff to do in a week or two. I leave my full-time job in three weeks to become self-employed and I know I am going to need some different stuff so this is a great time for a revamp. Haven't got a lot to spend but I do like the fact that she says you shouldn't be tied to styles and colours and that dressing to look thinner shouldn't be your main object!

The 'procrastination' blog looks good, too - link here 'Wait but Why' if anyone wants to read.

Keep Kondoing and please keep updating, it inspires me to keep going (the spare room is awful at the moment as it's full of stuff that hasn't got a proper home till I move something else).

Clutterfree

Well done everyone - let's keep the momentum going! (Says she who has done nothing today and sits nursing a mug of fruit tea!) Actually I am using one of my "save for best" mugs rather than the every day ones - why was I saving it for best?!

I had a light bulb moment today...

There are 3 areas in my home which are completely organised:
my baking ingredients
my herbs and spices
my make up

Why have I always managed to keep these areas in order whilst the rest of the house isn't?
And then it came to me.
It is because I LOVE baking, cooking and make up. These items spark joy so I have always looked after them.
It was quite a revelation.

That said, I do need to cull some of my make up. Although it is neatly organised in Muji drawers, I know there are some items that don't suit so I need to get rid. I know this will be hard for me because unlike clothes and books, etc, any discarded make up will have to be binned.

Raring to go again once I feel better.
Been watching KM videos on YouTube to keep me in the zone!

Wow Floss you have a lot there. My rhubarb never seems to yield more than a couple of stalks. What's the secret please?

tibawo

Like a few people on here my kitchen is small so want to use my storage wisely. Whilst washing up today, I was looking at the bottle/wine storage at either side of my oven. Whilst I do store cordial in some slots the others remain empty.

I tried to fit in the thin tub with samosa bags in and it fits perfectly. Only snag is the tub it bright pink! This means I can use these slots more wisely. However, the colour of the tub will not bring me joy! Has anyone any ideas.

Either to smarten these ones or some similar size. Roughly wine bottle size. My kitchen is beech/black with bits of purple.

Officially I borrowed these pink ones from my craft stall stuff and they will have to be returned at some point.

I am finding the Amazon trade in hard. Games not used, so no joy yet my old me keeps saying but that cost x and they are only going to give me so little for it. How do people get past this?

iQueen

cydney65 wrote: »

I came across an article on a website yesterday which has spurred me on to bigger things. The site is called 'wait but why' and is a humorous look at life. The people behind this have the knack of explaining everyday experiences in a way that make you think. The article about procrastination struck a chord (I'm a master procrastinator) and I have decided to take action.

Thanks for the heads up!

I went along to read the procrastination post, but got diverted by the one on healthy/unhealthy relationships.

Some of us on here have kondoed friendships and marriages, so this was a seriously good read, and particularly enlightening for me. :T

iQueen

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

iQueen thank you for the 'minimalist wardrobe' tip...

I leave my full-time job in three weeks to become self-employed and I know I am going to need some different stuff so this is a great time for a revamp. Haven't got a lot to spend but I do like the fact that she says you shouldn't be tied to styles and colours and that dressing to look thinner shouldn't be your main object!

The 'procrastination' blog looks good, too - link here 'Wait but Why' if anyone wants to read.

I'm going for her 'uniform' suggestion, as I'm at home more than out.

I have read that people, like the late Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Vera Wang, and other successful people, always wear the same basic clothes, like jeans and a black tee-shirt, or plain black suit for Wang, for daily work. It saves the palaver of making decisions on 'trivia', leaving energy for more critical stuff, and the uniform immediately makes them focus on work.

Clutterfree wrote: »

I had a light bulb moment today...

There are 3 areas in my home which are completely organised:
my baking ingredients
my herbs and spices
my make up

Why have I always managed to keep these areas in order whilst the rest of the house isn't?
And then it came to me.
It is because I LOVE baking, cooking and make up. These items spark joy so I have always looked after them.
It was quite a revelation.

Wow Floss you have a lot there. My rhubarb never seems to yield more than a couple of stalks. What's the secret please?

I think everyone has some areas of their home that are carefully cared for, however bad the rest gets! My bathroom, toilet, bedroom (pre-clothes kondoing!), laundry and washing-up have to be perfect. The rest... don't ask! All probably due to my first jobs: chambermaid, then residential-home washer-up!

If Floss has so much rhubarb, she probably lives in the Rhubarb Triangle! I don't have much luck with it either, sadly.

tibawo wrote: »

I am finding the Amazon trade in hard. Games not used, so no joy yet my old me keeps saying but that cost x and they are only going to give me so little for it. How do people get past this?

The money was spent - forget it. Which do you prefer, a little money, or landfill?