The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

Popperwell

I have so many food sites on my PC(lost a fair few when the laptop failed):(Some offer tasty and simple ideas. Some concentrate on keeping the cost of meals down. Some websites have other links you can look at which may be even better. I can keep putting links up if anyone would like me to. This site offers even recipes that are gluten free. You'd need to look around and see if anything takes your fancy:p


Once you have certain ingredients in the pantry and have paid the initial outlay I find I can survive on 50p-£1.50 on average daily.


Usually nearer the lower amount(it also depends on the size of portions required and whether you can make extra and bring it out of the fridge/freezer and just defrost/reheat. Also a slow cooker is another kitchen gadget I put to good use.


http://frugalfeeding.com/frugal-recipe-index/

Here's an extra link...
http://www.fiverfeeds.co.uk/recipes/

Today is very autumn like but I hate wasting time not getting on top of the garden. So I did another hour and feel I am getting there, if the weather improves perhaps tomorrow will mean I can clear it of the ivy and weeds. Then I'll strim the lawn again, then get the weed killer and lawn feeder mix on it. And perhaps one specially meant for ivy/tree and shrub stumps on the barren lawn.


Where the ivy has been and sawdust from the felled trees I have no grass so I will have sow new grass but I have no idea if it will match the other lawn. If its green, weed free and tidy that will be ok for me.


Tomorrow I may try and buy some extra flowers. I have paint for the fence but suspect it needs replacing but I may get away with it for now. I have a hedge trimmer so if I can get that tidied at the front of the house I'm pretty well on top of it all.


Then I can stop going on about gardens:oI'm quite happy and positive at present and sleeping better too.

silvasava

Pops - Ivy is a bit of a thug to get rid of. I'd suggest pulling as much as you can off the fence. You can do this a bit at a time as there seems to be quite a bit. You'll need some strong weedkiller to get rid of it - I use glyphosphate from Wilky's but its £10.00 a bottle it does last a long time though 'cos you dilute it. I put it in my big sprayer but you could use a little hand sprayer instead. Be careful 'cos if you get it on anything you want to keep it will kill it. I did see some in Home Barg**ns today but the shelf price wasn't there & I didn't have time to ask. If you can pull away as much as you can manage & then spray it, it will take a couple of weeks to die. You could probably use it on the stumps too. DH just drilled a few holes in a tree stump and poured some neat onto it. Took a while but did the trick. Lidly's and Aldees often sell grass seed but usually in the spring. Good Luck!

Popperwell

Thanks for all the info Silvasava...The fences(on my side are clear now)If I get another day in tomorrow the lawn that's been affected may be clear too:DStrangley the ivy on the other side may be offering support. I have left some on the top but may level that with the trimmer. If its coming from neighbours gardens as I put it on my ivy, it may kill off theirs. I'm not going to worry if it does.


As I've pulled it off the lawn roots/trails have been coming from underneath the soil. I understand the weed killer you mention must be used exactly where you wish as you suggest but soon disappears and does not affect the soil. I'll give it time to disappear before sowing the grass. Perhaps I'll have to leave that until next year. I may finally see the rockery again.


I see you are aiming to be 147lbs so am I. I am stuck at 152lbs but never put more on. When I was well(younger)I was usually between 133lbs-140lbs.

FairyPrincessk

Morning all,


It has been quiet around the fence. London was certainly not quiet. I'm exhausted, but the conference was very successful and we had a nice weekend with some museums and seeing a few friends. We came back Sunday night, went to fetch Maggie the Cat and MIL gave us tea which was very nice. OH left for a residential trip with school yesterday morning so I'm home working and feeding the WM trying to get caught up on washing before he comes home at the end of the week with a whole new crop of it, this time covered in mud!

I've found a few thrifty deals recently--one a very nice cashmere Ballantyne's cardigan that only needs the buttons changing. I suppose I could leave them but bright gold buttons on a soft lavender just doesn't quite do it for me. I've got plenty of pearl and mother of pearl that came off of my great grandmother's clothes so I'll swap them out for something a bit more sedate. I'm just doing the hand sewing bits on the dress in the evenings now. I did the sleeve bindings last night and I've had to take the zip out so I'm putting that back in. Then it is just the hem and the buttons. It was supposed to have breast pockets but I don't think they're going to look right on it so I've decided to forgo those. I haven't decided about the belt yet, but I'm thinking it needs a contrast so will have to find something for that.

I've eaten my first strawberry of the year from the garden with my breakfast. It is supposed to be warmer and sunnier today so hopefully some of the rest of them will be ready in the next few days.

Mar, what about stews?

We make this one, which is actually much tamer in person than it looks in the photos--I don't think my OH uses much if any chilli in it and it is just like a nice beef stew in flavour and texture. I can't find it on her website, I only found it here with googling. You could avoid the dumplings or only have one to avoid gluten.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/28/jack-monroe-red-bean-soup-and-dumplings-recipe

ivyleaf

Welcome back FairyPrincessk! Glad all went well on your visit to London. Did you go to the Fashion on the Ration exhibition in the end? I remember going to an exhibition there years ago called "Forties Fashion" - it was really interesting and there was a book too, which I still have. Two things I particularly remember are blouses made from silk maps, and a dressing gown made from a captured Nazi flag.

mardatha

Had a lovely day out up in Edinburgh yesterday and now going to spend today firmly in my chair floating around the net. And meal planning but it never usually comes to anything

ivyleaf

Glad you had a good day mar. Enjoy a rest today.

I was in Scotland on holiday recently. Had a lovely time seeing old friends, but forgot to bring any Lee's Macaroon Bars home :eek:

mardatha

I think they're mashed tattie with icing sugar and peppermint essence, rolled in choc and coconut. We used to make our own when we were kids lol

FairyPrincessk

Ivyleaf--I did go to Fashion on the Ration. It was a good exhibit--and it featured a dressing gown made of printed maps--something I'd only read about.:D They talked about the classes for re-making clothing, and I have looked into some of the contemporary 'make do and mend classes' but I've always been disappointed by the contemporary stuff. I want to know things like what can I do with all of the good quality cotton men's shirts in charity shops, not how to fold over a sheet, sew up two sides and put some elastic in it to make [STRIKE]an elasticated sack[/STRIKE] a dress. Still it was a good exhibition, if a bit pricey--OH also went in but didn't enjoy it nearly as much and ended up on another floor while I read all of the blurbs in minute detail.

ivyleaf

mardatha wrote: »

I think they're mashed tattie with icing sugar and peppermint essence, rolled in choc and coconut. We used to make our own when we were kids lol

So they are - mashed tattie :eek: (I just Googled the ingredients because I thought you were pulling my leg! :rotfl: ) I used to love them though. Might have a go at making some

FPK Glad you enjoyed the exhibition. I haven't got my copy any more but there's a facsimile "Make Do and Mend, by Mrs Sew-and Sew" book available - it might be a compilation of the leaflets that were issued during the war. It gives examples of how to transform 2 worn/outgrown garments into a new one, etc. I didn't keep it because the print was too small for me.