Project Mortgage Neutral Begins

ajmoney

Trying to concentrate on one of two borders I will be keeping. All the definite weeds are out and a plant severely cut back that needed doing last year. If it regrows at some point then great if not it can come out. I am now working on the roses, so far I have only cut one stem by mistake! I am using it as a bit of trial and error and sometimes only cutting back half although when I say cutting back what I am actually doing is getting rid of crossing stems.
I would like to put some bulbs in where I have cleared patches of the bed but don't have any compost so we shall see. 

Suffolk_lass

If you mean spring bulbs the normal time to do this is in the Autumn - typically all the Spring bulbs appear in the garden centres/nurseries in September. They don't really need compost - they are quite happy in topsoil. It is worth looking at the depth to plant things though - too deep or too shallow makes a difference as to survival and flowering and might be a bit different. I usually buy a couple of pots of instant flowering bulbs such as hyacinths or tete-a-tete narcissi and these get enjoyed, dried and then planted in September and have the advantage that I know what they are because I saw them in bloom.

ajmoney

Suffolk_lass said:

If you mean spring bulbs the normal time to do this is in the Autumn - typically all the Spring bulbs appear in the garden centres/nurseries in September.

No, I have some bulbs that can be planted now to flower through the summer.

I finished the border yesterday after being outside for 5 hours, I really enjoyed it but it was helped by lovely weather.  The temperature is now about 10 degrees lower but I would like to keep going although it is tough to work out what to do next.  I am going to try and plant the bulbs this afternoon.  I am debating trying to grow some edibles so am trying to decide between grow bags, pots of a small patch of garden that had been dug over and is ready for growing but will be redesigned when the garden gets done. 

The money spending has been going really well although I found out yesterday that a certain DIY shop is open, I am managing to stop myself from going because buying garden things is not essential.  I am tempted to order through a garden centre...  Unfortunately it looks like I am going to need a new fridge freezer soon as the dial inside is making no difference and I have had a feeling for a few weeks that the milk etc just isn't as cold as it is meant to be.  The sensible thing would be to buy soon as some shops are doing free delivery but I have a lot of meals in the freezer and I would also like to be able to see what I am buying.  I will look online and see what is on offer.  I can't see me having as much spare cash at the end of this month.

ajmoney

My new fridge freezer will be arriving on Friday so this week I will be working my way through my homemade meals.  I won't be able to empty it completely but I will find a way around it somehow. 

I am undecided what to do today, part of me feels I should work but it is bank holiday.  I have had a different start as I have already been out for a run, now I am allowed out more than once a day I don't have to save it until tea time.  It was lovely and quiet out so I am glad I took the opportunity, I will go for a walk later.  Heading in the shower soon and then will make a plan that I may or may not stick to!

A_Frayed_Knot

May be an idea, if you have some freezer packs to freeze them, then store your freezer food in a freezer bag with the packs, if you don't have that, then I'm sure I read somewhere you wrap them in newspaper and store.  I know I used the freezer packs and freezer bags then place them all in the bath (just in case they started to defrost) and threw all the ice lollies, and other stuff out.  Nice time to take stock of what you have and list as well.

I'm also sitting here, with a list of "to do's" adding to it instead of scoring them off !!! as seeing lots more to add.

Just thinking, what would I like to do today to get at least a few things off that list.

Lovely day out and washings done and out to dry, it's so quiet round here just now, that I feel strangely guilty if I start cutting the grass and disturbing the peace 

Enjoy your day whatever you decide,

ajmoney

A_Frayed_Knot said:

Enjoy your day whatever you decide,

I decided to enjoy the lovely weather and sat outside knitting for 4 hours. About to go for a walk and then I am going to do some baking before I cook dinner. Today is the first weekday I haven't worked in 7 and a half weeks having worked all the bank and public holidays, I will be back to it tomorrow though.

ajmoney

I have been researching garden ideas on p!nterest and today they emailed me these.  I have been looking for something to replace a small hedge between my neighbours and I and think this would work really well as a dividing wall.

ajmoney

And this on the side of my shed.  I saw a vertical planter the other day which I might use elsewhere but I love this idea.

Suffolk_lass

Ooh I like those ideas - especially the trough under the vertical planter with vegetables in. I notice they have mixed flowers and edibles too - it makes for better pollination of flowers I think and makes it all very pretty. We have just used all our usable pallets to make new compost bins. Have not been out for a cruise round industrial and building sites for throw-aways/help yourself free ones for two months now.

ajmoney

Suffolk_lass said:

Have not been out for a cruise round industrial and building sites for throw-aways/help yourself free ones for two months now.

I have a couple of farmer friends in the triathlon club who I was going to ask but I also have a friend who works on a new build site and is involved in procurement so I will speak to her.  A friend of mine has made a shed and pergola with pallets so far during lockdown.

My bank will only allow transfers over £1 into my other accounts and my current account is currently sitting at £700.78, how rude!  If I manage to meal plan well enough for the rest of the month I might just have enough money left in my current account to pay for my fridge freezer, it does mean I can't buy any gardening stuff unless it is affordable in the supermarkets.

Having a late start for work today at 9.30, in fairness this is the time we start normally but I have been starting at 9.  I started my day with a short bike turbo session and mini circuit as I have a work meeting this afternoon which is often very long.  This way I have already worked out and can go for a mind clearing walk instead.