The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

chickens11

Burtha.....Congrats on the little baby .......

Birds ....Well I love as much wildlife as I can get in the garden , I have 2 feeding stations each have 3 very long hanging feeders on , If I put peanuts up they usually end up mouldy so I dont buy peanuts anymore .....

I do buy sunflower hearts in bags of 25 kgs , as I have so many goldfinches here all the time and I mix it with nyger seed .......I try not to put food on the ground because of rats , which I dont want ......You could buy a feeding station for about £12 , but I made my own , I dug 2 7 foot poles about 5 foot apart and then put one piece of wood across of wood on top , so its like a goal post effect .......

And hang feeders from there , cheap and very simple to make , plus you get so much satisfaction from making it yourself ......
I have got a bird table too , good idea that you have a small pond for the wildlife ......Ive also got a pond but its doesnt have fish because I have lots of newts and creatures , so its a wildlife pond , hoping to get some frogspawn very soon........

Its been a windy old day , but feeling nice and cosy now by the woodburner , be glad when spring arrives , although its still very early and anything could happen with our weather ........

Sheila

pollyanna_26

Mar M&S in my neck of the woods started the sale at the beginning of January as did the few remaining big shops . It was a struggle to get around marks as they had so many sale racks there was little floor left .The racks finally disappeared the week before last and the remaining sales stuff will have gone to their outlet stores . I've found them a bit and miss in the last few years . Had a few nice jumpers but took stuff back for a refund due to poor quality , fit and being shapeless and baggy . They are trying to get things right but our store looks set to be turned into a food store . It isn't a big one so probably the best plan .


I seem to remember you've bought from Woolovers in the past I was sent the sale brochure through the post last week . They have some good offers so worth a look online . Not sure if they still have their online amazon store but I picked up a few bargains in knitwear on there over the years . It was tracked Royal Mail delivery which I prefer to courier .


Good to see you back burtha and thanks for the update on monna Nargle , it's good to see your husband is doing well . Still wondering if NM is ok .


You're all coming back to the thread so stuff to catch up on . Will catch up . Very little sleep last night with the rain and gale force winds so will watch Casualty and hope for an early night .
Take care fencers .
pollyx

burtha

Had a look at diy feeders , may be possible ... but will see what the shops have tomorrow, now have a bit more time as ds football match is cancelled ....
Realy want to make a pond in the old bath tub , lots of ideas to play with .... may bring some wildlife into the garden as it's very sterile at the moment ....
Had quite a nice day today ... 10 mile run , then a potter to the shops , new house is in the middle of the local town , so although it's a bit breezy today still nice to walk ...
Youngest dd is doing ok the last few days , her and the boyfriend made tea for them and ds when I had a soak lol ....
3mw turned up to take ds for a mcd this afternoon .... he was there and back within 30 mins ... I suppose that's twice in 7 weeks he's seen him , maybe 1hr at the most ... what's the point springs to mind
Thankfully the kids see through him now , dd didn't even answer her phone to him , says everything realy .
Don't know what the sales have been like this year , shopping is not my thing , in and out as quick as I can although did take the new other half to get him some stuff , he nearly always looks crumpled lol .... not now , but was sale stuff and he got a lot for his money :T
x

monnagran

I've been trying to catch up on everything that has been going on while I've been incommunicado but I don't remember much.

burtha it is wonderful to hear you sounding so much better. Thank goodness you are now warm and life is not quite hard.
As for 3mw, he is busy cooking his own goose where the children are concerned. They are not stupid and he has made it perfectly clear where they come in his order of priorities. The visits will probably grew fewer and fewer and further and further apart until they fizzle out altogether.
Eventually, when his new and exciting life has become hum drum and ordinary, as it will, he will regret not keeping up with his children, but it will be too late.

Good luck with the cashmere Mar. I had a cashmere jumper once, bought in the sales natch, but sadly it brought me up in a rash, just like wool does. Pity, it was a lovely jumper.

I think birds have to get used to finding food in the garden. I made fat cakes for the birds with a class of children once and we hung them up in a tree and retreated to to the classroom to watch developments. The birds ignored the cakes in droves. They flew over the garden making a careful detour round the tree with the food.
It took about 3 weeks before they ventured to try a bit. After that it became the best restaurant in town and the children learned so much about the different birds eating their cakes.
So don't despair burtha, it may take a little time.

mardatha

Forgot about Woolovers Polly ty!!

mardatha

Oh monna I hope not!! I had thought cashmere would be soft and non itchy..

monnagran

Don't worry mar. I have the sort of skin that reacts badly to all sorts things. You should just see the trouble I have with soaps, shampoos, deodorants etc. I can bet that as soon as I find one that doesn't make me itch they stop making it or change the formula.
Cashmere is soft and lovely. It's just me.

pollyanna_26

So much for Casualty and bed . I'd forgotten MOTD . Just watched my lovely baby faced assassin guide them to another win . 9 wins and 1draw since he came over from Norway late December and unbeaten .
If he's not made permanent manager soon I'll give up football for good .


Mar I've got a couple of cashmere jumpers and they're quite lightweight , soft and cosy . Certain clothes do make me itch but not the cashmere .


Just been giggling at the idea of a crumpled new oh burtha . The mind boggles , at least you've smoothed him down now .


Lovely to see you back monna .


Starting to wilt so polly is leaving the building . Night all.
pollyx

jamanda

Burtha,


I can't believe the parallels between your situation and my daughter's.


I mentioned before about nasty divorce etc, the kids don't want anything to do with nasty ex (who has threatened them in various ways since, whilst trying to get them to like him!!) Their house has now eventually sold and she and 3 kids were to be homeless.


With the first stroke of luck she has seen, she has managed to get a council house and is currently in the process of packing/painting/moving etc. etc.


There appear (reading between the lines) to be admirers in the distance too.


Every time I read your posts your situation reminds me so much of hers.


I am so glad you are beginning to live again, and hope your kids are settling to a proper life. Two of the grandchildren are poorly, one with Chronic Fatigue and one with Chronic something or other which causes violent and prolonged pain in the stomach. Can't be diagnosed, apparently.


I believe both of these were brought on by stress. Now the stress is being removed, and they have a home to go to, I'm hoping they will improve dramatically.


Very best wishes


J

pollyanna_26

Today is catch up time. I only subscribe to 4 threads but seem to be always trying to catch up .


First of all burtha it's lovely to read your grandaughter arrived safe and well following all the worry a while back . It's probably a bit late now if you've gone shopping but you'd be surprised how many pots , large containers , bird feeders etc you can pick up either free or very cheaply. If you have freecycle in your area or a free local newspaper there are often pots , bird feeders etc free to collect ,also local FB . many people offer the big ceramic containers just because they change their colour scheme each year :eek: not very mse but good for the thrifty seeking such things . It's a bit early for bootsales but they're a good source too for next to nothing .


There are loads of ideas online for things you can make from odds and ends . As others have said the birds wont arrive instantly they need to suss out the territory regarding cats , foxes etc . Not having trees means although cats can hide in trees ( ask me how I know that . Looking at you 2 bells Ollie ) trees can be sanctuary for the birds if a cat shows up . They will come it's just a matter of being patient .


Will you be growing fruit, veg as well as flowers ? I grow a lot in pots nowadays . Perennial flowers and trees and shrubs . Bedding plants are a waste of money as they need replacing each year . Rather than onions I grow lots of shallots . Garlic, herbs and veg are good value and cheaper than the shops . If you want some shrubs , climbers etc Morrisons have lots of honeysuckles and other climbers and shrubs very cheaply . They're good quality and I've never had one fail . At the moment I'm growing salad leaves on the window sills from seed which give some green during the hungry gap . Sprouting seeds indoors is another thing I do . No need for fancy sprouting kits although I do have some . A large glass jar will do .


It's lovely to feel the happiness in your posts. I reckon 3mw did you all a favour although it caused so much pain . You ,your son and dd are free to fly now so make the most of every day . Good luck with the Great North Run . My eldest daughter did it three times . I've a lovely picture of her running over the bridge with the Arrows flying overhead . Her husband was running backwards ahead of her to get the shot :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


jamanda You must be so relieved your daughter and gc are safe now . She's very lucky to have a council house which will mean security . There are good landlords and bad in the private sector and it can be the luck of the draw which type people find themselves with . Wishing her and the children happiness and peace and less worry for you too. It does sound like stress related anxiety with the grandchildren . They'll never forget but they will settle as time goes by it's just love, time and patience .


ManU won 10 drawn I forgot to include yesterdays win!


To go back to the sales conversation . Spring is on the racks here - good luck with that I say . The sun is shining but it's bitterly cold and still blowing a hoolie . I for one wont be casting a clout yet .


Have a good day if you can fencers .
Edited to clarify I don't grow trees and shrubs in containers . One day I'll remember to read through before posting!
pollyx