Light the fire...

woodfired

savingholmes said:

The shed sounds awesome. My DH would love something like that. He has what should be the dining room currently as a study though so he's doing okay. We are currently trying to empty the shed a little so he can do some woodworking. The kids also want to do that. 

Thanks SH, it is looking ok.  I'm impressed you gave the whole dining room to your DH though I'm not sure I would be so generous haha!  Are the kids up for the woodworking? That sounds a lovely hobby.

themadvix

Woodfired said: 'Another fabulous morning.  I've just been out to the greenhouse with a coffee to check on progress, does anyone else do that first thing in a morning?  I love it, especially on a beautiful spring morning like this. '

Absolutely - I love a wander round the garden to check on the 'babies' first thing in the morning and open up my tiny greenhouse for the day. It gives me an escape from the whinging cats too! (Why can I still not get quote function to work?!)

Needhelpsaving

Morning! Just finished reading through your diary and wanted to pop in and say hello. 
You've made so much progress in such a short period, and I wanted to wish you luck on your journey ahead 

savingholmes

HI Woodfired - I would love a greenhouse. I am enjoying checking my window sills for progress as well as any plants I have outside. My pea shoots and carrots look like they are finally germinating which is exciting. I gave DH the dining room so he was more part of the family than when he was in a room upstairs. I took over the lounge as my main room - and anywhere else I can find space. I put a big garden pot on a small table in his room today - he has patio doors - it took him several hours to notice L0L

lucielle

SH the commando planter!  Cue bond music as she darts round the house leaving pots in her wake
L

savingholmes

Thanks Lucielle - I enjoyed that image. Given that on our window sills or nearby we have lettuce, cucumber, beetroot, marigolds, nasturtiums, celery, peppers and a tomato plant you are not far wrong. Our kitchen has a bay window which helps! I've no idea how they are all going to fit in the garden but that's a problem for a different day!

woodfired

Hello,

Sorry I have been AWOL for a couple of weeks.  I don't always feel like I've much to talk about, I'm mainly gardening and doing house projects, even the cooking has taken a bit of a backseat lately.

The plants are all coming on well, the peas, cabbages, courgettes, squash and beans are now planted out.   
I've pinched lots of pots off mum for the greenhouse veg but they were going to cost a fortune to fill with compost so I blindly ordered a tonne of mushroom compost I saw on a marketplace group.  That turned up yesterday (£36 delivered and the pile is huge!), I used it to fill the old coldframe that has been repurposed into a raised bed, mulched round lots of the borders and planted my tomatoes into it.  When reading up later this may have been a mistake, apparently it can be too alkaline and different people have different opinions on its nutrient content, some say too rich, others say it has little nutritional value.  Who knows?!  For future planting I think I will mix 50/50 with normal compost and for now i'll watch to see how those plants in the 100% stuff compare to those in ordinary.  If they're suffering I can hopefully rescue before too much damage is done.  I do believe that the cabbages should love it but I cant plant young plants/seeds in it, I suppose it will be a case of trial and error.

Elsewhere in the house, we had a plasterer in to plaster the living room fireplace yesterday, looking good and I can't wait to paint it.  DH is cracking on with the garage room, mostly insulated and boarded out now.  He needs to install the new doors and window next.

We applied for a bounceback loan for DH's business.  It hit the account and was immediately transferred into the PB account.  Plan is to leave it for the interest free 12 months then hopefully pay it straight back.  Assuming we don't need to use it of course.  Fingers crossed.

I have the week off work this coming week and I'm really looking forward to it.  We are planning to build a couple of raised beds, one with trellis for the runner beans, and repair/replace the trellis in the side garden as the clematis are missing it!  I need to give the pond a clean out as its full of leaves and algae and do some painting.  I must also figure out how we're going to support the tomato plants we seem to be growing on an industrial scale , I'm thinking twine suspended from the roof of the greenhouse?

Have a lovely sunday everyone.x

lucielle

Wow, all sounds really busy.  Enjoy your week off.  Can you get some muck from your dads farm to help with the  compost?

savingholmes

I am having a similar problem working out how I do plant support for my peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes. Definitely going to need to steel a bit more of my back lawn too. I was investigating some metal caging/playpen we have from when our dog was a puppy when I came across 2 huge blackbirds dead in our shed. Presumably thanks to the cat. I was yelling my head off and a neighbour poked his head over the fence - sadly I am kind of wearing a beach dress with an old top over the top - not exactly what you want to be seen in. I am sure I gave him a good laugh. I've asked DH to remove them but he hasn't done so yet.

woodfired

Oh dear SH, falling victim to the perils of the lockdown wardrobe! My cat keeps catching the birds too, I get very cross with him but he doesn't seem to care.  
Lucielle - good thinking! I will do just that.  Thanks.x