Prosperous soul in the making

MovingForwards

The garden is starting to come together and how lucky were you with the tree guy! I'm sure your whole garden will open up and your ideas will keep expanding with each change you are making.

savingholmes

Thanks HSL, CMD and DIA
DIA - I've bought bare rooted trees in the past for a fiver at places like Wilk0s or HnB or a supermarket -  same with fruit bushes... This year though who knows what's available? Certainly not me as we are largely staying in.

CMD - we would have loved a trampoline for the kids where they were smaller but because the previous owners had built a wall separating the garden in two half way across and done water features, decking paths and allsorts there was no suitable area big enough to fit one. It does sound like our garden if it was an empty plot would be about 3 times yours though. I think it is partly because we are in a cul-de-sac that we have a wide though not particularly deep garden. The house was built around 2000.
 
I spoke to two sets of neighbours from a distance today. Good for all our mental health. One has offered to help us in the garden for a couple of hours tomorrow after the trees have gone as long as we do it in a socially distanced way. Really kind. We could fill another couple of garden bins this week we have so much we've cut down. May see if the tree cutters will get rid of that for us too tomorrow. It would be worth an extra tenner or something to have a clear starting point and they have an industrial sized 'wood chipper' type thing. Tahlullah - these guys came in separate vans to minimise their risk from each other and kept a suitable distance from us while quoting.

DH has assembled most of the new shed - just has the doors left to do. Then he would ideally bolt it to the ground - but he needs to lay new paving or sort some concrete to have a wide enough base so can't finish yet. Can't seem to get any delivered and avoiding going out at the moment... I found about 6 slightly bigger empty pots in the back border - weird how they have become treasure so fast! I have swapped a couple of beans into the cucumber pots and those into my new finds. I was going to do some more before it belted it down. May retry shortly after another brew if the rain holds off again for a bit. Hope you are all having fab day.

DancingInTheRain

All sounding positive & very productive x

EchoB

Wow-just had a catch up, you’ve made fantastic garden progress and also well done with the weight loss.

I have tried planting tomato, pepper and chilli seeds so will see how I get on! I’m restricted to growing things in pots so any ideas/suggestions would be welcome!

You seem so motivated and I feel like reading your diary has spurred me on a bit so thank you! 

Have a great Monday :-)

savingholmes

Thanks Dancing and Echo. The guys are here now cutting down my tree - and could be about to start one at the neighbour behind which would be fab as in our opinion their tree is dangerous. Need to make myself do work from home now. 

savingholmes

Well thankfully the weather was nice yesterday and the tree came down safely. The neighbours haven't had theirs done yet sadly. Will let you know if that changes. We kept the big logs so those are now stacked down the side of the house for either woodcraft or fire logs later. I now have more light in my garden -  but hard to tell how much as the it has rained pretty much non-stop today. I sowed some spinach and leek seeds yesterday. I have had to pot on the peppers, cucumber and tomato plants I bought but kept them inside still. My beans (Hestia) I have started potting on where I have something to pot into. They are about 4 inches tall already! I was planning to put them outside but it has suddenly gone colder so will probably wait. My lettuce is now germinating as of yesterday so that makes me more hopeful. No sign of my outdoor sown peas or carrot seeds - so may have to try again. The peppers still haven't germinated but are I think still within the 'window' where they could.  A load more seeds arrived yesterday including flowers (nasturtium and marigolds) so looking forward to planting those as veg companion plants. 

Now I have my weekly recurring grocery order back in place - thanks to Mr A - I plan to try and get the grocery budget back on track. I may stray from that if I have a lot of missings or substitutions so will let you know how I get on. We did get eggs and milk, TP and KP on the last click and collect so that was an improvement. In the next fortnight we have our usual CC payments - should be a touch over £300. We still haven't heard from the uni about accommodation costs so still holding onto £933 for that - but hoping not to have to pay it. DS has managed to get some research work via a referral from a relative so that's really positive.

Hope you are all keeping well and finding positive ways to occupy yourselves.... I may have decoupaged some boring grey plant pots with kiddies playful patterns, flowers, partridges and trees using stuff I already had. Well it did start raining!!

clearmydebts

Great news re: the tree. H chopped down two in our garden last year and it made a huge difference to the light. We also have a neighbour with a dangerous looking tree. I wish they'd get rid of it! All sounding very positive SavingH. You are so motivated

MovingForwards

Your garden is coming along nicely and it will be good to hear how your produce grows / tastes and what you would / wouldn't use again next year. It's always good to hear results; my brother sends me photos

I'm pleased the tree has come down and you will make use of the logs. I'm sure there will be extra light even if it doesn't feel like it.

Fingers crossed the accomodation doesn't want payment, I'm assuming you are keeping an eye on their website.

How's everyone's diets going? Is DH more stable now with his meds / results? More importantly, how are you feeling and how's your leg?

[Deleted User]

Wow holmes you are keeping very busy! I can't wait until we have a garden we can do whatever we want with hope the sunshine gets into your garden as planned x

savingholmes

Thanks MF - the accommodation place will email in due course. Just trying to ringfence the money in our EF for now so it is more out of sight. 

SSDD23 - I am growing some of my veg in containers so you could have a go. You could probably grow stuff long term on your windowsill even - although preferably on trays rather than the haphazard way I am currently doing it. My windowsills will need repainting - but then they did before too.

Well it is a brighter day today -- still cloudy but bright. It's not currently raining so I planted marigolds in recycled plastic trays. I will do a couple of hours work and then take a decent lunch break and then hopefully start off some nasturtiums. I have some red geraniums flowering in the front garden now and they are beautiful in among pink geraniums and blue forget-me-nots. My newly planted delphiniums are getting ready to flower. I have loads of 'granny's bonnet' in flower too. I think I may plant some beans in pots near the house today - I need to make space for my next sowings!