Tales from The Shire

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  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 90,160 Ambassador
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  • Fortune_Smiles
    Fortune_Smiles Posts: 5,029 Forumite
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    edited 25 April 2018 at 7:28PM
    I am gradually making amends in our long neglected garden. I've pruned back the overgrown trees and bushes in the vegetable garden. It's much easier to get in and out now and more light should get through. I've also weeded the sole raised bed. It's been planted with a strange mix of flowers, fruits and herbs but I quite like the eclectic look of it.

    When we lived in Kent I used to visit a tiny garden centre near the village. It specialised in the wild flowers and herbs I love and, over the years, I filled my little garden with all sorts of rare and magical plants I bought from them. I was very sad to leave them behind. This week I discovered they do on-line shopping :D Needless to say I placed an order ;)

    Today I have planted:
    • Sweet Cicely
    • Salad Burnett
    • Alpine Strawberry
    • Garlic Chives
    • Winter Savory
    • and a Globe Artichoke :rotfl:

    I'm not very keen on Artichokes but Mr F loves them and I like the look of the plant and it's huge flowers.

    Mr F has mowed what needs mowing and I've started weeding the front garden. There's still a lot to do but it's good to get started.

    The 'lots of little things' I've decided to buy from this month's home improvement budget have started to arrive :T Today's delivery was new egg cups and cereals bowls. We've always hated the ones we have which came as part of a set. They turned out to be easily scratched and impractical to use. The old egg cups are decent enough to use in the annex and the old cereals bowls will be handy for garage or garden stuff.

    I expect I've done a bit too much again today and will crash tomorrow. But at least I'm back at full capacity most days now.

    Hope everyone's having a great week

    Fortune x
    Mortgage: 86% paid Mortgage Neutral: 100% Emergency Fund: 100%
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  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,460 Forumite
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    Things sound good, Fortune :)

    I have salad burnet too - it's finally starting to self seed around my garden, and the leaves are so recognisable, I'm not digging it up :)
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
  • Fortune_Smiles
    Fortune_Smiles Posts: 5,029 Forumite
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    edited 25 April 2018 at 7:49PM
    Karmacat wrote: »
    Things sound good, Fortune :)

    I have salad burnet too - it's finally starting to self seed around my garden, and the leaves are so recognisable, I'm not digging it up :)

    It has such a lovely cucumbery taste Karma. I sometimes put the leaves in salads... and sometimes in gin :eek:

    Fortune x
    Mortgage: 86% paid Mortgage Neutral: 100% Emergency Fund: 100%
    A Better View 🌄 'Being on the edge isn't as safe, but the view is better' - Ricky Gervais
  • Fortune_Smiles
    Fortune_Smiles Posts: 5,029 Forumite
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    Tomorrow I will be making the very first overpayment on our new mortgage - hurrah :j This will take us up to 5% paid off so far and drop us a decade :j I'm still very excited that I can see the account on line which I wasn't able to do with the previous provider. For a little extra motivation, I've printed off a picture of a house with 100 squares so I can put it up on the fridge and mark off our progress.

    We're also up to 61% of our target for emergency savings and have met our commitment towards a house desposit for DS1.

    I don't thank that's too bad for 10 months.

    My third virus :eek: is dragging it's heels a little but I'm managing to get back on top of things. I've weeded the whole of the garden in front of the house now. When it's time for FDawg's walk I've been letting him have the run of the place while I do an hour of gardening. Chipping away a little each day has really added up and I'm feeling less overwhelmed by it all.

    My lovely neighbour took me out to lunch at a garden centre on Monday. It was a fabulous place and I bought a few more of the plants on my wish lish:
    • a ceonothus to put at the front of the house by the gate. It will make a lovely welcoming splash of cover
    • two sweet woodruff plants for ground cover under the trees in the courtyard. They will keep the weeds down and provide pretty flowers and wonderful fragrance
    • two courgette plants to add to the veg patch.

    On Tuesday I visited a friend and was treated to the most delicious and healthy lunch. It's lovely to be able to get out and about again.

    Tomorrow I'm out again - there's no stopping me now :rotfl: Just to the hairdresser. I have a serious grey root problem that needs addressing :eek:

    I'm probably doing a bit too much again but Mr F is away for some of the weekend so I shall have a little down time then.

    Happy Hump Day all

    Fortune x
    Mortgage: 86% paid Mortgage Neutral: 100% Emergency Fund: 100%
    A Better View 🌄 'Being on the edge isn't as safe, but the view is better' - Ricky Gervais
  • wishingthemortgaheaway
    wishingthemortgaheaway Posts: 2,536 Forumite
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    Fortune, apart from the great illnesses it really does sound like you are living the good life.

    Enjoy.
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  • brizzlegirl
    brizzlegirl Posts: 1,260 Forumite
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    Sounding great FS , especially all those herbs. After a rough winter our herbs are coming up again...particular favourites are sorrels (we have two varieties) and lovage...

    Dont go too mad with all the activities though...you need to recuperate :)
  • greent
    greent Posts: 10,670 Forumite
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    Yeay to OPing! - and am also glad you're on the up x
    I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul
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  • Fortune_Smiles
    Fortune_Smiles Posts: 5,029 Forumite
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    wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »
    Fortune, apart from the great illnesses it really does sound like you are living the good life.

    Enjoy.

    Thank you Wish - yes, what a winter it's been. We're coming out the other side now though and really starting to enjoy the new place.
    brizzlegirl wrote: »
    Sounding great FS , especially all those herbs. After a rough winter our herbs are coming up again...particular favourites are sorrels (we have two varieties) and lovage...

    Dont go too mad with all the activities though...you need to recuperate :)

    Oooh - sorrel and lovage :cool: Just added them to the wish list :) I am trying to pace myself Brizzle but it's so hard when I've been reigned in for so long.
    greent wrote: »
    Yeay to OPing! - and am also glad you're on the up x

    First OP just this minute made greent and house of a hundred squares pinned up in the kitchen. Feeling very motivated now.

    Fortune x
    Mortgage: 86% paid Mortgage Neutral: 100% Emergency Fund: 100%
    A Better View 🌄 'Being on the edge isn't as safe, but the view is better' - Ricky Gervais
  • therocket_2
    therocket_2 Posts: 59 Forumite
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    The new place is sounding lovely in the new-found spring weather and glad F-Dawg isnt causing you any added grief ontop of the virus!

    And congratulations on the overpayment and other goals - great progress in such a short space of time!
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