Daydream fund challenge part 4

Mr Rod was only here for a few hours today, as he had an appt elsewhere, but he is cracking-on. The garage, which was still just a garage a few weeks ago is now two rooms: one with a loft hatch and stable door for the plant-related outhouse, and the other plumbed-up as a bathroom, though no fittings yet. There's water and leccy in both, so we will stick the old sink unit from my den into the outhouse for washing pots etc and put the computer and label printer on the other side.

The main bedroom is now completely plastered/skimmed and ready for skirtings etc. T'other one is half way there, as is the hallway, so we're getting close to second fix on electrics.

This all sounds good, but we still have to extend the drainage and completely replace all the inspection chambers on the site, which are old-fashioned brick things that allow ground water in during really wet spells. We also have to get the kitchen plastered and floored, ready for the fitters, and lastly, we need to create a fireplace in the living room and get a new fire in situ before we plaster in there.

All this before winter.....:eek:

Oh, and the trashed bathroom....that will have to wait because it's storage for the next few months.

Fine evening, so popped into my local NTS garden 'after hours'...they really should have noticed the warning 'can be invasive' on that pot of Persicaria bistorta 'Superba'

For anyone interested in seeing the reality of gardening in Scotland, can I point you to Anns a' Gharradh (In the Garden) on the BBC iPlayer. Don't worry, there's subtitles for anyone not speaking the Gaelic.

Here's a taster...

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Fine evening, so popped into my local NTS garden 'after hours'...they really should have noticed the warning 'can be invasive' on that pot of Persicaria bistorta 'Superba'

I stuck some of that in by the stream....but it struggles!

The stream 'garden' hasn't received any input this year and probably won't, but it's a really challenging place to grow stuff, other than that which exists there naturally.

Luckily, the existing ferns, cerlandines, primroses, foxgloves and campion are all pleasant enough, but I've managed to add a few hellebores, arum, the persicaria, astrantia, alchemilla and various geraniums. They're surviving, but making slow progress in the shade there.

Up at the Dog End, the shade is colonised by a dwarf comfrey. It's spread a little way down the stream, but is nothing to worry about yet. Where it grows, not much else does!

Horse Woman has just brought in the last of her bales. Pete cut the hay last week, turned it a few times and then ridged-up this morning. Someone else baled....all 1/2 an acre of it!:rotfl:

With Pete driving a 4 mile round trip each day and the baler coming many miles, that hay must've cost something! :eek: