Well to be honest I'd be quite happy with a small one, but one of my major priorities this year is to get a water butt bought and installed. I've had a bit of a look around and decided I need one with a stand so the kids might be able to fill their own watering cans from it.
Before I can do any of it though, I need to get my gutters cleaned. This month I'm getting the boiler serviced, next month I'll be looking for someone to do that for me, as there's no way I can stand being up that high!
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Composting ideas
In my quest for cheap gardening I want to avoid paying for compost as much as possible. One of my gardening books suggests having at least 2 compost heaps. I have one bin, and might try to build a second (or put it on my to-save-for wish list) but I'm also contemplating a wormery
In both cases I'll have to be careful what I use, bearing in mind previous rat issues! I do have space for another bin and a wormery though.
Compost wise I am going to try scouting for some free manure (I might try freecycle but obviously collection is an issue for me) to improve what I've got going.
In both cases I'll have to be careful what I use, bearing in mind previous rat issues! I do have space for another bin and a wormery though.
Compost wise I am going to try scouting for some free manure (I might try freecycle but obviously collection is an issue for me) to improve what I've got going.
Monday, 15 April 2013
Garden wishlist
I'm very good at making grand plans, committing time and resources to them in the short term, and then not seeing things through. My garden is something that I've been committed to for several years, and each year my commitment and success is growing - something that I'm very proud of myself for. Of course it helps that a lot of the work is seasonal so I don't get too bored. Each year when the work starts picking up again I want to buy a whole load of things. In the past I've given in to this as I could, but this year things are tighter, and I'm literally paying for my previous splurges so I need to be a lot more careful.
My plan this year is to keep a record of what I would like, and to try to prioritise them, and where I am going to buy, shop carefully and not just go nuts in Webbs! I think I'll try a post for each item and work from there.
My plan this year is to keep a record of what I would like, and to try to prioritise them, and where I am going to buy, shop carefully and not just go nuts in Webbs! I think I'll try a post for each item and work from there.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
What's happening in the garden at the moment
With the turn in the weather, I've ventured back out into the garden this week. Before the last lot of snow I managed to build two rather large raised bed / planter things out of furniture that was sitting around in the shed being dripped on. One has been allocated to fruit bushes, some of which I managed to damage getting in there (alas the problems of only having one pair of hands with any strength) and the other will be for my tomatoes.
I've freed up a load of large pots which will be great for some of my veg, and I've rehoused some of my herbs into smallers ones, so I'm looking forward to being able to plant out into them, though it's taking a while to get soil down from the top of the back garden to fill them with (then topped with compost)
I managed to kill my mini greenhouse over the winter. I now know I should have taken it down and packed it away to protect it, but I didn't and a fair bit of the cover has perished, and I can't afford a new one right now (well I could but I'm not going to tell my kids they can't go to soft play with their friends so I can buy it!). The result of this is that my seed space is very limited - being only a propagator and a tray on my lounge windowsill, and putting them out into the damaged greenhouse managed to kill a few, so they've come back in. I planted a few pea plants out today but I think I need to get myself something to cover them with ASAP (fleece probably) though it will have to be poundland's rather weak offerings.
I'm having to accept that I won't be able to plant what I want this year, as I can't justify the expense of more seeds, but I have a fair few things to get on with, so we won't be veg-less this summer, and as always the blackberries out the back should give us a good crop. I do need to find a decent cut-and-come-again salad mix though, as that saves both money and waste compared with supermarket stuff.
On a related note, a certain small boy gave me a good telling off for not making more jam this year, as the 'other' stuff is apparently not as good. Glad for the vote of confidence :)
Time for sleep now, but I'm hoping the rain holds off again tomorrow so I can get out into the garden again. Exercise that has visible results :)
I've freed up a load of large pots which will be great for some of my veg, and I've rehoused some of my herbs into smallers ones, so I'm looking forward to being able to plant out into them, though it's taking a while to get soil down from the top of the back garden to fill them with (then topped with compost)
I managed to kill my mini greenhouse over the winter. I now know I should have taken it down and packed it away to protect it, but I didn't and a fair bit of the cover has perished, and I can't afford a new one right now (well I could but I'm not going to tell my kids they can't go to soft play with their friends so I can buy it!). The result of this is that my seed space is very limited - being only a propagator and a tray on my lounge windowsill, and putting them out into the damaged greenhouse managed to kill a few, so they've come back in. I planted a few pea plants out today but I think I need to get myself something to cover them with ASAP (fleece probably) though it will have to be poundland's rather weak offerings.
I'm having to accept that I won't be able to plant what I want this year, as I can't justify the expense of more seeds, but I have a fair few things to get on with, so we won't be veg-less this summer, and as always the blackberries out the back should give us a good crop. I do need to find a decent cut-and-come-again salad mix though, as that saves both money and waste compared with supermarket stuff.
On a related note, a certain small boy gave me a good telling off for not making more jam this year, as the 'other' stuff is apparently not as good. Glad for the vote of confidence :)
Time for sleep now, but I'm hoping the rain holds off again tomorrow so I can get out into the garden again. Exercise that has visible results :)
Life
right now seems to be about making stuff. I have plenty of time on my hands, being an evil benefits scrounger, but not a lot of resources. And of course, caring for children does restrict what you can do with that time. The kids are either getting used to, or getting involved in the things I'm always buzzing around doing, so we're getting somewhere with it all.
This blog is going to be a bit about what projects I've got on the go, and a chance to record my journey a bit. I've got a few rough ideas about what I want to do in the long run, but as I'm great at not following through with things, I'm keeping them quiet. Short to medium term plans only :)
It's also going to be about creating some good habits, in all areas of my life. I have some debt that I need to clear. Debts that came about through a failure to accept my financial realities and through filling emotional holes with pointless spending. I'm very good at that! So I'll be writing about spending in at attempt to keep myself in check.
At some point too I suspect I'll get round to weight loss again, but right now it's not my number one priority, but it should be higher up my list!
This blog is going to be a bit about what projects I've got on the go, and a chance to record my journey a bit. I've got a few rough ideas about what I want to do in the long run, but as I'm great at not following through with things, I'm keeping them quiet. Short to medium term plans only :)
It's also going to be about creating some good habits, in all areas of my life. I have some debt that I need to clear. Debts that came about through a failure to accept my financial realities and through filling emotional holes with pointless spending. I'm very good at that! So I'll be writing about spending in at attempt to keep myself in check.
At some point too I suspect I'll get round to weight loss again, but right now it's not my number one priority, but it should be higher up my list!
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