My boards for the raised beds have just arrived. This week we’re going to be building four beds ready for next year. We’ve taken a week off to do it, so expect quick developments!
Archive for Green Stuff
IBCs and Chickens…
The IBCs needed levelling so for a few hours Friday and today I spent my time smacking bricks with a sledge hammer.
Yesterday I visited my friend Kris in Norfolk. It was a surprise 30th Birthday party and we turned up about 3hrs late. Kris is a bit of an inspiration as he has an amazing backyard allotment and many chickens. I tried to help round up one of the feral ones, but no luck.
He’s offered for me to go up and learn some basics, which’ll be handy when we get our own chocks.
Hopefully this week off I start on Thurs I’ll get the boxes all set up and get some stuff growing!
One Sheet Skiff
This is where my weekends seem to be going at the moment…
And if you can’t see the above, it’s supposed to be a youtube link to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XHOfZ2NbG4
The boat is made from plans from http://www3.sympatico.ca/herbert.mcleod/skiff.htm and is supposed to be able to mainly be built from 1 sheet of ply. Unfortunately this hasn’t happened, we’ve either broken or badly cut our ply, so we’ve needed three sheets. It’s a project I’ve been working on for my scout troop to see what sort of kinks I’d need to work out of the plans and to be honest, we’ve not stuck well to the plans. At present, it’s a bit difficult for me to comprehend, how I’m supposed to teach 10-14yr olds to do it is a mystery!
Anyway… it’s been fun, and at times wet, and mostly I’ve either had a cup of tea in my hands or a beer, so it’s not all been bad…
WordPress Restore
Due to unforseen circumstances, tomorrow I will be attempting to rebuild the site (Same content, theme etc) but with a new wordpress installation. Nothing to worry about, hopefully see you tomorrow (or Monday!)
Freecycle: Hardcore Wanted
On Wednesday I posted out for some hardcore. We’re looking to finish off the IBC foundations, lay a new path and put a firm base for the shed.
Before laying down slabs on a saturated clay soil, it’s always good to put down a decent layer of hardcore. We ran out when trying to sort out the base for the pizza oven and the three IBCs.
A quick post on Freecycle and a couple of hours later, someone made a generous offer. Katie even wanted her fairly wobbly and dangerous front wall knocked down, so we happily obliged with our sledgehammer!
Coop Composting Carrier Bags
Whilst in Wales last week, I noticed the coop carrier bags all the scout shopping in were different to normal bags. They felt more ‘filmy’ and soft. The answer, was printed on the bag.
The shopping bags were all compostable carrier bags – not these ‘bio degradeable’ ones from the likes of Tesco which suddenly at a point in their life disolve into what looks like mouse bedding and which do not disolve without oxygen (so useless in a land fil situation). These ones act as compost caddy liners and disolve down with the food. What a brilliant idea, but unfortunately not something that is likely to be with us very soon – even though we’re in the same country.
I’ve emailed the co-op to see when these carrier trials might be extended to the rest of the UK, but until the government starts charging for the use of plastic bags like Ireland, it seems a bit distant.
http://www.resource.uk.com/article/Columns/Carrier_bag_levy_mixed_bag
Bushcraft Fire
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been absent due to a couple of holidays, the first a weekend with the bushcraftuk forum and the 2nd with my scout group.
On the bushcraftuk bushmoot 2011 I got the chance to find and make my own fire drill set and light a fire, make a powerful bow and practice plenty of other skills. There was also a fair amount of drinking…
How it’s looking
Thought you’d appreciate an overview of the garden now we’re getting ready to put in the allotment shed and install the “new” greenhouse!
Comfrey Bocking 14 super fertiliser!
Recently I bought some comfrey off a seller on eBay. It’s a type called bocking 14 and it’s especially good rotted in water as a fertiliser. I paid for six plants (though I’m sure one would have been enough but the seller only did them in lots of six.
I got seven, which was nice. This is them about 2-3 weeks on and they’ve bedded in nicely.
Now of course I’ve got to find somewhere to put them…
Weeding
This is about as close as cats come to helping with the weeding. Unfortunately our garden suffers with bindweed something cronic, so the few beds we’ve dug are quite infested.
On a positive note the gooseberries which looked like they’d died after the move have picked up and the first few leaves have started to appear.
Similarly the grape which promptly died has also started to exhibit signs of life and new growth has started to appear.
We’d got bored of looking at our IBCs in the centre of the garden so they’re now in their final resting place – except they still need a layer of hardcore under them!
