Monday 27 February 2012

I have a confession to make........

Hello all,
Yes, I do actually have a confession. After all my good work this month spending almost nothing, I blew a massive hole in the budget this weekend.
The justification is, however, that it is money well spent in the long run towards my bid for low cost living. I thought, as now the weather is beginning to improve and have glimmers of spring (ah, come on, I know you have to look hard) that I had to turn my attention to the garden. I have been busy the last month or so making a long term plan of the garden and how to make it as productive as possible.
Anyway, this is what I bought (at least I shopped about and got good prices)

A Bramley apple tree.  Definitely a long term purchase. It is about as tall as me (I come in at a measly 5 foot 7) and I look forward to eventually having all those free apples. I have to buy another at some point soon so that one will pollinate the other so I will keep my eyes open for a good eating apple variety.

A rhubarb plant. You've got to love Rhubarb and I sure do. When I'm not making apple crumble I will be making rhubarb crumble.

A lavender and a rosemary - just because.

Seed packets - peas, salad, tomatoes, spring onion, onion sets, potatoes, pepper, radish

180 litres of compost.

Wood to build raised bed number 1.


So, although that little lot cost me over £40, effectively blowing nearly half of march's budget, I will find the money somewhere and reap the rewards this year and over the years to come.

On another note, my builder comes tomorrow to put in the new front door and patio door and returns on Wednesday to do two windows.

So this week is spend spend spend, which will be followed by a period of work work work and broke broke broke.

Still, I am smiling and happy and can't wait to get stuck into the garden.

Photos will follow later in the week as I get stuck into things out there. I am having regular problems posting photos on blogger (it seems as one problem dries up another one starts up) so it is a bit hit and miss. Anyone else had trouble with the photos corrupting?

26 comments:

  1. Those are living costs. We have to live. We need fruit, herbs and somewhere and some how to grow them. I need quilts for my cool unheated house, so I need fabric. I bought a gent's shirt 50p, a ladies skirt 50p, several metres of material again, 50p from a charity shop. I also saw a piece of utility china for 40p, which I collect and I know will become an heirloom. These are costs, like food.

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    1. These are all great things and I can't wait for all my seeds to start growing now! Don't know if I ever said, but if I didn't, I love your blog.
      dan

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  2. Brilliant things to have bought Dan - but I would think so as I have an allotment! You have to speculate to accumulate.Growing your own food is a great thing to do - no food miles and you know what's gone into it.Good luck with it - it's cold and rainy in my bit of Lancashire today.

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    1. Cold and wet in my part of Lancashrie too! I planted 6 different tomato types, some peppers and some chillies this afternoon, all on windowsills now waiting for the sun. later in march will be the others and this weekend will be putting up that raised bed outside ready for the onions and peas etc. Lovely way to spend time.
      Dan

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  3. MONEY WELL SPENT I'D SAY DAN ,I'LL BE GLAD WHEN THE WEATHER GETS BETTER TO START MY GARDEN. I LOVE LAVENDER REMINDS ME OF MY DAD SO ALWAYS HAVE LOADS.HOPE EVERYTHING GOES WELL.
    LISA X

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    1. Money very well spent. I am looking forward to a fine day to get out there and start work. Looking for a spot for my lavender now.

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  4. you have to specualte to accumilate, and allof what you have bought will reap rewards for you, I will be getting out into the garden again soon, will be buyign more strawberry plants this year to add to what we already have as the whole family love them. Cant wait to see pics of the riased bed, will be making some myself this year too

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    1. Strawberries are definitely plants that I want to add to the garden, nothing like growing your own. My mum has alpine strawberries in here garden, and although they don't produce loads, what they do produce are absolutely lovely.

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  5. Sounds great Dan. Don't forget to thoroughly preserve your wood (even if it is pressure treated) as when we have bought this type of wood in the past and cut into it, the treatment has hardly been absorbed. Check your garden boundaries for rabbits as well, and as you are so far north, don't sow too early. It is the best thing in the world to serve up a meal and know you have grown most of it. Good luck with your doors and windows.

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    1. Thanks for t advice, I have to admit that I never thought of that! I assume that there are preservers out there that don't leech nasty chemicals into the veg growing soil?
      haven't seen any rabbits yet, but I guess it is too cold for them at the moment. I think they would have trouble getting over the wall, but I will keep my eyes open.

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  6. Your apple tree will take at least 3 years to fully establish in your garden, so you might not see any apples growing until then. And then it will be only 2 or three for the first year producing. Make sure you get the help of someone in the know how to help each January with correct pruning or else there will never be any decent apples. As Ilona said, all those costs were living costs, so don`t feel too bad about it. It always needs a mega effort to get started. Enjoy the fruits of your investments.

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    1. Hi Sarina, yes, I thought that it would take a few years to establish, but I can look 10 years down the line and imagine the lovely apples I will be able to bake with.

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  7. Look at it all as an investment! And as for the seeds you bought - you'll never have to buy them again because you'll save seeds from the plants that grow! Voila - free seeds!

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    1. I have planted up some tomatoes in seed trays inside now, plenty, because I absolutely love tomatoes - lots of varieties too. I will be trying my hand at saving seeds at the end of the season!

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  8. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, you are doing exactly what you need to do. Growing your own food can be considered an investment in your future that will (hopefully) return way more than you put in. Just think of it as a little exercise, and then being outside in the Spring when it's pretty and beautiful is like a minivacation, and harvesting food that you've grown yourself well what could be better than that?

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    1. Nothing could be better than that! I can't wait for the weather to improve enough that I can spend days outside in the sunshine working at the Earth. Nothing like it.

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  9. You'll always be glad you spent the money on those very good items! Especially planting the apple tree. I planted a small blue spruce the first year I bought my house, and it's been a great pleasure watching it grow as the years unfold. It reminds you of those first happy and exciting days of being a homeowner at last! Plant some more - you really will be glad you did!

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    1. Funnily enough, I planted a small blue spruce in the front garden, the first week I was here too. It is a tiny little thing at the moment, but I am looking forward to watching it grow.

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  10. Wise choices to spend your money on. All sounds great to me.

    Good to hear the new doors are coming in! I did worry about that on your behalf from a safety aspect. Would you believe we have to have three new windows at our place and guess what...they're being fitted tomorrow! Cue spooky music....

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    1. Good luck with your windows too! My three men are here working on mine as I write! Can't wait to have it all finished and done.

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  11. That's not spending :) Spending is when you waste money on something you don't really need. You're taking care of your future, and there is no limit to how much you can invest in that :)

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    1. I like the way you put that. 'Spending is when you waste money on something you don't really need!' It is a good way of thinking of things.

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  12. Money definitely well spent :) Hope to see pics of the apples in a few years time.

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    1. I hope so too, also photos of my first apple pie made with my own home grown apples!

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  13. So how is it all looking? Are you really happy with it all?

    I am pleased with ours...I was so excited when hubby told me they'd finished that I took some flexi time and came home from work early to look at them! (I need to get out more clearly.)

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    1. I am absolutely delighted with it all. The front door especially looks wonderful and so do the patio doors. They have not quite finished so coming back tomorrow to do the 'finishing off' bits and then I will post pictures. No more draughts! So glad you are pleased with yours too!

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