Recent Comments

1. Blog Action Day To Fight Poverty - 14 Oct 2008

   what a positive contribution, especially at a time when the media is obsessing about the nation’s financial crisis. I’m not saying that these are not poignant times, but it is so important to keep the subject of poverty current too. Nice one.

2. All is Not Quite Safely Gathered In - 14 Oct 2008

   why not invest about £30 in a really good fruit net metres and metres of it, the old fashioned, ‘knitted’ kind that is really strong and won’t drive you bonkers when things try and grow through it? Mailorder or Countrywide etc sell it and it will then do you proud for 20 years. Use it summer for fruit and then switch it to cover your brassicas and the pigeons and such like will be kept off. I have not followed this good advice yet but it was to my peril.

3. Fowl Play - 02 Apr 2009

   We’ve had ours for a month now. as we have lots of young boys we opted for 5 wk old chicks and already they are eating out of hands and allowing our 5 year old to carry them around! We are free ranging them in part of the garden but chose a wood coop with integral run incase the garden gets a hammering or we go away overnight. Recommend the small faily farm that made it – you can find them at www.smithsectionalbuildings.co.uk/
   They even switched the design to the reverse for us so that we can take the eggs from the boxes and the whole thing works for the corner of our garden nicely and we chose wire all the way round to help spot any vermin hidey holes. (no vermin yet!)
   As a friend recently commented: ‘a garden without chickens is like a night without stars!’ ;-)

4. Start An Allotment - Or Half A Plot - 02 Apr 2009

   Year 4 of our allotment. Enjoying those varieties that would be out of reach if shop-bought. Now ratte potatoes, italian salads and toms and artichoke hearts are ours for the taking. The battle against couch and mare’s tail is ongoing but i wouldnt leave my plot for anything now. Beats the gym for a workout! Lovely community thing too, our patch has a public footpath through it so we meet so many folks there too!

5. What can I do with my old bras? - 05 May 2009

   Wow, they’ll even take slightly greying ones?

6. Dry clothes outdoors. - 05 May 2009

   WOuld like to recommend the old fashioned clothes airers that you hoist to the ceiling. We got one from ebay and it hangs directly below the glass roofed area of the end of our kitchen. As a result clothes dry in just about a day all year round, and aren’t bothering us all over the house. Esp good while we’ve been using washable nappies, and I found a whole wash would fit on a 6 ft airer.

7. Fair-weather generosity? - 06 Sep 2010

   I’m trying to make water (or green/fruit teas) something I drink more, over and above drinks that have been produced or bottled. I read frightening details of the amount of energy used (and water) that goes into making a glass of beer, or cordial etc. Like a lot of generous things, its better for us too. I’m a big coffee drinker, so its not going to be easy but it will definitely be a good move all round.