newbie to self suffiency

[shell]

hi,just joined,i`m living in rural ireland down on the west coast,i have lots of idea`s but no real knowledge,so here am i to glean some from you all,i`m not going to be too ambitious as last year my newly turned plot turned into a haven for pests and even the planting 3 seeds for me one for the wildlife turned into a handful of potatoes for me and all the beans,peas,broccoli,etc for the wildlife,so am going slowly his year, and lettuces in a lean too my dh has built for me plus 5 tomato plants,2 marrows,and lots of chard which i am daring to plant out shortly,is the start,i have a few herbs too,and i`m starting wine making,have already done nettle and ginger plus gorse,and soon elderberry will be added to my list,i have a great friend who is showing me lots of things that i can make from the local plants and i have just completed a very basic course that showed us how to get medicines from the hedgrows around,my problem is recognising them as i`m a born towny(londoner) trying to become a culchie(irish country person),but my good friend is very up on thwild plants and herbs,so this is me,oh and i`m a mum of triplets aged 6 that are keen gardeners,

[Annpan]

Welcome Shell

[MKG]

Hi Shell

[kiwirach]

hi Shell, welcome to SSish.....the west coast of Ireland....somewhere i'd love to live!. where are you?

[ephemera]

Hi Shell, apart from the wildlife it sounds idyllic!

You will find things that grow and are not too badly attacked. I am trying some odd plants like Siberian pea tree and pineapple guava in the vain hope that the local bugs and wildlife won't know what to do with them. Unfortunately the local deer seem to love the guava and my strawberry tree has been badly nibbled. Oh well, will try some other stuff next year!!

All the best,

Eph x

[red]

welcome

[ashamomodablam]

hi

[tim&fatima]

Hello shell, and welcome to ish, Triplets eh, I bet you've got your hands full.

[shell]

I`m from lovely but very wet kerry,only just joined but i shall be away for a week to clare tomorrow for a well earned holiday,my 3 older children will be here looking after my 2 dogs and 3 cats,taking the triplets with us,but i shall be back and i already have decided to give the nettle beer a go plus a couple of recipes from the cooking pot,pity i cant get some off those chickens over from the battery farm in england,my tots would love them,i wonder how the dogs would react?my friend had 5 in the uk where i used to live,she got them and they were totally bald,didn`t know how the stand up it was such a sad thing but they grew feathers and one was a lovely black cockeral dispite having only 1 eye,she kept them on her allotment in a shed and let them out daily to wander about,i thought then if i ever had the chance thats where i would get them from,

[Odsox]

Hi Shell and welcome to the group.

Not sure where you are in Kerry but if you can make it over the Caha Mountains to Bantry, there is a huge street market on the 1st Friday of every month where you can buy just about anything ... including chicken.

[Rosendula]

Hi

[Thurston Garden]

Ahoy Shell!