Hello From Wales

[jonc]

Hello

Was bought the John Seymour book last christmas and I've been slightly obsessed ever since. Having a small suburban garden has limited things a little, but thats probably a good thing as I have limited time :)

This year I've got courgettes, tomoatoes, blackcurrants, garlic (just harvested :) ) a few strawberries, chard and a cordon apple tree growing. No apples yet, but I'm hoping that'll happen next year.

The decision has been made to dig up some of the lawn to have a proper veggie patch next year, and we're also looking to get some chickens so plenty to look forward to :)

I'm not likely to have a huge amount of time to post on the forum as I don't have internet access during the day, but looking forward to both giving and receiving advice. Probably more receiving to start with though!

Jon

[Shirley]

Hi Jon

Welcome to the site... sounds like you've got a good deal going in your garden already. Looking forward to hearing tales of your lawn conversion :D

I'm envious of your garlic!!!! I love fresh garlic.

[hedgewizard]

Do read around before you do your lawn conversion - you may save yourself some hard work using something like sheet mulching or raised beds. Nice to hear from you!

[Andy Hamilton]

Yep John Seymore is a good book as a starting point, certainly plenty in there to keep yourself busy.

Welcome to the forum John hope to read some more of your evening posts

[Wombat]

G'Day Jon,

Welcome to the site!

If you are just starting out, see if you can get hold of a copy of The Permaculture home Garden, by Linda Woodrow - I'ts Aussie, but I bet a lot of it would be transferable and it is based around small spaces.

Nev

[Chickpea]

Hi Jon. Whereabouts in Wales are you? I used to live in Aberystwyth.

Yeah, the John Seymour book does something to your brain, doesn't it? Those pictures of the 1 acre smallholding, 5 acre smallholding, etc, I spend so long daydreaming about them I've got them emmorised and can walk about them in my imagination. I told my husband I thought I'd pretty well memorised the book, and he didn't believe me so he started flicking the pages and asking questions and I got them all right, which is slightly scary.

I don't agree with everything he writes (for example he reckons you need a cockerel to keep your hens in line which is old fashioned sexist nonsense) but I just love that he is opinionated and his personality comes out in his writing, in contrast to the bland writing you so often see. He has a particular venom for people who put sugar on porridge, for example.

[hedgewizard]

Yeah, the bastards. Everyone knows it should be marmite.

The scottish just salt their porridge apparently, whereas the english just sugar theirs. Me, I'm Irish so I do both. That way both my dentist and cardiologist are kept busy. If I can work out how to give the proctologist a cut I'll have the full set!

*frowns* What was I saying? Oh yeah, welcome Jonc!

[bazil]

i put tinned fish in my porridge and tomatoe sauce.....its yummy

[jonc]

Thanks for all the hellos :)

I'm in Bridgend, so a fair way from aberystwyth. I've been there a few times though, and it's a nice place.

[ina]

Hi Jon, and welcome!

My lawn seems to be getting smaller, too - first I dug up another bed along one side (which is now partly taken up not by nice flowers, but potatoes ); then I dug holes for all my soft fruit, and an apple tree... The goats have pretty much ruined the rest of the, ergh, grassy bit!

You all seem to be so full of John Seymour, maybe I should re-read the book... It's been a long time since I read it. And on the subject of porridge - honey is nice, if I have a "sweet" day, but usually it's either just milk, or some soft fruit and milk.

(Do I see another "101" thread coming up - 101 ways of eating porridge? )

[cheyenne]

Hi Jonc,

Looking forward to updates on the apple tree. I cut down all our overgrown, rotting trees and was planning a belgian fence of dwarf or columnar fruit trees, money got in the way... putting it off one more year. For the nonce, Mom bought me a reed fence I'm staining green to look a little nicer.

The closest I've been to Wales was London, but always wanted to go.

[Chickpea]

Wales is fabulous. Stunning scenery, vibrant cities, great food, great culture, friendly people (don't believe the contrary stereotypes). I also appreciate the pace of life there - it's a happy medium between English haste and Irish standstill. I like the way the Welsh language is so vibrant nowadays, it gives you the definite feeling of being its own distinct unique country, but at the same time you don't need to worry about not being understood, or about getting the customs wrong in the same way I feel when I go to, say France.

[hedgewizard]

And Dr Who - don't forget Dr Who!