Hello everyone
Thought I'd jump in and register and say hello before I've even spent much time lurking. I've read bits and bobs on the site enough to know I like it and want to join in!
We've (hubby and I) been living in Brittany for nearly a year now and before that the other side of France for 7 years. Before that it was Holland and before that, London, which now seems a long time ago (10 yrs).
We now have a hectare of land with a lake (with perch, carp and hoping to stock with rainbow trout), some woodland, an orchard, a large veggie patch which we've just spend 3 months digging, 3 hens, 2 cats, never enough compost bins or water butts and far too much grass to mow!
So we are striving to be as self-sufficient - ish as possible.
We love gardening, bird watching, wildlife in general, and my husband likes to fish, when I give him a few hours off!
Bonjour from Brittany
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Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 17637
- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
- Location: Brittany, France
bonjour Millymollymandy - ca va? (just to impress)
Welcome to the site. I too am new and have a similar amount to ground to contend with (together with a husband who doesn't 'garden'!!)
I know what you mean about never having enough compost. Where does it all go. I start with this huge mound in the spring and the next minute it's a fraction of the size it used to be. I should understand this. I teach pottery and my new students manage to throw a pot on the wheel. The following week they come in and insist the pot in the cupboard cannot possibly be theirs. "Mine was much bigger than that" they exclaim!
Shrinkage dahling. Shrinkage.
Fortunately I don't have a problem with water. There is a natural spring nearby where we get our water supply. In fact there are springs everywhere so too much water can be a troublesome, especially in the Winter. I'm not complaining though. Where I live used to be a thriving water cress growing area - until the arrival of sheep which put paid to that unfortunately. I would like to try a patch but am worried about sheep fluke which I admit I wouldn't recognise if I fell over it. Anyone any information?
Au revoir
Welcome to the site. I too am new and have a similar amount to ground to contend with (together with a husband who doesn't 'garden'!!)
I know what you mean about never having enough compost. Where does it all go. I start with this huge mound in the spring and the next minute it's a fraction of the size it used to be. I should understand this. I teach pottery and my new students manage to throw a pot on the wheel. The following week they come in and insist the pot in the cupboard cannot possibly be theirs. "Mine was much bigger than that" they exclaim!
Shrinkage dahling. Shrinkage.
Fortunately I don't have a problem with water. There is a natural spring nearby where we get our water supply. In fact there are springs everywhere so too much water can be a troublesome, especially in the Winter. I'm not complaining though. Where I live used to be a thriving water cress growing area - until the arrival of sheep which put paid to that unfortunately. I would like to try a patch but am worried about sheep fluke which I admit I wouldn't recognise if I fell over it. Anyone any information?
Au revoir
Lanie
Live better for less
Live better for less
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Andy Hamilton
- Site Admin
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- Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:06 pm
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Bonjour Millymollymandy
Welcome to the forum.
Sounds like you are another person with a pretty idealic life, what do you have growing in the orchard? The lake sounds fantastic too, I think you are the first person on here with one. Is there restrictions on how much you can fish? Do your cats help themselves or is this just something that happens on Tom and Jerry.
All these questions that'll teach you for living an interesting life
Happy posting
Welcome to the forum.
Sounds like you are another person with a pretty idealic life, what do you have growing in the orchard? The lake sounds fantastic too, I think you are the first person on here with one. Is there restrictions on how much you can fish? Do your cats help themselves or is this just something that happens on Tom and Jerry.
All these questions that'll teach you for living an interesting life
Happy posting
First we sow the seeds, nature grows the seeds then we eat the seeds. Neil Pye
My best selling Homebrew book Booze for Free
and...... Twitter
The Other Andy Hamilton - Drinks & Foraging
My best selling Homebrew book Booze for Free
and...... Twitter
The Other Andy Hamilton - Drinks & Foraging
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Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 17637
- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
- Location: Brittany, France
Hi again - first of all, call me MMM, everyone else does on other forums!
I've got fruit trees everywhere, not just in the orchard! Peaches and apricots which were a surprise. No fruit on the apricots sadly but I can see little peaches forming. Cherries, plums, apples, possibly pears but I'm not sure yet. Hazels, a sweet chestnut and walnuts although the walnut trees are quite young and the oldest is just starting to bear fruit.
I don't think there are any restrictions to fishing on your own lake. It isn't an enormous lake - I tend to call it a pond, but everyone who has seen it says, that's not a pond, that's a lake! It's about 2,500m2 and fed by a small stream, so the water stays nice and clean. However hubby has only so far caught one perch that was of a reasonable size. Yesterday we bought a cheapo inflatable dinghy to have some fun with, that's if we don't fall in!
No the cats haven't shown much interest in either the lake or the moorhens who are permanent residents. Or the hens either for that matter! Thankfully!
Yup, this was my dream garden, the house isn't bad either (nice old stone house) but needs a lot more work on it. But land always comes first for us!
P.S. How many post do I need to make before I can become Felicity Kendall?
I've got fruit trees everywhere, not just in the orchard! Peaches and apricots which were a surprise. No fruit on the apricots sadly but I can see little peaches forming. Cherries, plums, apples, possibly pears but I'm not sure yet. Hazels, a sweet chestnut and walnuts although the walnut trees are quite young and the oldest is just starting to bear fruit.
I don't think there are any restrictions to fishing on your own lake. It isn't an enormous lake - I tend to call it a pond, but everyone who has seen it says, that's not a pond, that's a lake! It's about 2,500m2 and fed by a small stream, so the water stays nice and clean. However hubby has only so far caught one perch that was of a reasonable size. Yesterday we bought a cheapo inflatable dinghy to have some fun with, that's if we don't fall in!
No the cats haven't shown much interest in either the lake or the moorhens who are permanent residents. Or the hens either for that matter! Thankfully!
Yup, this was my dream garden, the house isn't bad either (nice old stone house) but needs a lot more work on it. But land always comes first for us!
P.S. How many post do I need to make before I can become Felicity Kendall?
-
Andy Hamilton
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6631
- Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:06 pm
- Location: Bristol
- Contact:
margo 0Millymollymandy wrote:
P.S. How many post do I need to make before I can become Felicity Kendall?
Jerry 25
Tom Good 50
Barbara Good 100
sounds like we will have to get some more jam/wine recipes up for your harvest
First we sow the seeds, nature grows the seeds then we eat the seeds. Neil Pye
My best selling Homebrew book Booze for Free
and...... Twitter
The Other Andy Hamilton - Drinks & Foraging
My best selling Homebrew book Booze for Free
and...... Twitter
The Other Andy Hamilton - Drinks & Foraging
G'Day M3!
Sounds like you have a pretty ideal set up there - especially the water - Aus is basically a desert country and it gets pretty dry here sometimes, like it is at the moment.
Nice to meet you anyway and hope to get regular updates on how you progress
Nev
Sounds like you have a pretty ideal set up there - especially the water - Aus is basically a desert country and it gets pretty dry here sometimes, like it is at the moment.
Nice to meet you anyway and hope to get regular updates on how you progress
Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause
Our website on living more sustainably in the suburbs! - http://www.underthechokotree.com/
Our website on living more sustainably in the suburbs! - http://www.underthechokotree.com/
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Chickenlady
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Location: Colchester, Essex
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Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 17637
- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
- Location: Brittany, France
I'm in Ille et Vilaine about 30km northish of Rennes in the direction of Mont St Michel. I don't know the rest of Brittany! I know it has some gorgeous beaches but in my department it's just mud flats and oyster beds! Never mind I'm in the countryside which is what I prefer.
It certainly is hard work but I'm consoling myself with the fact that the worst work is this year (and possibly next) as the fruit trees need some serious pruning done over several years, the veg patch was an overgrown nightmare, the brambles are taking over and oaks and sycamores have been left to come up willy nilly all over the place and need thinning out - but that'll add to the firewood pile. Oh, and the grass never stops growing and our ride-on mower can't cope with long wet grass and has already bust a (something) belt which needs replacing. My poor husband has been trying to cut the orchard grass with a strimmer and a scythe!!!
We have a pump so when or if it gets very dry we plan to use that water for the veg patch. Will probably need it as the soil, whilst good, is very free draining and we had no compost obviously to start with - although we're rectifying that with the help of the chickens and a trailer load of horse manure which some friendly nearby farmers delivered to us!
Oh and my husband has lost about 2 kilos and my weight is staying the same so I can make lots of cakes and puds to use up our eggs and we don't get fat!
It certainly is hard work but I'm consoling myself with the fact that the worst work is this year (and possibly next) as the fruit trees need some serious pruning done over several years, the veg patch was an overgrown nightmare, the brambles are taking over and oaks and sycamores have been left to come up willy nilly all over the place and need thinning out - but that'll add to the firewood pile. Oh, and the grass never stops growing and our ride-on mower can't cope with long wet grass and has already bust a (something) belt which needs replacing. My poor husband has been trying to cut the orchard grass with a strimmer and a scythe!!!
We have a pump so when or if it gets very dry we plan to use that water for the veg patch. Will probably need it as the soil, whilst good, is very free draining and we had no compost obviously to start with - although we're rectifying that with the help of the chickens and a trailer load of horse manure which some friendly nearby farmers delivered to us!
Oh and my husband has lost about 2 kilos and my weight is staying the same so I can make lots of cakes and puds to use up our eggs and we don't get fat!