urban good life

2006-05-30T01:08:00.000-07:00

Added some burpless cucumber to my little green house. And started a composting heap, It`s amazing how much stuff is in it already!!

2006-05-24T07:02:00.001-07:00

Well the weather up here has been absolutely vile, so because I can`t do anything in the garden, I`ve been busy trying to work on my latest website about chicken raising.
I have also had a thought to expand my little blog here to more things. I will add more about our bid to become more self sufficient. I will be adding tips on lifestyle and recipes (not suggesting that I`m a great cook!) I will be using my family as testers!! Lucky them!!

2006-05-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

2006-05-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

I`ve added some strawberries to my collection today.
I can`t wait to taste them!!
In the shops I saw lots of pretty bedding flowers, but not going down that route. Veggies and fruit only. I suppose they can make a garden look pretty too?

2006-05-19T00:27:00.000-07:00

Hi all, today i`m going to look into how to plan the garden/allotment. I`ve got a feeling it may be alittle late in the year to get the whole thing going (wrong season?).
But I will be doing some reasearch. I`m concerned that after possibly 20yrs under flagstones that the earth will be in very poor condition. So will have to find out how to make it better.
I`ve got some seedlings growing in a small plastic greenhouse. The usual peas, tomatoes and a new thing for me, some butternut squash!
I already have some radish and salad leaves growing in containers by the back door.
I`ve found a great forum http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum
so will be asking lots of questions there.
I will be back soon!!

2006-05-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

I stood looking at my average urban paved over garden, that sadly my kids no longer play in, and I wandered what to do with it?? Flowers perhaps? A veg patch?
I`ve always wanted to live somewhere with space for some chickens veggies and oh, perhaps a goat or 2!!

Well, we don`t have the cash for a nice little small holding in Wales, but we do have our little piece of garden in the outskirts of the town in Merseyside!

I have already gone down the route of small time poultry keeping eggs in an incubator as we speak! see my other blog www.chicken-loopychick.blogspot.com

We as a family are looking for ways to save cash (who isn`t!). We worked out that the majority of our monthly budget was going to Adsa on grocery shopping.
We eat easy to make, pour from a jar, stir and serve type meals. Looking at our diets and quality of life is quite poor. no time, no energy, no life! just work!!! Just like millions of families in England.
We ( hubby and I) work full time jobs, the kids are at school and college, we are all to knackered to cook from scratch and find fresh fruit and veg really quite expensive.
Well the long and short of it was that we worked out if I worked part time and started a small, self sufficent-ish garden everybody would be happy. And I wouldn`t be working to pay for groceries. All would get nice homecooked meals from our own garden and eggs from our own chickens! Also the kids would benefit of a mum at home, which my kids have sadly been devoid of all their lives, as I`ve always worked full time. Something I will always regret.

We are also looking into starting a business from home, but one step at a time, eh!

PLEASE VISIT DAILY FOR UPDATES ON THE PROGRESS OF OUR URBAN GOOD LIFE!!