Hope you’re having a great birthday. Have a slice of cake  

   

Ok, I'm going to try to log everything I do - see how each flower grows and whether it's worth cutting.
I've started a FB page for the same but it's good to have it in a couple of places!

This week I've planted up some of by the ranunculas in my old greenhouse borders. I wrapped with fleece last night and the night before but they are already getting hammered with mice.

I caught 3 last night
2 the night before
Just seen one diving for cover when he saw me!

This came up on my fb . It’s mildly amusing but it’s all wrong   .

   

What would your pie chart look like?

Just for JJB

I've just read that you can eat hostas. 

https://www.foodforest.garden/2012/05/07/hostas/

https://www.ruralsprout.com/eat-hostas/

Has anyone tried them? Do they taste good enough to be worth while? My garden is shady most of the time so hostas would be very happy here if I could keep slugs away from them (and I've heard that wood chip mulch keeps slugs down around them). If they taste good, I'd give it a go. In fact I may try growing them anyway.

I came across this article on my internet travels about increasing use of cover crops in farming in the US. Looking at local farms, I can see the same sort of activity though in the US, it look like glyphosate is used to kill off the crop before planting afresh. Buying cover crop seeds can be quite expensive but, may be, just go shopping for a packet of barley or such like would do.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodit...022-01-04/

"CHICAGO, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Illinois farmer Jack McCormick planted 350 acres of barley and radishes last fall as part of an off-season crop that he does not intend to harvest. Instead, the crops will be killed off with a weed killer next spring before McCormick plants soybeans in the same dirt.
The barley and radishes will not be used for food, but Bayer AG (BAYGn.DE) will pay McCormick for planting them as the so-called cover crops will generate carbon offset credits for the seeds and chemicals maker."

and later in the article:

"Cover crops can be a really important part of organic and regenerative farming systems," said Amanda Starbuck, research director with Food and Water Watch. "But it all depends on how they're being implemented."

Seeing buds on daffodils. Should be in flower by March1st, St Davids Day - my target date.

Last night was venison steak with chunky rustic (skins still on ) chips and a pepper sauce.
No idea what tonight will be yet.

Have you ever heard of the Moneyless Man?  He spent a year living without money, scavenging for food in skips, foraging, scrounging, travelling by bike and sleeping on sofas and in tents. You get the idea. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Boyle...ess_Man%29

Whilst I can't and don't want to, live without money, I can live with less. I've acquired a lot of useful stuff recently on the freebie site - and given quite a bit of "clutter" away too and that has shown me how many usable things are given away, because they've been bought on a whim, maybe?. No more impulse buying for me.

My cupboards and freezer are full of food; if the shops all closed tomorrow, I could survive for months. Also, if I tried harder I could grow a lot more food.

Say Hello to "The Moneyless Chicken" (MC). MC's plan is to buy only food that has been reduced in price (apart from a few staples that are never remaindered like coffee, sugar, butter and dog food). 
MC will not buy any clothes or toiletries in 2022 (I have a stockpile of both). Don't worry, I'll still smell sweet. Books will be exchanged or preloved. Seeds will be swapped, saved or bought from ethical seed producers. I'll eat more of whatever I grow and grow more of whatever I eat.

As far as possible, I'm going to avoid buying anything if I already have something similar that is edible/usable/wearable/growable. 
By the end 2022, I hope to have less clutter, less food past its date and an easier conscience.

There you have it, the Moneyless Chicken has set out her stall. Care to join me in setting out your Moneyless plans?

Harvested/picked? Whichever you prefer in 2022.