New Year's resolutions, Pete Beale and chickens

New Year’s Resolution number 1 - Blog at least once a week

So, OK, this isn’t going well, but in fairness no-one really lives up to their  resolutions.  All I’ve really done is get my failure in nice and early which basically puts me ahead of the game.

Still, I have decided to use this blog to list a few other gardening-based resolutions. I’m hoping that by declaring them in public, I might feel a certain added pressure to achieve at last some of them.  So here we go.

Resolution 2 - Erect our donated greenhouse

This is actually going quite well in that I have invited my father to come and stay for a weekend. This may seem a fairly odd way to construct a garden building until I point out that my father is a little like Tommy Walsh on speed and, on previous ‘weekend stays’ has built me a fitted wardrobe, laid a patio, put up countless shelves and taken down at least 30 trees.

So I’m already confident that the greenhouse will go up – even if my sole contribution is doling out some hospitality

3 Make a market stall

My idea, which may sound a little demented, is to have a barrow-style mini market stall from which the kids can sell garden produce in the village (think Pete Beale – the Eastenders character rather than the rose grower.)

My main stumbling block for this is finding old pram wheels as my father has said he’ll build me one if I can locate them (I fear there is a pattern emerging here and it’s doing nothing to enhance my ‘hands on’ reputation).

4 Help out at the school gardening club

I’m now into my third year running the pre-school club, but I would like to help out at my older children’s school as well.  This is partly because I’ve never done anything for the school and partly because I’m excited to work with kids when my main concern is not whether they’ve stuck seeds up their noses.

My only fear is that my tendency to try and ‘take over’ could see my out on my ear within the term after an unsuccessful left-wing coup attempt.

5 Keep chickens

This may prove tricky. The one spot I had in mind for a chicken coop has now been assigned the greenhouse. Plus, my husband hates chickens (“vicious little b******s” is one of his milder descriptions). In fact, I’m not entirely sure I’m a huge fan, but I remember collecting fresh eggs as a child which is something I’d love the children to experience (I also remember my older brothers lassoing the poor unsuspecting birds and dangling them from their legs, which I’m less keen to echo).

So there are five resolutions - one I’ve already failed on, one I’m not sure I want to achieve and two of which I’ve already assigned to my Dad. Hmmm. 60% is still an acceptable pass rate right?

Comments

[Helen]

I have pram wheels but that isnt much good for you. Go on freecycle or befriend the chaps at the local dump. Thats where my boys sourced theirs when they were building a go-cart (those are the wheels I have to get rid of)

[Janet/Plantaliscious]

Impressive delegation skills - would your Dad do your weekly blog entry too?! I looked after chickens for a year and they were never vicious, and delivered lots of lovely eggs. I still miss it. Though it does rather sound as if you are out of room when it comes to accommodating some... Any attic space?!

[Joanne Roach]

How about persuading your school to keep chickens and you could be in charge of them? Then you get the experience without the space issues, husband buying a rifle, etc... Our kids' school has two hens in a little moveable egloo and they all love it.

Love the market stall idea btw. Will watch out for that one.

Happy new year, however many or few resolutions you get done! Hope it's a brilliant year. x

[Dawn]

Helen - don't be so sure... Surely you can be tempted to pop some in the back of the car during, say, a visit to Eastern Walled Gardens? Pram wheels would make a change from the usual plant swaps on such occsaions.

Janet - my father has the same reaction to computers as my husband does to chickens so I believe that's a delegation too far. And I fear the attic plan may challenge my free-range credentials.

[Dawn]

Joanne - HNY right back atcha. (God, I'm so street, it's scary).

Like the idea of bringing livestock into the school but I fear this sort of proposal would make me out as 'trouble' right from the start. The under-10 aninal liberation front would probably have 'freed' them within the week.

[JamesA-S]

When my father was in the army many of the soldiers came from the East End and had market stall experience.

The yells of costermongers are more notable for their volume than their content. One of these market trading soldiers had a trademark call of "Cat Pissed On The Strawberries" of which the only easily comprehensible word was the last one.

Work on it.

[Dawn]

James - Giving my own cat's penchant for using my raised veg beds as his personal ensuite, this cry may be more accurate than I care to admit.

[Damo]

You haven't failed yet - New Year's resolutions don't start to 1st February - a rule I invoke to give me a fighting chance of making some of them happen!