Warm (!!!!) Hello From Northern Ireland

[POOKEY]

Hi, I have just joined this forum and I am having a wee bit of trouble attaching an avatar image to my signature. Size is 112 x 98 pixels and 16kb - within guidelines. I have tried hosting the picture and linking the URL and also straight from my machine. Any ideas????

Its a cold spring here and VERY wet but 1st carots have germinated this week outside! The first thing to germinate sewn direct!!! Peas and broad beans are in, autumn sewn lettuces are having a growth spurt, (under water bottle cloches) garlic is thriving and greenhouse is chocker with seedlings! Things are getting underway!

3 out of 5 chickens are laying (pullets) and had my first double yoker this week!

I dont have an allotment, I garden at home. I have 2 plots, one that I made into raised beds with paths last spring and one I am waiting for my farmer friend to bring his tractor and re-plough (the main garden) as I let it overgrow last year, and I need a home for my spuds.

i have a 1 year and a 2 year old so I dont get much time out to garden and fit it in where I can, unfortunately the little one cant come out with me as were sloped and he rolls down the paths whenever he tried to walk - bless. Next year he'll do just fine. My 2 year old loves it and asks if he can come and shovel cow poo with Mummy!!!!

[madmax]

Welcome Pookey (interesting alias there!). This has to be one of the warmest and bestest forums about! I am not the gardener, my dear heart Shirlthegirl43 is... I just eat what she grows! When I get home that is... Which ain't often enuff

Two plots and chooks eh? Don't go telling Shirls or she will really pile on the pressure for me to build a run and get some pullets (nearly typed 'mullets' then)

Can't you hammer a spike into the earth and tether mk2 child to it!?!!? 2nd thoughts, social services and child protection might take a dim view of that!

[wellie]

Pookey - I just love your name - it spells caring and cuddlesome.
Welcome from Trousers and me, and have lots and lots of fun here...!

[Gauckwin]

Hello Pookey, welcome to the vine, great bunch of people here and very helpful.
Good to have another Irish person around.
I'm from Galway now living in the UK and in my second year as a allotment holder.
Lots of luck with your growing, don't forget to keep us updated on your progress.

[POOKEY]

Thanks everyone. By the way Pookey is my cats name - not sure where I got it from, I am daft for animals, aspecially bedraggled looking ones. i have a dog called Milo, 2 cats Pookey and Amiko and the 5 chickens (Frankie, Jessie, Gobbles, Muggles and mr sweaters. (dont ask why, theyre all girls)!!!

Madmax - I thought a cage I mean playpen for child number 2! and chickens are fantastic, i could watch them for hours clucking round the garden, theyre real characters and your own eggs taste so creamy and the yolks are almost luminous theyre so bright, beter than free range shop ones as they are very limied to what they can feed them where if theyre for your comsumption only you can feed them all kitchen scraps which makes the difference!

Gauckwin - I did the move the other way round, from Watford to Fermanagh. I'd never go back to England, I love it here!

Wellie - Ta for your kind words

I'm sure I'll meet you all again on the forum posts!

[Geo]

Hi Pookey...

The maximum size of your Avatar must be 80 by 80 pixels..

Geo..

[HeyWayne]

Gauckwin - I did the move the other way round, from Watford to Fermanagh. I'd never go back to England, I love it here!

Welcome aboard Pookey.

I took LadyWayne over to NI after we got married to meet all my Dad's family (they all live in Co.Down around Kilkeel, Annalong, Newcastle and Dundrum area). The only Northern Ireland LadyWayne had ever seen was from Belfast being on the news during the troubles. She was pleasantly surprised, some beautiful places, she even liked Belfast itself.

I should go over more often really.

Enjoy.

[everdream78]

Hello and welcome! Wasn't Pookey Garfield's teddy bear?

[gardenplot]

Welcome to the vine Pookey

[Nicos]

And a warm welcome from me too!!

[madmax]

I remember watching the chooks at my out-laws old farm. Very funny.. Full of character. And yes, the eggs were yummy. They got fed some weird chicken mash feed and all as you said all the kitchen scraps. What wonderful natural recycling! If we get chooks might go for a goat as well to mow the lawn! Ever seen the Shaun the Sheep episode with the 'eat all' goat?

Here in Holland it is common practice to put a toddler in a play pen. No tethered spikes over here!

Madmax - I thought a cage I mean playpen for child number 2! and chickens are fantastic, i could watch them for hours clucking round the garden, theyre real characters and your own eggs taste so creamy and the yolks are almost luminous theyre so bright, beter than free range shop ones as they are very limied to what they can feed them where if theyre for your comsumption only you can feed them all kitchen scraps which makes the difference!