Allotments 4 All
Produce => Under Glass => Topic started by: wahaj on October 09, 2006, 19:46:25
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I've bought a greenhouse....6 by 8. It's come with an "optional" galvanised steel base. Now i'm putting this greenhouse on a paved patio in the backyard because to be honest it's the only place i have for it. The patio was layed on sand to level it and hasn't been looked after very well for about 10 years so every year big weeds grow up through it allover and they've ruined the level of the paving. so i've lifted the slabs up where the base is going to go and fill it with sand. now....do you think it would be ok to use sand for something for the greenhouse to rest on? i mean i gonna pack the sand in....put the base on....and tap it in so that it's level. and then build the greenhouse on top of that.
do you think that'll be ok?
It all looks so complicated...there's like an 8 page book that's come with it so instruct how to build it but it's not very clear.
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Not sure I would build it on sand Wahaj... they are usually easier to put together than explain but it really is a two person job...
:)
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Not sure I would build it on sand Wahaj... they are usually easier to put together than explain but it really is a two person job...
:)
oh ok. i mean i've just ordered a tonne of topsoil for the garden. do you think it'll be ok on that levelled out?
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Hi wahaj, many years ago i put up a greenhouse for my mum when i was about 15, my mum and dad had split up so it was left to me to sort it out. I skimmed the turf of the lawn, raked and leveled the ground and then built a single layer of bricks to put the greenhouse on there was supplied 6 really long and strong spikes which were used to secure the greenhouse to the earth.There hasn't been a problem with it.
Hope this helps a bit. ;)
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ah ok so you made a layer of brick?
no i've found this on their wesbite:
http://www.eden-greenhouses.com/gh/index.html#
it says that the base that's included means that you don't need a plinth or use bricks.....i'm now confused.
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When i put my greenhouse up it came with a base which was obviously the length and width of the greenhouse and about 4 inches high.You bolt this together and i had four spikes which you bolt into each corner.You need to dig holes in each corner and then the spikes go into the holes and you pour concrete around them ensuring your base is level.Leave the concrete to go off and away you go.Sorry if it doesnt make sense hopefully it may be of some help.
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When i put my greenhouse up it came with a base which was obviously the length and width of the greenhouse and about 4 inches high.You bolt this together and i had four spikes which you bolt into each corner.You need to dig holes in each corner and then the spikes go into the holes and you pour concrete around them ensuring your base is level.Leave the concrete to go off and away you go.Sorry it it doesnt make sense hopefully it may be of some help.
ah! ok so you DID concrete in the posts in the corner. yours sounds exactly like mine.
excellent! thanks for your help matey :)
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My base had really long tent peg thingies. Two to a corner and one on each short side, two on the long sides.
They were pushed/hammered in the soil and then half dozen or so bags of post concrete mix (broken bags were only 52p each i think, bargain) laid inside all the edges and sand/gravel/post concrete mix laid around the outside edges too. So now the base is virtually unseen with both the inside and outside ground built up. I don't think it's going to fly away anytime soon.
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I bolted mine down onto breeze blocks (all underneath the base) - having had a previous one blow down I was making sure this didn't happen again :) depends on how exposed your area is but the more secure the better
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The sand would be a problem Wahaj only because the long pegs would pull out easily... the post set/concrete idea is good. Mine didn't have the corner spikes so I set the base into the heavy soil and banked it up with pea gravel to back fill the little trench...
8)
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kewl thanks guys. i went to wilkinsons today and they do this big bag for £2.99. it's the type of concrete that you pour into the whole...level it...pour water on it and then 30 minutes later you can walk on it. even though i'll probably leave it a few hours before putting the spikes in.
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Shouldn't the spikes be set in place BEFORE you pour the concrete? Otherwise you'll have to drill holes and concrete them in anyway.
Maybe someone will tell me I'm wrong?
Tricia
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Shouldn't the spikes be set in place BEFORE you pour the concrete? Otherwise you'll have to drill holes and concrete them in anyway.
Maybe someone will tell me I'm wrong?
Tricia
oh yea. I'll dig a hole wider than the spike....then pour in the concrete and let it set. cos as you said....it being quick dry it would settle before you put the spikes in.
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best advice = tricia - place the spikes, then pour in the quick set cement, otherwise you are making things difficult for yourself :)
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Are the spikes attached to the base frame ? if so make sure you have a spirit level handy, mine are on base of concreat and topped with single layer of bricks old style.
Is it a glass one or polycarbe, mine is glass which hubby putty with the metal clips so they did not slip.
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Are the spikes attached to the base frame ? if so make sure you have a spirit level handy, mine are on base of concreat and topped with single layer of bricks old style.
Is it a glass one or polycarbe, mine is glass which hubby putty with the metal clips so they did not slip.
yea. the base come in 4 galvanised steel plinths. you srew them together and on each corner you attached this....leg like spike.
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Oh a lot easier than mine,
if you make up the base with legs dig your holes big enough then see how the base sits with a sprit level make sure it is level all around a good base is what you need.
Even if you have to put bits of wood under the plinths to raise them ( these can be removed afterwards)
Then just put the post concreat mix in as others have said with legs in place.
Keep some of the slabs to go down the centre of greenhouse easier to walk on and keeps feet clean also when it gets hot you can throw water on them this will mist the greenhouse red spider dont like that?
If you have ever thought of having a grape vine now is the time to do it before the greenhouse is built, roots outside and head inside just a thought.
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Have you done your base yet wahaj??
Have to confess I sat reading your post with a smug smile on my face ;D ;D as I remember the nightmare I had building mine.I don't envy you but it will be worth it in the end.
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Have you done your base yet wahaj??
Have to confess I sat reading your post with a smug smile on my face ;D ;D as I remember the nightmare I had building mine.I don't envy you but it will be worth it in the end.
lol tell me about it. no i haven't built it yet. i haven't got the time. I wake up at 7 to prepare to go to work...and i'm not usually back past 6pm when the sun's going down anyway. so i'll have to do it over the weekend.
so many things to do this weekend. build the greenhouse, finish putting the logs rolls in the garden for the big raise bed (about 35 meters worth of log rolls to be hammered into the groung), I've got a tonne of topsoil on the drive that then need to be put in the raised bed. and finally some sowing to do.
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these dark mornings and evenings are doing my head in. but get the g/h built first, your babies need their protection.
;D
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Dark cold wet mornings and the school run Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :-[ :-[
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these dark mornings and evenings are doing my head in. but get the g/h built first, your babies need their protection.
;D
yea....i know. i just....cant to be honest. i do go out there to look at it. 5 minutes later it's as dark as midnight. and also the fact that i can't really afford the cement right now....even though it's only £2.99. i'm really really really skint this month.
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Like I said before, I found some broken bags of post cement for 52p. I think it was Wickes rather than B&Q. I know you haven't a vehicle but perhaps you could coerce daddy to take you up there at the weekend. They were out in the builders yard bit marked up on a trolley. They were a bit messy, so take some carrier bags with you.
You could always sabotage a few bags and offer then a reasonable price :P
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Like I said before, I found some broken bags of post cement for 52p. I think it was Wickes rather than B&Q. I know you haven't a vehicle but perhaps you could coerce daddy to take you up there at the weekend. They were out in the builders yard bit marked up on a trolley. They were a bit messy, so take some carrier bags with you.
You could always sabotage a few bags and offer then a reasonable price :P
how decietful of you Mrs KP!
but yea i'll have a loooook.
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You could always sabotage a few bags and offer then a reasonable price
:o :o :o Shocking ;)
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Try freecycle theres usualy some going somewhere :-)
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(http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/images/smilies/shrug.gif)
what ? it's not like they're not overcharging us anyway.
:P
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Yep try freecycle its changed to dontdumpthat should have the link at the bottom if nothing on just place a wanted add its free.
I like recycling,
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(http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/images/smilies/shrug.gif)
what ? it's not like they're not overcharging us anyway.
:P
MrsKP the modern day Robin Hood :o :o
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what ? it's not like they're not overcharging us anyway.
That does not make it ok :(
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oh lighten up. i paid what was on the label. i'm hardly inciting larcency.
the guy's got a brain of his own !
put my smilies back in and take the post in context.
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Yep try freecycle its changed to dontdumpthat should have the link at the bottom if nothing on just place a wanted add its free.
I like recycling,
my freecycle group (apparently we're not allowed to use freecyle without a capital F and a TM now) has had to change it's name or be closed down. where there's muck there's money, for the owners and sponsors anyway.
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Well I havent seen any sponsers on the northants site yet?
As for this site
Dan worked hard to get sponsers to keep this site running for us lottie/home gardeners.
He did not have the backing of BBC or a gardening paper behind him.
Many of us came from the BBC to this site and are very gratefull to Dan for all his hard work.
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here's the reason behind our change of name to glasgow-freeshare.
quote:
Why has this change been made?
The previously grassroots freecycle(TM) movement has over the past few
years become increasingly centralized, bureaucratic and aggressive. A
Board of Directors (the founder, his wife and best friend) together
with a small salaried staff, backed up corporate sponsorship from
Waste Management Inc, jealously protect the "Freecycle" trade mark,
estimated to be worth many millions of dollars. Many hundreds, if not
thousands, of local freecycle groups have been sacrificed to that
cause, being summarily deleted by Yahoo at The Freecycle Network's
request.
Despite conforming to many petty and changing requests made at the
threat of destruction, and receiving no answer to our polite queries,
the glasgow-freecycle group was put through Stage 1 of the Freecycle
group destruction procedure. Hence the quick change of name, to remove
all mention of the trademarked name from our group and preserve your
ability to recycle at will.
Where can I find out more?
Try these sites:
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/7/26/111526/801 (http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/7/26/111526/801)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freecycle_Network (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freecycle_Network)
http://www.chillingeffects.org/trademark/notice.cgi?NoticeID=3169 (http://www.chillingeffects.org/trademark/notice.cgi?NoticeID=3169)
http://www.volokh.com/posts/1153780821.shtml (http://www.volokh.com/posts/1153780821.shtml)
http://sunnydale47.livejournal.com/880220.html (http://sunnydale47.livejournal.com/880220.html)
I think it's more to do with the TM and the "name" rather than sponsorship of the site. I find it dubious that someone can make money out of letting others recycle their unwanted items.
If it were a choice of paying Dan an annual subscription or letting the site close, I know which I'd prefer. But the comments about sponsors were made towards freecycle rather than A4A.
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try this?
taken from the northants site and no sponsers etc have a look.
This gives notice that with effect from, 26 June 2006, Don'tDumpThat is incorporated with Companies House as a Private Limited Company Limited by Guarantee, under the name Don'tDumpThat Limited Reg. No. 05857099.
This formally establishes Don'tDumpThat as a non-profit organisation.
All enquiries concerning this notice should be addressed to the Trustees at trustees@dontdumpthat.com
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I've registered with my local don't dump that, but it's still in its infancy and not frequented much yet. it's up to us to get it going though, so if i have anything to offer, i will place it on both sites.
isn't it strange that local "communities" eventually feel the need to conform and register. the net used to be such a free spirit place. now it's full of big brothers looking over your shoulder. progress i guess.
:-\
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I'm fed up of this greenhouse project. All i wanted was something to protect my tenders over the winter. I didn't want a bloody building project.
The backyard is a complete tip. there's a big huge heap of dead weeds about chest high in one corner. There's loads of other crap there that needs to be cleared. There's a bed that had been put there before we moved in and it's just a complete shambles...it's completely over taken by ivy. even the rambling rose is getting completely suffocated. The paving slabs that i took out are sitting in the corner taking more space up and i don't know what to do with them. all the greenhouse stuff is around the place. It's taken me 2 days to sort out the base...dig the ground to put that in. all the soil from digging it out is in heaps around the patio. i put the cement in this afternoon...but it still hasn't set...it's supposed to be that quick set cement. and it's all looking like a right mess. i think the base is level but the way it all looks i just know it's going to fall apart in weeks.
maybe it's just too ambitious a project to attempt. i've haven't ther slightest clue about building or using building materials. i've never come across them before and i just feeling totally in the dark about what i'm doing...hoping everything will turn out alright.
unfortunately my dad's spent about £400 on this whole thing for me already and i can't afford to make any mistakes.
*sigh*
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take a step back, deeeeeeeeeep breath and don't look at it as a huge problem, slice it up into bite sizeable chunks.
it will a bit of hard work, but you'll get there in the end and you'll just sooooo love it when it's done.
some of the more building minded will give you better practical ideas about why the cement still hasn't set etc. can you have a bonfire for the weeds ?? it's coming up to bonfire night, so another ickle bonfire wouldn't hurt !
can the council come and take away the bed and other assorted rubbish ? they might charge, or they might not. ring them and tell them what you've got.
keep the slabs piled up in a lovely star formation in a corner out of the way and plonk a pot on them till you're ready to do something with them.
have you actually asked your dad for any advice ? or is he not diy orientated either ?
just take your time, and you'll get there !
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Your're bound to feel a bit over whelmed with it being your first time, but it will all go fine :)We all have felt like you when we have had to build a shed or greenhouse.
Stick in there and you will be pleased with your efforts :)
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In a few weeks time you will back and laugh and realise it wasn't that bad and you will have your greenhouse to show for your efforts.
As said take a step back in put it in perspective.Good luck and hang in there!!!
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thanks legendry one.
oh and sorry Mrs KP. by bed i meant like a flower bed...but it might aswell not be to be honest lol.
And i do definately agree with the bitesize chunks. I've just got so much on my plate right now and *sigh*. Basically my brother's parents in law are coming over in a weeks time and the back garden is visible from all the windows. he wants to make a big impression so I've got a week to do all of it. Then I've got to help him spring clean the house from top to bottom. Then the day before they come over he's going to be really touchy if there's any mess made. He hasn't been very lucky in his love life so this is his big moment. I mean i know they shouldn't judge him on the house and whatever but it means a lot to him.
Halloween's coming up in a couple of weeks and we've got to sort everything out. it's planned that we go over to our friend's house in leicester and meet my sister there and make a big do of it. so i've got to do all my part in it.
I'm financially very unstable right now. I've basically got no money till the 27th of this month...and my bf's getting really down. he hasn't been happy for a atleast a couple of years now....and that gets me down too. we can't buy anything or even feed ourselves properly. then a huge phone bill arrived recently because we weren't careful enough and now they've barred my bf's phone and he's got no way or ringing anyone or them ringing him back. he hasn't got a job yet so he can't use a work phone. even if he does get a job we'll have no money for him to be able to travel to work.
My room's a mess that needs to be sorted. I haven't changed the water in the fish tank this week so I'm a bit worried for the fish in that sense. I've only recently started going back to work so i don't really get time to do anything. when i come back it's too dark. and the fact that i need to spent time with my bf because he gets really lonely at home all day and he hates living here. and when i'm at work i'm really down because i know how unhappy he is and the nuts that we're in and all the things i need to sort out before a certain time.
I've still got to finish putting the log rolls in the front garden to finish the raised beds. I've got to order some more topsoil for which my dad's going to pay another £80. Then it's going to take me a day's work to shift the 2 tonnes of that soil. I've got loads of bulbs that need planting and some of then are starting to go off so they need to go in the ground ASAP. I've got some seeds that need to be sown before the end of this month but i can't till the beds have been sorted out. I need to finish this bloody greenhouse before the frosts come.
I haven't even been able to afford a haircut for months so My hair's a really long mess and people have half heartedly commented on it at work and i laugh it off but i know i look like a right tramp.
And i have a skin condition for which i've been taking anti-biotics for 3 months. I've tried it before but they gave me a really bad reaction so i stopped taking them. I finished my 3 month coarse and i didn't remember what time my revisit appointment was so i rung them and realised i missed the appointment. so i've been discharged and my gp's got to re appoint me and that could take another 16 weeks and i'm still waiting on that appointment with the councilor.
i've got a lot of other bills to pay and money that i owe people that i've had to promise people i'd return to them but i've just absolutely no way of doing it. I've been selling stuff for the last few months so that we have money to survive on but we've got absolutely nothing left now that we can sell. Nor me or my bf are having 3 meals anymore because we just can't afford it.
Sorry about the rant...i just...i know it's something that i need to look at in smaller chunks.....but with everything that's going on and the deadlines i have for stuff and the people chasing me for me and never having enough energy i'm just really really low at the moment and can't look at things in baby steps without everything just crashing down on me.
I've tried to get my nuts together and smile and think i can get through it and think practically and break things up into manageable pieces but i can't see a way out. I just....i dunno.
Anyway....i guess that was nothing to do with the greenhouse but it helps me to right it all down so i can atleast tell someone about it without worrying i'm affecting them aswell. I can't talk to my bf about it or my family because i know they'll get really down about it.
so back to the greenhouse. thanks for the advice peeps.
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have a nervous breakdown and then no one will expect anything from you !!!!!!
JOKE !!!!!
(and i do realise that nervous breakdown's are no laughing matter :-[).
you definitely need a hand from someone young man.
sit down with your boyfriend and brother and draw up a plan. tbh if the bulbs don't get planted and go off, they go off. no big deal. bit of a waste, but then there's always next year.
it does look like a huge mess when you write it all in one big paragraph, but get the vital things down on paper, and don't get drawn into anything else until the major issues are sorted.
speak to everyone that you owe and explain the situation to them. i'm sure they'd prefer for you to be honest and to let them know the real situation and be far more likely to be patient if you told them the truth.
get a hairband, keep it clean and tie it up ! no crisis !
have you got a welfare department at work that you could speak to ?
You're not in this on your own love, you have a family and partner. you have your part to play, but so do they. you all need to support each other.
and EAT !
p.s. look on the bright side, you haven't got a bed to get rid of ! ;D
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Don't worry about rant ;) We all need to let of steam.
Could your boyfriend do some of the work for you while you are at work, it would help you and would do him the world of good aswell.
And if you need to rant again do so none of us here will mind :)
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have a nervous breakdown and then no one will expect anything from you !!!!!!
JOKE !!!!!
(and i do realise that nervous breakdown's are no laughing matter :-[).
you definitely need a hand from someone young man.
sit down with your boyfriend and brother and draw up a plan. tbh if the bulbs don't get planted and go off, they go off. no big deal. bit of a waste, but then there's always next year.
it does look like a huge mess when you write it all in one big paragraph, but get the vital things down on paper, and don't get drawn into anything else until the major issues are sorted.
speak to everyone that you owe and explain the situation to them. i'm sure they'd prefer for you to be honest and to let them know the real situation and be far more likely to be patient if you told them the truth.
get a hairband, keep it clean and tie it up ! no crisis !
have you got a welfare department at work that you could speak to ?
You're not in this on your own love, you have a family and partner. you have your part to play, but so do they. you all need to support each other.
and EAT !
p.s. look on the bright side, you haven't got a bed to get rid of ! ;D
lol bless your heart. you're such a sweety. i know....i just everyone's got their own problems and my family has a lot of issues in their lives. i mean not too long ago my brother attempted suicide with his wife. well they're divorced now...but still. my dad's had a nervous breakdown a few years ago. i haven't got any friends really because i haven't got time for them. if i did have one it'd always be about me and my problems and that's not a friendship. i can't talk to my bf because he's a real pessimist. anything i say he'll get even more down about and he breaks into tears and then starts blaming himself for everything regardless of what i say.
I mean i have a lovely family and and lovely boyfriend. but for someone to talk to....i feel really alone.
Day before yesterday my bf was making us dinner and halfway through he realised we didn't really have much to cook so he cooked me dinner and then went to sleep without eating anything himself. i knew he was really hungry because he hadn't eaten anything but he wouldn't talk about it. i then went to the shop but before i went he said if you waste money on getting some food from the shop for me then i'll be really pissed off. but i did anyway because i couldn't eat knowing he's hungry. so when i came back he wasnt home. he was away for about an hour. i stood in the street that hour looking for him....and i was in tears...because it's not like him to go anywhere like that. he didn't take his phone. we're all just very much on edge right now trying to keep things together and i don't feel i can off load anymore on anyone else without taking them down with me.
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Don't worry about rant ;) We all need to let of steam.
Could your boyfriend do some of the work for you while you are at work, it would help you and would do him the world of good aswell.
And if you need to rant again do so none of us here will mind :)
thanks :)
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and you're worrying about a bl00dy greenhouse ???? methinks you should just go for a nice walk in the park instead !
hopefully you feel a bit better for having released some emotions even if it is on your gardening message board. ;D
and if you're reading this now, DON'T! get to bed and have some sleep.
wake up in the morning with a fresh new look at the world, and smile ;D .... and eat !
nn
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and you're worrying about a bl00dy greenhouse ???? methinks you should just go for a nice walk in the park instead !
hopefully you feel a bit better for having released some emotions even if it is on your gardening message board. ;D
and if you're reading this now, DON'T! get to bed and have some sleep.
wake up in the morning with a fresh new look at the world, and smile ;D .... and eat !
nn
thanks for the support MrsKP. It doesn't neccesarily change anything....but writing it down does break it all down and put things into perspective a bit more.
But yea...I'm all ready and stuff for another monday at work.
thanks for the help though. I do appreciate the advice.
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My sister in law always said to me " When you have reached rock bottom there is only one way and thats up" I think your there.
Your bf is signed on at the job centre?
get him also to go round to all the agencys and sign on with them. You will find that some supply transport to jobs which would help him. Give him the plans of greenhouse he could do the frame ready to put on base when dried, give him something outside to do? make him feel needed might boost him up.
Dont worry about the garden your creating a new one, just make a plan of how it will look when finished, this way when brothers inlaws come you show them the plan of finished garden. They might even give you ideas.
They are comming to see you just make the house looks nice, and brother can help, poundland do a polish Mr Sheen potporrie, thats nice spray around the morning of their arrival works for me hee hee. ;D
As for the bulbs, you can put them in a pot, bucket or a hole in the garden to move later or when finished flowering so you dont lose them.
Money wise you can go to your bank and ask for an overdraft for a few months explain your problems and see if they can help. BF can do the same when he gets a job. Stay clear of loan sharks.
look after No.1 you, you cannot motovate others if your down yourself.
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My sister in law always said to me " When you have reached rock bottom there is only one way and thats up" I think your there.
Your bf is signed on at the job centre?
get him also to go round to all the agencys and sign on with them. You will find that some supply transport to jobs which would help him. Give him the plans of greenhouse he could do the frame ready to put on base when dried, give him something outside to do? make him feel needed might boost him up.
Dont worry about the garden your creating a new one, just make a plan of how it will look when finished, this way when brothers inlaws come you show them the plan of finished garden. They might even give you ideas.
They are comming to see you just make the house looks nice, and brother can help, poundland do a polish Mr Sheen potporrie, thats nice spray around the morning of their arrival works for me hee hee. ;D
As for the bulbs, you can put them in a pot, bucket or a hole in the garden to move later or when finished flowering so you dont lose them.
Money wise you can go to your bank and ask for an overdraft for a few months explain your problems and see if they can help. BF can do the same when he gets a job. Stay clear of loan sharks.
look after No.1 you, you cannot motovate others if your down yourself.
thanks for your lovely advice teresa. puts things into perspective really doesn't it. i guess it's just sometimes hard to figure things when you're in the situation....but it's great to have people care enough to help you through it. So really...thankyou.
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Oh Wahaj,
We have all been there, you look after No. 1 you.
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There is a way which you could use sand for the base. Clear your site and place hardcore in the recess. The mix sand (or balast) with cement and filll the gaps in the hardcore level, then add another 4" of the mix on top of that. Cover with a polythene sheet and allow to cure. Note: this is a dry mix and will absorb moisture from the ground. It takes longer to set than a wet mix but is not so heavy to move around. If you want a hard wearing surface you could skim it with a wet mix (after its cured).
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I've got plenty of hard core if you need wahaj. the builders that did the deck still haven't removed all the bricks that were the wall around the patio and they're all dumped in my front border !
just come and pick them up anytime. :P
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lol nice.
well....after that £350 disaster...this other guy came round ot have a look, and he sounded really nice....so he's meant to be dropping a quote in through the door. It's my dad paying anyway so.
thanks for the advice though larkshall. Right now it's a project i've decided to put on a hold so that i dont put too much on my plate. I've tried everything in my budget and skill.....but i can't seem to do it. so unfortunately....for a pretty simple job...i'm getting a builder in. but oh well....we can't all do everything.
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"that's my boy" ............ wahaj, you're learning pal !
;D