A Little Backyard Homestead Project

[Mini Horses]

I bet SUMI can't wait to see those fences either!! Then her work will be lessened. So far, there has been a heap of work done. And I agree, your landlord is thrilled you moved in there. Obviously no one else took any time to work at it.

Sorry it's so very much work -- and all by hand! Geesh, I feel like I'd like to come help, with my equipment! But I can hardly wait to see it done and blooming.

You go girl!!!

 

[Britesea]

If you can find plantain (plantago) try rubbing it on when you have a close encounter with nettles.

 

[sumi]

Thanks for the tip @Britesea I'll have a look around the cities and bigger towns see if I can find some, when I go there next. I got nettled again this morning when I went out for some admittedly half-hearted messing around out there. Through my gloves too and my finger feels like I burned it. Dang plants ought to piled and burned, the lot of them.

I'm exhausted today and didn't do more than a little raking. If the weather is good I will do some more tomorrow.

 

[sumi]

@Mini Horses I was thinking yesterday how much fun it'd be to have you all over here for this project. I think we'd have a great time putting our heads and ideas and skills together on that almost blank canvas

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Found this info somewhere:
"Once Stinging Nettle is dry it does not sting. It is the only way our goats eat it. Helpful fro dietary issues, great for skin issues when eaten, use it in salves and teas. Stinging nettle is high in Vitamins and minerals."
Another thing I found said to "cut it and not rake it until the next day and it won't sting."

No personal experience with it - just found that online. Not even sure if it's referring to the same plant you're dealing with.

 

[sumi]

Thanks, FEM! That is interesting… I hear they are wonderful for improving the soil as well as eating and medicinal too? That is still not enough to make me appreciate them

Weather is otherwise today, so I'm undecided about going out to work some. I may later… I need to dig over the rose patch and put the roses in the ground, but I put the bigger sticks there for sawing, so in theory, I should saw them up and get them out of the way right? Only problem being it's fair hard wood and nearly as thick as my thigh (o.k. I'm skinny, but still) and I only have a hand saw. I also need to rake the areas I want to put grass seed and sprinkle some seeds and cover it with poultry netting to stop the girls scratching it all up again (would that matter with grass?) And build a coop of some description and fence off the area for the girls and …..

 

[Britesea]

Nettle is very good for pain relief too- I used to dry it and use it for tea. I wonder if it would make a good pain-relief topical salve? That would be ironic

 

[sumi]

I had a similar thought when I read "Nettle is very good for pain relief too…" The amount of pain that stuff caused me the last few days! I heard rubbing the sap from the stems on stings helps relieve it, but honestly, after getting zapped with the leaves, I was not keen to touch the plant again to find out….

 

[sumi]

Oh crumbs… Looks like it's our turn now:

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...ed-15-and-broke-weather-records-36227943.html

 

[frustratedearthmother]

OH boy....I heard that it was headed your way. Sure hope it loses some strength before it gets there!