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Post by 3piggles on May 19, 2021 19:27:09 GMT
I'm not excusing meat producers, but this is about relieving menopausal symptoms in women. I had them. They're awful, but we all survive. To do that to probably hundreds of mares, just so we don't have to feel like climbing in the freezer every few minutes, or don't get insomnia and night sweats, it just isn't a reasonable trade off
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Post by Bean on May 20, 2021 7:03:39 GMT
I've never actually thought about where the hormones in the pill and HRT come from. I've just had a quick google and see synthetic versions of the hormones are often used in the pill and from plant sources in HRT, although horse urine is sometimes used. If there are good alternatives, there's even less justification for keeping horses that way.
I will definitely keep this in mind when I get to the time of life where I may be looking for relief from hormonal symptoms - check the source!
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Post by 3piggles on May 22, 2021 17:54:15 GMT
When I needed it, there weren't any synthetic options. I decided to suffer, instead, while my doctor told me I was an idiot for making such a choice, and pretty much blamed any problems I had on that choice. I'm glad women don't have to make that choice, anymore. I had as flat of bedding plants for the purple and orange garden, and decided to plant them in the white tower planter. I need more for the green tower planter, and will get those when the temp drops again. Also got a pic of another part of the brook I pass on my walk. This part is off the road into the hood, crosses under that road, and continues on the other side. Pretty 🤗
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Post by Bean on May 24, 2021 8:18:44 GMT
I have a strawberry tower, but it's not anywhere near so high as yours!
Looks like you have some lovely walking routes right on your doorstep, which must make it easier to get moving on those days when your body is resisting activity!
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Post by 3piggles on May 24, 2021 16:49:14 GMT
Between pretty scenery, and friends to talk to, it isn't hard to get out to walk, as long as it's not too hot. That tower isn't really a strawberry tower, though I don't see why it wouldn't work as one. We don't really have the right weather to grow strawberries, or I didn't read the directions right. I'd love to grow strawberries!
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Post by Bean on May 25, 2021 7:15:37 GMT
I think of strawberries as being pretty versatile - our plants tend to do well whether we have a hot, dry summer or a cool and wet one (although you need to water them if it's dry, of course!). The hardest part is getting to the fruit before the birds and squirrels do. (Technically not difficult at all, it's just a case of remembering to pick them regularly or net them!)
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Post by 3piggles on May 26, 2021 0:49:08 GMT
Would they do well outside in the snow and ice, in subzero F weather? I planted mine in a strawberry bed, giving the plants the first year to get established, so they'd fruit the next year, and they all died. I have no place to put them to bring them inside.
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Post by Bean on May 26, 2021 7:22:26 GMT
They start to die back as soon as you get frosts, but are pretty tough and usually return. Did you add any protection? If you get extended periods of sub zero weather, covering them with a mulch in autumn should do the trick - maybe some netting/ fleece if needed. I don't know anyone who moves them indoors or to a greenhouse. Our worst winter saw us get down to about -15c for some time and most of mine survived that, especially the older plants (we get loads of runners every year which are of course more fragile).
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Post by 3piggles on May 26, 2021 18:50:07 GMT
Back then, or winter temps regularly got down to -23C or lower. I never thought to mulch and cover them, but it might work. We were growing them in a tower planter, and I'm not at all sure how to mulch and cover a tower planter. Oh, and it was terra cotta. That's why I had to bring it in. I'd forgotten. If I grew strawberries again, I'd do it in a plastic planter. I'll google wintering over strawberries in our area. I'm sure the information has changed in 30 years. I just never got back to it.
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Post by Bean on May 27, 2021 6:49:39 GMT
I think it's worth another go, you can't beat freshly picked strawberries! If you used a tower, you could just add your mulch to each level and then hang a bit of garden fleece over the whole thing.
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Post by 3piggles on May 27, 2021 14:11:29 GMT
What is garden fleece? I think you're right! We had a line of thunderstorms come through last night. The wind tipped over one plant pot with a spikey plant in it. The spikey plant has been repotted in a safer place. Got out to do our big walk at 6 a.m., and found some storm damage along the route. Need a chainsaw to move it, so we just stepped over it. Before and after the storm that only last about 15 minutes, and gave us .37" of rain. The road at the end accesses our community. The main road is only 20-30'to the right, yet it looks like a country road.
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Post by Bean on May 28, 2021 7:28:17 GMT
Garden fleece isn't like normal fleece - it's really thin so light can get through, but nice and sturdy. This kind of thing. Sounds like you've been having some dramatic weather there! It's great your community is so close to the main roads to access other places, but looks and feels so secluded.
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Post by 3piggles on May 31, 2021 17:36:08 GMT
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Post by Bean on Jun 1, 2021 7:30:18 GMT
Looking great! Are those hostas in front of the hose? I have one in a pot which the slugs don't seem to have discovered yet! I've planted out a load of bedding plants, some given to me, some grown from seed and some bought. Hopefully with some sunshine and rain (or watering) they'll be putting on a god show soon.
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 2, 2021 19:56:12 GMT
Yes, we have some gorgeous Hostas. We planted them the first year we were here. There are some in the front garden by the driveway, too. I've always had Hostas, and they make such a fabulous border. We could probably divide ours, but I have no idea where I'd put them. Hubby went to the garden center with me, today, as I needed one more tomato plant. I have room for 4, and only planted 3. That empty space was bothering me We had a garden center like it once before, but the owners sold the land and retired. It was fun going through the greenhouses of plants, and checking out all the tables of plants, just like old times I'm trying to shop more locally. It saves me making long trips, and helps local businesses. If I had gone to the garden center first, I wouldn't have bought the other three tomato plants at the big chain store. All of those flowers will fill out, and by the end of the month, it should look really lush and nice
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Post by Bean on Jun 3, 2021 7:56:03 GMT
It was only the size of your hostas that made me think they might be something else - massive! They look great.
It's a great idea for us all to shop more locally. Sometimes you think of a big shop that will have it all, but often you can get much better deals or higher quality stuff more locally. When you're shopping for plants it's always fun to look around. Not so exciting if it's something mundane!
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 3, 2021 20:11:06 GMT
There is a small market near us, but it doesn't have much selection. Their meats are fabulous, and as long as I'm not looking for anything but the basics, they have it. We tend to do our food shopping in Concord, after swimming, as we're already there, but I've been trying to get Vic to go to the local hardware store, even if they don't have what he needs, and he has to go on to the big chain store. Never know what they might have
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Post by Bean on Jul 8, 2021 19:56:50 GMT
It's not my life but rather my dad's - he was on a walk last week and sent me this picture which he titled 'Attacked by ducklings'! Oh but actually, I do have one of my own - a fox I saw in my garden this week. It was standing right outside the patio doors peering in when I first saw it, but it was straight off when it clocked me! It did stop and turn round at the bottom of the garden before it went over the fence though, so I got more than a fox bum in my photo.
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Post by 3piggles on Jul 9, 2021 19:52:30 GMT
Great photos I'd love to be attacked by ducklings, and I'm so glad you got a great picture of the fox Foxes are gorgeous animals!
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Post by Bean on Jul 10, 2021 7:00:09 GMT
We spent a while last night watching a little hedgehog trundle about the garden looking for food. No photos as the light wasn't great, but it was the cutest thing, especially when it chose to climb up something it could have walked round and we saw its back legs pedalling trying to get purchase!
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