Everything's Changed at Bramble Cottage!

Eeek. Total silence from Bramble Cottage for over six months! Some of you have asked what’s happened, so we wanted to put together a quick New Year’s update on life and living here on our little patch in south-west Scotland. A couple of significant life events set us on a different heading, but we’ve still been making progress in the garden and the cottage, with improvements to the food forest, the electrics, the creature comforts, new hobbies (tufting), and a variety of other now completed or forever ongoing projects (and problems) towards building our forever (we hope) home here. Chapters 00:00 Intro - where have we been? 00:36 The Necessities: septic tank, central heating boiler and pressure issues, underfloor leaks and thermal camera, Tado vs Drayton Wiser Smart heating, wiring and electrics, roof leaks, 03:26 Food Forest: new shrubs and plants (hazels, medlar and more), failed veggies & moles, rabbit proofing (again), arches, mulch and gravel (always gravel) 08:37 Biodiversity: dead hedge, insect hotels, bird feeders 10:33 Personal Rewards: house sale, a fresh white wall (and rotten window frames) 12:09 Creature Comforts: practical tufting as a hobby, rugs, furniture, pictures OUR STORY: After 20 years of moving around, in July 2024 we finally moved into what we hope will be our forever home: A 0.2 acre plot of land with a cottage in rural South-West Scotland. It's a place we never imagined we'd be able to call our own. The house and grounds are tired and in need of rejuvenation, but this is great for us because we love gardening and DIY projects that involve restoring old houses. We've also always loved the idea of starting a semi self-sufficient homestead as part of a more sustainable lifestyle. Join us on our journey. #homestead #sustainableliving #diyprojects