OK those of you who follow my garden exploits, will know how much I enjoy growing my own fruit & veg. Recently though I made the decision I wanted to grow much more fruit.Until now I have only been growing blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. I have always liked the idea of my own mini orchard. The thing is The dwarf fruit trees are quite expensive, I mean anywhere between £15 to £25 each for a 2-3 year old tree. Now as I wanted to grow apples pears & plums that means I’m looking at £45 to £75 just for the trees alone! I could buy an awful lot of fruit from the green grocer for that much!

As luck would have it there was very little on TV last week and I found myself watching a cable channel selling gardening stuff. Oh my god I couldn’t believe it when they had a 15 minute advertorial selling Mini orchard dwarf fruit trees. At first I thought you had to ring up and buy there and then, now that’s not me. I like to do a little more research before I buy. So you can imagine how happy I was when I found their website selling for exactly the same price as the TV offer. These are definitely the best value you are going to find anywhere on the internet and super cheap too! click here to check it out. See I wasn’t lying.

So I ordered my very own fruit trees, one conference pear tree, one braeburn apple tree, one victoria plum tree and one morrelo cherry tree. I also decided to buy 4 of the 30Lr pots to plant them in.( in case we ever move I want to take them with me).

 

 My dwarf fruit trees arrived today

Take a look at the first picture this is how they come. Oh and delivery took about 12 days.

That’s Bailey, My black lab in the background, he’s got green paws too!

As you can see they are well wrapped with extra protection around the roots.

 

 

This is how they look when they are all unwrapped. As you can see they come as bare root.

 

 

 

So my first job was to get them separated and get the dry roots into a bucket of water. Apparently this brings them back to life quite quickly.

 

 

Next I filled my pots a quarter full with an all round neutral ph compost.

 

 

From here I just positioned each tree nice and straight with the root ball approx 3 inches above the top of the pot and filled them up with a mixture of soil,compost and a little blood fish & bone fertilizer. You can see from the picture that I have filled to about 2 inches from the top of the pot.

 

 

OK last thing to do is water them in thoroughly. Plenty of water to give them a good soaking.

 

 

And that’s it, four dwarf fruit trees that will give me lovely fresh fruit for the next 40 years!

 

 

So there you have it, my own mini orchard of dwarf fruit trees I just can’t wait now until the summer so I can start picking my very first orchard harvest.

Don’t forget for the best price anywhere on the internet ( and believe me when I say I have researched this)

Here is their own video explaining it all. To go to their website

click here

____________________________CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

 

 

And here is the BBC’s guide to growing fruit trees. BBC GUIDES

 

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Well it has been one year since i bought my dwarf fruit trees from here. they certainly had a good year of flowering and growing thicker and stronger roots but i have to be honest only the Braeburn apple tree bore any fruit! That to me is absolutely fine though as although they say you should get fruit the first year i never really believed they would produce a substantial yield.

Anyway It is spring again and they are all starting to produce some decent size buds so I’m hoping for good things from them this year. I will try and take some pics throughout the summer season and add them to this post so I can give you an idea of how mine are doing and what you could expect from yours if you buy the same ones.

Oh here is a link to the original post http://myoutdoorlife.co.uk/dwarf-fruit-trees

And here are the first pics from this year. (this is the dwarf fruit trees second year!)

 

 

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The North Face -Parka jackets; big bucks!! but are they worth it?

I first tried on The North Face Mcmurdo Parka jacket a few years ago whilst in one of the many outdoor shops near where I live. I really wanted something super warm, really well made and it had looked the part too! I was sold, I loved it. It fit nice and snug felt really comfy and no one can deny, they look great. OK I thought I’m going to have this! where’s the price tag? Craaaaaaaap!!! £275. Now I don’t mind paying a bit extra for Quality but I just couldn’t part with £275 for a jacket I will use 3 months of the year, so I walked out the store disappointed.

Every time I went into an outdoor shop I would go and have a look at The North Face parka jacket and ponder weather or not I should buy it, but I never did.

Instead I went through three of our harshest winters to date, with a sub standard hand me down coat, wrapping myself up in fleeces,  scarves, a wooly hat and a fur flying hat just to try and keep warm. Upon returning from work in the dark winter nights, I would dread taking the dog out when it was wet windy and below zero degrees.

This year was going to be different! No way I’m going to do that again, I have had my heart set on The North Face Mcmurdo for years and I decided to get one whatever the cost!

So rather than trudge around the shops, I went into online research mode. After a lot of searching I discovered these guys Simply Hike .

£50 cheaper than most places, plus I got a voucher giving another 10% off! Now I think there was one place that did it a bit cheaper but Simply Hike offered a 28 day no quibble returns and exchange policy free of charge. If you do a lot of internet shopping like I do that is GOLD!

So I entered my card details and 3 days later it arrived. Yay I’m so happy, sods law we are now experiencing the mildest winter for decades!

Anyway One of the things I noticed when researching The North Face jackets, was the distinct lack of honest REAL user reviews and opinions.

So I thought I would do a review myself and here it is.

Oh and please excuse my modeling! I’m not 20 anymore and probably just woke up. Well that’s my story and I’m sticking with it!

First off I am going to say this isn’t going to be a technical review of sizes materials used or anything like that.You can get all that at The North Face official website here . What I am gonna do is tell you in a bit more detail what I think of it.

OK just to give you an idea how big the jacket is I am 5’9″ medium to large build (read a bit overweight). The jacket is a male medium and in olive green. Now I’m a 43-44ich chest and thought I should go for a large but the medium is a perfect fit for me.

Here’s a front view unzipped. As you can see it’s a mid length jacket, my only negative here and the only negative overall  is I find it slightly hard to reach the zipper without having to curl over a bit. Nothing  major but worth telling you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

looking at it from behind not much to say looks OK. (notice Bailey getting in on the photo!)

 

 

 

Quick look with jacket held open. ( oh no I haven’t even removed the tag)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the zip is up its very comfy and you can instantly tell how well padded it is. looks very smart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now with hands in lower pockets. The pockets are huge and very comfy for my arms when inserted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hands now in upper pockets, again good size pockets and still quite a comfortable position for my arms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is with the zip all the way up. it covers your mouth and really keeps the wind out. I don’t even bother wearing a scarf now as its super warm like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now with hood up, it is in full Artic mode now, no wind or cold gets in in fact you feel like you are in your own world like this as you know it’s freezing outside but you just cant feel it!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is how it looks from behind with the hood up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK hood now has the “fur” removed. very easy to do just heavy duty popper clips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is how it looks with no fur and the hood up. ( I much prefer keeping fur on I think it looks nicer that way)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hood up, no fur, zipped up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK so now I have removed the hood all together. Again super easy to do a few poppers and a zip. Removing the hood makes it look like a different jacket, nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the back without the hood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK lets have a look at some of the details.

Here you can see The North Face logo on the left upper chest. can you see how well padded the collar is? lovely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A better look at the internal padding (super warm and comfy) you can also see the internal zip pocket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice elasticated net pocket on the bottom left (inside)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And another internal elasticated pocket (upper right chest)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The large external lower pockets have strong Velcro fastenings. These are nice deep pockets!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They also have the side zip pockets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a better view of the bottom pockets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another handy little Velcro pocket on the upper left arm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see here the heavy duty zip and poppers used  all over the jacket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice heavy duty zip and fastener.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sleeves have this adjustable Velcro tightnener. You can also see the other Hyvent logo on the left sleeve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last North face logo is on the back right shoulder. You can also see the zip fastener for the hood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fur strip removed, notice the six poppers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the hood without the fur. You can see the short zip and some of the poppers that connect it to the jacket. All are under a flap which keeps the wind out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, these are the push / squeeze draw strings for adjusting the waist in if you need to. Again these are tucked away under flaps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well that’s it, I hope I have given you a little bit better look at The North Face Mcmurdo parka jacket.

I have to say I totally love this jacket and would highly recommend it to anyone, yea it’s a little pricey, but believe me you definitely get what you pay for with this jacket. I only wish I had bitten the bullet all those years ago when I first tried it on.

So I give it 10/10. A suburb super warm winter jacket.

Don’t forget to have a look at Simply Hike where I got mine, it’s a fab website for outdoor clothes and equipment.

So what do you think?  leave your comments below and tell me your experience with this jacket do you love it? hate it? please let me know.

current cheapest on the net Hurry limited stock!

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Nite watches, are they any good?

If you are anything like I am, you’ll find it difficult to walk past a good watch retailer without being drawn in. For me, the Omegas and Tags are simply beautiful, but impractical for everyday use. Being a competitive runner and an engineer, I demand a lot from a watch without wanting to sacrifice quality.
When I began researching watches the usual big players such as Casio, Citizen and Timex claimed that their time pieces offered great looks and the ability to handling/endure the demands of everyday life, but for me I was searching for something a little more special and a little less common.

My search lead me to a company called Nite watches who make a very pleasant looking watch called the  MX10 series . This particular time piece is in fact military issue, used by the SAS I understand. The watch has been purposely design to endure extreme conditions, so if  Nite watches  are good enough for the military it’s certainly good enough for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The watch looks pretty understated with its matt black facia surround, however with its universal strap arrangement it can be worn with a suit or casual wear and always looks the part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What got my initial attention was that Nite watches  time pieces offer something most watch manufactures don’t, the dials and points (hands) glow considerably brighter than that of any other watch currently available that I am aware of. The watch face is so bright it emits a deep blue and orange glow using GTLS technology which has something to do with electrons and Tritium gas; this for me is ideal on those dark nights when I am out running.

This photo was taken in the kitchen in total darkness, you can see how well it illuminates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Nite watches

I have owned the watch for approximately 6 months or so and have lost count the number to time I have subjected it to mechanical stresses (that’s scraps and drops to you and I), so far the watch appears to be bullet proof as it remains unscratched and hasn’t missed a beat. I don’t know a lot about watches but I do own several other branded time pieces includes Tags ‘Formula One’ series and Garmins 405 GPS device; I’ve lost count the number of times both the Tag are Garmin have been forwarded back to the manufacture for faults including flaking paint and alarm malfunctioning, however, with the NITE MX10 no such problems have been encountered thus far.
My only negative is that my variant of the MX series doesn’t include a date indicator which can be inconvenient at times, having said this, NITE do offer the very same watch which incorporates a date function.

Here is A quick look at how it looks on my wrist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review by guest poster

Mark Horner

 

 

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Are Hunter wellies as good as there reputation?

As I spend so much time traipsing through wet muddy fields walking my dog I though it was about time to sling my cheapy wellies I have had for years and invest in a decent pair.

Lets face it there are not many reviews for wellies by real people, yea there are plenty of generic reviews by people trying to get you to buy them, but I wouldn’t trust them to much!

So the only good quality welly boot I had heard of were by a company caller Hunter. It seems if your looking for a good quality welly boot then hunter wellies  are very well known and probably the welly boot of the upper and middle classes.

My partner Helen already has a pair, but she got the standard bottom of the range ones!! they seemed OK  and looked like a decent enough welly, I think she paid about £45 for them. Now I am no welly expert but I just couldn’t see what made them any better than a standard no name cheap pair. She assured me that they were extremely comfy and felt better than her previous cheap ones.

OK so I’m almost sold on hunters wellies, but I do like to research before I buy, so decided the best place to find out what real people are saying about hunters wellies were the outdoor forums like horse and hound for example. To cut a long story, there were mixed reviews about the Hunter boots but what I did find out was, if I was to buy hunter boots then go for the Hunter Balmoral and if your budget would stretch the Neoprenes.

I couldn’t justify the extra cost of the Neoprenes as it’s easy to put on a thick comfy pair of socks in the winter. So I decided on the standard Hunter Balmoral in olive.

 

You can see from the first picture how the Hunter Balmorals look next to the hunter original (excuse the mud But I do use them).

Bear in mind in the  above pic the Balmorals are male size 8 (uk) and the Originals are female size 5 (uk) so my Balmorals will be a bit bigger anyway.

The obvious difference is the sole the height they go up your calf and the adjustable side strap.

Here you can see the substantial difference between the soles of the Balmoral and the Original.

The Balmoral has a much more substantial and grippier ( is that even a word?) looking sole.

 

The adjustable side strap also serves a purpose. You can see from the two pics below that you can actually adjust the Balmoral if you have a larger calf (like me)

The strap on the Original doesn’t really do much.

I can’t say what the Hunter Original wellies are like to wear but I can say the Balmoral are very comfy. In fact they don’t really feel like you are wearing a welly boot, I would liken them more to a walking boot.

Initially I did struggle to get them off! as I have a high instep, but after a few days of wearing them they come off OK and there is also a slight lip on the heel that you can use to aid removal.

I also spent a considerable amount of time trying to find the cheapest online store. ( I did have a look around the garden centers but they were so much more expensive)

after a lot of research i ended up getting mine here Simply Hike

But have recently found them to be a little cheaper here.

 

I have been wearing these wellies everyday now for over three month and can say I am still 100% happy with them and would definitely say they are worth the extra money and they also look the part!

Her is the genuine  Hunterboot website http://www.hunter-boot.com/

And here is a fashion type advert by Hunter themselves!!

 

 

Nov 2012 update.

Just thought I would add this little update as I have had quite a few emails asking how my wellies are holding up.

well I have had them well over a year now and still use them almost everyday (we had a very wet summer) to walk the dog.

They are still as good as new! if I were to clean them up properly they would look the same as the day I bought them.

So big thumbs up!

I must say though I have a friend who bought the cheaper hunter classics, he walks his dog maybe 3 hours a day and he says the heels on his are wearing down. I haven’t actually seen them to make my own judgement though.

I do remember that the heel was one of my considerations in buying the Balmoral as I thought it looked an awful lot more substantial.

Any way I’m still really pleased with mine I will update this again this time next year to see how they are doing.

 

 

 

 

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