Had a bit of a day off today. Went for a Haircut, a trog round a Supermarket, then home and filled the car with rubbish. Took that to the Re-cycling place. Shredded the Holly and Conifer branches from yesterday and loaded them into the car for tomorrow's trip to the re-cycling place. Pricked out a tray of Sweet Williams. Went through a tray of pots of Roscoea seedlings, 2/3 of the pots had not survived my over winter treatment, but still got 15 of them to plant out in a few weeks time.
@Palustris it's been a pleasure since coming back on to see what you've done and it is hard craft but by the pictures it's showing a lovely out come
Today was a little painful. We removed as many dead branches from the Monkey Puzzle Tree as we could. They are PRICKLY with a capital P....ain. Loaded them in the car and took them to the Re-Cycling place. Our hands are shredded..
Oh my word!. That is a huge task, as those monkey puzzle trees are dangerously prickly. Well done on the work.
Great work @Palustris and sorry to hear about your hands but in the end you'll be enjoying the benefits of your achievements and I hope your wifes enjoying her new home also and thank you for the regular updates
Just to prove that we have not been sitting round idly, this is the small crevice garden I have built. Still needs filling up with compost, planting and then covering with gravel.
The whole of the South border is has now been dug over. We will leave it unplanted until we can have those conifers removed. It gives us chance to get out as much of the bindweed and ground elder as possible too. Did find a few of the original metal fence posts and manged to snap the blade on my spade too.
You know you are working too hard when you start breaking garden tools Love how it is all coming along.
That is the second time I have broken that spade. Son in law welded it for me last time, but sadly no chance this time. I have always been able to break spades and garden forks, just by leaning on them. I ain't no 8 (112 pounds) stones weakling, More images to come when I have had the energy to process them.
As threatened The next major project is to clean up, dig and prepare the bed on the North side of the house. There is a big conifer at the West end, a large Hydrangea next to it and another shrub over shadowed by both of them. At the East end there are two Rhododendrons and a lovely Acer japonica. The 'grass' has been treated with weed killer. Cutting down the conifer. Conifer removed Digging has begun. The trench was filled with leaf mould since we have no compost or manure available.. And finished digging. Now all it needs is some rain and then raking over.
I have really enjoyed looking at your tremendous work there at your new digs ( actually that is also literally true, innit ). I do not know anything about garden design...just what I see on the Beeb. I believe that you are just as competent as any of those exaggerated personalities that one sometimes sees at Chelsea and other shows. I think that you have truly done a splendid job there...and it isn't over yet! I have enjoyed your postings so much, mate. Saying "well done", just doesn't cover the admiration and appreciation for what you've done.
The Monkey Puzzle tree has no grass worth talking about underneath it, so we decided to put in a bed round it and fill it with bark mulch. The circle marked out with tent pegs. Trench round with the top part skimmed off. The first bricks put in. Round and round we go. Very happy to find that the circle could be completed without having to cut down a brick. The remaining grass skimmed off and now all we need is the mulch. Half of the bed mulched with Pine bark. And finished.
Hi Palustris it's been a pleasure seeing what you've achieved and it's really looking lovely and I adore your Acer Your tree looks stunning how you've made it look..i really do like it