What have you done today in the Garden?

Cor, Pac— I don’t know whether to chuckle or curse along with you. What a week, mate.

 

Managed to finish emptying one of the compost bins and put the compost under the Rhodes and Azaleas.

 

I chose laughter …and a few choice words…. It raised my endorphin levels. Besides it was funny to see a huge horse 18 hands high - Tennessee Walker taller than I am, ducking his head and shoulders as he past by me to run & hide in the barn. That alone was worth a chuckle. I gave him the bucket of oats for coming home when he was called. He’s a good boy.

Managed to put on 2 new front tires on the garden tractor. Easy peasy the tires came mounted on rims and new clips. The problem is the tires are on back order and the only ones available were from Japan already mounted on rims, but no bearings included. Had to grease them and now keep them greased until new tires arrive to replace the original rims with bearings. The front tires were bald …

Logan rhody’s and azalias will produce lots of blooms for you next spring from applications of your compost.

 

As it's warmed, up I decided to change the leaking tap of the water heater above the basin in the garage.

I'd managed to get a replacement for £10, rather than pay sixty quid for the same part as the original that the manufacturer's wanted.
It meant a bit of fettling as the connections weren't in the same place.
Took about half an hour, then all done. So I thought, but when I turned the water supply on, although my new connections were fine, I discovered two bursts under the basin, one in the supply to the basin and one in the supply to the tap outside the shed and my pop-up lawn sprinklers.
So down to the plumber's merchants for more pipe. Replaced the two pieces of pipe and turned everything on. No leaks anywhere.
Then turned on the water heater, although I was getting water from it to the sink. It tripped out. So maybe the trauma was too much for it. Probably the element was shorting out or water had got into the electrics, due to the pipes inside freezing up.




This heater must be fifty years old, it was second hand when I acquired it, so it owes me nothing. Ordered a new Ariston 2kw water on eBay for seventy quid. It'll arrive in the first week of January. It'll be an easy swop over.
I don't like to be without hot water in the garage. It means I can "wash up" after gardening and it's handy for filling a bucket with hot water when I want to wash my car or anything else outside. I've a little shelf for a kettle, so I can even make myself a brew whilst I'm working.

 

Thanks for the added info, Pac. What a horse he is.
But, what a story about your garden tractor work. Pity this had to happen in the winter.
You’ve been a busy girl.

 

I flattened the 2ncd coating of lawn leaves across the garden so I can add the 3rd and hopefully final layer. No chance for a few days but after tomorrow the days start getting longer so its time to start on starting seeds and getting the deer fences and such back up after winter maintainence. I put compost in holes the new puppy has dug. We still wonder what the fascination is about the bottom of those holes. I hauled up 10 or so poles and fence posts. The muscadine and scuppernong need resetting into more sun.

 

Thank you Pacnorwest, the Rhodes and Azaleas have been a bit neglected over the years and they suffered this year from the drought. I'm planning on moving some of them next year so that i can see them better from the patio. I've been concentrating on growing the fruit more, but we don't need as much as what's being produced, so some of the redcurrants are going.

 

Yet another truckload of leaves. Not many more to go.

We are expecting cold, snow, ice. So I don't think I'll be in the garden much more this week.

I did collect the usual pound or so (wet) coffee grounds to add to the raised beds. It sounds like a lot but once spread, isn't so much.

The overwintering chili pepper plants still look alive. I gave them a little water. Will plan on starting more from seeds in January.

 

Doghouse OMG leaks galore..it’s a good thing that’s out in the garage. I sure could use one of those in my garage too.speaking of portable water heater I keep a water submersible heater in the horses water so it doesn’t freeze.it just keeps it above freezing. I have to run a extension cord out to plug it in. It works great.

Sjoerd.. I’m sure all of us have had days where things just happen unexpectedly. Just gotta go with the flow…sometimes the simplest things get complicated.

Logan..moving the rhodys and azalias to a better site to see them is a good idea. They have a very shallow roots system and so easy to move. I have moved a few over the years . They take a couple of years to rebloom again but root trimming is well worth the effort. They will be full of blooms when they bloom again.

Daniel your leaf system and compost will give some great rewards for all your hard work next spring & lots of blooms..
I just finished blowing all the leaves from the flower beds on grass and mulching all the leaves with the mulcher blades on my garden tractor. Everything looks nicely groomed once again. Other leaves that can’t be mulched are blown in one area of the garden then by next summer they all break down nicely. Mostly the cherry tree leaves.
Other flower bed areas the leaves are blown into the pastures and mulched. Most leaves are poisonous don’t want the horses to eat them . So it’s a constant work in progress till all the leaves have fallen. And finally all is done.

 

You are a philosopher, Pacnor.

 

Sjoerd philosophy or just reality popping in though i can never figure out what’s next…but try to stay ahead off what’s expected.

 

You seem a remarkable person, Pac.
I suppose that one does what they can in the way that seems best.

 

Thank you Pacnorwest, is it easy to dig up redcurrant bushes? I've dug up gooseberry bushes and they wasn't too bad.

 

Ahh..more like most fortunate and unfortunate times are usually merely coincidences.

 

Nothing today it's raining or drizzle in-between.