What have you done today in the Garden?

I burst out in audible laughter when I read that !
Queensland, forsakes. We ought to amend the saying to...he has a snowball’s chance in Queensland of seeing snow there.
Chuckle- wants to see snow and lives in Queensland. Maybe that’s exactly WHY he wants it so much.

I can recall when I was there I perspired quite a lot, but I would not have missed it for anything.

 

We can't do much outside. We've had snow, then some thaw and rain that turned the snow to ice and now we have sleet coming down and a thick, slick layer of slush everywhere.

Our girl from California yearned for a white Christmas. Those are few and far between here on the Norwegian coast, but she had her wish granted this year and is very happy.

 

Not much snow in Ontario so far this winter. They are getting it out west now, so I am sure it's coming.
I did manage to get some more planters built this fall.



Also going to do some small raised beds, I found some more pallet wood for them.

 

It's been very mild here temp 14c this afternoon.
So planted out the 20 pots of yellow crocuses around the path in the front garden.
Yesterday planted 10 pots of purple crocuses in 2 clumps.

 

Cor, pallet wood is getting as rare as rocking horse poo around here. We had a nosy neighbour round some weeks ago asking if he could have what he thought might be some in our back composting area. He had to get across some very messy farmland at the back there just to have a good nose across the fence He was sent off with a flea in his ear!!

 

We used pallet wood to enclose our compost piles, and also to make a temporary "lift" for potted plants we brought with us when we moved here to the farm. No one has asked us for wood, and the guy across the road offered to "dump some wood" on our barn lot. When we told him no, he started to argue. Talk about being sent off with a flea in his ear!

 

The trouble here is that it seems to be the fashion these days to make ugly bits and bobs of furniture out of pallet wood. Really good if times are hard and money short, but hardly necessary for the well off who think it's ''shabby chic'' whatever that's supposed to mean.

 

I have used pallets for compost bins as well...especially the bottom. I also use them as sides for waste wood, to hold it together.

As for furniture? I just don’t get it.

 

I think because of Covid, or maybe they are using that as an excuse, lumber is way up in price. Around here, pallets are sill pretty available in the industrial area. They set them out so people can take them.
I am sort of lucky. I work part time delivering electrical supplies and these 2ftx4ft wooden frames are used to hold the PVC pipe together for shipping. We empty them out and the frame is garbage, or planters to me....lol

 

I want to build a bit better compost bin, this will do for now.
My compost pile way back in the corner of the yard. Mostly leaves, grass clippings, table scraps etc. I figure back there the animals can feast and it will keep them away from the house about 150 ft away. I try and turn it over every couple of weeks. It will get spread on the garden when I till it in May.

 

Harry, that reminds me of our composting area - I'll show you.

 

Yesterday started cutting the leaves off the hellebores.

 

Today was drizzle but I I HAD to get out and do garden work. Otherwise cabin fever will set in. Fortunately all of the places where I was walking were in paths that wont mind me compacting them a bit, and some lawn that needs regenerating anyway. So I worked on my last raised bed rebuilding and refilling.

I sprinkled a light dusting of wood ashes and chicken bone cremains on the previous topsoil layer. The wood ashes add calcium, potassium, magnesium and some trace minerals while the cremated chicken bones (using the same woodstove, letting them dry before burning them) add calcium, phosphorus, and some other minerals. I am vegetarian so the bones came from thighs that I use to make dog food.

Then I added the top layer, bucket by bucket, leaving it rough. Then a good application of biochar.



Then mix together, first with garden claw hand tiller shown, then shovel, then garden rake for a bit more mixing and smoothing.



Some time soon I'll add about a pound of crushed eggshells then a layer of leaves.

Then I'll install tree chip pathways between and around the raised beds. They will have
an under layer of black plastic for weed prevention and to slow down the moles a bit.

This bed will be late winter greens, lettuce and radishes, and in June will be hot peppers.

 

Things are going really well thee. You have sensible plans and the bed’s soil looks great. The wood bits are very smart. Chapeau.

 

Looking good Daniel, sometimes I have to get out of the house to escape hubby's snoring.

Not doing much outside, had a dusting of snow.