What have you done today in the Garden?

Haven't got much to do at the moment, so filled up the bird feeders and gave them some clean water.

 

Still raining - 4.8 inches overnight.

The sunroom needed tidying, so I did that. The Schlumbergeras are past their peaks and dropping flowers. The Pelargoniums are quite colorful and joyous. My intent was to just let them dry out and go dormant, but there they are. I did deadhead and remove dead leaves today.




The Poinsettia did make red bracts. They are smaller than the original but I still feel like I accomplished something fun.



My helper brought a sock, in case I needed one.

 

Good foto’s Daniel. Pelargoniums are really pretty and still blooming. Your serre looks very nice. You have a lovely home, mate.
Your helper, ever a clever idea. He must be a boy scout— “be prepared”.

 

Today there was a lull in the rain. I used about 1/2 of the current truckload of leaves, to replenish mulches.

Most of the garlic has emerged. I pulled leaves away to give it a better chance at growing. One garlic plant was damaged by slugs, so I scattered slug bait.

Then I started the next "make next year easier" project. I have five semidwarf apple trees with low branches, surrounded by fencing. The aggressive weeds have been a challenge - mainly thistle and blackberry. So I started removing all of the low branches, leaving scaffolding branches for high fruit bearing branches. That should prevent most deer damage, so I don't need the fencing. I started removing fencing too. When it's all done, I can just include the area in my riding mower riding, which will easily eliminate the blackberries and thistles. Much easier.

Later, I will prune back the high willowy fruit-bearing twigs so apples don't pull them within reach of the deer.

 

You have done well Daniel, don't have trouble with deer but roe deer used to be farmed before the houses were built, so there's deer around on the fields at Beoley village, they don't venture far from there.

 

Baled out of golf today, as it was going to rain, good decision!

Heard from my "fence man." He's had a look at the back fence and suggested it needs two posts and three base panels and the posts are for 7ft fences.
Looking back, after examining it this morning, I have a vague recollection of when I had it done, that there are two base panels between the posts because my garden is higher than his.
I paid for it all and the previous occupant of that house never offered to go halves and I didn't ask them, so it's "my fence."

The £100 estimate is out the window, as it is now likely to cost £300. But it needs doing. So I said go ahead. I won't mention sharing the cost with my neighbour. At some time the four wooden panels will need replacing, so he can pay for these. I'm sure he will. A few years ago he had one replaced which had rotted and would have been inaccessible from my side and he never mentioned having it done.

My only concern is still my bamboo.

 

I've tried that many times and never gotten color. I did all the stuff, put it in a dark place, fertilize, never happened. They didn't die (until later) but no color. I can't seem to keep the Norfolk Island Pines alive....at all! I look at them in the stores then keep on moving because I feel bad when they die and I have no idea what I did wrong.

 

More Rhamnus frangula’s got pruned. They are all done now.

The birdies got fed. I went out and walked by the mulched veggie quadrants and talked to them encouraging them to rest well and invite the worms in.

Our weather has been awful now for several weeks but the gutters must be cleaned. Perhaps tomorrow.

We cleaned all the kitchen drawers and my mate came over and we changed an outlet. My Bride was pleased with my organising result. Yay!

 

Hardly gardening as it's far too wet. But I did spend some time in our summerhouse checking out my jukeboxes. Both have 60w heaters in them and insulating covers, to ward off cold and damp "which they don't like." I also gave them a "lube job" and turned them over a few times. "Use is the best form of preventative maintenance" that involves motors (4 in each) and exposed leaf switches and some solenoids.
The heaters have thermal cut-outs which they occasionally activate, but then sometimes don't re-set, so I give them a thump with the palm of my hand and they come on again.

I also took photos of the title cards, as I needed to update my catalogue of what's in them. I've changed a few records this year.











Saving the titles as photos is easier than typing out a spread-sheet. As they are in order of artist's Christian name, or name of group or band, it's easy to check. Although I do keep a list of surplus ones.


As there's 130 records in them and I've about 100 surplus ones that are presently "out of favour," It's as well to know what I've got. It stops me hearing something on the radio and deciding I'll try and find a 45 of something I've already got. "Has happened."

 

I guess I got behind here.

I did not do much this past week. The weather was lovely and cold. I just did not want to get out and do stuff. I did get more raking done on Thursday though. I am hauling the leaves to some new places.

I hope to get out and do more tomorrow though. When I am done with the leaves, there are ROCKS to clean up from the ditch work last summer, and more wood chips to haul to my compost. My neighbor says it is fine to put the rocks in the ruts in the driveway to her place. I could change out a corner post in my veggie garden with a new piece of telephone pole --IF I can remove the old post and heft the new piece into it. I think I need to make the existing hole deeper before putting the new piece of pole in there.

 

Rain all day. A good excuse for a nap

 

More rain, but there;s a lot of sport on TV from which to choose to watch.

 

Nothing today it's raining again, gives me a chance to rest my back, Friday i bent forward to go under the washing line in the garage and i felt a twinge and it's very painful to bend, when I'm sitting it's ok.

 

Sorry to hear about that back. Take it easy, x-mas is on the way, y’know.

 

Thank you Sjoerd and yes I'll take it easy, i think that I'll be ok for Xmas if I'm careful.