What have you done today in the Garden?

It's a nice sunny day, but still a bit cold. I've nothing pressing that needs doing in the garden.

I did some shopping in Asda this morning and three more clematis "followed me home." At three for £5, I could hardly say no, could I?
I'll find a home for them.





I took them out to the shed for planting tomorrow.


"Bert and Brenda," "our" two blackbirds, spend a lot of time in the garden.
Bert likes to sit on the side fence where he can observe what's going on. He tolerates the smaller birds, but any blackbird or something bigger he chases away from "his" territory. He waits for me to go to the shed and take food down to the feeder under the azaleas near the French windows. By the time I get back to the shed with the empty container. He's in there already.

Our sambucas is doing well. I removed quite a bit of moss that gathers in the forks of the branches.





There's a lot of tiny flowers on it already.





I must keep an eye on the two acer palmatums, I'll need to remove the training net and wire before the foliage is too large to pass through the mesh of the net without damage. Hopefully, they will have "set," when I do. I'll then, "shorten their hems."

 

Anybody got an extra pig? I have an idea.

 

Looks like you are getting ready for a nice garden.

 

My watch told me I did enough this morning.



Then Rufus told me the same thing. Lunch time. Then it started raining.

I did manage to spread more tree chips. I keep saying, almost done. That word "almost" is key. But true, and I've been working on this clean-up since fall.



A lot of that open space may have squash vines, this summer.

Last year I planted alpine strawberry seeds. I think I planted too many per container. Like I did with the everbearing strawberry plants too.



I started digging out 1/2 of the plants, to space them better. I planted the first three in this large container, which also contains lilies.



Close-up. I included the stool image as a reminder that some of this work is done sitting down. It helps a lot.



That's a LOT more room. Still more remain to plant and re-settle in the original containers, too.

I can't believe how fast the garlic is growing.

 

Or a fight. Now she has to repaint the gate since I gifted her seed cups of questionable style. Maybe I can grow herbs too later when she is in the ground. Her garden this year. I will be busy at work as the summer arrives.

Edit: Haha she comes home and says to me why did you hang targets on the garden fence? Seed cups I tell her. My girl!

 

Won't be long then Clay The leaves on mine have romped away since I took that pic a few days ago.

 

A GTech mower JD. It was great at first but the battery just hasn't got the power anymore. Even if it has a charge you have to go really slowly over any longer grass as it cuts out. A new battery is £150

 

Carbon removal machines... other plants also. They ALL breathe CO2, and give off oxygen if you remember science class in school. Plant more trees and gardens.

I did do some putzing aound outdoors today and a bit more on the ditchwork. It will take a long time to dig so much ditch.

I could never do all of my mowing with a wimpy electric mower. They might be okay for small city yards, but will never do out in the country. I mow a very large area for several reasons: SNAKES, to keep them away as much as I can; to keep grass and weeds down because of fire danger--we are in a forested area, and I need plenty of room just in case; and to keep rodents away also. Rodents attract snakes. (Those lithium ion batteries make TONS of pollution and are very dangerous to transport. If birds or other wildlife gets into the drainage ponds for the lithium they are dead in a few minutes. They must use giant machinery that use tons of deisel fuels to mine the lithium...)

I did make some progress with my printer problem/s. It now prints my document in landscape view, but the 2d side is upsidedown....

 

Still doing the mowing and trimming up trees - 3x’s a day. It’s really working by keeping the ground squirrels, gophers, moles,well you all know the drill…Rinse and repeat. The pastures look like a golf course, except for the hills, ponds and mud… and a few bumps in the green.

Trees are a huge help when helping to not only clean the air but they keep homes cool in summers by expiring a mist to the area around them .in my pic below that’s General Sherman a giant sequoia. I planted one in my garden it’s about 60’ tall now. If ya ever get a chance to go see the redwood Forest these trees are awsome.

The General is in the Redwood forest in California, most recent age estimate of the Sherman Tree is about 2200 years old. Sequoia roots are shallow but spread wide. They entangle with the roots of other sequoias, forming a kind of mesh that helps all the trees maintain balance and stability. Did I mention that I luv trees.

 

I bought the EGO with 56V battery....those batteries cost $$$. But I will say, it is an incredible.

 

Gee, I hope the batteries last more than 5 years

 

Nope. They have a three year guarantee. I was, before I started developing and implementing my plan for this half acre, paying a guy $50. every other week, march -january (because it stays warm and gass grows all that time) to cut my yard. That's around $1,000.00 a year. Even doing it with a gas rider myself you have the gas, gas filters, you spend gas to go buy the gas, gas cans, batteries, blades to sharpen or replace, seafoam gas stabilizer to buy and don't forget spark plugs !! So, spending $129. each for two batteries every three years?......PEANUTS !!

 

I am curious as to why not attempt to replace cells or even make your own with that bpm card.

 

I have the 56v trimmer and 2 of the chainsaws and 2 blowers. Some batteries I bought in 2015. Ego batteries have a heat moderating coating which makes them superior in some ways but mine have done ok. And I have not had to rebuild a carburator in a really long time which for me is the one less thing moment.

 

I know some people claim 5 to 10 years for Ego 56v and longer if you don't let the battery run out when using it. Annie, I use the 5 AH ones and I ain't seen anywhere around here where they only cost $129