Winter bits and bobs.

[retropants]

Barney, I'm not sure how much they are now, but I have had the same pair of Town & Country wellies for about 30 years. I don't wear them as much now, but they were used a lot when I had my allotment and was also designing and building my back garden. They are still fine, just one buckle strap broken, but I never used those anyway.

[oldherbaceous]

Certainly a bit sticky today, hopefully it will start to dry out a little, if we get a decent breeze….

[Westi]

Excellent & productive day & so nice & quiet, warmer but not warm as such. I went straight for the seeds the minute I opened the gate & had them bagged up & waiting for when I left. I can see a bit of a seed cull tomorrow as there seems an awful lot but I expect when I check the use by's some might have been hanging around for a bit...especially the bag I found caught up in some netting in the shed & nibbled!

Laminate panels all in situ around the filling compost bin all staked & secure, these apparently hold warmth better. 2nd bin beside this one uncovered & weeded & rats/mice disturbed so I have access to nice 3yr old dark compost for some more top ups. Stayed down this end & cleared the artichokes, weeded the area behind the pots, trimmed the currants & pleased to see some nice looking broccoli & cabbage growing well in the pots & the bed behind the sitting area got the same attention.

Over all quite pleased, I know I could have done a bit more but I just had to play with the dog, & also dodge the dog; as she was so excited being down there & went all insane running around & sniffing. She should be calmer when I go down on Wed which is going to be finish cutting the trees & raspberries & bagging these up for my neighbour to take to the tip for me.

[Geoff]

It's good to see the green green grass of home for the first time since the 5th, still a few white spots where it drifted or I piled it up shovelling.

[Geoff]

Inflation - been for my seed potatoes this morning, £1.99kg last year, £2.99kg this year.

[Westi]

It was a beautiful day down here, really mild & sunny & no big coat needed. Tackled the trees as per the plan, but couldn't reach the very middle branches so looks a bit weird with a couple of tall branches poking out the top, but anticipate the neighbour might tackle these as he gets irked when things aren't all neat. I also sorted the summer raspberries as they fruited late, so just the autumn ones to do, then a weed & a top up & that's them off the list. All the cut branches cut smaller & put in the rubble bag for the tip so not only done but will be off the plot.

My back is not too happy so next visit will be smaller jobs that don't require any gymnastics!

[Clive.]

No sunshine out East here...just mist/fog..and mud..lots of mud and squadd and then some more....

..but there are snow drops showing in places now and winter aconite, winter honeysuckle and a few hellebore.

C.

[oldherbaceous]

A really foggy morning here, with water dripping out of all the trees, so no border work again today! The farmers around here are having an on going nightmare!

[Westi]

Another mild day down here really put me in the zone to get cracking & it was quite productive. I did what I call a lot of finishing work on Plot 2; things like doing the compost top ups, not just leaving the beds weeded to come back & weed again. The motivation for this was having the 3yr old+ compost bin open, I just had to use it as the temptation was just too much & it was lovely. I have a Hori Hori knife somewhere in it so might find that soon as well. I only tackled Plot 2 except for collecting a few weed piles on Plot one. I only have to weed under the fruit trees (an example of leaving the piles of weeds to collect later), as all grown again.

No where near as much to do on Plot 1 next week as these beds mostly covered. It will just be cutting down the Autumn Raspberries & cutting these up then all the bags can go to the tip. I'm planning on digging up the leeks & heeling these in on what will be next years squash/pumpkin so then only relocating the watercress into the flood bed. I did give the watercress a big haircut today ready for it's transfer & have a huge bag...looks like I will be finding 101 recipes for watercress! Just to be totally predictable when this is done I will be back to my fav jobs of chasing bind weed & ground elder.....happy days!

[Clive.]

Noticeably more light this morning...maybe I was five minutes down on yesterday..after a trip round the block when I couldn't remember doing something,..and headed back briefly..and the fog of yesterday was only light mist this morning...it was definitely lighter.

Had a day of many jobs...having been pulled in quite a few directions....

Potted on some cineraria in the greenhouse the other day, they were pleasingly showing forward movement after a long period of stationary. Regal pelargoniums potted from dry into fresh compost too.

Some stone slab paths have actually started to dry....whilst a delivery of tree stakes were very wet indeed having arrived from a location that may well have been within the recent 'snow line' .

Fish and chips for tea.

C.

[Cider Boys]

Well, I started my apple pruning in earnest to-day. Despite pruning for decades and reading many books on the subject and attending apple tree pruning courses, I still have little idea about what I should be doing. It does keep me out of mischief however and each year I do it differently so I hope that there is a greater chance that I will get it right one year.

The land is drying out nicely and whilst out walking around I saw snowdrops and daffodils were flowering in people's gardens and we have enjoyed primroses for a couple of months now. Spring is on its way, I keep telling myself. Fieldfares have at last arrived although later than their usual time. Enjoyed a long walk along a local brook and righted a cast sheep that had been stuck and struggling for some time judging by its pile of droppings. Many trees were also lying flat since the recent storms. Just learnt that that my eldest son had a calf and three lambs (one twin and a single) born to-day, so Spring is just around the corner. Thanks for the advice Retropants regarding the wellies, I will check those out.

Happy gardening

Barney

[Clive.]

A rather cold grey raw day...but it is continuing to dry. I really should have gone out and done some more on the back garden here...but somehow couldn't get motivated. I did sow a couple more seed pans of onion when on visit to the big garden and had a pace out ready to site a new prunus.

C.

[Westi]

Well it couldn't last... & the drizzle & wind returns next week. Shouldn't be too bad as predicted temp around 7C +most of the week. A noticeable difference to the light as well, still dull when I get down but suns up within the first 1/2hr. Hopefully tomorrow I will get the seeds into the propagator to get them started, glad it wasn't today I did it as the old cat tried to climb on the shelving above the propagator & had an ungraceful & very loud thump down taking the set up with her, thankfully have a separate light. Of course she won't stop until the shelf is clear but I have some bungee cords to wrap around the propagator to keep it safe & I will take down the stuff on the shelf to reduce her interest....well that's the plan anyway!

[oldherbaceous]

Having a bit of a tough time here, my Mum has been really struggling for a few months now and has fallen in the garden twice in the last three days…..this morning I had to go down at 6.30am and wrestle her out of the bushes, luckily no broken bones….she is getting so frustrated at not being able to do the things she used to love!

[Geoff]

Not good at this sort of stuff as you know but feeling for you. Hope she can adjust to a new way of living and keep you on your toes for many years yet.