Late Winter Bits and Bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

Brilliant Westi….

And how I agree…been working outside most of the day, and it has been very chilly, especially in the nippy wind.
Want to put a new set of blades on Big Bertha tomorrow, so hope it’ a
little warmer on ones fingers….

[Clive.]

Showers on the edge of sleety out this way today. Didn't do anything in the home back garden but did do a few little things in the greenhouses at the other garden then went for a visit to Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre to check on progress there and breathe in the smells of a living aircraft hangar.

There was a tracked Challenger tractor working in the back field here this morning with a frame mounted set of pan buster tines, line of discs and a press...busting through and turning just the top, quite an exercise after the wheelings over the entire field from the sugar beet lifting of earlier. I wonder what will come next, maybe just the drill and it will be all sown up.. Got a few more horse power on than Big Bertha

I have got an empty green bin to fill so maybe the secateurs need to be out to some errant invading bramble in the old chicken run area tomorrow, if the weather is as per forecast with a line of sunny symbols

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Clive, harvesting sugar beet often causes a lot of damage to the soil structure, know doubt they will get a decent seed bed though.

It never ceases to amaze me, how quick brambles take over….i’ve got to have a go at one of the gardens I work at, down the other end of the village, they get brambles coming in from next door and they have touched the soil and all rooted now…

Not sure what horsepower Big Bertha has…it’s the twin cylinder Gem!

How is your tooth now, Clive?

[Clive.]

Update on the tooth/teeth.... The gap from the one that I left in Mablethorpe the other week has at last settled down that I almost forget that it was done, the next one is yet to be sorted..

Brambles don't half root, the mass of root relative to size of stem when they first touch down and root in is amazing, they really intend to stay put.!
There's some phygelius too in the side of the old chicken run..it's a good rooter and runner too.!

Sun is up and the washing is on the line...a line full and had to double up on some things.

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Glad your not slacking on the household duties, Clive…

That is rather fresh out there again….been in the glasshouse sowing big tubs with salady stuff…..haven’t dared put any heat in there yet, apart from the little propagator, the costs are quite frightening and not sure what we will do in April if it comes frosty, when the electric prices rocket again….

[Clive.]

The bramble element of the todays job is in the green bin, smaller stems of phygelius snipped small is on compost heap, bigger bits in green bin.

The area was used for, as it felt at the time, a rescue of a collection of asters in late 2010.. .but then in the event thankfully the rescue need was no longer required and they have run riot with only a couple of varieties now being boss....plus bramble and even some blackthorn appearing.
It's next to my greenhouse that is really now past restoring

Had a surprise when a white van pulled up and the gentleman came down the drive with a package...had me puzzled as to what I had ordered but it turned out to be the 5/8" tap fitting that I ordered online at 2:54pm yesterday, delivered at similar time today.
I like to support our local hardware shop but when I went in yesterday morning they had a re stock card on an empty hook next to the, in stock, more regular size fittings so hence checked online. I sort of hoped it would arrive by next weekend for when I need to use it...hadn't expected it to be driven across the country to get to me today...
I know when I eventually get round to doing a job I'm a bit bee in a bonnet and need to get it done...maybe they knew that

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Sounds like you are getting on top of the jobs, Clive, it’s a good feeling, isn’t it…
I like to support all our local businesses, if possible but, like you Clive, I do order some bits online!
I take it when they realised who the tap was for, they pulled out all the stops to get it there quickly….

Got the new blades fitted, then panicked with all the extra steel that the rotor was having to push through the soil, wether the metal clutch plates would slip, as they are about on full adjustment…..but all was fine….

[Geoff]

I hadn't got round to servicing the mower so I decided as it was wasteful just to use petrol to warm the oil up for draining I might as well cut the grass. Got quite a lot off it and it does look tidier.

[Westi]

Well tomorrow is officially Spring! Seemed a long time coming but of course officially it is not until the Spring equinox on the 20th, so another few weeks left. I hope Spring gets the e-mail by then as I'd like to get going, but it does at least give me more time to finish the 'To Do' list.

[retropants]

I've currently got my seedlings wrapped in bubble wrap in the greenhouse! They are OK, but not growing very much.

[oldherbaceous]

Well despite me feeling Monika’s presence and knowing she would be encouraging me to start Early Spring Bits and Bob, i’m going to leave it to Spring proper….especially with the predicted cold snap!!

[tigerburnie]

2.5 degrees inside the blowaway inside the greenhouse last night, I am sitting on my hands for a bit, no seed sowing this week. Sweet peas are showing in the prop, these are for growing in the greenhouse for early blooms and making the greenhouse smell amazing.

[Westi]

My phone weather is saying frost free from next week but the max temp doesn't look too cosy so might wait & see what the temps are like in the tunnel. I am going to start hardening off the perennials as they aren't so happy being in tunnel with the max temps so that will release some space on the staging.

More likely I will just continue with the other outside jobs, still in my thermals, furry coat & double gloved!

[tigerburnie]

I tend to put things outside the greenhouse in the day and just fill the path inside at night just in case.

[retropants]

we are forecast snow next week here is west middx!