Kitchen Garden Forum

That would be marvellous OH!

robo wrote:If he comes every year I would tend to leave him some sandwiches and leave him a note asking if he fancied sleeping there regularly for a feed stops one worrying about break ins

And he will find a fork in the shed, should he feel like a bit of digging.

A bit more digging done, I now have a section 30 feet x 24 feet dug...at least it looks as if i'm making a little progress...

And tomorrow looks as if it will be warm and sunny.

I've progressed a strip 8' x 21' across the garden today. I found the old nursery line of Tamella strawberries and have trimmed them back and retained them, lightly cultivating immediately around them. They are well past their best but it gives a chance to bounce back....the rest have been scraped off and then deeply trench dug.. I have dispensed with some arguably nicer runners amongst the tangled mess but it could have been a mix of mainly true runners but with some rogue self seeded.?

In the photo right foreground is the start of the patch of buttercup etc....and beyond, around the red currant and gooseberries (2 x Invicta and 1 x Hinomaki Red), is the mess of hawkweed/strawberry runners/seedling grass... and the prunus grafts that need a move and a cane at their side in a new location.

C.

Clive. Re strawberry's. many moons ago speaking to a plotholder on another site, who always ran the mower over his strawberry bed, and never planted fresh stock, said it worked for him. I have chickened out of using the mower, but use shears instead. Seems to work.

Dear Johnboy, used to mow over his strawberries with a mower...I wonder if he still does!!!

My father used to plant 60 new Tamella strawberries in a new bed each year. The variety fruits massively and early too in their first year so back then they never got a chance to be mown or sheared, they were just replaced with new plants each year, equally unconventional and a lot of work but it gave a huge crop.
In my case I was just wanting to tidy up and save some stock for a day, maybe someday/never, when strawberry production might increase in the garden again.

I have though, similarly, rotary mowed hardy geranium in a late summer time quick tidy up.

More progress today, worked up around Loch Ness the blackberry, pruned the goosberries, hand weeded and lightly cultivated around them before digging up through the gaps.



C.

Evening Clive, as you well know from your many years of gardening, if you can get on top of things at this time of the year, it makes everything so much easier for the next growing season.
I managed to get a section 30 feet x 15 feet done today, so moving forward but, an awful lot left to do yet...

I've spent two days digging out one huge compost bin and filling a couple of big raised beds. I am so tired I can barely type, but I do feel good. Only another 4 bins to go. Who needs a gym

Sean has been busy constructing our new fruit cage. I sourced one from Henry Cowls in Cornwall. They made fishing nets for the Cornish fishing industry for many, many years but with the loss of that, have diversified into fruit cages etc. Good product, fast delivery and a great product with the bonus of being British made. Can recommend.

I've had to change my days off to accommodate others in the team who are not having a great time - but luck is on my side & I will get to burn the last rose cuttings tomorrow as wind is away from the road & not going near the railway either! If I can overcome my pyromaniac tendencies I might even split the dahlia's & bring some home to make the back garden more colourful!
I have never, ever had the plot looking so grand at this time of the year, with so many chores done! It's like a puzzle though, doing the chores never done before & another one pops up! Shed looks grand with the lick of paint but I know the Autumn raspberries will need cutting down & more burning again! I'm so glad I'm semi retired!

Sounds like we are all making good progress...it's really does feel lovely to be able to get on, without getting constanly soaked.

I wonder if that company ever thought about making stockings, Chantal...

I wish I was on top of things I only manage to sort the chickens each day then have to rush back to keep helping my wife which is getting harder as time ticks bye

Sorry Robo, must be very tough for you, to read that others are getting things done... but there is one thing for sure, you're doing a brlliant job of what you are doing.

On the last day of the year it is strange indeed to walk out of the door into warm(ish) air.

It is a lovely clear day but 3° isn't really that warmish. Yesterday started well, went to murk and rain then cleared out to a beautiful starlit frosty night that has left me digging in ice crystals this morning.