Early Winter Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

I give up OH, thought I had the shed thing sussed. Looks like I will have to find a place to hide the shed out of the way & wait for my handy neighbour on the other side is back on his feet. He says his back is better now he has all the bathroom tiles off & taken to the tip, but still has to finish the job & thinks Feb before both bathrooms are done.

I'm getting a bad feeling about this shed & wondering whether to put it for sale on the site notice board & getting a proper wooden one from the little shed company. I have one of these by the back door & it went together easily & has a proper floor. Might have a look at their site.

[oldherbaceous]

Is there anything you can screw the shed to, Westi, you just don’t want the wind to get hold of it….

[peter]

Westi, a couple of bits of angle iron, inside or outside, but right against the shed. Bang them into the ground and bolt or screw the top to the shed. Do them at diagonally opposite corners.

[Westi]

Thank you Peter.

I have no idea what angle iron is but I'm sure easily available on the net, so will have a look. It is a sheltered spot; sheltered by the main shed on the west side, which was a deliver & erect option hence still standing, although Mr did go crazy screwing in lots more screws than they did. The hedge row is directly behind it & very thick & the east side has my 2 pallet compost bins & the neighbours shed. So only the Southerly's to be concerned about but the tunnel is in direct line with it about 30 metres away, so some protection.

I will still have to wait for the neighbours availability though as it will need more than 1 person to erect. I should have stayed with my little plastic shed 1st option that comes with a floor & is kinda a click together thing that had poles that threaded through some metal clips to be hammered into the ground. This metal one was a Black Friday special at half price & only £124 instead of £250 but was a couple of foot longer & reviews were good.

I still might try to sell it as it does seem to be cursed as on first delivery it was a raised bed which I did get to keep as an apology & it was worth £100+ as well, after loads of e-mail chat with them wanting pics etc., but luckily I had done all that when the wrong thing turned up. When replaced it was dumped on the path as I was out & I had to enlist the neighbours to help me get it in the car out of the way so I could wheel Mr inside in his wheelchair & when I got it to the plot I dragged it into the tunnel on some pot castors & they broke.

[peter]

Tennis court fence supports and many chainlink fences use it.
Literally a metal bar with a cross section like a symmetrical L

[Geoff]

Don't forget it needs screw holes and heavy stuff can be a bugger to drill so search for drilled angle iron but make sure you get the heavier versions of it.

[Primrose]

I couldn't help noticing this morning the first tiny red camelia bud trying to pop out of its greenery. It,s far too early!

I'm in two minds about-the Buckingham Palace Christmas Speech Christmas tree. Why dig the poor tree up just for the sake of a brief photo opportunity and then replant it? Dont trees of that size suffer from shock and often risk dying, or at least fail to thrive?

[robo]

I’ve been very busy lately not had time to clock in, I’ve been installing a log burner in the conservatory you might think I’m mad but I’ve an 11wall down both sides and was fed up with being cold when winter starts so a small wood burner seems the answer if it doesn’t work I can always take it out at present it’s working great

[Primrose]

Better to stay warm than die of pneumonia Robo.,
There nothing quite like feeling the heat of a traditional fire.
We,ll all be turning up at yours next time there's a power cut and the heating goes off, (and probably a good place for getting that winter laundry dry when it's pouring with rain outside!).

[Myrkk]

I’m afraid we get a felled tree every year Primrose, if the Buck Pal one survives then it is doing better than most trees at this time of year. Incidentally I was in Debbie’s earlier today and they have tons of real trees left over. Wonder if people have decided they’re too much money this year? Just a couple of years ago we went to the local garden centre and had the choice of 2 trees.

Just can’t get into the swing of doing any prep in the garden at all, I know it will bite me in the bum come spring but the weather is so wet and windy just now.

[Clive.]

I got another 4ft strip across the back garden dug today....but ran straight in to some couch grass at the start and then creeping perennial sow thistle at the pathside end...all on Christmas day in the morning...well, the sow thistle roots were found after Stilton cheese rolls on Christmas day just into the afternoon...
As a Christmas treat I used the old Neverbend deep grafting spade...not sure about never bend, it has a long blade but shorter shaft, the spade may never bend, as it states...but I'm more like never straighten...
I am being very kindly treated to some Christmas lunch at tea time so I've worked up an appetite ready

C.

[Westi]

Well that's Christmas over, no cooking disasters, presents appropriate, critters driving us a bit mad with their squeaky toys & crinkle tunnel thing, but at least playing with them. As usual too many veg so Bubble & Squeak & a fried egg tomorrow, after a visit to the plot to ensure everything secured as a bit gusty today. The garden gate succumbed to the gales & pulled out of the brick wall so DIY barriers up to keep the dog in so goodness knows when that will be fixed at this time of the year; I've been clearly told not to even try to fix it.....what's the point of having No More Nails on speed dial?

[Primrose]

As you say Westi- that,s Christmas Day virtually over. One wonders why everybody gets so het up about it and spends so much money on it for the few hours involved.. Think it will probably be leftovers day here tomorrow too!

[oldherbaceous]

Had a lovely day, yesterday…. had my Mum up and Lily, my youngest Son’s girlfriend.
When they were visiting Clive at Gunby Hall, Lily took loads of photos….she had 2 of these re-produced onto wall tiles, one each for myself and Cook….very pleased, I have to say!

[retropants]

We have been suffering from the flu since last week, but I did manage to cook some roasties etc for lunch yesterday and we have plenty left for bubble & squeak today - my DH’s favourite. Hope you all have a relaxing day today. X