Pivot, Pivot, Pivot

Today:

Well that was all the so called plans out of the window then.  Missy decided to misbehave and has been very needy today so nothing done apart from whilst she was asleep as small amount of compost reclamation.  Be grateful when G comes back. G hadn't been gone about 10 minutes when she started off.  All I wanted was a little sleep.  Needless to say that was not on the cards!  I ended up getting up and being with her as she howled every time I got up to go out.  Eventually she did nod off and that was when I escaped for a short while to do the compost reclamation.

Been terribly hot out there today and I am about half way through the soil reclamation as it stands.  I am having to clear the pots anyway to get them off the patio slabs, which in turn will be weeded, swept down, and hopefully G will be able to level them up a bit.  I then want to get our old battered table and chairs on there so that we have somewhere to sit outside of the house.  I will then organise the plants around them and probably buy more plants in so that it looks prettier and tidier.

I still have a load of plants to pot on.  It is too hot for me to do so at the moment. I have therefore come into the house.

I got out again to give everything a good water up and then set about the reclamation again.  Have really got on with this, this evening.  Have more to do tomorrow morning but the old planters full of old compost are gradually getting emptied and the compost will be recycled.  It will be worth it in the end as I am emptying pots that are much needed for other plants, disposing of the soil in the bottom part of the needed planters and then topping up with fresh, and also levelling off the slabs on the patio.  All the rubbish that has been riddled out has been popped into old compost sacks and is going down to the tip - mostly just debris from the compost and old roots.  That will please the local recycling centre as everything that is going down has been recycled and used by me with just the debris going to them which in turn will be recycled. Time consuming but it also gives a free-flowing compost as a result of being riddled.  I think there are about 8 large planters to riddle off over the next few days.  It has been lovely working in the quiet in the cool of the evening with me coming in just as the evening sky is going dark and when the Bats come out to play.

I am inadvertently working on the patio slab area - it looks a blooming mess as there is stuff and compost everywhere, but it will come together rapidly, once everything has been cleaned down and the borders weeded.  Gravel needs to go in on one side of the patio slabs as it is a thin strip of soil which is not very deep and the blooming weeds get stuck in there and are difficult to get out.  I intend to site my Chive planters down this side of the patio, or in the alternative some floral planters or even pots of herbs.  I always used to have my Chive planters before the fire here.

Once the patio and the borders are clear, I will get G to level up the slabs (with me assisting of course) in order that I can get the patio table and chairs out on here, so we have somewhere to sit if the weather is nice.  Then I can start getting plants in borders and other bits and bobs done.

The rubbish that was on the patio slabs is slowly going.  I have the old stone shed to sort out though as well and then take what is needed to the Tip.  Then when that has had a good clean out and been disinfected out I can get the gardening equipment sorted and back into the shed, which will in turn tidy the garden up that little bit more.  It is all wheels within wheels at the moment.

Tuesday:

Tomorrow I plan on an early start, hopefully will be able to get what is left to pot on done today.  There are in any event other plants to pot on tomorrow in any event.  First off though it will be empty the front garden out and go down to the Tip two to three times or as many times as are needed to clear the current pile of rubbish.  Once that has been completed, I will then go into the garden and go over the gravel to get rid of the holly leaves and other dead leaves from the gravel, a tedious job but better than getting holly leaves stuck in your shoes.  I will then wash the front windows and tidy up the front door.  That will be the front garden technically done, although there will be more piles of rubbish going forward.

I will then be back on the patio clearing weeds from it as best as I can, and carrying on with the soil reclamation.  Will then give the slabs a good sweep down.  Then weed the borders and dig them.  Some of the slabs will need lifting to get out roots that have grown between the gaps and digging them out of necessary, then levelling up and relaying.

Wednesday:

I will start on the Stone shed once the patio is cleared and sorted.  Will then have space to put everything out and decide what is staying and what is going.

I also need to sort the area outside the back door and the old Herb garden out.  It needs weeding and the grape vine needs stringing.  I have a load of boxes with stuff in there are the moment but it needs to come out and they need sorting out with contents going back to where they need to be.  The path also needs sweeping and disinfecting.  I would like some Hydrangea plants to be in a couple of planters down here, as well as a couple of hanging baskets down here. I saw a couple the other week which I would quite like.  I have some lottery win money (scratch cards) that I have saved up, and will probably buy the Hanging baskets if they have them still with that and then add some Ivy in, and some Nasturtiums and some Surfinias.  Ideally I would also like a couple of shelves under the window ledges on brackets so that I can house some flower and herb planters here.  I already have some planters.  I was hoping to buy some new window boxes from B & Q, however this may have to do for this year until I can afford to buy them.  Then next year I can work out what I want for the window boxes/planters save up for the planters and plants and then plant out what I want in advance and save up for them.  The hanging baskets and the window boxes were not on plan for this year, but I do miss having them so that is why have added them in last moment.

For the Fence top I do have some small green planters that need potting up to pretty up the top of the fence.  I also would quite like to put some trellis up at the end of the path to grow my honeysuckle up and to give a little more privacy to the main part of the garden.  I have three panels of trellis and need one more for the top and a wooden post. 

G did a very good job of replacing the glass in the little room window the other day despite the fact that he had never done this before.  There is another sheet of glass to go in on the swing out window and I am hoping he will deal with that tomorrow.  Some putty is also needed around a couple of other windows and I am going to ask if he will do that as I am afraid that the glass will come out and I want to clean the windows.

So there is a heck of a lot to do as usual, but it will keep me out of mischief.  

Thursday it will be the kitchen I think, but do not hold me to it.

Hope everyone is enjoying this lovely weather.

Have a good one.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x

I also need to gather Rhubarb for preserving out of the garden and also tidy up the Rhubarb bed.  Whether that will be today or on Wednesday remains to be seen.