I’ve now cleared…

all the old,unwanted timber from the ground by the compost heap and stood the bamboo canes behind the shed.  I’d no sooner done the latter when I turned round to see a robin perched on top on them.

I can now concentrate on the area in front of the shed most of which will be for more flowers.  I’ll do a post on that in a few weeks once it’s been cleared and dug over.

Yesterday I pulled up the now finished climbing beans and added them to the compost heap.  I also put a thick layer of compost over the rhubarb crowns as a winter duvet.

Next week it looks like being mostly dull, but thankfully remaining dry, so I’ll be plotting most mornings.

Have a good week!

Advertisements

Over the past week…

I’ve only made two rather brief visits to the plot, which with all the rain there’s been is now rather soggy. I’m surprised that the nasturtiums are still doing as well as they are, and I like the colour of this one.

 

Despite not picking any sweet peas for at least a couple of weeks they’ve still flowering.  The number of blooms from just two plants has been amazing.

 

Hopefully it looks like being drier over the weekend and into next week so I should be able to spend most mornings doing some proper plotting.

 

 

Liz over in Lexington, Kentucky sent me this picture recently of the root stump of an Euonymus fortunei, which she says is an absolute menace over there.  She’d spent well over an hour trying to dig it up before a neighbour stopped by and offered to help, which only took him a few minutes.  He suggested that Liz varnish it to use as a lamp base!

 

Have a good weekend!

I righted the shed…

on Monday and moved it onto the new concrete slabs then secured it to one of the new compost heap pallets that it now backs against.  The other two pallets were then replaced on Tuesday and I began clearing up, beginning with breaking up the old, rotten pallets to add to a bonfire that a plot neighbour will be having sometime soon.  I was pleased that I picked a mostly good week or so to do this work, and that it went as well as it did.

Since Friday it’s been damp and dull so I’ve not been plotting, and it looks like remaining unsettled for much of next week.   I had a quick look round this morning as I’d not been there since Thursday morning. There’s still plenty colour but the asters shown here had flopped over as I hadn’t staked and tied them.  They’re also a bit tall as I forget to cut them to half their height in early July to avoid staking.  Incidentally I know that the name Aster has been replaced by Symphyotrichum but I shall continue with the old one!

Have a good week!

Tree following, October 2019

Liz – There has been a drought here in Lexington, Kentucky for the past six weeks so it’s not surprising that my Witch Hazel has shown signs of stress.  It was the driest and hottest  September on record.

Once the leaves have been shed the flower buds now starting to form will appear providing much welcome colour into the winter.

Mike – All the fruit both on the Apple tree and scattered on the ground have now gone and the leaves are showing first signs of changing colour prior to shedding.  Looked at from this side it doesn’t appear to be lop-sided which it is viewed from the other side thanks to being hacked rather injudiciously rather than pruned properly.

Our thanks to Pat, The Squirrelbasket, for hosting Tree following as usual.  If you want to see what it’s all about, and perhaps follow one too, please click on the link shown over on the right-hand side.

Have a good weekend!

So far, so good

This teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) is just off the plot alongside one of the grass paths, it isn’t even knee-high and I’m surprised to see it flowering this late.

On Thursday I stood and watched a couple of ring-necked parakeets, possibly youngsters, on my sunflowers for a minute or two.  I also saw another great tit on one of the seed heads.

The compost/shed area revamp is still going well and yesterday I moved the empty shed and laid it down on the ground. The rotten pallet it stood on has been removed as has one of the compost side ones. As you see the bottom half of the compost heap looks ready to use, but I won’t be digging it out until late February or early March.

I’ve put the two concrete slabs down and the new compost heap side pallet is in position so tomorrow I hope to right the shed and move it back.  I’ll then replace the other two side pallets and remove the one on the ground.  Hopefully, weather permitting,  by the end of next week I’ll have done most of the major work.

Have a good week!

Better than expected

On Monday morning I picked the last few tomatoes, pulled up the plants and added them to the compost heap.  I did the same with the remaining cucumber plant.  I cut the comfrey back to ground level then added it to the compost heap.  With heavy rain on Tuesday afternoon and a couple of chilly mornings since most of the annual flowers are now well past their best except for a few cosmos and pot marigolds.

I’ve done better than expected with the start of the compost/shed area revamp.  I’ve bought most of my essential/good tools home and put other stuff into a neighbour’s shed.  The log seat and long planter have been moved elsewhere on the plot as have all the bamboo canes.

As you can see the blackthorn is now just a couple of trunks with all the branches that have been sawn off piled up on the bare flower patch.  All that and the old pallets will eventually be burnt.

Have a good weekend!

During October…

I’m planning on doing a much needed revamp of the compost heap and shed area.  The three pallets used as sides for the compost heap will be replaced by new ones ( see below right) which I acquired earlier in the year.  Hopefully I can leave the heap, which is now just about full, alone and won’t have to empty it. The now leaning shed stands on a pallet (see below left) which will be replaced by two concrete slabs which I’ve got tucked away, which means I’ll have to empty then move it.  Plot neighbour John has said that I can use one of his nearby sheds to store stuff in, and I’ve also got the okay to use part of the next door plot to put the old pallets on until they’re burnt. I’ll be removing the blackthorn tree which has become too big and a nuisance with shoots coming up all over the place.

    

I’ll be doing the work as and when, weather permitting, which will be easier than trying to get it all done in a few days.

Have a good week!