WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2023

You'd hoard less junk


I planted my onion sets in the raised bed. I haven't tidied it properly and can't do it now - too wet and cold and dark - so I stuck them in between some Fennel seedlings. They'll have to do there.

 

I was able to finish off this morning what I started a week ago - reorganize the balcony! I'd put up the table, erected the mini-greenhouse on it, filled it with the plants I want to keep over the winter. but I still hadn't got around to emptying out the 3 troughs that sit on the middle bar of the balcony railings that had been full of Pelargoniums all summer. Well that's another tick off on the To-Do list! I put the plants in pots & "shoehorned" them into the MG! I then put the troughs back on the balcony railings & I will put some Anemones I have in them during this week.

I had one least thing to do & that was to move the hanging baskets further inside the balcony. I did that as well & now the balcony is ready for the winter. Other than the small bulbs I bought very reduced in price from £land I haven't bought any more bulbs this year. Nor have I bought any Pansies or Violas. The last few years they have died of some virus that makes them collapse & rot so it's a waste of money & time & it makes be sad to see them collapse & die before their spring flowers get a chance to get going. So this year I've bought some Cyclamen & put them on the balcony railings. So far they seem alright even if they don't flower all winter like Pansies.

 

If it's the supplied door it will need some modification if you intend opening it inwards I would have thought.
If it's a normal boarded shed door which is hung in the traditional manner I don't think you should have any real problems regarding weathering if it opens out.

 

Poo picking is about the extent of my gardening at the moment. The grass is too long and too wet to cut. Everything else is still overgrown. During the summer I paid a chap from the village to sort it all out. He did half a job and I never saw him again. I contacted another chap who was a bonafide gardener who was recommended to me. He turned up unannounced when I was at work and there was nobody home. I never saw him again either. I'm going to have to find the time over the winter to clear some of the rubbish away to ,ake space for the spring bulbs to come through.

 

Size of shed makes a difference, if you can afford to lose a bit of space.

 

Nothing today I had other things to do.

 

Hi,

Not in the garden it being too wet so into the workshop to resume work replacing Rotavator oil seals; it's been a real pain of a job; the wheels and tine hubs all refused to come off they being mounted on tapered splined shafting. I got the wheels off after a long fight but the two hubs were a lot more difficult; I didn't want to break the flanges.


One of the tines hubs; it looks robust & strong but hitting it with hammer and drift at the boss made no difference; it was solid; hitting the outer flange would be asking for trouble.

I've got excellent workshop facilities so using offcuts I made this hub puller.



Both hubs have now been removed and new oil seals installed so it shouldn't wet itself leaving puddles of oil.

Not on topic but will be once the rotavator is used in anger.

Next problem. During this very heavy long period of rain I was upset to find water ingress under the bungalow; years ago I installed flood defences so what's happened allowing water in; surely water can't penetrate fully mortar bedded engineering bricks; I need to investigate?

Too wet to get into the garden so I'm still fully occupied; just adding this for a bit of interest.

Years ago I replaced our up and over garage door with a pair of side hung outward opening doors @Loofah I made the wooden doors and what a huge difference; I can pop in and out now without throwing up a big door; outward opening means maximum interior space.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

WOW two jobs sorted successfully today.

I've just been working on the patio outside our kitchen window and hopefully not only found the water ingress area but have sealed it.


I hadn't noticed this; years ago I installed new drains and flood defences; these two waste pipes from the kitchen I sealed at the time with mortar but the dire weather has taken its toll.

As soon as I hit the cold chisel with the hammer it bucketed down with rain; two roofers working next door went into panic mode; four tree surgeons directly across the street rushed into the garage for cover; I dashed into the kitchen for ten minutes; it was like night time but with a lovely rainbow; it bucketed down but also the sun was shining; our weather is all over the place.

Having found this problem I wasn't going to walk away so it's now fully sealed once again. Not in the garden unless our patio is regarded as in the garden; nothing but rain for days on end; Yorkshire at its best but I love living in Yorkshire despite it's terrible climate.

Rotavator oil seals sorted out now these waste pipes also sorted out; it's been a good day after all. 4:30pm and already getting very dark; why do we alter our clocks?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Well done Colin finding the cause of the water ingress and deeling with it fast.
This is also off topic but here it is.