What are we doing in the garden 2024

There isn't any great mystical process with leaves @Robert Bowen . It's just a slightly different type of breakdown from compost, and the time it takes is dictated by your conditions and climate - as with all gardening.

You'll need to ensure the soil is decent for the lupins @ArmyAirForce - it isn't just about the light and moisture they get until established. Then - watch out for slugs....

 

Yes - the heat element is the one that's difficult here @shiney . Mine never gets to any great temperature, even with extra insulation around the bins.
I use branches, or similar, for my dead hedge, or for piling up in corners for wildlife. If I have too much at any point, it goes in the 'cooncil bin'. I have a large pine trunk that needs taking down, but that will be kept in the garden for that sort of purpose.

 

The one I already have planted in the railway has done well this year, with several rounds of flowers. The earth that it is planted in is best described as building site soil. When it was delivered, it was full of bits of brick, stones, glass and the nozzles from silicone tubes, so not the greatest quality. I mixed in some sand and compost before planting everything and all the plants have done well.

I'm going to do something similar on the edge of the woodland, with additional soil and compost. There's always plenty of leaf fall to enrich the soil and deeper down to the original soil layers, it's had at least 20 to 30 years of leaf fall.

 

@Butterfly6 I find it hard to motivate myself at the moment too. For me , I think its the fact that we have a long cool dark spell in front of us before new life starts in the new year. Theres still lots of interest in my garden in winter but it doesnt help motivate me until i see those green daffodil stems growing strongly after Xmas and then i get my impetus back and i want to crack on !

 

The older I get, the harder it is to get motivated. Once I've actually started, I'll enjoy it, whether it be gardening, astronomy or my vehicle maintenance, but that initial push is the hard bit, especially when it's cold and dull outside.

 

@shiney President Shiney you are a man after my own heart . I love your philosophy, though i am not sure i would want to pay your monthly bird seed bill!

 

@fairygirl Like you say , its working with nature and finding something that works rather than trying to bend nature to your will , which is about as useful as shouting at the rain to try and make it stop.

 

@ArmyAirForce what i will say in response is , is that i wish i had the energy and application that you have demonstrated in what you have done at yours .

 

My daughter and I have just come in from raking up two bags of leaves and grass to make compost. It took us an hour, so if you added labour costs to that at minimum rates, about £20. By the time the two bags rot down in a year of two, I'll probably have one bag - which I could buy for £8.00!! I can't see it being a regular habit for me!!

 

A nice dry and breezy day today. I've mowed the lawn and spread horse manure mulch on some of the borders. I don't have as much as I thought though so will have to pick up more from the yard tonight.

Not much left to do now the days are shorter. I'm going to leave tidying until spring in the hopes of attracting more wildlife.