What are we doing in the garden 2024

@RowlandsCastle Which variety of J. anemone have you got? I have an Honorine Joubert , white , which grows well but behaves itself. I also have “ profusion” a tall pink beautiful beastie which is absolutely rampant but which i am happy with where it is , as long as it stays where it is.

 

The whites are generally better behaved than the pinks @Robert Bowen. H. Jobert is a nice easy one too, but most of them are straightforward in the right conditions.
The pink ones are less fussy in terms of soil and moisture, which is why they can be a problem with spreading too much, whereas the whites aren't so good if they're in drier conditions.

 

Hi,

Not today in the garden but over the last couple of weeks what a busy time I've had.

18 conifers and a huge firethorn removed. I was about to remove this hedge years ago having the petrol chainsaw with me; my neighbours asked if I'd reconsider; they volunteered to look after the hedge height at their cost so I agreed to let the hedge stand as long as they kept height looked after. A number of bottom conifers were 20' tall and a few of the top conifers were 15' tall so I removed the hedge taking five hard days. The neighbour told me he wasn't happy but didn't want to fall out about it. He broke the agreement allowing the hedge to grow tall to suit him for privacy. Not only this but he went on to say I would be causing more subsidence to his steps and put his mains gas pipe at risk as well as him losing his privacy. How selfish can people be these days.

Wildflower meadows strimmed; rotavated and raked.

Our next door anti social neighbour as usual annoying neighbours at the top of our rear garden.

The top right hand of our rear garden has an area where I've removed the conifers and want to turn into yet another wild flower area; nothing is easy living here; more stone than soil and this from a very small patch.


The Howard Bulldog lost a tooth from one of its wheels; I have an industrial arc welder in the workshop; this welder is too heavy to get to the Bulldog and the Bulldog is too heavy to get down to the workshop.

I bought a mini arc welder; one I can use from a 13A extension lead; the welder only cost £35.99 and came with full accessories making it ready to plug and play. I've been welding for over 60 years and this tiny welder has impressed me. I can now use this tiny welder for other jobs around the garden.


Patio and rear pathway pressure washed.

Side of bungalow sloping 42' long pathway pressure washed; I installed the pathways and patio over 30 years ago and they still scrub up like new.

On top of all this work which I can only do for short periods of time I'm still trying to learn to play my violins. Bron comes first; looking after her and making all the meals whilst carrying out many chores like shopping is keeping me ultra busy hence I'm adding recent jobs I've carried out; there are more not added like modifying the Bulldog rotavator and rust proofing the car. I've been retired for almost 24 years but still work harder than ever with no let up. I'm grounded again this afternoon due to Bron having an hospital appointment then again on the 12th when Bron has her assessment before her knee replacement operation we hope is carried out before Christmas. Bron's in agony every time she moves due to knee pain; I'm doing everything I possibly can to help her; I want my Bron back by my side pain free visiting stores once again.

I'd better get off my backside and do something useful before another day disappears; I'd done the shopping and back home before 7:30 this morning.

I'd love to have time to read more threads.

Kind regards, Col.

 

You put us all to shame @Retired . That's a helluva job with that hedging/conifers, let alone all the other things you do.
You're absolutely right - the neighbour broke your agreement re the height maintenance, so sod him Now he's just being spiteful re the other things he's added on to his moaning. It could have been worse as you could have taken the complaint to the council who may have instructed him to remove or cut them down to an acceptable height. The problem with some people is - they want it all ways.
Good luck to you and Bron [I presume that's your wife? Apologies if I'm wrong ] and award yourself a gold star or three, or at least a nice cuppa. Take it easy though, and get some time for yourself - even if it is just for that cuppa.
I wish your Bron well for the op too - my sister had hers done a few years ago and it's made a huge difference to her, especially the lack of pain

 

@Retired . Thats hard gardening work, no question. Best wishes to you , and good luck to Bron , hopefully the surgery will be soon and get her fully back on her feet.

 

@RowlandsCastle you and others wont believe me but many decades ago a member of the village garden club gave us some white Japanese anemones (no idea the variety). They grew happily for about 4 years and then just totally disappeared. So we don't have problems with rampant growth!

 

We have a patch of the white, which are behaving themselves, although my wife doesn't like white flowers much.
But we have found the pink ones being bullies, and it's going to be well nigh impossible to eradicate them entirely, especially as they have sent roots under a concrete path, into the bushes, and possibly into next door.
I've no idea what variety they are, but they are going to be replaced as much as possible. They refuse to stay within their alloted space.

 

Just wanted to add that the blackbirds have been rooting around where I dug yesterday.
My garden waste bin was emptied this morning, and is now half full (pressed down) with the containers standing around nearby. I've not even started bringing stuff up from the far end of the garden.
I put a sack of leaves in my general rubbish (which I feel bad about), and that's been taken this morning too.
The wood pile is growing. I refuse to try and compost the roots and stems of the Japanese anemones.

 

Yet more leaves collected for the compost. Our elder son gave us some artisan bird nesting boxes. Lovely design but not sure how long they will last. Have selected and placed them in the garden so that we can see if any birds do take up residence.

 

Hi,

Bron and I have just returned from the hospital so another appointment ticked off; podiatrist this time and another appointment to start the new year on the 6th Jan

Thank you so much @fairygirl for your good wishes and kindness; a special thanks from Bron too.

The conifer hedge was ours and with hindsight I should have removed it as intended years ago but wanting to be a good person and neighbour I was foolish to trust this neighbour but things changed a bit since then; as I politely walked away from him I thought him to be downright selfish and untrustworthy intending to keep out of his way as much as possible so I let it go.

A short while ago whilst looking up the garden from our kitchen window I saw this neighbour start on his top step working downwards sweeping clouds of debris into our garden; having reached the bottom and clearing his path he then went up the steps and swept debris from his door area into our garden.


One of the 20' tall conifers; 3' tall stump remaining to be chainsawed.

As work progressed the felled conifers were dragged down the garden and cut up; here's one lot.

The trunks were cut into logs for a neighbour friend who has a woodburner; the rest went to the tip in very big bags.

The steps can be seen bottom right and there are a lot of them due to the steeply sloping site. With the conifers removed I could clearly see the neighbour sweeping his rubbish into our garden. I wasn't going to accept this; not only is he now selfish and untrustworthy but downright nasty.

Sat 7th I was raking the top meadow when I heard a wheelie bin lid close so I turned around to see this neighbour walking away from me so I called him over; normally I'm very polite and considerate but I told him if he had a problem with me to tell me to my face like a man not do nasty things against me behind my back; of course he denied he'd swept clouds of debris into my garden but I told him in no uncertain terms never to do it again; I'm sure he now understands I think him to be a scum bag? Before walking away from him at our previous meeting this selfish person asked if he could buy some of our garden to erect an office on; if ever Bron and I sell this as a building plot it's worth in excess of £100,000 so why would I want to sell part of it; we don't need the money so as long as we live here it's our pretty wildflower garden; there's more better things in life than living for money; we aren't greedy. We've received letters offering to do everything from buying the garden to completing a building on it; in their dreams? This neighbour is truly unbelievably selfish. We can't be left in peace to enjoy what we've worked so hard for.

Yes Bron's my wonderful wife of 48 years @fairygirl; Bron's been ill for over 40years but we stick together; Bron's my best friend and I love her to bits as she loves me too. Bron would have her operation carried out today if possible; it can't come soon enough; we have friends in Hull a retired couple and both have had a knee replacement; both are fine now.

Thanks @Robert Bowen for your kind wishes; the surgery can't come soon enough. We've lived in this bungalow for 37 years and everything about it and the gardens has been incredibly hard work and still no let up but the work next year should be lighter in the garden having removed at least 30 huge trees and around 250' of hedges.

I'd better get back on topic because I upset certain members due to my ramblings. I've some cutting back and weeding to do before it turns too cold; lots of plants have now bloomed so need attention; acers in the front garden look lovely but need keeping on top of and we've got yet more brambles we don't want; brambles and hollies keep popping up everywhere as do tiny oak saplings; the grass is cut and the edges neatly strimmed; the meadows can be ignored unto next March; I think I'm winning at last.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Don't worry about ramblings @Retired - if people don't like them, they can skip reading!
As usual, you amaze me! You never seem to slow down. Can I ask where you got the mini welder please Col? I quite fancy trying to make some bits and pieces for the garden from rebar.

 

@Retired Hopefully your hard work will indeed pay dividends and next year will bring better things

 

At last i have had a good day in the garden. I have been envious reading what youve been up to in recent days while i have been resting with my leg up listening to the radio and hobbling round doing minor chores . Today , the rest seemed to have paid dividends and i cut all my anemones and geraniums to ground and strimmed and mowed all the grass. Still amazed at how the grass is growing , 3-5” in 12 days in the back, its more like spring growth. The compost bay is brim full again. I quit while i was ahead and hope to plant up some shrubs in a new bed tomorrow .

 

I had a delivery of bare root raspberry canes today, so got them into the prepared ground this afternoon, before it got too dark down the garden. There is no light there, and that's how I like it.
Also cleared some leaves into an old compost sack, to hopefully add to a pile of others to create more mulch/compost.

 

@Retired you've done such a lot of work in your garden over the years and i hope that Bron has her knee replacement soon.