What are we doing in the garden 2025

We used to pay £70 now we pay £95. SO YES WE PAY A LOT. (Sorry not shouting at you, but our Council).
More money worse service

 

That's a lot, I pay £50 I think, but it always comes with the small print saying we can't guarantee how many collections you will get.
I suppose in theory they could only collect once and still fulfill the contract.

 

It's like those dandruff shampoos that promise "up to 100% flake free" !

I put my green bin out on the 6th (Sunday) for collection on the 7th, it wasn't collected and I noticed my neighbour's was out and uncollected too. So I went to the missed collection page - it gave me a message saying "your bin will be collected today - if it isn't collected by 7pm put in a missed collection report".
Later that evening I put in the report - this is supposed to trigger them to collect the missed bins within 2 days. Checked a couple of days later and it said "Your bin wasn't presented on time" which is clearly false as it was out a day early.

So then I put in a complaint. This time I got a response back saying there was no collection scheduled until the following fortnight due to the Christmas break, and this was in the terms and conditions.

Why couldn't the Missed Collection page give me that same information when I first accessed it? Why was it making up stuff?

I'm another who pays extra, I think mine is about £60 but they're usually pretty reliable.

 

You must have the same shampoo I have, I was looking a that statement a while ago.

 

They all make claims like that in the adverts, my favourite at the moment promises "up to 100% petal soft hair". What does that even mean? Is any particular flower petal used as the measuring standard?

 

Brings to mind sea holly.

 

Our young oak tree (about 30 years old and 20 feet high) for some reason gave up the ghost some years ago. We had left it in situ and have had a chinese gooseberry climbing up the trunk and branches. Noticed yesterday it was at a strange angle. The base has rotted out and the tree was leaning over the hedge and road. So drastic measures needed but carefully. Cut back the side branches with an amazing battery pruning saw. Today tackling the main trunk doing a bit at a time. Gave up using chain saws some years ago and using a hand saw requires so much energy that we don't have anymore. Sorry to see it come down but safety is the first priority.

 

It has been exceptionally wet here for months and is now freezing so we're keeping off the soil and just using the well worn path between the house, hen house and polytunnel so they can have fresh air, freedom to fossick and a dry spot to dust bathe.

Not doing any gardening yet till it's warmer and less soggy. I don't prune anything when there are frosts about and it's far too soon to be cutting back stuff which might be providing winter shelter to invertebrates and small critters.

Not even sowing any seed yet tho chillies will be done in the propagator in the next week or so.

 

Have just cut back and re-shaped a vicious pyracantha. Have also dabbed my injuries with copious amounts of tea tree oil

 

@On the Levels, what is this “amazing battery pruning saw” of which you speak? Never heard of one. I was using a long-handled pruner yesterday and can barely move today. Something power assisted but not as lethal as a chainsaw might be just the ticket.

@Bluejayway, pyracantha - lovely to look at, deadly up close!

 

I have just finished planting out the two bare-root roses that arrived this week. One is a Rambling Rector, the other a ground cover rose called Nozomi.

 

I’m considering full body armour next time @ViewAhead

 

I laid a few more stone roof flags the other day when it were nice I've nearly finished that project now , they need pointing still but the weather looks to be against me again with more frost forecast.

Today planted some alliums bulbs purple sensation and bulgaricum looks to be the same as nectarscordium to me . Brought the little 7cm pots inside to be cleaned ready to get sowing very soon .

 

@ViewAhead it is a Stihl pruning saw and came with 2 batteries. As the trunk was being cut the batteries did have to work so much harder and then needed recharging but we have been amazed at how it was able to cope with what it shouldn't (if that makes sense).
We have gone with Stihl for a battery mower for cutting in our orchard and again we are extremely happy with it.

 

I have a Stihl battery mower too, @On the Levels and I'm very pleased with it.

In the February GW magazine there is an article about battery pruning saws, like mini chain saws. Stihl did well in it.