My Autumn/Winter Plans....

It really does sound like you're going to be busy, Bilbo, but that's not bad!!! It's surprising how when you're doing one job you find another two to do, and I suspect that will happen to you I've just hacked 4' off one of my central Conifers, a job I was going to leave until late Autumn but I got impatient!! I've got a gate to repair or rebuild, probably the latter. Roses to order and put in either side of the Arbor, compost heap to dig out and turn over, the pond to clean up, some trees to prune on the lower branches, a Lilac to prune, 3 Nestboxes to put up on posts in various places, and so on.:D

 

Do you think I should leave it?:D

 

I guess I'll have to leave the Garden gate as it is then:D It actually does lead to a "secret" area which is hidden by the trees and a 6' high Jasmine fence and it's a nice place to sit and ponder. Autumn is here as we know and the jobs keep piling up. As soon as one pops up in my mind I write it down, so I've had to take to carrying a note pad around with me and writing it down then and there so I don't forget.
I hope you can get a second pair of hands to help you erect the Green House, Bilbo, as it will make the job easier and less stressful. The arch is a good idea, and Wilko's come up with some good bargains. I've grown 8 different Clematis up on side and 5 up the other, which is another job because they'll need pruning soon.
I'll be buying 200 Snowdrops in the green to put under the Acer tree along with the others. One thing I will be buying is a roll of Bubble wrap to go around all the pots I'll have to leave outside [another job for the list].

Making the Planters is also a good idea, Bilbo, as you can never have enough of them.

 

I Don't like to think about what needs doing in our garden but the thought of the three tons of garden compost that should be shifted is already making my back ache.

As the years go by the work gets harder and it's now one hour of work to two hours of sitting with a cuppa and then an evening of back massage.

The 5 x 7ft poles supporting our 60 year old rambling roses are rotting and need to be replaced so I'll have to get the suit of armour out of storage.

Another four similar poles need to be put in the veg garden to support the runner bean canes. Although the canes are set in a style to help them survive strong winds (the veg garden backs onto a field that is a good few hundred acres) it didn't help this year and took down a row of 80 plants. The extra weight of the more than usual growth of plants didn't help the situation and being away on holiday meant I wasn't around to help put in extra support on the windy days.

There is the usual autumn/winter hedge cutting to be done (about 400ft of it) and the shaping of the conifers.

Then there is the 200 sq m of pressure hosing to get done. New flower beds to make. Dozens of plants to move as they don't look right in last year's new flower beds. Trying to get some semblance of order in the greenhouse and nursery areas (clearing out the greenhouse veggies and the patio pots and organising the 1,000-1,500 plants Mrs shiney has propagated so far this year). Pruning all the fruit trees. Renewing my deer defences. Giving the pergola an anti-fungus treatment, oiling the benches and tables, cleaning down the outside of the summerhouse (probably a light sugar soaping will do), check, repair or replace the hoses (500ft) and all connections, spend many hours clearing willow leaves , do all the normal dormant season tidying of the flower beds and do my late winter reforming of the lawn edges.

I need a cuppa and a rest just thinking of all that

 

Thanks Sheal,

In our garden there is no down time :(. The winter is the time to do all the big maintenance jobs. We do have help in the garden as Tracey comes in once a fortnight throughout the year to give us a hand but in the winter she sometimes comes in more often if we are lagging behind our schedule.

Now is the time I start checking all our trees to see where any pruning needs doing (apart from the fruit trees). The easier stuff I do - branches getting in the way, cutting out any branches on variegated trees that are reverting to green, removing any damaged lower branches etc. I have to check for major damage and anything getting out of hand and see whether it needs doing now or can wait until there is enough for a tree surgeon to come in. I try to keep it to a five year cycle when I have to have our willow topped and shaped, as it is a lot cheaper that way.