What Jobs Are We Doing in the Garden Today... MK2..

Jack, brilliant job . I'm surprised you didn't move the lampost as well

Just a reminder for you.

My last view of Montserrat

 

Well, I'm not off work until Thursday so things will have to wait until then. So the first thing will be to walk around the garden a few times with a sit here and there, with a mug of tea, to get a proper look at what needs doing. I've learnt that doing a job here and there without having a good look at what really needs sorting gets you going back again and again for stuff you missed. I won't move the Canna's, Palms and Bananas indoors until I get a weather warning of proper frost.....because once they've been moved my back will protest too much to put them back out again

 

Yesterday I cleared away all my beans on the Shiney Frame and put them on the bonfire heap. I had a superb crop this year but all the plants ended up covered in tiny black spots. Could have been some sort of fungus . My later plantings are still in and look as though they may last at least another week.

Today - Nowt!

 

From now onwards, through autumn and winter, our garden needs more work than spring and summer. With all the clearing and tidying up, digging, shifting compost, pruning trees and clearing dead parts, maintenance work etc we need regular help to do it - a lot of it is too heavy for my back . We now have a new gardener that will work through the winter - I don't work when it's raining or very cold .

If the wind isn't too strong today I shall have a giant bonfire.

 

Had the bonfire Thursday and it was very cheery. I then mowed all the back garden including what was left to do of the knee high wild area. Did nothing Friday as I was knackered!

Preparing the bonfire took longer than burning it. The first job is to rattle the heap quite vigorously to chase out hibernating hedgehogs (was a little too early in the season for them) and the field mice (about a dozen shot out). One year I had done the same and then, during the conflagration, a load of rabbits came flying out. Frightened the life out of me!

Strategically placing the paper to take account of the wind direction and then trying to get my starter paper alight is all part of the fun. As it was windy it was extremely dificult to keep a match alight long enough to light the starter paper and then there was the problem of keeping the starter paper alight until it had caught properly. I used my trusty old method of turning a wheelbarrow on its side, close to the fire, and holding the matches and paper inside the wind protected area

The main part of the bonfire


Stacking some of the cut down runner beans ready to add to the fire


Light touchpaper and stand back


Five minutes later



Another minute



Three and a half minutes later it's almost done and I can leave it to burn down whilst I go and mow.