What did you do in your garden today?

[Black_Thumb]

Thumb, did you use coated screws on the coop? The newer chemicals for treatment are highly corrosive to uncoated steel . I found that out the hard way when I built a front stoop shortly after the changeover.

Sorry for the delay in my response. Been very busy with a lot of things. Yes, I used coated screws because we also get a LOT of rain here. Yesterday, I was able to complete the actual chicken coop. The 4x4s are in for the run construction as well. Actually, I take back the part about completing the coop. I have to put the door on. That should go quickly, though. I'm going to build a door for the run area as well. It'll just be a simple screen door with 1/4" x 1/4" hardware cloth and solid security to keep it shut if predators come calling.

My wife finished putting down the mulch under our Dogwood trees, and I put the bird bath in the center of that area. We get TONS of birds in our yard, as well as deer, fox, and wild turkeys. I've heard that an occasional coyote shows up, but I have yet to see one. I don't want to have to deal with a pack of coyotes, though. I'll post some photos after I get outside and take a couple.

Mowed the back portion of the backyard yesterday afternoon, but it started raining, so I'll have to finish the rest of the back and also the front yard once the dew evaporates. I am going to mix up some Tenacity as well and do some spraying. Some of these weeds are laughing at my application of weed and feed last month. The pre-emergent didn't do anything to kill these weeds. It's time to break out the big guns. I'm also getting ready to purchase phase two of my weed and feed program when I get back from Pennsylvania next week. I'm driving up to surprise my daughter for her birthday. My son-in-law and I have been scheming about it. LOL I'm driving up Saturday, and he is going to bring her to a restaurant for her birthday along with the two kids, and I'm going to show up at their table as the waiter. She has no idea what's going on, so it should be a great surprise! And it's always such a pleasure to see my grandkids!!!

Pictures to follow in a bit! Have a great day, frieinds!!

 

[Sean Regan]

So far nothing, but it's only 9.45 am.

But I've a big job on today, jet-washing the drive and the path around the front room's bay window.
The drive is nearly as old as the house, which was built in 1965. We've only been here since 1972. It's green concrete, although not that green now, rather faded. A neighbour across the road who bought her house when they were built, said, after the drive was laid, for weeks whenever it rained, there was green water running off the end of the drive into the road!

It'll be a combination of the Karcher and the wet n' dry vac, as I don't want the mucky water running under the party fence onto next door's drive.
If I've still the energy, I'll then mow the lawn and do a bit more clematis tying up.

 

[Sean Regan]

Jet-washed the drive. A real boring job.

You could get four cars on this drive, all the houses in our road are the same. But those with two cars, usually park one on the drive and the other on the road, with two wheels up on the kerb, making it difficult for pedestrians and other motorists to pass.
That rectangular patch is where my "drain main" had to cut through the drive to replace a bit of soil pipe from the toilet.

I also jet washed the"pavement," outside our house. It's been tarmac for ten years, as people putting "two wheels up the flags," continually cracked them. It isn't too bad at this end of the road, but behind me where the road bends, it is always congested at night with cars parked both sides.

Once the azaleas, rhodo and viburnum have flowered, I'll prune them back a bit with garden shears as they are nearly a foot out over the little curtilage wall.

"Bin corner" is a bit of a pain to keep clean. Excuse the photo, it was into the sun.
"Back in the day" we had one mesh bin that took a plastic refuse bag which was emptied weekly.
Then these plastic bins were introduced, first just two. So when I built that fence and door, I made a three inch high concrete platform, for the bins to sit on.
Then it became three bins, so I had to extend the platform. Then it became four bins so I had to make another plinth the other side of the door for it. The plinths mean that I'm not for ever, having to move them to sweep round them. There's talk of a common national policy on refuse and us having to do even more segregation of waste. So more bins?
Believe me, it ain't happening at this address!

We had these lily of the valley amongst the bluebells in this corner of the narrow bed between the shed and the tea-house, for years. I dug them up and planted them under the big acer near the fountain.

I got the clematis tied up, mowed the lawn gave the front lawn a dose of iron sulphate where it needed it and the roses a spray of Sulphur Rose, so I'm up to date.

Sun in the lens again.

 

[Black_Thumb]

Jet-washed the drive. A real boring job.

You could get four cars on this drive, all the houses in our road are the same. But those with two cars, usually park one on the drive and the other on the road, with two wheels up on the kerb, making it difficult for pedestrians and other motorists to pass.
That rectangular patch is where my "drain main" had to cut through the drive to replace a bit of soil pipe from the toilet.

View attachment 95523

I also jet washed the"pavement," outside our house. It's been tarmac for ten years, as people putting "two wheels up the flags," continually cracked them. It isn't too bad at this end of the road, but behind me where the road bends, it is always congested at night with cars parked both sides.

Once the azaleas, rhodo and viburnum have flowered, I'll prune them back a bit with garden shears as they are nearly a foot out over the little curtilage wall.

View attachment 95529




"Bin corner" is a bit of a pain to keep clean. Excuse the photo, it was into the sun.
"Back in the day" we had one mesh bin that took a plastic refuse bag which was emptied weekly.
Then these plastic bins were introduced, first just two. So when I built that fence and door, I made a three inch high concrete platform, for the bins to sit on.
Then it became three bins, so I had to extend the platform. Then it became four bins so I had to make another plinth the other side of the door for it. The plinths mean that I'm not for ever, having to move them to sweep round them. There's talk of a common national policy on refuse and us having to do even more segregation of waste. So more bins?
Believe me, it ain't happening at this address!

View attachment 95524

We had these lily of the valley amongst the bluebells in this corner of the narrow bed between the shed and the tea-house, for years. I dug them up and planted them under the big acer near the fountain.

View attachment 95528

I got the clematis tied up, mowed the lawn gave the front lawn a dose of iron sulphate where it needed it and the roses a spray of Sulphur Rose, so I'm up to date.

Sun in the lens again.

View attachment 95530

It's looking fantastic!!! Great job!!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

more dead heading daffs.

 

[Black_Thumb]

I put hardware cloth on two sides of the chicken run today. I left the end open because I'm going to build a door there. I also installed the flower box on the front under the window of the coop, and put corrugated roofing on top of the nesting box.

Yesterday, I removed the old side door from my garage and installed it on the chicken coop, and I installed a new door on the garage. I'm glad I could use the old door because it saved me from having to buy another door.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Sean, It is illegal to have a wheel on a footway, I know someone who got a ticket for it, and it was just one wheel and careless parking.
The other thing I have seen is someone who went down the street and put very sticky notices on windscreens just in front of the driver saying "Pavements are for people"
Went out for the day yesterday and did nothing in the garden.

 

[Sean Regan]

Sean, It is illegal to have a wheel on a footway, I know someone who got a ticket for it, and it was just one wheel and careless parking.
The other thing I have seen is someone who went down the street and put very sticky notices on windscreens just in front of the driver saying "Pavements are for people"
Went out for the day yesterday and did nothing in the garden.

Thanks for that but I've always known that.
At one time the fire brigade would come round our crescent with an appliance followed by the police. They would turn on the siren to attract people's attention and the offending residents would rush out and move their cars.
On one occasion I just looked out of the front room window when I heard the siren.
Then I heard a furious banging on the front door.
When I opened the door there was angry policeman, who berated me for causing an obstruction with my car.

I found his attitude very threatening.

"I could book you for that!"

"No you can't!"

"Yes I can and I will!"

"No you won't as it isn't my car, you're standing next to mine on my drive, I never park on the road."

"Whose car is it then?

"I don't know, that's your problem and while you're at it, please get off my lawn."

He just turned on his heel and walked away, with no apology.

At a guess, that was about ten years ago, they've not been round since and on occasions it's as bad as ever it was, it's a dangerous situation.

A friend when she was living in a house, next door to the Chief Constable of Manchester at the time, told her that, any car parked on any road, apart from in designated parking spaces, even with all wheels on the road, is technically, causing an obstruction.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Cleared a bit of wood, watered greenhouses, they were quite dry after me being out all day yesterday. Looked in the shed and I have two litres of tomato fertiliser, must have been cheap, and gave them a first bit, Took various seedlings out of the greenhouse to harden off and replaced them with seedlings from indoors. Cleared some more wood.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Sorted out my lavender cuttings. I had 14 lavender plants and planted them as a hedge between the lawn and veg plot, when I pruned them last September I made cuttings of all the prunings and left them on the North side of the greenhouse. quite a lot had died, but I have about twenty something left showing signs of life. I expect I will lose one or two more over the next couple of years, but the others will make nice little bushes.

The bottom fell out of the under-the-bed drawer and the piece of hardboard was so warped I couldn't get it back in, went to fetch a new bit and the car was really sluggish up hills, put the hardboard in the back and remembered, last time I used the car they had a deal on compost , and I still had 150 litres of it in the boot. I got them out and took them down the garden and it suddenly started raining "I'll just pop in the shed 'til it passes". Wrong, ten mins later I made a run for it and got soaked.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I got the deer fence up and everything is planted. I leave it high so the cats can get after rabbits or whatever.

 

[Amateur Gardener]

Cutting the weeds. It's getting out of control.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Rain, in quantity at times. Mostly I potted up lettuce, leeks, and some tomatoes and rearranged the greenhouse to accommodate them. Sowed some 'Buenos Aires' Rioca beans the missus brought back from holiday in Madera.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I love it when a plan comes together! Feline biological pest control.

 

[Don Perry]

View attachment 95702

I love it when a plan comes together! Feline biological pest control.

More likely a new potty place for the kitty.