I didn't do much today, but what I did took the best part of four hours.
Mowed the lawn, nearly fully recovered from the scarifying.
The side nearest the camera needs occasional "edging," with a strimmer.
Tidied these rhodos and azaleas. They want to grow out over the lawn, I don't as the shade they make assists patches of moss to thrive on that side of the lawn, so it was a bit of pruning and tying back. Vacuumed up the remaining fallen rhodo leaves.
Gave the exterior of the tea-house a clean. I do this a few times a year as it gets quite grubby. It also gives me an opportunity to check for any rot. Thankfully there's been none in 36 years despite the fact I made it from soft wood. It gets another coat of paint every other year. The stuff I use on all the wooden features in the garden, has gone up to £72 for 2.5 ltrs., but it's worth it.
I'm pleased with the six small heathers I bought for the other troughs on the main patio earlier in the year. They've grown and are already showing some flower buds.
When the blooms faded, I brought four of them down to these troughs.
They've thrived despite all the shade.
I'll take out the four hebes either side of the other two heathers in these troughs on the patio when they are finished and put them in the troughs in front of the tea-house and bring the other heathers down.
So hopefully, we'll be back to this.
While I was out there, I played a couple of dozen 45s on each of my jukeboxes. They were designed for frequent use, periods of inactivity isn't good for them, lots of moving parts. I try to play a few tracks on each twice a week, throughout the year. (They have thermal covers and small heaters inside them for the winter, they are happiest at room temperature).
I got into next door's overhanging trees with my Barnel telescopic pruner. Couldn't do much without a ladder and it's a pain looking up all the time, my neck starts to ache.
This acer palmatum Taylor is doing well, two previous ones died, due to poor grafting.
