What did you do in your garden today?

[Sean Regan]

So the fox, cats, hedgehogs, mice, and a stray ferret are out playing end of season party games tonight

The only time we've seen a ferret (or stoat) was once when we lived in Marford in Wales for a year. The Chester Wrexham road passes through it. Our house backed on to three huge fields between our road and the main road in the distance.
We saw it on our patio. It was searching between the stones on the rockery. It moved quickly, best described as flowing like water.
The sad thing is that a couple of decades ago I learned that all the fields have gone and it's now a huge housing estate.

 

[MiniOrchardDude]

Removed the left over leaves on the branches. Raked the canopy of all the leaves and wood chipped around the canopy, Then I did my copper spray used up 7 gallons. That was for 6 nectarines, 5 pears, 4 peaches and 4 Pawpaws. Had a little time before dark to remove and rake the sweet cherries leaves. Hope to get out today to chip and spray the sweet cherries but it gets dark shortly afte I get home. Guess I will spray first and mulch in the dark.

Still have the sour cherries, plums, almonds and interspecifics to go.

I'm running out if time since raking and burning all the leaves takes forever.

MOD

 

[Oliver Buckle]

The only time we've seen a ferret (or stoat) was once when we lived in Marford in Wales for a year. The Chester Wrexham road passes through it. Our house backed on to three huge fields between our road and the main road in the distance.
We saw it on our patio. It was searching between the stones on the rockery. It moved quickly, best described as flowing like water.
The sad thing is that a couple of decades ago I learned that all the fields have gone and it's now a huge housing estate.

You always reply to my silliness so seriously.
We have had a weasel in out garden. You know the way to tell weasel and stoat apart of course? A weasel is weasely wrecognised, but a stoat is stoatally different!
Now tell me seriously about the white end to the tail.

 

[Sean Regan]

Did nothing yesterday, apart from buying this new laptop, an HP i7. 512GB
Did a bit today.
Looking a bit of a mess.

Got rid of a load of leaves in this border and pruned off the wisteria.
Lawn's a bit of a mess at this end.

 

[Sean Regan]

You always reply to my silliness so seriously. We have had a weasel in out garden. You know the way to tell weasel and stoat apart of course? A weasel is weasely wrecognised, but a stoat is stoatally different! Now tell me seriously about the white end to the tail.

You mentioning a weasel, just brought back a particular memory, that's all.

 

[big rockpile]

Watered, turned Compost and Shredded Leaves.

big rockpile

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Made up some muck and fixed the step in the front path that tilted when stood on. Replaced, with bricks, a bit of decayed fence board that was retaining a bed. Chopped some wood. Jobs I can do without walking on wet mud, still they say we have another day without rain tomorrow, so I might be able to get on a bit.

 

[big rockpile]

Watered and Shredded Leaves.

Oh yes bought a load of Wood Chips.

big rockpile

 

[Sean Regan]

Removed the unoccupied second hedgehog house from its position in the bottom corner of the garden.
Although more secure from foxes and cats, it's very dark and damp down there, possible why it was no longer in use. It's waterproof, but the hay seemed damp to the touch. I'll let it dry out in the shed. In the Spring, I'll put it behind the rhodos a bit nearer the house.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Dried out a bit, so managed to get a cut on front and back lawns, probably the last 'till Spring. Chopping wood is pretty much a daily task now, temp. going below freezing tonight, put some bubble wrap on the north wall of the greenhouse

 

[big rockpile]

Watered and started mixing 40 cu.ft. of soil.

big rockpile

 

[Sean Regan]

It's bright and sunny, but very cold. Ice in the fountain and bird bath.

There's quite a bit to do.

More leaves to clear.

Still some to come down.

I'll need to prune off the dead wood from both the acer palmatums, an annual task. then do a bit of "wiring," to balance the branches.

But none of this today as it's too cold.

I've fed the birds and the squirrels, then turned on the two hoses, the tap of the sink and the water heater in the garage. Then turned the lot off from the tap below the kitchen window, I didn't do it early enough last year. I had three burst pipes when I turned everything back on, when it warmed up which was an inconvenience, but they were easy enough to repair, but an internal pipe in my sixty year-old water heater in the garage had failed, so I had to buy a new one. This has a "frost seating" like most combi boilers, but I won't risk using it.

 

[big rockpile]

Watered and Shredded Leaves.

Ok let's do something different. Had some guys over Clean my Flue out, might as well clean the Gutters out while you're up there.

Cleaned a shed out for me and filled the Wood Box.

big rockpile

 

[Oliver Buckle]

, then turned on the two hoses, the tap of the sink and the water heater in the garage. Then turned the lot off from the tap below the kitchen window, I didn't do it early enough last year. I had three burst pipes when I turned everything back on, when it warmed up which was an inconvenience, but they were easy enough to repair,

Read this and thought 'Damn' . went out and emptied the cupboard under the kitchen sink, got a screwdriver from the garage and turned off the tap to the outside through the little hole that doesn't quite line up, then went out and turned on the outside tap. Last year I forgot, we were away for three days and came back to the sound of gushing water. Easy to repair, it was the last eighteen inch piece to the tap, so just a compression joint one end and one Yorkshire elbow, but it didn't improve the water bill.

 

[Sean Regan]

Did a bit today.
Stripped this wisteria and collected a lot of leaves off the patios and lawn.

That's four done, just one to go.

I'll leave this for a bit and let a lot fall, naturally. They'll be contained on the patio and the prevailing wind will keep them up this end of the garden. So will be easy to clear every couple of days.

Cleaned my golf shoes, clubs, trolley and bag ready for tomorrow.
Just checked the weather forecast. Not good. If it's raining at 7.15 am tomorrow, I won't be going.