popular What have you done today in the Garden?

Very pretty Tulips Daniel.
I thought Rufus had shrunk in size and was having a little look.!!!

 

Very pretty tulips Daniel, nothing today the ground is to wet to stand on.

 

All the tomato cages are down now. Well all the cages actually. I used the propane torch on the entangled veg and today I will set up some sawhorses and after converting rust I intend to re-zinc primer the ex-rusty spots so they overwinter well and I have less to do when the polar bears leave next spring. I hedged some of the muscadine and sugi branches that reach out to my garden fence so I can get around with the leaf sweeper. I took a section of the garden extension fence to make a gate so I can dump leaves in there as they come. I doubt 1\3 are down at this point. Also it is a heavy mast crop year and I feel as though I could skate across all the acorns that are down. Pepper dog gets mortified when the squirrels shake the trees in the early morning sun. The acorns sound like machine gun fire on the metal roof and she heads for the white noise of the laundry with its fridge and freezer. I will pile the sticks and twigs in there as well and burn them at some point. I will run a cart and take some garden soil out to the ornamentals and barren spots from our droughty fall weather. The mondo grass seems to prosper on the tree root areas but grass never grows in those places, especially when it gets dry. Somebody should hybridize a Mondo bulb with stolon grass so it spreads faster. Just do not use Kudzu.

 

Yesterday afternoon I had to replant my golden beets. The frost got those and one row of lettuce and another of spinach. Problem is: I used up all my spinach seeds and I didn't feel.like driving to go get more. I will order some I guess.

My broad beans and peas are all emerging and also the carrots are coming up.

 

I should do a study of how much stuff I order whilst laying in bed.

 

It's 1c. So I won't even bother to go in the garden. But apart from the washing and shopping I've a job to do.
I subscribe to a Honda Jazz message board. There's a lot of useful information on there. There was a post about the automatic opening and closing of door mirrors, when you get in and out of the car. The mirrors in the past have been a problem with the mechanism for some. I had one replaced on the Crosstar I bought in March.
There's a possibility of them freezing up in this weather overnight. But apparently you can go into the system and disable the function and just use the button on the panel at the front of the driver's arm rest to open or close them. So you can leave them "out" overnight, if you';re going to drive before the weather warms up a bit.

 

Doghouse Riley said:
"had one replaced on the Crosstar I bought in March.''

I read that as Cross Tar and thought: who'd name a car after tar? Then I re-read it !! I

How'd you know I ordered my seeds while laying in bed ??


I got a deal on 3 packs of different types of spinach on Amazon. After taking off my reward points I paid a total of 82¢ for them.

 

...and dreamed of rabbits?

 

I have been raking leaves and hauling them to the compost pile or various garden beds for mulch this week. We had heavy storms move in overnight and rain today. I think we got over 2" so far. It is supposed to rain tomorrow also. I did not really get anything done outdoors today.

I did house work and some sewing today. I am mending a few things for a friend.

The friend of a friend came and bought my gourds this week, so I can start adding more stuff to the compost now. I now have a new friend. If I get most of my leaves raked up, I can go out in Horsey's pasture and collect manure for the compost piles also. I have 2 small gourds for seeds for another season.

It has been mostly mild for now.

 

I had laundry and shopping to do this morning so I couldn't get into the garden until this afternoon, it was quite sunny and not too cold. It was only 1c this morning. When I started my car, There was a message from it on the screen, telling me that it was very cold today, the roads might be icy and I should be careful.
"How kind of it."
Anyway, this afternoon I got into the long side border and removed a lot of dead leaves. A "hands and knees job," backing my way along the space between the planting and the side fence.



Then cleared a lot of leaves off the main patio, washed down the three troughs and replaced them.





I've nearly filled the green bin. It was by then getting on for 4.00pm and getting dark.

I've still got the back border to do, there's a lot of leaves shed by the bamboo. The "rose patio" needs cleaning, as do the ceramic pots on it. A few more leaves to collect in the front garden. If the weather tomorrow is like it was today, I can get it all done.

There's a lot of wisteria leaves to come down off both pergolas, but when they do, as long as it's a dry day, they aren't much trouble.
I need to sort out the ones on the pergola on the side of the garage. They are supposed to be blue at each end and white in the middle. But the white is encroaching on both sides. I'll have to straighten them all out and maybe prune off a few branches, but you can't do it until the leaves have fallen and you can see what you are doing.

 

All the clean up is from the deciduous trees and pine needles ate finally all mulched and roof.
Not seen one critter abouve ground or below in weeks.

The hawks, owls , bobcats , coyotes all predators are super buzy this time of year. They help keep the pastures free of those opportunistic little buggers that are wicked in any garden. I still need to do my daily routine 2 x’s a day checking the entire property for signs of damage from critters .

 

I had a very busy day.

I walked allll around the raised beds and looked.

 

Lots to do to keep pine needles off of the lawns since I now have another huge white pine dying. I dug down near the base of the roots and the ground squirrels have been munching on them and one side is so bad no roots left.

The EGO cordless leaf blower is my right hand this time of year everything is covered in needles and leaves. Finally all clear now for the moment. Til the next storm.

Found a mole mound in the east pasture. Set a trap and flagged it. Just when I finally thought I was ahead of the lill buggers they pop up again. I have nothing left for thr other plant critters to eat . My guess it’s most likely a mole chomping on worms, they don’t eat plants like everything else that sneaks in around here.
Do I dare say I haven’t seen any deer lately . Knock on wood.

 

I did a bit this afternoon.
I cleared a lot more leaves off the main patio. Then replace the roses in ceramic pots after cleaning their pot movers and their sides. I'm pleased with the way that my pointing has dried out, as the colour is not at all bad.



Then I got into the rose patio. Took all the ceramic pots off their movers and cleaned them. I removed a lot of fallen wisteria leaves and any rose foliage with black spot.
Cleaned the pots, hosed down the patio and put them back.
Cleaned out the fountain, refilled it and checked it out. It was working fine. Then turned it off from its plug in the garage, so I can't accidentally turn it on from its switch behind the lounge curtains, if it freezes up again.

There's still a lot of wisteria leaves to come down. The next dry day won't be until Tuesday, a lot more will likely come down by then as they were affected by the frost the other night. But "I may give the rest of them a hand."

I've still got a lot of leaves at the bottom of the garden to clear, but it will have to wait until next week, as if I clear more Tuesday, the green bin will be full.




I keep 60w greenhouse heaters in my jukeboxes in our unheated summerhouse, that and insulation on top of them stops them getting too cold or damp in the winter.
I check that they are both working every three days when I play a few records on both. "Use is the best form of preventative maintenance." But yesterday, I found one of the heaters had packed up. So I've temporarily put an inspection lamp in the bottom with a 60w incandescent bulb in it. I've ordered a replacement heater.