KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

GreyQueen

I've been gardening, too, slinky. Or rather, allotmenteering.

Have been digging out a gone-over strawberry bed which was maintaining a ratio of 90:10 couch grass to strawbs. Have also removed 7 soil-dwelling caterpillars (cut-worms) which I placed on the bird table and which my feathered fiends helped themselves to in a trice.

Found the last bit - I hope it's the last bit - of the weed-surpressing membrane I used under the home-made greenhouse which stood at the top corner of the plot for the first 2-3 years. Before I cottoned-onto that the fact that structures near the crest of a hill in the full force of the prevailing wind need to be built like tanks; Doris took down my lottie neighbour's proper glass and aluminium greenhouse as well as temporarily gifting me with a plastic wendy house.

Weed supressing membrane doesn't work on allotments, I've found. Or at least not on allotments with a substrate of nettles, brambles, horsetails and couch grass. Mind you, I've seen couch grass grow through panel doors and even potatoes underground, leaving them like beads on a string.

It's rotten stuff but I do have a sneaky admiration for its sheer tenacity.

Slinky

I too have been battling couch grass in the front borders. Horrible stuff. There's also a horrid weed which my neighbour doesn't know is a weed, so she cultivates a patch in a border neighbouring ours, I'm forever digging these darned things out. They have a very vigorous root and when the ground goes hard (we're on clay), it's impossible to shift them. Today the ground was a bit on the wet side of digable but a few days of sun will see it bake like a brick, so had to crack on while we could. Also did battle with forgetmenots, again another gift from the neighbour, so OK they're quite pretty but a complete pain when they are trying to root between the blocks in the drive. That and moss, the drive needs tackling on another day.

[Deleted User]

Slinky wrote: »

I'm aching in all sorts of places I'd forgotten I'd got, it's hard work kneeling and weeding. However I've made good use of a piece of leftover underlay as a knee pad.

tell me about it, this time of year and suddenly work outside beckons. I`ve spent 7 1/2 hours working hard the last two days, on my alotment, using an azada, which I sharpened before I started. Just had to remember to keep my legs out of the way.:cool: Did help though and chewed through the solid weedy winter crust. I am going to need a complete break from work tomorrow. Kneeling did the toes on my left foot no good at all, didn`t feel it until I got home. I even turned down an invite to the village film tonight, too shattered to sit 90 minutes on a hard seat. Did kondo some fine enviromesh into a carrot cage via my sewing machine and some canes

So busy that I didn`t feel like making a proper meal, bits n pieces eaten, albeit good food but feel full rather than comfy. Seems to me that autumn/winter is the best time to splurge on kondo`ing, to give it more concentrated focus

GreyQueen

Slinky wrote: »

I too have been battling couch grass in the front borders. Horrible stuff. There's also a horrid weed which my neighbour doesn't know is a weed, so she cultivates a patch in a border neighbouring ours, I'm forever digging these darned things out. They have a very vigorous root and when the ground goes hard (we're on clay), it's impossible to shift them. Today the ground was a bit on the wet side of digable but a few days of sun will see it bake like a brick, so had to crack on while we could. Also did battle with forgetmenots, again another gift from the neighbour, so OK they're quite pretty but a complete pain when they are trying to root between the blocks in the drive. That and moss, the drive needs tackling on another day.

I feel your pain. I have actually got five plots adjoining mine, due to sub-division and slightly off-set rows across the site and have the unfortunate situation where four out of the five are neglectful gardeners. Those of them I see from time to time are perfectly pleasant people but I'd gladly swop them for surly g*ts who kept their weeds etc under control.:rotfl:

I must have had a fixed rictus of a smile on my face when one of them, whose plot is downwind of mine, was cooing to me about the beauty of the very large scottish thistle which was setting seeds. Which were going to blow my way, shortly after.

Seems to me that a lot of allotments could do with a good kondo-ing as it's all too tempting to haul a lot of stuff up there for Justin and then not use it and have it rot in situ.

I still occasionally find a few pieces of the green waffle rubber carpet underlay which some previous incumbant used to cover the plot and which was submerged several inches into the soil and covered with couch grass by the time I took my plot on. In some places it was 2-3 layers deep.

I would like to track that individual down and do Bad Things to them.

Slinky

We're visiting friends next weekend who had the same carpet/underlay issue in their back garden. Don't people do some odd things! Haven't seen them for about 18 months, when they'd just moved into their home, it'll be interesting to see how their garden is coming along. It had an enormous amount of wild garlic running riot in it too.

ClootiesMum

I've made a start, I've made a start :j:j:j

Underwear was done several months ago and although drawers are still not show home perfect they are still in order and what a difference it makes.

Yesterday & today my wardrobes were emptied & dealt with.

In all fairness, only 3 bags went out but all too small clothes (hopefully only for a short time) have been corralled & hung on back to front hangers - so now I have clothes that fit available to wear :j

A few things need a wee bit of mending so they have been hung on back to front hangers in appropriate areas as well.

As I'm still off with depression, I realize I'm not being as ruthless as I should but my joy radar is a bit skew-wiff these days so a start is better than nothing. And if the basics have been done then I can work in the garden once the weather improves (we're a bit behind the south with spring).

And I feel more positive for the small step I have made. Paperwork really needs to be next - I know it's not the KM order but not being able to find things stresses me so paperwork round 1 seems a good idea.

My rationale is that if I get round 1 KM done by late autumn then I can have next winter, hopefully feeling better, to get down to the serious KM work.

Sorry to waffle but I'm so chuffed I just had to share

[Deleted User]

Well done clooties mum another brilliant positive post on the thread. Little steps, it makes a world of difference

GQ my neighbour allotmenteer has a very weed ridden and unruly site, I dropped a quiet hint today but she wasn`t biting and now she is going on holiday for a couple of weeks. Grhhh, she also plants things that are rampant

Just ordered a small matching photo frame, will only hold two wallet sized wedding photos and that will be me done with photos, completely finished :j

Maybe tomorrow I will sew my dressing gown together as it is already cut out and then clean my machine. Sewing room is great really, not much left to kondo in there, I did stage one months ago

Don`t know what to do now, before bedtime. If I read then I know I`ll nod off. I would knit but my hands and shoulders are achey after the allotment. Think I`ll clean my machine now, better doing something active, 3.5 hours before I should go up to bed, got to fill the time

GreyQueen

Gentle hints with one allotment neighbour didn't take so after much provocation, and constantly having to prune her bramble where it grew through the fence, I flat out asked her to dig it up.

Which she did, surprisingly, but she didn't seem capable of recognising a problem unless it was pointed out to her.

Took two bags of nasty weeds to the tip today and sailed past the queueing cars on the pushbike, I was in and out and on my way before some of them had moved an inch. Times like that somewhat mitigate the general tiredness and slog of biking with heavy loads.

Floss

GQ I spent several hours removing forget-me-nots from our lottie, better time spent now taking out a few plants than removing lots of pretty blue flowering plants in a few months!

luxor4t

I thought I had kondo'd the giant 1950's solid wood double wardrobe to somebody who had just moved and needed lots of storage....sadly, it is too big for them.
I fear we will have to take it to bits and offer the wood on freecycle as it is so large won't fit in most houses and there isn't much call for unremarkable brown furniture.