Project Mortgage Neutral Begins

Suffolk_lass

That all sounds good - if you follow Gardeners' World Monty said it is time for the "Chelsea Chop" - you cut your yet-to-flower herbaceous perennials to half-height so they get bushier and flower more later. I do it to geraniums (not pelargoniums) and get a second flush of flowers by the end of June. Have fun with your friends. We are not allowed social visits in our garden until Monday here (though I know you are as my Mum and Sis are there and are looking forward to it)

ajmoney

Thanks SL. I saw Monty on Friday and found a youtube clip which helped me decide to do it.  I am currently mapping out my beds and putting the names into the RH$ website and they are updating me with prune times etc.  The plan was to see to the remaining pots and maybe edge one side of my grass before going to the supermarket to see what I can but.  Unfortunately I have just twinged my upper back as I washed my hands (why is it always the little movements) so the whole of today's plans look in jeopardy.  I am giving myslef half an hour to see if I can move easily without it spasming and then will attempt to shower but not confident in that.  I may still be able to do the pots as they are light and I have been putting them on the wheelie bins to prune so I don't have to bend down all the time but all the other tasks and possibly even the walk might have to change.  I guess I may be mapping more of my garden today and sitting out there reading.

Suffolk_lass

I hope your back recovers - I always find a long hot shower, just gradually ramping up the temperature helps mine ("muscle memory" nerve damage from a severe fracture), combined with pain relief as I know whether I have tweaked or really hurt it.

That RHS register of plants in your garden is excellent - I have just started to log mine.

ajmoney

Suffolk_lass said:

I hope your back recovers - I always find a long hot shower, just gradually ramping up the temperature helps mine ("muscle memory" nerve damage from a severe fracture), combined with pain relief as I know whether I have tweaked or really hurt it.

I have managed to wash, dress and do the washing up, so far I am classing this as a win.  I will attempt a shower later as I am working out what is aggravating it and not at the moment.  I am about to take some pain killers, unfortunately I can't take aspirin based medication but I am hoping what I have will ease the area a little.  Luckily I think it was just a spasm rather than properly hurting it and I guess I have been asking more from my body in the last week with the gardening, it is just frustrating.

ajmoney

I decided not to do any gardening and spent the morning reading in the garden.  I am glad I did as I saw two common chaffinches in my garden for the first time.  I went for a walk with my friend, I changed the route slightly so I didn't challenge my back with too many up and down hills and there was only one point that I found awkward.

I have a few things I would like to do in the garden before the weather changes on Wednesday but I will have to see how things go, I am also debating a walk tomorrow afternoon.

ajmoney

The money shuffle has been done.  It was a little confusing as this is the first month all my savings pots have gone into the same account and initially I thought I had set the wrong S/O amount as it was so large until I worked it out and stopped panicking.  There is £247.36 not allocated out of my account, it will be interesting to see how much of this is left at the end of the month now the garden centres are opening!

ajmoney

Decision made, once today's mortgage payment and OP have cleared I am going to pay off the small mortgage. 

savingholmes

How exciting!
 Hope your muscles recover quickly and you can get back to gardening.
Good to you can see friends again too

ajmoney

ajmoney said:

Decision made, once today's mortgage payment and OP have cleared I am going to pay off the small mortgage. 

I think I will need to transfer around £3346.75, give or take a couple of days interest.  Having never done this before I haven't got a clue but I guess it is more than just transferring the balance online so I will get in touch with the bank once the payments have cleared and ask them what the redemption figure is on that account.  I think it will leave me about £6243 in my ISA which is made up of £1590.10 available cash and ££4652.90 that I have set aside for decorating etc.  Seeing as this is earlier than planned (but it doesn't make sense remortgaging the other mortgage while I have £2k on this one) I will rejig my OP spreadsheet and make sure I top up what I am classing as my savings.

ajmoney

I hadn't expected yesterday's payments to already show today, guess I need to find out the figure I need to pay to clear the small mortgage!!!!!!!!!