"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

dawnybabes

I’m tired just reading about it 🤣🤣🤣

greenbee

I'm tired too... back to work today, so minimal progress will be made on house and garden. Builders back tomorrow. And I need to track down the neighbour who does the landscaping. 

So for today - bins go out, so I need to maximise what's in them. Recycling isn't too bad, I think I'm now on top of it (might squeeze in some more 5l plastic jugs from my bulk liquid purchases). Garden waste should be able to fit more dandelions and some cleavers.

Garmin is telling me I've been slacking on the Pilates, and my joints are telling me the same, so I definitely need a workout this morning before looking at email. I can also get the robots going again in the bedrooms - I'm not sure why I haven't done this for the last few days as it's pretty low effort and I really want the fluff/builders' dust out of the carpets. 

I know I have some recording to do for work, and probably a mountain of other stuff, but want to make sure I don't get too bogged down as I still need fresh air, exercise, to clear more space in the kitchen so I can cook, and to walk the dog and make garden progress. So I'll be keeping an eye on breaks and hours. 

greenbee

Managed to do a short Pilates session yesterday but Visible (and the cat 🙄) told me I was over doing things even during my warmup. So I need to focus on mobilisation and not worry about the rest. 

Shoehorned more stuff into both recycling and garden waste during the day (and this morning!). Robots set off in bedrooms (need to empty and set them off again). 

More compost bought yesterday (400l fits in a Tesco trolley), and the planters on the patio are filled and covered with chicken wire until I get round to getting the frames and covers out of the workshop (planned for later today so I can so stuff tonight). Rest of compost is now in the garden, and I plan another Tesco trip shortly for more. I also need to get a spring-tine rake out of the workshop so I can scrape up some grass in the orchard and sow various wildflower seeds. 

Stinky has an appointment with the dog walker today, so hopefully will get over his grump about being inside. The builders are currently putting guttering on the summerhouse roof so I can harvest yet more rainwater. Not that I have the rest of my rainwater harvesting set up yet... 

greenbee

Got the frames and covers out, bought more compost, but didn't get further than that! I need to get some bits for the guttering but the felt is sorted and the clips are on, so it's not too complicated (I just need to measure).

Went out early today to a nursery that used to be renowned for having dead plants... it's now very good, clearly supplies a lot of garden centres, and has lots of stuff at good prices. I also acquired a whole (boned) muntjac for a tenner via my mum - I've just chopped it up and frozen in batches for dog food. I'll have to transition him over to it slowly so as not to upset his tummy, but he's due to move from puppy food to grown up food in July, so I think it's best to do this transition first. And minimise the processed kibble - he gets veg, yogurt, and peanut butter in his kongs and lick mats, so I probably need to up the veg along with the raw meat.

Window cleaner is here, scuppering my plans for gardening this morning, but it's cold outside anyway. And as I pressure washed the patio over the bank holiday, the big windows needed some TLC

Only one work meeting, so I'm hoping that the weather improves and I can have the windows open, or even sit outside, to do some reading that I really need to catch up on!

greenbee

Asparagus crowns arrived, so yesterday involved digging the beds and planting them … before which I had to make the gates for the veg plot as the final stage of dog-proofing. Then managed to get the planter frames built and covers on before book club.

Today wildflower seeds were sown in the orchard (lazily, so they may not make it), and veg seeds in the planters. 

Tomorrow I need to water the houseplants, then arrange pots and seed trays in the greenhouse, fill them and plant/sow … and get the irrigation system set up at the same time ready for when it’s needed. Retrofitting once things are growing is a nightmare.

greenbee

House plants were watered. Tomato pots (HUGE buckets, new this year) have been arranged in the greenhouse... luckily there are 10 of them, as I have 10 varieties of toms. Unfortunately the greenhouse is only 9 pots long... so one will have to go on the end. And I was one bag of compost short for filling so am resting before going to load up the wheelbarrow again with more bags of compost from the front (they're just by the car). 

Then I need to find pots for cucumbers, aubergines, peppers, and padron peppers and arrange and fill those. After that I can plant the first batch of everything and then find smaller pots for the reserve plants. If I didn't live in the middle of nowhere I suppose I could sell the excess (although I think I'd get as fed up with that as I do with FB marketplace). 

Watty1

Maybe a stall outside with a pot for financial contributions?

greenbee

No one goes past here Watty (well, no one apart from immediate neighbours, and local kids avoiding their parents). Plants would just be eaten by muntjac. 

greenbee

Everything seems to have survived in the greenhouse overnight. I need to pot up another couple of tomatoes for friends, and possibly a spare of each for myself, and then will offer the rest of the village gardening whatsapp group.

Summer bulbs have been shoved in patio pots, which have been topped up with compost. Last pot of frits was removed from the middle of one of the pots and replaced with agapanthus. Frits were shoved in the orchard where they will hopefully seed and spread. 

Clematis (5) and a rheum have been planted and watered in. The clematis don't currently have anything to climb up, which I'll need to fix! 

Laundry has been done, DW has been on, baking has been done, as well as roasting veg for future meals and cooking giblets for the dog - I was trying to make the most of Agile plunge pricing, but TBH it's pretty clear that at this time of year I can be pretty much self-sufficient in energy now I've got the additional solar. And it wasn't even particularly sunny.

Shattered now, so having a rest, but I'd like to get aubergines and peppers planted in the greenhouse, and some more trays of flower seeds sown too. I don't think I'll get to the veg plot stuff that was on the list, but you never know. The grass needs mowing too. 

greenbee

Replacement batteries ordered for the solar pump in the greenhouse. Given that the ones in there were the originals from when I bought it in either 2020 or 2021, they were probably past due for replacement. 

Dog thinks today has been very boring... He's not wrong And I'm weighing up options for the next hour that include planting yellow rattle, mowing, planting more veg plants in the greenhouse, and sowing beans and squash (I might save the latter for this evening/tomorrow morning as they may do better if I start them off in the kitchen). 

Clematis wires, raised beds, raspberry frames and planting in the veg plot may need to wait until next weekend.