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

greenbee

I've just paid the balance owed on my greenhouse... so all set for delivery on Thursday. I'd better get on and make sure that everything is ready for it. 

Jessy103

Sounds like the garden is coming along nicely, greenbee. I'm excited for you on the greenhouse front! 😀

greenbee

Thanks! I've got the new raised bed done, so now need to plant it up. I also have netting for the raised planter and the raspberries arriving today (at least, i assume that's what the delivery notification was about) as well as some more compost and topsoil. And my brother is due to drop off more rubble and topsoil (from his garden, so it'll need sieving) later this week. 

I sorted out the compost area using the best of the pallets (and an old gate) and some fencing wire, but haven't had much time for weeding the stream since, so they are empty. I'll use one bay for the topsoil this year while I sort it out. A neighbour who has been doing some work with the conservation group left me a bag of water crowfoot on the gate on Sunday, so that has been put into the clear bit of the stream, where it will hopefully root. And some marsh marigolds arrived by post yesterday so have also been planted (I hope I remember where and don't weed them! Priority at the moment (on the garden front) needs to be getting the new raised bed planted up (I'm thinking bean wigwam - so must get some more beans going - a few toms, and chard to start off with. Maybe some radishes and lettuces too. I put soaker hose in this bed too, and have used the leftovers in the old raised beds - although they are so dry I need the new soil and compost to help cover them up as I can't bury them in dust. As I've worked out that the old compost bins can be used as planters, I just need to sort out some pots to go inside them and they'll make great extra spaces for courgettes (which are finally germinating, and of which it is impossible to have too many...). So I need to measure them. After that I need to get back to doing some deadheading and weeding before the rest of the garden is taken over by 'wildflowers', and continue to make progress on the stream. 

In the house I'm working on just keeping it vaguely hygienic. I may clean if it rains (which will hopefully fill up the waterbutts!).

Work is still busy, which is good. Pilates and yoga are going well. Eating has NOT been good, so need to get back on the wagon - I'm 1.8kg up on the bottom end of my target, which is within my limits (1.2kg below the top end) but there is a consistent creep up and I'm definitely feeling like I've been eating the wrong stuff. I had a restart yesterday, and because I was so busy it wasn't really an effort. Yoga classed being back after half term will help too, as they stop any evening temptations!

greenbee

Eating still not great. Pilates and yoga mostly OK, although I've skipped some yoga this week as I'm exhausted and going to bed early. 

Greenhouse is up - although missing 4 panels as they didn't send all the right bits. Some of the missing glass arrived yesterday, and I've just emailed them to tell them what's still missing, so hopefully that will arrive soon. Staging is up, most plants are out of the growhouse and in the greenhouse. Some of the tomatoes have been put into larger pots, others are waiting to be done (my brother dropped off some large pots this morning). Four courgettes have germinated, but one looks unhappy. The others are showing no signs of life. Hopefully they will, although I should probably sow some more. 

New raised bed has some tomatoes, a bean wigwam and a row of chard. I'm eating lettuce and radishes. Strawberries are starting to set fruit. Broad beans have flowers. Carrots are still just green fuzz. Herbs are doing well - I have sage, rosemary and thyme to plant, and have planted a small sprig of tarragon. 

Lots to do in the garden - fruit needs netting (I have the netting, need to work out how to make it work!), greenhouse needs sorting out, growhouse needs emptying, deadheading and weeding needs doing, more weeding to go in the stream (must do some today - garden waste is collected tomorrow), I have a donated water butt to fit on the greenhouse, old raised beds need topsoil (which has finally been delivered), roses need feeding and deadheading, flowerbeds need weeding, grass needs strimming and mowing. 

Inside mostly needs a good clean. The kitchen fitter came today and has measured the kitchen, so I've updated the manufacturer and hopefully we can get the queries sorted, the plan signed off and a delivery date agreed. The electrician is due at the end of this month to put the electrics in so I need to think about paint colours ready for when he is done (apparently there is a shortage of plaster, so I'm not sure what we'll do about filling...). I've also emailed the lady who made my blinds just before lockdown to ask her when she can come and fit them, as I've noticed on FB that she's back doing fittings. Hopefully I can also get her going on the next lot (sitting room and dining room need the curtains altering and some blinds making) so I keep making progress.

I've also made vast amounts of elderflower cordial (which doesn't exactly fit with my new healthy eating regime!) and my brother and I have plans for apple juice and cider-making later this year if we get a reasonable apple crop. 

I just need to get work sorted out - lots of plans and ideas, but the fatigue over the last week means I'm a bit behind. 

greenbee

The pots for my courgettes have arrived, but the plants are still tiny and I'm worried about snails, so that's my excuse for not opening the parcel and filling the pots! My last load of washing got rained on, so I may need to stick it in the dryer briefly. I've deadheaded and tied stuff up and weeded, potted on some more tomatoes, potted up foxglove seedlings in the hope that they'll survive and can be relocated, topped up a couple of raised beds and generally done pretty much everything I can to avoid tackling the greenhouse glazing. 

I was going to strim and mow part of the lawn, but the rain has put paid to that. I've got some indoor jobs to do - putting the valance on the bed in my mum's room and getting everything ready for the blinds being fitted next week, some dusting and cobweb removal, running the robots over the floors and checking my kitchen plans before going back to them with yet more queries (or possibly agreeing them).

A friend has suggested I go over and see her tomorrow as she has some plants (beetroot, rhubarb, chives) that I can have. But I think I might need to put her off - partly because I need to catch up on all my half-done jobs before making more work for myself, and partly because the car was making a funny noise last time I drove it (back from my brother's) which sounds very much like a stone in the brakes again... I hate it when the car makes noises it shouldn't. I also need to check the tyre pressures. It probably needs an outing TBH. 

Gravel trays for the greenhouse are due to arrive on Tuesday, and then I can start thinking about how I get the waterbutt set up (it will involve either digging, slabs, or both). I also need to straighten up one of the other waterbutts before it fills up again, as I'm worried that when it is full it might tip over. 

Somehow there is always something to do! But at least I'm here to do it at the moment

juliejim

You won't need your veg box at this rate!

Ellie78

Hi Greenbee.  I've just read through your diary and thought I'd pop in and say hello.   
Have you tried copper tape to keep the slugs away?   I use it around my veg pots and haven't had any slug/snail problems yet.

greenbee

@juliejim - that’s kind of the plan. Or at least to need them less! 

@Ellie78 - I’d need miles of the stuff! Hopefully it won’t be too bad as I have lots of very active thrushes and blackbirds in the garden. I’ve even seen sparrows and blue tits eating the greenfly off the roses recently, so my ‘wildlife friendly’ approach is clearly working ☺️

greenbee

This has been my first summer solstice in the country for at least 6 years. And I was away 9 years ago too. Lovely weekend with the family. 

Since I last posted I have done most of the greenhouse glazing - I just need my brother to help me with the back apex as someone needs to hold the ladder! Gravel trays have arrived and I've rearranged inside, but I now need more gravel, and a watering system. I've also planted out a couple of courgettes (and now need to fill the pots for the other two) but none of the seeds for the yellow ones have germinated ) I've sown a whole lot more radishes and lettuces, as well as chard and kohl rabi. 

My brother fixed my hand scythe and sharpened the blade (and sharpened the new one) so I've made some progress on clearing the stream, which in turn means that the compost bin is looking full. It should rot down quicker now that the weed is chopped smaller! I've also been working my way through the cardboard mountain, tearing it up small for the hotbin and large for the compost heap. Camera batteries have been replaced and recharged, and a cover put on the extra one (I found the spare cover when tidying my office!), as well as some shackles removed from vine eyes in the wall (someone removed the cable, which I'd asked them to do, but for some reason left the shackles) so all ladder-based jobs other than the greenhouse are done. Blinds in my mum's room were put up on Thursday and look great, although I'm less than impressed by how long they took to put them up and how much she charges. 

The kitchen plan has been updated and sent back. I've been through and made notes, so need to email them back, and also email the fitter. The electrician should be coming in the next couple of weeks so I need to start packing up stuff that I won't need. I may end up doing the decorating myself. Which reminds me - I haven't contacted the decorator who has been recommended to do the outside of the windows. 

I'm trying to get three annoying jobs done every day. Tomorrow this includes netting the raspberries, staking the broad beans and planting out some nicotiana alata that eventually germinated. Some of them are now big enough to go out, although others are just germinating. Payday on Friday, so hopefully there will be something available to go to savings and the mortgage!

greenbee

There was money left at the end of the month - turns out payday was yesterday not today. So £201.44 to the mortgage. £400 to savings. The savings will probably have to come out again when the credit card bill that includes the greenhouse arrives. I haven't saved a huge amount during lockdown (living expenses are up due to being at home after all!) but I have managed to cash-flow sorting out the garden. Now I just need to get on and get the kitchen done! I lost my notes, so had to go back over everything - but I have at least emailed.

My mum is currently with me - I need to drive her back home next week. Originally I'd thought that I could get the electrician to come while I am away (I'll stay one day and work from her house), but there's no way I can empty the kitchen by then as we have to get the garden sorted out so it can be left. This means getting irrigation systems set up (first one is in, main one is on it's way, and I probably need a couple more timers). In the longer term I need more/bigger water butts to support this, but I've got until August holiday to sort that out. My brother helped me finish glazing the greenhouse, and has dropped off some wood so I can make a frame to net the raspberries. I've added the last bag of topsoil to the raspberry bed to bury the seeper hose that is in it, so later today need to get out a tape measure and saw and start working out how to put it together. 

Yesterday was my first outing since before lockdown - I had to exercise the car and get fuel, so I went to homebase to pick up gravel, compost and irrigation stuff. It wasn't too traumatic (no more so that homebase usually is TBH), although I discovered that my ancient decorating dust mask was no use as the elastic has perished. My mum has made a couple (finally - she was given the stuff weeks ago) but we need wire to finish over the nose, so I've ordered some and hope they arrive soon. I have no idea why she is suddenly in such a rush, as she has no plans to go anywhere, and my brother has given her some disposable ones!

Early yoga today was hot, so I expect 9am yoga will be even hotter! I'm not sure how successful work will be in this weather either! It doesn't seem ideal for thinking. Hopefully we'll at least get some of the gardening done.