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

greenbee

Not much gardening done this weekend due to the wind - I managed to work out how to remove the cylinders from the autovents in the roof and lock the vents down. And then mostly stayed in the greenhouse and sowed seeds. My compost and topsoil delivery has been delayed, but luckily the weather meant it didn't matter - hopefully I'll get an update on Monday as I really want to get the remaining beds built and the soft fruit in. 

I've been advised to net everything against pigeons, but this wind would just mean that any cage with any height would blow off and potentially cause more damage. So I need to have a think about how best to deter them. 

I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed by how much stuff I'm going to need to pack up/move/rearrange/store to get the next round of work done, but I have about 6 weeks to get it done. I think I'll need to give the garage a clearout soon to make space for it all. I'm hoping the studio carpet will be done soon so that I can get the bookshelves in as that will solve a lot of problems too. I just need to get going on the packing up and do little and often. Getting some books off to WBB and cleaning up some old ipads and a laptop to sell would help too - as would returning all my old work kit!

Next priority though needs to be getting the cat flap fitted. The cats can use the dog flap, but as one of them encountered another cat earlier today (and had the sense to run home, through the dog flap, and then through the cat flap in the utility room into the kitchen) I want to make sure that they can get into the house but no one can follow them. 

greenbee

Finally looked at the solar quote and it's not too bad. I just have a few things to check.

Called a builder, who will get his son to call back and arrange to come round and look - but thinks they can do what I need (including replacing the dog flap with a cat flap). So hopefully I can get that booked in soon. 

Compost and topsoil delivery finally turned up today, but the driver decided to try to reverse in and got stuck in the ditch. I keep booking deliveries for when someone is here to help and they keep not turning up when booked, so I need to find an alternative supplier. No more communication from either the delivery firm or the supplier which is frustrating. 

RosaBernicia

Hopefully the cats will help with deterring the pigeons?

greenbee

RosaBernicia said:

Hopefully the cats will help with deterring the pigeons?

Maybe when they’re a bit bigger!

greenbee

Builder is coming round tomorrow, so I need to check my list - I think it consists of:

1. Remove dog flap and install catflap (most urgent - I want the cats to be able to get in and out when I want them to, and not at risk of being followed home by a bigger, scarier cat (of which there are plenty round here).
2. Block up stupid extra door from sitting room to kitchen which should have been done by the previous owners when they added the garden room off the sitting room and knocked through to the kitchen...
3. Lintel for old, unused chimney in garage room (currently on gallows brackets)
4. Top up loft insulation in main roof and fit new draught-proof loft hatch when everyone has stopped doing stuff up there
5. Re-insulate garage/utility loft once woodworm treatment has been done. 

Studio carpet is being fitted next Tuesday (same day as the woodworm survey), and I will ask for samples to look at for the spare room carpet as I need to book that for the end of August once the electrics, plumbing, and decorating have been done! I won't know whether the bathroom floor will need redoing until the electricians have decided whether they need to lift it. I should know dates for booking the sitting room decoration and flooring once the builder has been and quoted.

I do need to reply to the plumbers, and then sit down and have a good long look at the solar quotes as they're complicated (and very different).

I've ordered a couple more roller blinds, which are due at the end of the month. If I can decide on a colour scheme for the horrible, stupidly large ensuite to the old master bedroom I can order roman blinds for that, and then I'm done as far as window treatments are concerned until I have decided on what to do about the sitting room. 

A neighbour who does groundwork came over last week to look at a couple of small jobs (he's a talker, likes gossip and very nosy - which works to my advantage as it meant he was keen to do the job) despite living in the village for years, he'd never even been up the drive (I don't think the previous owners socialised much in the village - not that I do either at the moment). He appeared at 9am on Saturday and spend the morning removing the posts from the dog pen which I couldn't get out. And he then spent Tuesday in all that wind and rain breaking up a 6ft square concrete base from an old patio and carting it to the gap between two hedges at the back of the garden. It's all neatly stacked so I can use the bricks, flags, and rubble if needed. Two annoying jobs done quickly.

I have used ALL the old compost, swapped a couple of compost bins over and next need to turn the new compost into the big compost bin. The hotbin has been working well - so some of the new stuff may go in there as I need to keep it topped up. I've also used 3 bulk bags of topsoil, one and a bit bags of commercial compost, and almost all my neighbours' donated topsoil, plus a lot of the bark chip on paths. I still have more beds to build but need to plant the autumn raspberries, strawberries and move a whole lot of crocuses and iris sibirica before I do the second (6m) raspberry bed as well as sorting out the gooseberry, blackcurrant and rhubarb x3. 

The seeds in the greenhouse are all getting going, so a lot of pricking out/potting on is also on the cards. It's going to be a busy weekend!

Watty1

My goodness I am exhausted reading that lot!    It does sound like progress though.

greenbee

I’m tired having done it!

Sadly the builder didn’t turn up so I will have to chase on Monday. Also keep forgetting to email about the adjustment needed to the dining room table as that’s been rescheduled and I’m struggling to find a time to fit it in. 

Family friends coming over today, so tidying will happen shortly. Just as soon as I’ve recovered from cleaning up after a cat with an upset tummy… washing the litter tray is bad enough. Washing paws is the worst bit, but I did manage it without getting scratched this time.

Lodgers in the roof are also driving me nuts so need to get a local pest control recommendation. Pretty sure they are birds, but don’t want them whatever they are. 

I planted autumn rasps and strawberries yesterday. And have been unsubscribing from a lot of email mailing lists too. 

Houseplants need some TLC after the few hot days we had. And I’d like to get the rest of the fruit bushes planted this weekend which means moving crocus (if I can dig them up!) and iris sibirica (heeled in). And if possible I’ll divide some geraniums and spread them about a bit. 

I guess I’d better get going if I’m going to be ready for visitors. If it’s too wet for gardening today the options will be lying around reading, or sorting out the sitting room, workshop, garage, spare room etc ready for packing up properly for the electricians. 

badmemory

Lying around reading sounds like a plan to me.

greenbee

I did get out in the garden earlier (had to have a trip to the poo bin, empty the recycling and take the food waste to the hotbin), so managed to turn the compost from the full bin into an empty one. Friends then arrived, so not much done since - there's some washing in the machine which will have to go in the dryer, and lot more washing to do over the weekend.

My mum and I are meeting at the local plant nursery tomorrow, and then she'll come back here to help me with some stuff in the garden. 

It's bitterly cold outside, but I'm going to change into gardening clothes and see whether I can get a bit more done outside before resorting to lying on the sofa!

One of the nice things about these friends coming over is that they were staying with my mum just after I moved in, and so saw the place then, so can see how much has changed. They were also the source of the approx 100-year-old oriental carpet that is currently on the garden room floor. It came from her parents, through them, to my parents, then me - and will end it's life as a fitted carpet in my studio, where it is being installed on Tuesday. (I must de-cat hair it on Tuesday morning!). 

greenbee

Nursery visit ended up with purchases (unsurprisingly), so three magnolias and two buddleias need planting later this week.

iris sibirica has been moved, and an ornamental grass given to me by a neighbour. I also planted the irises and dahlias she gave me and started dividing the geranium clump she also donated. So I now have something other than shrubs and bare ground near the house on the east side of the garden. It’ll need digging up and moving again in the autumn as it really needs a shrub or two at the back of the bed, but it’ll do for now. I also dug up two more paving slabs… and at some point need to mark up where the new edge of the bed should be so I can focus on planting up a specific bit of the garden and just weed/mulch the rest. 

Big raspberry bed is about half done, and I’m hoping to get it finished today or tomorrow depending on how busy work is.