KonMari 2018 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Karmacat · 16 April 2018 at 5:01PM

Oh, the joining-up of bits of weeding :j:j:j

I had that today too! I've been digging up the last of the baby rhodendrons/cherry laurels, plus as much of the bramble roots as I can get - the ends of the roots may still exist in the soil, but the central bit, and the surround foot or so of root, has gone.

This little area, underneath combined witch hazel/ rhodendron trees, links to the paved area where my horizontal branches have been lurking - yesterday I got some more bent and prepped to be the start of the next incinerator bonfire.

And at the back of this little area is the stuff I cleared last year, a privet hedge that ended up overhanging the boundary by about four feet. I've clipped that back to the boundary too.

I've also sawn back a couple of very low rhodie branches.

The result of all this is that the soil on that side of the garden will now often be exposed to sunlight :j:j:j and it will grow stuff :j:j:j and future gardening, after a few more passes of the gardening fork, will simply be hoeing :j:j:j

Victory is mine

GreyQueen · 16 April 2018 at 5:07PM

:T Well done, Karmakat!

Just a word to the wise about the brambles; for the first year post-digging, there are likely to be suckers coming up.

When I cleared the mahoosive bramble patch from a lottie I shared before getting Plot1 (8 feet tall, about 6 x 5 yards, 10+ years in the making and absolutely solid) I was very particular.

I dug down into the subsoil to get the gnarled root stocks out. I traced the side roots and pulled them out (landing on my arris a few times when they suddenly gave way, too). Then, I forked and forked and forked through the soil, removing every tiny fragment which might be a bramble root.

I'd've sworn an oath on my life I'd got the lot but, once I'd sown spuds there, bramble suckers came up like cress. I was literally walking up and down the rows at least once a week, sometimes twice, pulling them out. By the end of that year, they stopped coming, but it was an experience, so don't be surprised if you haven't quite won the battle yet.:rotfl:

Righty, pooter going off as it'll be too late for me to be online once I'm back from the lotties at sundown. I go to fight the good fight in the lovely sunshine, can't wait.

Have a good evening, lovely peeps. GQ xx

Karmacat · 16 April 2018 at 5:18PM

GreyQueen wrote: »

:T Well done, Karmakat!

Thanks GQ!

Just a word to the wise about the brambles; for the first year post-digging, there are likely to be suckers coming up.

Ah, now that makes sense of what's happening at the other end of the garden - exactly what you describe is happening. I spent about 5 minutes today, at the end of the main digging session, checking what was going on, and that summarises it absolutely. There's no big root underneath the greenery, just a tiny little thing. So its definitely "keep going, don't let it grow back" sort of thing. Thats good enough for now

Righty, pooter going off as it'll be too late for me to be online once I'm back from the lotties at sundown. I go to fight the good fight in the lovely sunshine, can't wait.

Have a good evening, lovely peeps. GQ xx

You too, GQ - hope it all goes well, and thanks for the input, much appreciated.

silvasava · 16 April 2018 at 7:29PM

Dry and fairly bright here today so DH got out in the garden to finish work on the timber over the patio. Part of it was rotten ( sawn ready for the wood burner) and he's replaced it but with a simpler structure. I finally planted 2 bags of Gladioli in the front garden and did some weeding then I had a clean and tidy up in the greenhouse ready for when the tomatoes and cucumbers go in. I found a packet of Sulphate of Potash with just a little bit left so I sprinkled it round the strawberries. I'd planted some perpetual spinach seeds a few weeks ago but nothing has appeared so I've sown another lot in a tray in the greenhouse & hope something germinates!
I've repurposed my old breadbin to hold various packets of garden stuff in the greenhouse so the snails don't get to eat the paper! Found a red spider and a big black one - wished them good afternoon and let them scuttle away to find another corner!

WeeMidgie · 17 April 2018 at 7:09AM

Great Idea with the breadbin, silvasava. More power to your muscles, GQ and KC. I love reading your weed/random rubbish kondoing tales, keep em coming

The single bed with drawers and "oak" headboard has been delivered, and it's ace. It needs a bit of renovation - headboard sanded down and painted, and the divan base and mattress thoroughly vacuumed. And then I'll test out the whole ensemble.

The drawers are fab, a good size, solid wood and on good runners. The bed would have gone to landfill if I hadn't taken it, I was the only enquirer after 3 weeks of advertising on Gumtree. Even if I end up buying a new mattress, I'll still have done well.

Any furniture I don't need when I move is going to the local furniture recycling initiative. I could Gumtree it, but will gain much more satisfaction from supporting local jobs at a local charity.

WeeMidgie · 17 April 2018 at 8:23AM

Just done a micro Kondo... the blind in my sitting room window had a long loop of pull cord, like a string of mini beads. I found the join, and shortened the loop, to above the reach of a wee bairn. Not that I have any visiting toddlers, but whoever lives here after me may do.

And the cut off section? The cat loves it, and has a new toy

wort · 17 April 2018 at 8:26AM

Good idea silva, Money Don suggested similar on tv, plastic tub with a silica gel sachet, to keep out damp, he said to keep in fridge if you have room!,
Wee midgie, that sounds like you did well with the bed. I'm sure it will look fab re painted.,

[Deleted User] · 17 April 2018 at 8:50AM

Three years ago I almost kondoed excess powdered lime render, it is only supposed to last a year, absorbs water from the air. Well this OSer wrapped once in portions, in zip locks and wrapped again in zip locks and put them into a really useful box. I had a house rendering job to do, low enough and I thought that if hubby could do it, well so could I. It has worked fantastically. I noticed a bit of wintered render come off a garden wall, high up from the house, tiered garden, so was in plain sight. Yipee, powdered render is still good. Like icing a cake but over an adhesive and will dry nicely over the next few days. Then I will be painting all the garden walls, of course I can do it, cheap roller and tray and masking tape. Paint ordered, costs £41 in all, I did another whole wall last year and the paint is brilliant, johnsons stormshield, they will mix the colours

Back to kondo and the two window sprays are going, they always leave streaks. I just did all the outside house windows with professional stuff and it only took me slightly longer than a window cleaner, I use proper traditional fluffy sleeves, very large width on the wider windows and a wide squeegee, It takes only 2 passes with the squeegee and all the windows are sparkling, no rubbing or wiping, apart from wiping the sqeegee. I even have the proper long bucket and the magic liquid is called unger. 40ml in 4 litres

Slinky · 17 April 2018 at 9:13AM

Thanks for that kittie, I've just passed that product name onto OH. We have a window cleaner for the external windows, but OH does the inside. Last time he did it we ended up with limescale spots, don't know why.

silvasava · 17 April 2018 at 9:25AM

I clean mine like the old style window cleaners used to - use a squirt of washing up liquid in hot water for the inside windows. Wipe over with soft cloth and then scrape with rubber squeegee - no streaks, smears or spots! I've got two different sizes of squeegee as some of my top openers are small. I use the same method for my mirrors and a couple of cabinets that have got glass doors. Window cleaner does the outside though

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KonMari 2018 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

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