What Did You Do In The Garden?

[Trish Stretton]

yep...3 hours later, I'm still waiting to hear back from the two local arborists. If I dont hear from them by tomorrow, I'll call the out of towners I used years ago.
Today was so stinking hot, all I have done is cut up some of the twigs for mulch and slice and salt the tomatoes to see if it is possible to make 'sundried' toms. One slice was a bit over ripe so i ate it.

Checked in with the local council to get my property inspected by them so they can see its fully fenced...then I get my special dog owners license, which really just means I dont have to pay so much dog registration.

 

[Zeedman]

Funny you should mention tree trimming...

The arborist who promised to take down my nuisance mulberry tree arrived today. We had met during the summer, when I showed what had to be done, and was given the quote. When I showed him that the only path into my congested back yard was through one of my vegetable gardens, he suggested that we wait until the ground was frozen, to minimize soil compaction - very thoughtful on his part. So DW & I went on a brief shopping trip today, and returned to find a shiny, brand new, bright blue boom in the back yard, and the tree already half done. Per our agreement, he trimmed off the branches, cut the trunk & larger branches into 16-18" pieces, and left everything on the ground. He even took down a wind fall that was scraping the bark off an adjacent tree... all for $500.

This is the same tree trimmer that did such a good job for DD, and was just as professional here. The only downside (both unintentional & unavoidable) was a large part of the sawdust fell in the neighbor's yard. The reason I hired a professional in the first place was that the tree was leaning too heavily over the neighbor's fence for me to take it down myself. The fence was completely untouched. With all the scammers & incompetents that seem to permeate every profession, its always nice to find a "good one".

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Well the blackberries are cleaned out and fertilized. I stapled some, trimmed some, and generally made the paths accessible. A good task for a cold day when you have on lots of layers and gloves. They are real bad jokers. Always stealing my hat.

 

[Trish Stretton]

One of the arborists didnt bother to get back to me, the other said he had a job to do my way on the 25th that would also need road management people so he'll see me then....I didnt like that, I wanted a quote, not a turn up and expect me to give him the job.
So, today, I messaged an out of town company that I know does work over here too.

Not got much done today except harvest all the ripe and almost ripe toms. Its been raining consistently since last night and alot showed early signs of splitting.

My little scales only go up to 5 pound, so alittle over 10 pound of ripe ready to cook down for passata. That was this afternoons job. I'm leaving it to cool before I put it through the mouli/sieve and reheat to jar up.
Yesterday, the Greengage tree got pruned. I made a start on the Louisa plum again- its second round, but for some reason the mosquitoes just drove me away.

My neighbour arrived at the back gate cos she was worried that she hadnt heard anything from Jack all Monday or yesterday, but had heard him nutting on Sunday night.
I told her that I had gone fishing on sunday and didnt get back til really late and then had work monday morning, so he would have been sulking in bed over that.
I showed her the 'stepping stones' that her son sliced up for me and the vegie garden cos the last time she saw that, I hadnt finished the paths.( I still have 4 beds to make and pave around but that can wait til next year).
Her baby louisa plum only grew 3 fruit so I gave her some of mine.
On her way out, she mentioned that she had pulled up more bricks and to go over to collect them, which I did.
So far it looks like there is enough to use these for the mowing strip around the rest of the back lawn as well as around the tangelo tree thats in the middle of it.
This will mean I have more driveway pavers to play with when I get to rework the parking area

The 5 foot wide middle bed needed all the old corn stalks and gone to seed carrots removed...and as my seed sowing isnt keeping up, this is getting mulched in readiness for my visit to the local plant shop.. cos nothing is big enough to plant out yet.

The council property inspector arrived and gave the back yard a pass.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Took down the fence around the old vegetable garden. It was a pain I had dig it up because there were plant roots growing all through the bottom. That area will get tilled under once I move all of the bulbs that were in the okra patch. I’ve gotten about another 20 feet done of stick fence for the spring garden. turned the compost twice. Mulched the artichoke bed again. Weeded and mulched the strawberry bed again. And mulched one of the flower beds by the house.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Forgot to add photos. A lot of our spring bulbs are coming up.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Forgot to add photos. A lot of our spring bulbs are coming up.

View attachment 39041View attachment 39043View attachment 39044View attachment 39042

This morning I noticed our daffodils are about to bloom.

I unloaded 1500 pounds of hardwood mulch and fertilizer. Glad I have a 1500 truck for that kind of nonsense. Time for couch now.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

HOA announced that for the very first time since it was formed and the neighborhood built 20 years ago, that they will be using the golf cart paths to inspect the golf course facing homes. So that triggered a quick rush to the wholesale/retail nursery.

I quick like a bunny planted a Puget Gold apricot out back. Then two larger Viburnums where the deer had broken and destroyed four chartreuse fluffy plants that I put in last fall on the south side next to the cart path. SO cleaned up the side yard next to our only neighbor. He was worried that the HOA would be getting out of their carts to walk up to our yards. Like Hell they will. I'll be furious if I get a letter....

 

[Artichoke Lover]

HOA announced that for the very first time since it was formed and the neighborhood built 20 years ago, that they will be using the golf cart paths to inspect the golf course facing homes. So that triggered a quick rush to the wholesale/retail nursery.

I quick like a bunny planted a Puget Gold apricot out back. Then two larger Viburnums where the deer had broken and destroyed four chartreuse fluffy plants that I put in last fall on the south side next to the cart path. SO cleaned up the side yard next to our only neighbor. He was worried that the HOA would be getting out of their carts to walk up to our yards. Like Hell they will. I'll be furious if I get a letter....

How much power does your HOA have? Can they legally set foot on your property? I would suggest no trespassing signs but they’d probably give you fine for that.

 

[digitS']

Something that many home owners don't understand - and I believe it is true across the country: Access to the home has to be allowed and be safe. The example often given is emergency responders. Neither punji stakes in a covered pit can be used nor an attack dog tethered on the path to the front door.

Another example is the child who cannot read the sign or a neighbor there at night to warn the owner of a fire. Property "ownership" doesn't work that way in a civil society.

Now, having said that, I would very much not want to live where there are HOA's. County zoning and building codes are difficult enough to live with ...

Steve