The weekend past there just gone

I should really write this up earlier shouldn't I ?

Weather - Saturday bright and breezy. Sunday not so bright and a wee bit of drizzle.

Stuff done:

Dug at/over/in improver to the remaining stretch of neighbour's solid border and redistributed piles of earth so that the whole border is pretty much level throwing unearthed rocks and stones in the bath as I went. Then covered the whole lot with various bits of cut up compost bags, black side up and cardboard boxes that I had saved for just the purpose. Underlay the lot with triple layers of newspaper (that was fun in the wind)and used my pile of patio bricks to weigh it all down. Thank goodness no one took me up on my offer to take them away.

Broke up all the polystyrene I had lying around into little chunks to act as drainage in the whisky/wine half barrel. In another moment of blinding inspiration, I cut a big circle of perforated clear plastic to lay over the drainage chunks and up the sides. The purpose for this was twofold. Firstly to stop all the compost mixing with the chunks (which happened last year and was a real bother when I decided to replace the compost, secondly to act as a moisture retainer. I figure it won't need watering quite so often (going to use this trick in the bath too). Then filled the barrel with a bag of JI multi-purpose. Nothing planted it in yet, but it's ready and waiting !

Retrieved two Spur shelving brackets from the OH's mum's loft and put up a shelf in the shed and did a bit of spring cleaning. I can now see the floor and laid another cardboard box carpet down. As this had a shiny printed pattern, I didn't think the worms would enjoy that particular box.

Tidied the g/h, cut off any deed looking leaves and generally cleared away any fallen leave and sowed a row of Italian Salad cut and come again leaves. The calendulars need potting up I reckon so will do that this weekend.

More washing of pots, big and small.

OH blocked in the ends of the path that runs between the garlic and strawberry beds and filled it with a strange mix of compost, leaves, more compost, topsoil. Will leave it to settle and throw in a bag of JI multi-purpose on the top. So now I have one big bed, split into 3 sections.

Dug up one of the JAs planted last weekend and moved it a couple of foot to the right. Had I read Supersprouts instructions carefully before planting, I would have known this ! :-P

Created a border under the privet hedge that runs down the side of the deck, but cutting away the lower part of the hedge and chucked in some of the spare clay from the newly cardboard boxed border. Threw in some spent compost from various pots. Will put some annuals in there. Mr Robin loved me for it and spent a long while hopping about getting bugs.

No. 1 aubergine has germinated ! Still got it in the nursery though.

Nothing yet though from Mr Stripey!

Hyacinths are now stinking out the kitchen. They really are strong and I'm not at all sure I'm all that keen on the perfume now but they do look lovely even if I've had to prop them up with a couple of chop sticks as they are so top heavy and keep toppling over!

This weekend I am definitely looking out the reinforced plastic cover of my very first g/h (that bit the dust a year ago). Going to cut appropriate panels and screw them into the frame of damaged g/h. Not sure how to fix the doors yet, or stop them disappearing down the garden again, but I'm sure we'll think of something.

KG mag dropped through the door so read most of that and in a timely fashion GYO came tonight which brings me up to date and is where I'm off to now.

Night night fellow sowers and growers. Dig well.