2021 - What I did today

Shovelling more homemade compost into buckets & tubs ready for bulb planting .
Potted up my new rose.

Did some path raking to warm up.

I have been taking cuttings from my tomatoes. I have been reading about tomatoes actually being semi-perennial if you can get them to overwinter. My plants are all looking a bit ragged now, but there were some lovely healthy-looking side shoots so I decided to try and at least save those. I've taken lots of the Rosy-Finch ones as cuttings - most of them have gone into compost, but I've put three into water in a jar. Hopefully, at least some of them will root. I also have one Rosy-Finch plant that I cut right down a few weeks ago that is already regrowing from a side shoot that I don't remember being there so that one is already looking good. I'll try to get some cuttings of the other varieties too, but I still have a tiny number of tomatoes ripening on the other plants so I'll leave them alone for now.

Yesterday I removed the insect netting from the leeks as the allium leaf miner should be between cycles and hopefully the cold wet weather did for any still around. It was really weedy under the mesh; I think the last lot of grass clippings that I mulched them with back in September my have had seed heads! So I also weeded. Hopefully the birds will have a good feed on any bugs that have been enjoying the shelter!

Today dashed around, sowed thee more rows of broad beans as the soil is still warm.
Planted some bulbs a friend gave me for feeding her dog.
Prepared my garlic patch - dug out the mole runs and cleared the weeds. I will plant on or around the 21st December and with a lot of wet weather forcast I've covered the bed to give it a chance to dry out a bit.  We've only had drought or deluge this year, so am going to have to plan for more of the same.

Now doing some plannng

I have covered some of the new veg bed with poly tunnels to hopefully heat the soil up a bit, then I will plant some onion sets, just to see if it works

I watched the rain coming down most of the day. the ground is now thoroughly saturated and likely to remain so till things start growing in the spring. The rain stopped about 3pm when we went for a short walk along the lane. Inspected a trellis that collapsed in the winds and just needs a couple of posts knocking it to nail it back up to.

Failed to exchange - my vendor's solicitor is away... Trying again on Friday!

Collective fingers crossed for Friday, Pros.

Made a start on putting up the cheap blowaway green house inside the tunnel. What a jigsaw puzzle!!!

Plan today was to dig out the wood I had stashed waiting to be processed (i.e. sawn up) and fire up chainsaw to get it cut.

After digging wood out and sorting it I realised I had loads that just needed some axe work on it (i.e. splitting)

To this end I got my little axe out and chopped up the softwood and got my big axe out and split the heavier sections. By the time I had finished that I had aboout three barrow loads of logs so decided not to bother with the chainsaw today.
With it being so close to Christmas demand for logs will be high so at least I have cleared another storage area and really need to order another load even though I probably have enough to see me through to Christmas.
Luckily the government have given me 200 squid towards my heating so that should easily pay for my next load of logs which are usually £190!

I am not using the central heating at all and feel good about not using overpriced fossil fuel based gas or electric. I suppose there is the pollution aspect, but with moden designed energy efficient stoves and only burning seasoned wood,  my mind is at peace.