2024 - What I did today

My new greenhouse/cold frame arrived today piece-part. Ground is still in permafrost outdoors so the parcels are indoors waiting to be put togethert/erected when weather permits.

Had to do some emergency blocking up of a hole in the fence into next door's garden. Dear little Spud has been taking himself walk-about again. Problem is that from next door's garden he can go into the fields and from there, onto the road. I've lost count of the times I've tried to block up this bit of fence. Its at a point where the ground drops down into next door and also down into the middle bit of my garden - its an old hedge bank. Spud burrows under the fence and I could see where he'd been through. I've piled logs and rocks over the hole and woven branches from the nearby bay tree through the wire mesh to fill the gaps. Let's see how long it takes him to work his way through this lot!
I was a bit secateur happy at this point so I continued snipping away at elder, brambles, raspberry canes, apple tree, hydrangea, in fact anything that was within easy reach.
Noticed lots of bluebell leaves and daffodils. New shoots on a rose bush too. There may be ice on the water but the plants know that spring is on its way.

Finished off clearing the overgrown asparagus bed of most of the nettles couch, bramble and saplings. Will use for early potatoes there this year to help clear what I've missed.

Put new handle on my spade.

Yesterday I took the parts for my new greenhouse/cold frame out of the box ,shook my head and thought "Nah, I'll wait until I am in 'Jigsaw mode' before attempting to put it together.

Today I got the basic frame of my greenhouse/coldframe lashed together. With an acute case of lack of patience I was ready for kicking it at one time. Still lots of shelving to sort out and the glass to go in. I am not planning on venturing outdoors with it in this weather,so it now has pride of place in my living room!

Moved some sawn up tree (a grand fir that once was a Christmas tree) cut down in early summer into a shed. It is in big rounds that will need chopping up next year (2025) for burning may be 2026. Some were exceedingly heavy which I hope are a lot lighter when they are dry. It amazes me that birds seem to sense when food may be about. While I was moving them a little wren was flitting about looking for disturbed wildlife. I don't know if it was all the woodlice I uncovered or other stuff. every time I approached the pile it hopped into the hedge and was back out again when I went away.
Potted up 2 silver birch that had been growing between some paving slabs which will hopefully survive.

Repaired some trellis that had been battered in the recent storms.
Sowed peppers and an aubergine.
Made my final selection of tomato seeds.
Ordered various seeds online I was out of - yes, I actually ran out of some seeds!

Topped up the compost bins with shredded paper and chopped up vegetable matter, added straw to the wormeries. Weeded the patch where I grew some mangetout and squash last year so that's ready to be planted - probably mangetout again on the wire netting.
Gathered and snapped the twigs that had blown off the trees in the last couple of days. I snap them onto the paths - my version of snap and drop.
Raked out more couch grass into heaps and turned the existing heaps of dead grass (hope its dead anyway!).
Quite a busy day although not much to show for it. It was so nice to be outside, without rain and wind to annoy me.

Decided to move my fruit/bushes from individual pallet collar beds to one of the 3 x 1.5 mtr beds.

Today was phase 1, moved 2 rhubarb.