dm434 Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 dug my veg patch over , soaking wet and as the poor weather we are having it will be a few weeks afore I can plant the spuds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 Its been a brilliant day here in Aberdeenshire David...temperature still around 12 degrees and a drying wind.The drills I put up were ready dry by mid afternoon so I planted the tatties....hopefully in 10 to 12 weeks they will be ready.....i'll let you know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 I got another 2 kerbs laid today and there are five remaining........I only need 4 plus a part and I have some of the broken ones....I hope it all levels up correctly when I reach the final corner.........in theory it should but I always remember my late father saying if something was not as perfect as he would have wanted he would have said..." a blind man would be pleased to see it" 8 drills and 5 varieties of tatties planted today totalling 62 ( in comparison to circa 300 last year). The varieties include Red Duke of York Aminca...not sure of correct spelling bit a white early "Eddie Mutch" - seed I got from Eddie the next farm to my grandfathers a couple of years ago and he got them from my uncle Gordon but did not get the name White Duke of York Pink Fir Apple Still got spare seed plus King Edward and Maris Piper...but I will dig and plant my garden at Drumoak next week then offer them to some people since I hate to throw anything good out....waste not want not ...another of my mottos... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Another two kerbs in today so that just leaves 2 whole ones and a cutting. I can then leave the levelling and laying of weed control fabric and chuckies until a later date so I can get caught up with my own garden at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 15, 2014 Author Share Posted April 15, 2014 I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. Final two full kerbs in yesterday. The moment of truth when they meet will they be level Yes spot on Despite getting two broken ones and breaking one myself I did not have a broken one long enough to finished so I nipped down to Inverurie for another one since I was needing an extra couple of bags of cement for a job at Drumoak. I did have two stone cutting discs but the centres did not fit my 4 inch grinder so I marked the kerb and then ran round with a metal cutting disc..then when I burnt that one out finished with a grinding disc then a belt with the hammer and bolster and hey ho straight cut Balance of broken kerbs used as stepping stones round where the sweet peas will be in....not laid properly but thrown down and will be enough to get the completion certificate and the interim invoice raised Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 15, 2014 Author Share Posted April 15, 2014 Today the final cut 2 foot kerb in. Only a little pointing to do now and then put some smooth cement along the slope to the low mutual fence. And then the levelling and the heavy duty weed control fabric followed by the grey granite chuckies from the local quarry (I'm told) as a contrast to the pink chuckies from Kemnay Quarries around the rest of the house. I calculated we need 5 tons for the area allowing 1.5 inches deep so I ain't going five times into a quarry for five loads which would take nearly a day to do when I can get the 5 tons delivered in a 6 wheeled tipper for just less than £ 75. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Tidy up time yesterday and lift the curtain - sider covers which have suppressed weed growth over the winter. And a burn up of paper cement bags and Costco covers that were of no more use. Today started levelling out the soil but rain stopped play. Only one mound which was decanted from the smaller veggie plot to level out. There was a friend in past yesterday and he was suggesting I borrow his roller. I suppose that might be and idea to see what bits are high and what bits are low Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0025 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 at my dads we got 2 new tubs for my mint and about 1 and a half tonnes of cow muck for the garden being buisy cutting grass and mucking the garden ready for taties to go in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerrabbit Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Tilled my spuds on Monday, didn't intend tilling any as we've saved almost enough big enough for seed to fill Brothers garden next door, he tilled the spuds last year but Sunday there was a chap at the local car boot sale that had some really cracking chitted trays of seed for £2 a tray so I bought a couple of trays, one of Cara which is a second early and one of Marfona which is main crop, there were enough to plant out 5 rows in my garden which is 25 yards long. I've got a lot of mint in my garden Jack, damn stuff grows like wildfire, have to keep digging it up to stop it running all over the garden, it's found its way into one of my greenhouses and it seems to like it in there, it looks like stinging nettles from a distance, it's about a foot high. Got all my runner bean seed in pots in one greenhouse and pot planted my sweetcorn seed today, got my shallots planted in pots in the greenhouse as well, too cold to plant all these outside at present, by the time it's warm enough everything will be ready to go out into the garden, usually second week in May. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 I ordered 60 Begonia Ambassador and President plugs form Dobies but 135 arrived since they explained they had been slow to grow and although healthy they were smaller than they would have liked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm434 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 you need a bigger flower bed now Bill, or have a plant sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 The bulk of the sweet peas will be needed for around the willow screening at Kemnay and now the bulk of the back garden will soon be in chuckies I will need quite a lot of bedding plants to plant in the planters at Kemnay. I like a garden to look nice David but with the minimal amount of effort during the year so I believe in packing in as many plants as possible then less ground for the weeds to grow in David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 The seed tattie's I have left after giving away 3 boxes of King Edward and Maris Piper to a keen lot of farmers and keen gardening folk at Kemnay. Anyway in total I have 77 seed left ...Pink Fir Apple, White Duke of Yorks, Amimca, King Edward and Maris Piper... so there is no way I will be able to plant all of them....but I hate waste so I will rather give them away instead of throwing them out. I'm having a rethink about my tattie plot at Drumoak since that hedge is dead and I will have to paint or spray green...but I think I will build a small retainer wall with 4 inch blocks....and then if the hedge does die I will put up willow fencing..so me thinks I will only plant 3 drills long ways instead of sideways These Primroses which came from my grandparents farm at Newmachar really need to get a place in my front garden next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 And the greenhouse is coming on nicely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Not really much of a day for outside work with the rain today but I have come up with two levelling devices to level the ground at Kemnay prior to the weed control fabric and the chuckies. Exhibit A - well the plate and the screw in round pipe came from my neighbour next door at Drumoak when he was having one of his garage clear outs. A whirley / dryer holder but a heavy piece of metal plate so at the time I thought that might come in handy for something and if not into the next load of scrap I took it to over to Kemnay and added a brush shaft and spaced out difference with a rubber / plastic door wedge but I maybe need to make a wooden wedge... It's quite heavy and I think will be more effective than a rake to redistribute the soil. A rally friend of my late father was in past last week and he was suggesting to pull a heavy stick around the ground. In addition he said he had a roller I could borrow to finish it off. Exhibit B - Half a railway sleeper which has been sitting in my garage so I thought that's a nice heavy piece of wood. I took it over to Kemnay and nailed on two galvanised eye hooks (maybe should have screwed them on but this is just a trial prototype ) and then attached two hooks and a piece of rope and hey presto a leveller. I tried a dummy run today...but.... it flipped over ...however the hooks and the eyes helped break up the ground as well. When I tried a shorter pull on the rope the flat side stayed down ...I'm a great believer in trial and error and especially learning by mistakes The forecast is not looking so good this week but I hope I can get the levelling done tomorrow and 6 tons of grey granite chuckies ordered and get this project completed and move on to my next one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerrabbit Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Although a bit on the chilly side we had a cracking Easter long weekend down here weather wise so I put in my carrot and beetroot seed, two rows of early Onward peas and a pound of onion setts, with the five rows of spuds that's nearly half the garden tilled. Shallots, runner beans and sweetcorn is coming on in one of my greenhouses, need some nice warm weather now but the Blackthorn is in full flower at present and it never warms up until the blossom drops, what we call 'the Blackthorn winter'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Today I phoned to order 6 tons of grey granite chuckies from Breedon at Tom's Forest Quarry but was told there were no 6 wheelers available this week and I would have to be phoned back after 8 o clock by Nicola the girl on the weigh bridge. Anyway by 8.15 no call so I called and was got a price for delivery by a 8 wheeler or a 6 wheeler later on in the week. Anyway due to the price differential I said I was in no hurry and would wait for a 6 wheeler. An hour later I got a call back from her saying they could deliver 6 tons for just under £191 within the next hour before the 6 wheeler went into to the garage to get a starter motor replaced. That's what a like getting good service and within the next hour I got my delivery By that time my uncle Jim had arrived and was going to help me level the kerbed area. He was just back from 2 weeks holiday in Tunisia and he was more than happy to get some manual work to shed the extra pounds he had gained Anyway we levelled the plot with me pulling around the railway sleeper box and Jim clearing and throwing the soil on to low bits. Next we set up ramps which I used to load my MG2 on to my trailer way back in 1985.....I tend not to throw out thinking things will be of use and again these ramps were or use although not wide and with feet like mine ( Or plates of meat ) it was like walking a tightrope ......but I managed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Nearly a third over....( 14 barrow loads )...but if that was 6 tons I think there is more than 4 tons left Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 Today it drizzled away until after lunch time so I got a few jobs done at home before going over to Kemnay and getting another 10 barrow loads of chuckies laid so I'm pleased I am now half over...whether i have 3 tons in is another matter but once all the earth is covered I will easily carry in two buckets at a time and disperse any remaining chuckies...reminds me of the POW in the film "The Great Escape" and how they got rid of their tunneling soil on to their gardening compound.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Today it was dull and a little drizzle but I got another 20 barrow loads in between a morning and afternoon shift. Only 9 feet x 9 feet left but I will have enough chuckies. I could maybe have done with a ton less...but I'm sure I can disperse the balance over the area to level things up. Tomorrow isn't supposed to be a good day ...but although Sunday is better I have other fish to fry so hopefully the Kemnay Back Garden Redevelopment 2014 will be completed on Monday which according to the BBC is supposed to be a good and drier day. After that all that's to be done is raise the final invoice and expect payment within 30 days Finally another burn up but with inside the barrow to save any mess in the newly laid chuckies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 The final section today and I'm happy after 52 wheel barrow loads it is covered and weeds should not grow ....I still must have a ton or maybe a ton and a half left but "I don't care" since I ordered an extra ton to be on the safe side and I can easily barrow pails of that in and level up as and where necessary. Tomorrow looks to be a wetter one so I have other things to do so hopefully the tarmac area will be clear of grey granite chips by Monday Anyway today put in saved Tom Thumb seeds around 7 sections of the fencing and around "Drumoak Grown" Sweet peas are hardening off to be planted at Kemnay over the next week I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 Probably one of the last burn ups at Kemnay....but a couple of months ago a next door neighbour came round and shouted " Can you give us a break on the bonfire...my wife needs to put washing out" ....I was taken a back ....and did not light a bonfire...but then I thought I don't suffer fools...or idiot's and there is a nice way of approaching people to get the best out of them...so he probably has had more bonfire's each weekend than he has cared for... but hey ho....I don't like to be told ...but asked... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 A lot of weeds in the small veggie plot at the back of my garden and the dying hedge got cut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 Today I got 5 variety's of sweet peas planted and 100 in total around seven sections of the willow fencing at Kemnay. Growmore feed applied so all I need to hope is they thrive and grow well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 Got my 20 odd sweet peas planted at home today. Not the best place a North facing fence but I don't have much choice since most of the back garden is taken up with garage, greenhouse and sheds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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