What did you do in your garden today?

[JamieB]

Apparently the method I’m trying can take years with these things. Other kinds show quicker results.

 

[Sean Regan]

Three hours ago I started with this.

I then gave it a mow and got half a grass box full off it. Mowing is quick and easy with the hard edges I have.

But a couple of times a year, I go round the border and the edging brick circles with a knife and a bucket, to cut away the grass that starts to curl over the edge of the bricks. I could do it with a strimmer, but I prefer to get down on my knees and do it. "You see more from down there." Most of the grass that comes out has some roots so I use it for patching any small holes. I can also tackle any weeds near the edge of the border.

I also re-set the stepping stones, the grass starts to creep over them too.

I bought some more solar lights yesterday, if you buy them in pairs they're only £4.50 each. The might look a bit "in your face," but my wife find the outlook from her chair relaxing, late on in the evening. The ones nearest the house are set on multi-colour, the others white.

I'll be doing a bit of painting over the week-end as it's going to be warm and dry. Just the rails of the pool pergola and the tea-house. That's all that will really need doing.

 

[Logan]

This afternoon planted a potted loganberry and did some weeding.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Free to good home: One used Corona bottle

Finally got into the garden to start it. Tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, radishes, zukini, yellow summer squash. One row left for peppers.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Looking very neat and tidy Sean. Well done.

You're off to a good start DirtMechanic; I wish our garden was as level as yours.

I've spent a dry day in the garden today; it was very cold first thing due to Gale doing her thing up the valley so I started off with a bit of digging; weeds and grass were enjoying themselves so I'll see how they now enjoy being 6" under the surface. Then I cut the grass taking ten minutes because I've turned most of it over to create a low maintenance garden; I'm planting shrubs and ground cover.

After dinner still in a very stiff breeze from Gale I set about raking lots of debris from under the laurels at the very top of the garden and have just returned from the tip having taken a full load up to dispose of; still some way to go but I'm actually winning at last and most of the hard work is now behind me. Four Hydrangeas and 24 Aubretia ordered and paid for so once these arrive I'll start filling in.

Cleavers are proving a pain this year; I've never seen as many popping up but I'm keeping well on top with hoeing. Dandelions I'm spot weeding using white spirit into their crown.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[MaryMary]

I'm spot weeding using white spirit into their crown.

White spirit?? What is that?

 

[DirtMechanic]

Mexican Beer

 

[MaryMary]

Mexican Beer

I think you are still thinking about that empty Corona bottle!!

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks for asking Mary;

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-white-spirit-2ltr/13027

White spirit is turpentine substitute used for thinning oil based paints. I don't splash it around just adding a drop into the crown or onto a leaf of a Dandelion; the method I'm using at the moment to apply the white spirit is to add white spirit into a clean jam jar then I use a short length of tubing; the tube is dipped into the white spirit and I place a finger or thumb over the open end and withdraw the tube; hopefully this brings a small quantity of white spirit out of the jar; placing the tube end with the white spirit over the crown of the Dandelion I release my finger or thumb allowing the white spirit to discharge. The jam jar should be identified as white spirit and stored away from children or pets.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flexible...Harness-Black-All-Sizes-Lengths-/221389500800

A short length of cable sleeving at around 6mm works for me; I've got lots of this sleeving to hand and it's cheap. Latex gloves can be worn but I always wash my hands after using this. This isn't my idea I think I picked it up from YouTube; vinegar also works?

I save used white spirit; if left alone for a while the paint settles to the bottom of the jar.

Our lovely neighbour Carole was amazed to see here Dandelions disappear; this is best done on a dry warm day whilst the Dandelion is growing; if I can't see the Dandelion crown due to grass then letting the white spirit run down down a leaf into the crown also works.

It costs very little indeed to give it a try.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Logan]

White spirit?? What is that?

Usually we clean paint brushes with after using gloss paint.

 

[Logan]

i save used white spirit; if left alone for a while the paint settles to the bottom of the jar.

The last time we did any painting, we could clean the brushes with hot soapy water.

 

[MaryMary]

Ok, thank you for the information! I've heard turpentine called a spirit before; my mother painted for a while. But it has been so long since, I admit, I was thinking about alcohol!!

I was really hoping you were not wasting good vodka!

 

[DirtMechanic]

I think you are still thinking about that empty Corona bottle!!

Yeppers. I need to slow my reading down to light speed.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

For many years Logan I always used best quality oil paint for exterior painting and I could guarantee the undercoat went on perfectly but as soon as the last brushful of gloss was applied Blackie joined in; even on a glorious summer's day which is rare as soon as I finished painting there would be a cloudburst ruining the paint finish.

I did lots of web browsing looking at various paints and always admired the American clapboard painted houses; surely given the size of their houses they weren't being painted every few years but their paint wasn't available over here in the UK. About two years ago I wanted to repaint the bungalow exterior woodwork once again but this time I found Benjamin Moore paint from America was now being sold in the UK; it's certainly not cheap paint costing here £75 per US gallon which is less than a UK gallon; it cost over £350 for the Benjamin Moore paint but it really is brilliant paint and hopefully long term will prove cheapest.

Our front bedroom window frame bottom has a wooden beading and this is very exposed to our extremes of weather; whatever paint I applied of whatever type it failed at this point in less than a year; the Benjamin Moore paint though still looks just as it was applied. Bron and I sat at the computer looking at American houses especially their colour choice and we selected one picture; I'm hopelessly colour blind so I emailed the details to Shaws and they colour matched for me in fact Shaw's were excellent.

I spent months on the makeover replacing cladding etc and I also removed the gutters and rainware to paint them; I don't see the point of spending a great deal of time on preparation then slapping cheap paint on; the window frames are the original softwood at over 50 years old; I look after them and they are still like new.

This Benjamin Moore paint is water clean up and even Blackie couldn't ruin it; I was extremely upset having painted then Blackie pouring down on it; please see first picture of the wet path; I feared the worst but the following day when I inspected it I was amazed no damage had been done so at last I beat Blackie; this BM paint dries very quickly.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Logan]

We've got the uvpc window frames and doors, except for the front door, that's wood. Hubby doesn't like going up ladders, so we had them. The seals have gone on some of the double glazed units, have to have them replaced sometime.

@MaryMary yes it used to be called Turps over here, but it's the same thing.