What does your garden look like ... Today?

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Oh wow! I was sitting on my tailgate having a beer but your pic has me enthralled!

Thanks its a little cold over here to be sat out at the moment, this item in my garden was from your side of the pond and popular a few years ago ive just spent a year in my spare time resorting it.
50198
 
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I wasn't going to do much today other than mix up a bit of soil and grass seed and apply it on a couple of small patches on the edge of the lawn.
As it was sunny, I thought I'd give the tea-house a bit of a wash down. But before I started I checked the bottoms of the "skirts" around the base of the building for any sign of rot. Unfortunately I found a bit where it was just starting to go. So I cut a 1/2" bit off part of the bottom with my jigsaw. As the bottom of the skirt is about three inches above the path it wan't difficult. Then I treated it with some Cuprinol and glued a new bit of wood in the gap I'd cut out.
It's jammed up hard against the skirt and wedged with "stuff" to keep it in place for a couple of days. I've also spread some wood filler over the join which would otherwise be noticeable, to be rubbed down on Tuesday. I also sanded the rest of the skirt, ready for a coat or two of Dulux Mahogany Woodsheen, when the repair is complete.

50199


I checked the other skirts, but they were fine. It's this one that is the "weather side" that was affected. But I gave the undersides of the others a coat of Cuprinol, as a precautionary measure.

Despite it being built of softwood in 1987, it's still wearing well.

I'm always concerned about these plywood panels I made freehand with a jigsaw, as plywood out in the weather can start to delaminate, but these are fine.
The whole frame of the building is only screwed together, though the side panels are glued and screwed. There's 1" dowl plugs inserted over the recessed screws to give the appearance of wooden "pinjoints." Being only screwed together, allows for a bit of flexibilty, when there's changes in temperature. Although it's still "rock solid."

50200


The windows which are also on the weather side, are still perfect. They are just one sheet of opaque plastic (recycled suspended ceiling panels) with applied bits of hardwood. I risked cutting those to a more rectangular size with my jigsaw, the stuff's quite brittle and could have shattered. The "frames" are recycled hardwood slats from one of those self assembly garden benches which were popular at the time. There's a gutter and downpipe on the back of the roof to stop rainwater running off onto the back fence.


50202


I'm even more impressed with the doors made of "2 X 1" softwood. They are still in perfect condition. I got a woodyard to cut all the pieces to size. Sawing a groove down the inside of some bits and down both of others to take the plastic panels. Then all I had to do was make them up like a DIY kit. Fortunately three of the opaque plastic windows in a row in their frames, were near as dammit the correct width to fit the building without me having to cut them. More applied strips of hardwood to form the individual panes. I made small plywood panels for the bottom of each door. Windows that size would have looked silly.

50201



I made this opaque plastic window for the side of the verandah, just to stop cats that get into the garden, using the rail on that side to jump up onto and over the fence. I knew it wouldn't stop them completely, but I wasn't going to make it easy for them.

50203


The right-hand side of building is quite boring. No point putting matching windows in there as no one would see them and being so close to the fence wouldn't let much light in.

50204


The back of the building is even more boring.



[/QUOTE]
 
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I wasn't going to do much today other than mix up a bit of soil and grass seed and apply it on a couple of small patches on the edge of the lawn.
As it was sunny, I thought I'd give the tea-house a bit of a wash down. But before I started I checked the bottoms of the "skirts" around the base of the building for any sign of rot. Unfortunately I found a bit where it was just starting to go. So I cut a 1/2" bit off part of the bottom with my jigsaw. As the bottom of the skirt is about three inches above the path it wan't difficult. Then I treated it with some Cuprinol and glued a new bit of wood in the gap I'd cut out.
It's jammed up hard against the skirt and wedged with "stuff" to keep it in place for a couple of days. I've also spread some wood filler over the join which would otherwise be noticeable, to be rubbed down on Tuesday. I also sanded the rest of the skirt, ready for a coat or two of Dulux Mahogany Woodsheen, when the repair is complete.

View attachment 50199

I checked the other skirts, but they were fine. It's this one that is the "weather side" that was affected. But I gave the undersides of the others a coat of Cuprinol, as a precautionary measure.

Despite it being built of softwood in 1987, it's still wearing well.

I'm always concerned about these plywood panels I made freehand with a jigsaw, as plywood out in the weather can start to delaminate, but these are fine.
The whole frame of the building is only screwed together, though the side panels are glued and screwed. There's 1" dowl plugs inserted over the recessed screws to give the appearance of wooden "pinjoints." Being only screwed together, allows for a bit of flexibilty, when there's changes in temperature. Although it's still "rock solid."

View attachment 50200

The windows which are also on the weather side, are still perfect. They are just one sheet of opaque plastic (recycled suspended ceiling panels) with applied bits of hardwood. I risked cutting those to a more rectangular size with my jigsaw, the stuff's quite brittle and could have shattered. The "frames" are recycled hardwood slats from one of those self assembly garden benches which were popular at the time. There's a gutter and downpipe on the back of the roof to stop rainwater running off onto the back fence.


View attachment 50202

I'm even more impressed with the doors made of "2 X 1" softwood. They are still in perfect condition. I got a woodyard to cut all the pieces to size. Sawing a groove down the inside of some bits and down both of others to take the plastic panels. Then all I had to do was make them up like a DIY kit. Fortunately three of the opaque plastic windows in a row in their frames, were near as dammit the correct width to fit the building without me having to cut them. More applied strips of hardwood to form the individual panes. I made small plywood panels for the bottom of each door. Windows that size would have looked silly.

View attachment 50201


I made this opaque plastic window for the side of the verandah, just to stop cats that get into the garden, using the rail on that side to jump up onto and over the fence. I knew it wouldn't stop them completely, but I wasn't going to make it easy for them.

View attachment 50203

The right-hand side of building is quite boring. No point putting matching windows in there as no one would see them and being so close to the fence wouldn't let much light in.

View attachment 50204

The back of the building is even more boring.
[/QUOTE]

That is amazing structure! Becky announced that She would be in charge of the garden this year so that I would have time to perform a variety of trim and other construction details without distraction! She is obviously concerned with me becoming overtaxed! I will see about some before and after pictures as I go along, but they will never approach the artistic beauty of what you have shown us in those few pictures!
 
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Its a Paraclipse popular a few years ago over your way.
Sat channels I assume? I tried satellite, but our high wind comes in such a manner that at the same time the tornado arrives, the sat signal goes away because of water in the clouds. It only lasted one tornado season.
 

JBtheExplorer

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After two months in the fridge, I pulled out my native plant seeds a few days ago. After a few short days, many are already growing! Always fun seeing them progress from tiny seedlings to blooming plants. A few species will bloom as early as this summer, but most will take another year. It's a great feeling knowing they'll all be used to help local wildlife.

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I did a bit today.

Just the one job, potted out the nine new polianthes tuberosa bulbs in three plastic pots.
I like to use these saucers, upturned until it gets into the summer, then right way up to retain a bit of water.

50721


With the pot movers, I drill a hole in the cente to let water out in the winter. Then cover it with a dab of silicone for the summer, to retain some water. It gets very hot on our patio as it's south facing and the York stone absorbs and reflects a lot of heat.
 

JBtheExplorer

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No garden photos yet, but the snow is melting fast. Won't be long now before some of the early growers start popping up.

I have plenty of greenery indoors. Quite a few native seedlings are growing.
IMG_8571 copy.jpg




Today, I picked up dill seeds. I'll be growing them entirely in hopes of attracting Black Swallowtail butterflies.
IMG_8570 copy.jpg
 
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Dried out enough so I can do some more leaf raking. At least 2 hours of it would be good.

been looking at seeds for my ordering selection, toying with the list etc. I always order more than I should. And have tons of Moon Flower seeds from last years vines to deal with also.
 

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