Wednesday 11 April 2012

The First Two Work's Out Of The Year!

I think I have mention a while back, about how I wanted to do some think with the top end of the garden. But did not know what to do...

About 6months ago I first noticed the bench at the top end. That has the Flax, Horse Chestnut and Pyracanthaon on, had broke. But at the time the bench was not that bad, until I checked on the 20th February. To find the whole thing had broken in half. The old pots and tubs that was underneath was the only things keeping it up.

So on Sunday 26th February, I went outside at 10:30am til 5:30pm with one or two tea breaks.. I started off with moving the Rhododendron over to the other side of the garden. Then lifting the New Zealand Flax and dragged it to be next to the Rhododendron. Once I had moved the Horse Chestnut and the Pyracanthaon.  Then I turn round and thought I was in the middle of the jungle lol!  After having my first cuppa tea, I then went and tackle the old wooden handmade bench, that a friend made over 15years ago.  I was kind of sad to see it go. But it had to go because it had rotted, split, whatever you want to call it. Anyway I carefully moved the bench, which fell apart as I moved it. I then sorted some of the pots and tubs out that was underneath. I had a bit of a shock I found out where the snails use to go and die, in the tubs..
 RIP the eight snails I found!

After washing the four tubs out and cleaning the area. I placed three of the green tubs upside down on the floor and one on top of two of them. Then it was time to start moving the plants back.  I had fun lifting the Flax and the Pyracanthaon up but I got there in the end.. At the moment the Horse chestnut is sitting on the floor.


Then.

Now
(I know it dosen't look much now. But it will look much better later on in the year, has I have not finished in this area yet.)
It was time for another cuppa tea and a nice salad sandwich. Then back outside to tackle the next bit. Which was the Yellow Cape Fuchsia(phygelius aequalis)  or commonly known as Moonraker.  I think I have mention before on how I want to pot up the moonraker. But need to find a pot bigger enough, Well I ended up scrapping that idea. I decided on the cruel to be kind thing again.

The Moonraker is in the Then picture above the red small pot and the brown one underneath that the roots have gone thorough to the other pot. 

After finding my Grand-dads old spade, I layed the Moonraker(phygelius aequalis) down on the floor. Then I tryed to get the spade thorough between the two pots. But I did not succeed and I do not have a saw. So I went indoors to ask my mum very nicely could I borrow some think sharp. She gave me one of the old knives from the kitchen that I have used before in the garden. Once I had sawed my way thorough between the to pots. I had to brake the red pot and take the soil out of the other one. Then I re-potted up the (phygelius aequalis) Moonraker in the brown pot.

The picture below is how it looks now.


Also I needed to sort out the green tub that had the mass of roses in. But that can wait another day!

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Well actually I could not waited til I did some more outside. So on the 1st of March I went out to attack the tub with the roses in and out came grand-dads spade again.

I drag the tub out from where it was sitting and tipped it on its side.  Once the tub was on it side I then pushed the spade in at the top end and pulled the block of rose roots and soil out.  Once the block was out of the tub, it was time to spit the block of soil up.  I got half way thorough sorting the soil out. 

When my mum called me in. She had made an lettuce sandwich and a cuppa tea. So while enjoying my sandwich and my cuppa tea it was time for my fave afternoon show The Alan Titchmarsh Show . I love the show only because of Mr T or Titchmarsh, has I grew up watching Alan on Gardeners World and later on Ground force.

Once Alan's show had finished, off I went back outside to finish off sorting out the roses. I found out that two of them had died and the other one was just about suriving. The rose was flooded so I popped it in a pot and then sorted the last of the soil out. Sorting the soil out did not take me long, so I thought I better had sorted out the rubbish (like old brench) that needed to go to the trip. I knew my brother was planning to go in the next few days.