Third year meadow.

Beautiful Colin.

 

Wonderful work, Colin!

 

Hi,

The wildflowers are taking over even where I spread two tons of mulch.


This morning; I've just been cutting a way through parallel to the fence posts to retain access for treating the posts.


I spread the mulch hoping it would keep this top section clear but failed miserably as seen in the first picture; I had created a pathway as seen but this has disappeared beneath the wild flowers; in future rather than keep fighting nature I'll just keep access to the posts; in Autumn I'll strim the lot; pity though I did like the neatness but now it's just memory and pictures. Please note the post bottoms; I used a MAPP gas torch to burn the bottoms these going 3' deep into the ground and I also wrapped the post bottoms in shed roofing felt; they should last a lifetime; each year I treat the posts with 50/50 mix of diesel & old engine oil.

Springtime next year it will look like this again after rotavating.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Colin, the wildflowers look lovely and well done with your fence posts.

 

Hi,

Many thanks @Logan; I was at the very top of our garden this morning talking to Nigel our neighbour who lives directly from us across the adjacent lane; Nigel told me lots of people were stopping to have a really good look at the meadow and quite a few were taking pictures; what really surprised my though was that Nigel said a few were taking "Selfies" with their back to the meadow; what a lovely compliment and encouragrement to carry on with the meadow; it's nice to have all the sheer hard grafting creating it admired.

I've just been up the garden using the watering can to water recent shrubs I've put in; it's hard work just trying to walk up the garden but carrying a big heavy watering can gives a good workout; it's hot in the bungalow but as I went out in my Tee shirt I was surprised by how chilling the strong breeze is so I came back indoors to put a shirt on; it's 17C at the moment but the breeze really does drag the temperature down.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Yes it's very encouraging when people comment on how your meadow is doing and it makes you carry on with it.

 

Hi,

Many thanks Logan; I've been up this morning to check the meadows; the top one is being upset by the sun but the newly created middle meadow is still looking nice.


This top meadow looked beautiful until this rare hot weather attacked it; last year this meadow was destroyed by terrific wind and rain.
Looking down the garden;there's a pathway seperating the two meadows; the top meadow is now four years old and I use the same seed mix but for the new middle meadow I thought I'd use only British wildflower seed mix; the Britsh mix cost considerably more but apart from no grass in the mix there's very little difference; in future I'll stick with the seed mix from "Meadownania".

I spotted this in bloom whilst up the mountain; a lovely bit of colour.

The sun has bleached so much in the gardens but I'm not complaining because I'm usually banging on about how dire our climate usually is.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

That's a shame Colin, at least you have the new one to look at.

 

Hi,

I've given up on the meadows again this year and just strimmed both. The top meadow I created four years ago but the middle meadow is new this year. Just a grass pathway seperates both.


What a shame our weather messes up everything I do outside; usually we have long wet summers and quite cool which is ideal for the meadows but last year rain driven by terrific wind destroyed the top meadow and this year excess hot sunshine has destroyed both meadows. I could have waited to see if it recovers because the wildflowers are supposed to bloom up to the first frosts but it looked such a mess.

Close up; this is suposed to be covered in pretty flowers.

It looked horrible and not the result I wanted after such a great deal of hard work.

An hour spent strimming sorted it out at least it now looks as if someone lives here.

Our site is extremely steep as seen by the rooftops below. Both meadows now fully strimmed and I'm enjoying a welcome mug of tea. Next year is another year.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

It's been a while since I last posted due to being retired and extremely busy; still no let up of heavy jobs; this will be year #5 for the wildflower meadow and it's already rotavated and seeds broadcast but also this year I've rotavated our side garden and broadcast wildflower seeds; this is going to be my lovely wife's special mini meadow.

I'm currently creating a middle wildflower meadow up our mountain of a garden but it's another very very hard job; last year I felled 15 very tall trees in March after strong wind damaged one of them; I've had enough being tormented by high wind here on the valley side damaging trees so I was out with both 20" petrol chainsaws working on the steep slope with sleet at times for company; it took 14 full days to fell the trees and log them I also shredded the brash; all as usual done entirely on my own even struggling to carry all the logs down to our driveway where a neighbour was only too happy to collect loads of free firewood; sometimes by the car load sometimes in the big pickup truck; I didn't expect an offer of help after all these days people tend to be so selfish wanting something for nothing. Having the logs collected saved many trips to the tip.


Just some of the free logs; these sure were heavy to get down the garden whilst I was sliding around trying to remain upright.
Some of the trees I felled and disposed of. Our bungalow can just be seen below; the panoramic view across the valley is nice though.
The sawn trunk measured 65' all trees fell where I wanted them to fall; I measured the tree and found I could drop it diagonally up the garden into the top corner as seen; plenty of spectators as work progressed.


Fast forward one year to my current heavy work digging the big stumps out as seen here with three big stumps clumped together; these are still to get out but this morning I was up the mountain early and worked myself to a standstill having got another big stump out; it was wet and very slippery on the steep slope but I stuck at it and came indoors tired out but with a smile on my face. 7 hours of heavy rain forecast shortly so everything is normal in my world.
I'm not taking prisoners; here's one of the huge stumps I attacked a couple of days ago; I literately peeled it out of the ground; both trunks need dragging over the garden to the side where they can sit until I recover.
Peeling the stump out took a lot of ground with it; this is the stump from the 65' tall tree seen above. I'll remove as much soil as I can before dragging it out of the way; this is the usual way I do things living here; the hard way.

I should be awarded a medal the size of a dustbin lid for stupidity doing this kind of work aged 75 but I don't know any better.

Last August I was on the roof repairing subsidence damage; the rare very hot summer dried out the rear extension foundations the extension detaching itself from the main bungalow; three walls and the roof joints to repair also internal damage;


Wall damage; random stone built didn't help but it's all repaired taking two weeks of my time again working on my own;


Roof joint repaired using alternative lead.



Here's the extension to bungalow wall joint I could see right through and what a wonderful birthday prezzie it was to find as I visited the wheelie bin early morning.

The bungalow was fully insured with LV so I thought for once I can ease off; with over twenty minute queue on the phone to LV I hung up and filled in their emergency online claim and waited and waited and waited and waited; I then on the bank holiday emailed cancelling the claim suddenly LV came alive with a rapid reply asking me to confirm cancellation which I did. What a wonderful company LV are (NOT). It was going to cost us £1,000 excess because it was subsidence damage; as usual I used best materials completing the lot for around £400. We no longer have home insurance it's not worth it for us and our car insurance is due shortly with LV will they receive our renewal?

So as I say I've been a bit busy; I'm having a rest this afternoon having worked so hard this morning; retirement is brilliant of you keep busy; I'm bouncing around like a five year old kid playing with my toys it's just that my toys are a bit bigger these days.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

You have been busy Colin, just be careful.

 

Hi,

Many thanks Logan; always busy living here usually with heavy jobs. It's kind of you to be concerned; yes I'll try to be careful. .

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

I'm making slow but steady progress with the third meadow; two of six big tree stumps now out and winched down the garden to be dumped behind the garden hut out of the way; this morning I jacked a number of roots out but it's all incredibly tiring work.


These are heavy and took a lot of winching as they kept digging in not wanting to oblige but I won in the end; four more yet to go with lots of roots to get out.


It looks like we've got giant gophers loose in the garden; once the stumps and roots are out then I can make good before rotavating; it's going to take time though because I'm permanently tired but I keep at it.

This morning was frosty again but now turned into a beautiful day; time now to resume hostilities before another day slips by.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

Since last posting I've done more tree felling with yet another tree to fell weather permitting.


Another tall conifer successfully felled and disposed of; I also dug up its stump and roots; another heavy job done the hard way as usual.

The big oak in front of the hut is next to go; I was watching it being wafted around a couple of days ago in the terrific wind; it's so tall if it gets blown down the wrong way it could end up on our bungalow roof; I'm still young enough at 76 to climb to the top to secure ropes and to dispose of this tree; I dislike felling all these trees but they were all too big for our our rear garden often damaged by high wind meaning every winter I was out with the chainsaw; I've had enough of working in atrocious conditions; I'm taking control.

Here's the big oak I felled in August last year it towered over our bungalow. The pigeons caused a huge daily mess to clean every morning also the acorns and leaves were lots of trouble; it was an hard hat area on our patio whilst acorns were dropping. As seen I'm at last getting on top of our very steep rear garden; it's looking a lot neater and tidier; in a couple of months or so I hope to see the wildflowers showing interest; when these bloom they are just wonderful to behold and admired by all who see them.

Here's the big oak tree safely down being cut into logs; each 10" section was incredibly heavy to lift it being so dense; this oak was very near the bungalow posing a real danger in high wind. Now we have high wind blowing leaves from the second oak tree and again this second oak tree is now too big for it's position; I hope it's the last tree I'll ever be felling; working on our steep site is very tiring without lifting lots of logs to carry them all the way down to the driveway.

Kind regards, Col.

 

@Retired Colin, you're at it again! Not only a master of the chainsaw, but also look like a dab hand at pastry from your other post! I'm now going to have to sit down to recover on your behalf...