Are gardeners ever happy with the weather?!

[charlie]

Today I moaned at breakfast about the drizzle, I was gently reminded that I had also moaned yesterday about trying to cut back and shed in intermittent drizzle yet only 2 days ago it had been dry but I was moaning about the ground being frozen preventing any outdoor work. While the good lady was on the subject she also pointed out I had even moaned last summer when it was too dry for planting!

Its not that I object to the weather per say just that the weather gods never check with me what it is that I am hoping to get done :)

[Paul S]

It's what we do best in this country. Moan about the weather.
I'm happy if I can get out and fill my green waste wheelies every week. Gotta get my monies' worth! :lol:

[charlie]

It's what we do best in this country. Moan about the weather.
I'm happy if I can get out and fill my green waste wheelies every week. Gotta get my monies' worth! :lol:

I suppose thats the down side of gravel/stony beds? you cant like me just shred it all and dump it back on the garden, never had to export garden waste all gets either shredded/composted/ or occasionally burnt (bindweed roots etc)

[Paul S]

The gravel beds do present problems when it comes to feeding, actually, but I have only got them for about 1/4 of the growing areas. The rest I mulch. My main problem with shredders - and anything else really - is that I'm massively impatient. The first and only time I bought a shredder I started to feed in tiny little twigs as per instructions but soon got fed up and tried forcing things into it that were far too big. The whole thing used to overheat, at best, but usually jam solid right up until it was a branch too far and it conked out terminally. Unless I bought one of those industrial grade jobs that tree surgeons use I would always be the same. All things considered it is easier for me to dispose of my green waste then buy it back once it has been composted :) I get 4 or 5 tonnes every other year and mulch with that. Not to mention the associated noise of shredding, of course, which I find particularly grating. Them and leaf blowers... don't get me started on leaf blowers!!

:D

[charlie]

Know what you mean about noisy garden kit, but whilst we started with one of the noisy liquidiser sort of shredders like you it drove us nuts with jamming and as you say was very noisy, so when it died we got one of the rotating drum types (Bosch 2200) they dont make much noise and reverse them selves if overloaded. Ours copes with branches up to 2" diameter and once you give it an end you can leave it to fetch the next bit as it feeds in by itself. But your method should give better composted results I would think as we just chuck the stuff straight from the shredder back onto the ground and dont bother with the compost heap!

If you ever start a petition to ban leaf blowers count me in!!

[Paul S]

Never saw a problem with a leaf rake, myself. Does a better job, too. #grumpyoldgit

[charlie]

We have as you know been going to Madeira every year now since 2000, at the hotel we normally stay at they have a team that looks after the gardens which includes a little old lady who looks like a much loved granny! she was armed with one of those long handled dustpan and brushes and kept all the hard paved surfaces free from leaves etc (which also stops them blowing into the pools) 2019 - the last year we could stay there she had been replaced with a young chap with a leaf blower. I mean what were they thinking? sitting by the pool in the sun and some lunatic decides to start up a petrol driven leaf blower - words were said! not sure whether we (the guests ) won the argument.
(I did notice that "Granny" still works there elsewhere in the garden) Not sure what we will find on our return, young Michael who now works for Mr Pestana next door and says the complex is completely abandoned no garden maintenance at all

[Paul S]

No maintenance! That is going to be overgrown so quickly in that climate. Especially with the density of planting there.

[Paul S]

How does the time share thing work out cost wise if you can't go - do they suspend it?

[charlie]

How does the time share thing work out cost wise if you can't go - do they suspend it?

No you have to pay the annual "Maintenance fee" however if you choose you can bank that week and have it in the future either there or at a different location, friends of ours have several weeks banked (due to a couple of years health problems) and they have recently been adding a week to their normal 2 weeks.