Decided to make a verandah for my shed to enhance the appearance and provide better use for hiding things away etc.

Making a new back gate

Time to recycle some of the old decking I had replaced. so decided to make a new back gate.

Here is the result!!

Goldie lives



change of water temporarily

Last Monday was a very hot day here and was out and about on my scooter during the morning, which was a bit cooler then. Back home and by lunchtime it was very hot and humid so lay down on the bed for a rest as it was a bit cooler in the bedroom.

Nothing exciting really, but it must have affected the fish in the pond as the following morning, when I walked down the garden Goldie my large Koi was laying on her side and rolling round upside down, gasping for air. Decided she might be suffering from lack of oxygen so took her out and popped her in a bath of fresh rainwater, then held her upright urging her to get back to normal. After some time, I decided that although all the other fish did`nt seem to be having a problem, I should empty the pond somewhat and put fresh water in. Having started the procedure and because the liner was leaking and suffering from blanket weed, which I could`nt seem to get rid of, decided to drain it all and flip the liner over for a fresh start, at least until I could get a new liner. So all the fish were taken out and put in the receptacles together. Made some alterations to the base of the pond once it was empty and then put the liner back and filled it up again.

Goldie was still struggling and still on her side gasping, so allowed the water from the hosepipe to flow over her as the pond was filling, but seemed to be losing the battle keeping her alive.

Put all the fish back and allowed the pond to fill. Decided to keep the hose running low to keep it topped up. Not long after, when I checked Goldie was laying around the bottom of the pond and seemed to be getting more active, so hope springs eternal overnight!

Come the following morning and Goldie was swimming around with all the other fish, so seems to have survived and more or less back to normal with an occasional lapse on her side.

Decided to get a new liner and go through the process all over again, so got a rubber liner this time for better strength and pliability and a few days later did the process all over again, putting the fish in the bath this time, so I had longer to make any alterations and do the job properly. Once filled and treated, the fish were put back and seemed happier for the experience as they had fresh plants and water this time round.

Goldie lives to tell the tale!!

Widening the garden path

Ah well! I managed that quicker than I thought would happen, but the weather has been so good lately so was able to take advantage of it and press on with the path widening, and have now completed it.

This is how it looks before I start work.

Marked out and started digging it out.

Now trying to decide whether to use paving slabs or paveurs in a pattern. As I have plenty of crazy paving laying around, decided to use that, so it blends with the existing path and should`nt look out of place.

Now just have to grout it all to complete, so upto B&Q for sand and cement, and the following day completed project.

So this is the finished product. Job done and dusted.

Very please with the results, even if I say so myself.

Rob

Widening Garden Path

Ah! Did that quicker than I thought would happen, but we`ve had such lovely weather the past few days, so was able to spend time in the garden.

I have now completed widening the path and it`s much better now, so can move things up and down the garden much easier.

I started digging out the width:

Gardening

Update to earlier posting.

Did go into garden and do some weeding, then cut down new line to prepare for the path widening that I mentioned earlier.

Will prepare the ground another day.

Thought you might want to see a fox lurking in next door` garden

BFN

Revisiting old haunts, namely HMS Ganges in Shotley.

Went back to Shotley at the end of September this year to reminisce about my time at boys training back in 1950. Quite a shock seeing the place so derelict but brought back loads of memories of a tough time there preparing life for and in the Royal Navy.
Had a good look round the Museum they have there and saw people that I had known whilst I was there and who I came across again in later postings.


Back home in the garden and wondering what to do with all my Du Comice Pears, as I found this year they upset my stomach eating them raw, so had to try something else, as they are my favourite fruit. Found a recipe for Pear and Ginger jam from a young lady in Canada and gave it a try yesterday. Spent an awful long time standing as I had to keep stirring and boiling trying to reduce the mix so that it would set. Seemed good in the end and popped it all into jars. Come this morning and it was all still runny but tasted superb just like she said.
I also bottled loads as I eventually found the right kilner jars with the clips on but notice they still discolour quite a lot and don`t keep their white appearance, not like you see them in the shops where they`re done professionally. Never mind time will tell.
Also been loaded with loads and loads of tomatoes as I grew so many this year of about 8 or 9 different varieties just to see how each compared to each other. Well impressed with the italian one`s I grew called Pomodoro San Marzano which were very prolific and tasted superb, all meaty inside and not so many seeds as ordinary tomatoes.
Also managed to grow a type from the Canary Islands called Semilla Canaria which were quite large and also tasted very nice.
The other types tried this year were, Tigerella, Moneymaker, Big Boy, Alicante, Marmande, Garden Pearl and Sweet Million. Could`nt bear to throw the excess seedlings away so potted everything up and everything grew, even in pots where I had to use my front garden. Have managed to freeze loads and also made different types of tomato soup from recipes gleaned from the internet, and given loads away to those who want them.
Potato crop was also very good. For the first time grew Pink Fir Apple which resemble something like a ginger root, but taste very nice, although fiddly to peel and best left until they are boiled and then the skin just almost falls away. Lady Christyl was my other choice this year and they are also nice tasting but not so prolific as the PFA were.
Have been trying to grow three miniature fruit trees in containers ie Pear, Cherry and Greengage Plum. The cherry was quite good but not excessive and the other two a bit of a washout as there was only one plum which perished and the pears did`nt amount to much. As this is their fourth or fifth year, decided to try changing the compost and adding fertilizer. A bit difficult as the roots are in a ball and not easy to disturb and replace, but managed it alright and back in their pots to see what transpires next year.
Always managing to find stuff to do in the garden and decided to widen part of the back garden path taking a bit more off the pocket handkerchief lawn, but should be worth the effort. Weather I use paveurs or slabs is still undecided, so again time will tell.
That`s all for today folks, so leaving it there FTTB.