Today is both the autumn eqinox and time for this: https://www.skogsmaran.se/
Those passing my window on the finishing 200m are still running (at 12.15)
The less fit will come walking later …
We have had some serious rain this morning, to the extent that even the magpies sat under roof on the patio, so those passing are not only tired but also very wet. #sarassummer23
Me? I stay inside preparing meatloaf … #cooking#weather#autumn#running
Cat Alice is sleeping on the sofa. After trying to be outside in the wind yesterday she is quite content inside.
I’d better finish my coffee and get going … #sarassummer23 @gardening#catsofmastodon
First off is harvesting and grind my turmeric … perhaps keep one bulb inside in a pot and see how it does. Chilies are already inside. And so is the basil #sarassummer23 @gardening
Well done me … 7 pm and all patio pots emptied. Waiting to go under the bench when it arrives.
Pink and red bulb begonias wait in the hallway to dry out before I put them away. Only the orange one remains but in a lighter plastic pot
Now I really have to think hard about what will to be done tomorrow. Getting rid of leaves so that I can see where I put narcissi bulbs for example
Among other things is the huge sack of gravel to take care of #sarassummer23 @gardening#autumn#cleaning#outdoors
Enough for today. Some dinner perhaps…. It very quickly turned completely dark outside.
Tomorrow … cross my fingers for acceptable #weather
I’ll check the forecast. #sarassummer23 @gardening
Today was October 2:nd … A very busy day gardenvise …
Not really summer anymore but still warm around 15°C
Day started 8.30 when all that fine rounded gravel for landscaping and tiles behind the garage was moved inside to the huge barrel inside the door. (By the end of the day the amount completely filled that barrel to the rim). First batch finished in just an hour. #sarassummer23 @gardening#landscaping
Next was blowing leaves from the patio & flowerbeds. Before the acid oak leaves start to fall it makes perfect mulch for behind the logs along the fence. After weeding between the bushes & cardboard in between berry bushes + adjusting rhododendrons to grow upwards, it made a pretty thick layer. Hopefully less weeding next year. Leftovers & the already cut down perennials went to the compost.
Very clean back garden … Won’t last, but still comforting. #sarassummer23 @gardening#autumnleaves
Next was exchanging as much as possible of that fine, slippery gravel put around the stone tables 2 weeks ago with some of the new-bought 800kg of more normal path gravel, slowly emptying the gigantic sack and filling that barrel inside the garage in the process. Also the space inside the gate got a healthy dose. #sarassummer23 @gardening
Around the patio and next to the walls was next destination… a thin string of weed tarp and new gravel makes it easier to weed the flowerbeds and also keeps the weeds away. At the same time the invasive pink geraniums that tend to spread everywhere and take over, were promptly thrown behind the garage to fill up the space to next level of the end moraine surrounding the garden. There’s an old, tiny sandpit from sometime in the 1930s.Sides are really steep. #sarassummer23 @gardening
My uncle the schoolteacher’s desk, later in my eldest sons room and lately so much in the way in the garage is now in my hallway. I’ll start by dissembling it … saving it for a winter renovation project. Drawers are impossible to open, it’s very dirty and perhaps it should go back to its original wood finish.
It gave way to put the desktop/workbench in the garage on consoles and 2 legs instead of the tree buchers and opens up the space under. #sarassummer23 @gardening #renovation
After goodbyes and thanks I ended the day by getting rid of all the cardboard in my car … when I got home it was 7.30 and sunset. Very pleased with the day.
Tomorrow will be pouring rain and I have a routine medical check up in town early … next day without rain I will plant narcissi bulbs and spread some grass seeds with daisies and white clover. And as you can see there are 2 buckets of fine slippery gravel waiting for adjusting the patio gravel…
This thread is coming to an end. Time to set the clocks for #wintertime
It’s evening 0kt 28 and outside it’s only 2°C. Tonight we get frost.
This very rainy summer ended in garden chaos, huge grief and disaster during October (as if not wars, and climate disasters was enough). #cat Alice is no more after 17 years together, my only companion the last 5 years. It’s very empty, quiet and depressing. I lost all motivation to deal with anything - outside or inside.
I still really miss her, have no appetite and it’s very hard to sleep as I wake up dreaming that she’s calling for me …
I’ve always had #cats but every other time one of them passed away there were other things and many times another cat to distract me and keep me company plus work and people around during daytime. No there is nothing. Sooo empty. #sarassummer23 https://mastodon.social/@sarahjelm/111206008126627651 @gardening
One thing that happened on 2nd of October was that the electricity outside the garage suddenly gave up. The arrangements there were more than strange and outdated so started hunting electricians. After 10 days I got help. I had two acute things - light in the stairs to the basement and that garage thing. He managed the second quickly but never got time to finish the garage. Just cut off the cord and left. Doing that he also cut off all outdoor lights. Also on the patio #sarassummer23 @gardening
I’m very grateful for lamps finally functioning in the stairs down to the basement. But outside it’s now pitch dark after 6.30 pm. Anything outside the few days it’s not raining has to be done during the day. And sorting stuff in the garage was more or less impossible. Putting up shelfs for example. And most tool are electric.
In the end I had to ask for help again to finish of the garden preparations for winter. #sarassummer23 @gardening
So here is an update after this Friday … was not supposed to be until the oak leaves had dropped, but now at least I can see where to dig down different bulbs. The board that got used so little during the rainy summer is back in its place along the garage wall plus the wall above is ready for console lists - a multitude of screws and huge nails removed from the walls.
With all cat things also in the garage there is a huge need for sorting - if only there was light…
Benches and sofa are neatly packed away under tarp and all perennials in flowerbeds were cut down plus the latest leaves blown away.
Anything to do with planting has also moved to the garage and the patio is ready for winter with a shining white, repaired sofa and the bird feeder back in place. Remains to fetch the snow shovel.
The unruly bush rose was pruned and cut down to half and at the same time there was a change of place for this giant and the red climbing Flammentanz rose as the latter moved to the fence behind the logs #sarassummer23 @gardening
I’ll really make a try to do a bit the coming weeks, but from what I can see next week will be mostly rain and even some snow. Today I’ve put away all outdoor pots and put them under the sofa. And indoors is an even greater mess. Rusty tools, bulbs and plants taken indoors in a haste as the cat got worse after a first visit to the vet. Still things to be sorted in outdoors and indoors. Upstairs and downstairs. My hallway is beyond description #sarassummer23 @gardening
And it will be worse. Next week all my cupboard doors in the kitchen will be picked up for painting. I’ve more or less decided on color - lightest olive green/grey.
Gratefully my youngest son visited over last weekend to cheer my up so I had some help moving things. The desk is now upstairs. And he managed to move down and sort all paint in the basement (his first suggestion was to keep it in the garage which only shows that I’ve passed 0 knowledge on to my kids…) #sarassummer23 @gardening
I’ll take a few photo updates tomorrow when it’s light and if the weather permits. And then I’ll finish this thread. I’ll need some time to move all this over to a PDF and save down as Mastodon still has no threadreader from what I can see. (Hello @Gargron PLEASE!…) #sarassummer23 @gardening