Child of the Planet

There is probably a proper name for it. The birds around here do a great job of hunting down slugs and snails. They also make a huge mess doing it.    This week, with some help from a visitor, I chopped up some shipping pallets with the chainsaw and built some fences to keep the dirt in the garden. Only real downside is hitting a hidden nail.    We dug a trench and shoved the slats in, back filling with soil.    A couple of years ago I built a fence for the lemons. The rain was washing the dirt onto the driveway. It was never meant to last forever and they are starting to rot. I'm pondering possibilities for something more durable as a replacement.

All the power tools on my property are battery driven. This is why... Less noise pollution With the bonus of more safety because ear protection isn’t necessary. The tool doesn't idle so when it's not doing something, it's off. Air pollution No fumes from from running it. Could use the chainsaw indoors with no issues if I wanted too. Fuel Don't need to fuss about mixing 2 stroke, and have never visited a petrol station to restock. As long as there is an electrical outlet somewhere it works. I had a cousin with a similar sized gas chainsaw. They both ran for about the same time. Tends to be lighter Motors can be placed in novel positions to improve balance. Simpler to service. No clutch, spark plugs, ripcord, etc. Less vibration I used a ICE line trimmer for half a day a couple of weeks back. When I finished I noticed the nerves in my hands were ‘fizzing’. Much easier to start no ripcord or starter motor. I've yet to come across a job the e

The berries are starting to ripen. Continuing the blueberry saga I had a better fruit photo planned for this posting, but while I was away getting my camera, a bird ate the berry. The birds don't wait for the fruit to properly ripen so it's pointless trying to anticipate them. The black birds will pick away at individual berries as they colour which doesn't leave much of a harvest for me. I pushed three Cloche Hoops into the soil and wrapped them in netting.    Other posts about protecting plants... 2018/09/part-4-people-round-here-get-creative 2018/09/part-3-people-round-here-get-creative 2018/08/part-2-people-round-here-get-creative 2018/08/people-round-here-get-creative-when.

Update on the verge post from a couple of weeks back (read here) ... Their garden is expanding. I wonder if they have been having issues with the local cats and birds?

Planted four plants at the base of four tree trunks in the back garden. Curious to see if they 'take' and if they use the trunks for structure.

Got a lot done this week. Had a helper staying with me and we attacked a lot of the uncontrolled growth from over the winter months. The porch garden had been allowed to run wild so we ripped it all up, built a small brick retaining wall, and planted some zucchini here... This is the new perennial zone. All the unwanted plants were removed. Leaving behind lettuce, comfrey, manuka, and sprouting broccoli. Scored some sunflower seeds from a local real estate agents letterbox drop. I've never grown them before and I hope they do well here in this sunny freshly cleared spot. We dug out the sandy soil around the roots of the trees I wanted to keep, and dumped in a couple of trailer loads of horse manure. Then I spread some compost soil over the top. I’ve covered the fresh soil in branches to slow down the little bastards Back garden was comprehensively denuded. The compost holes are almost higher than the apple trees.

A helper and I took the covers off the lemons this week. Click here to see history of lemons on this property The little trees are filling out nicely.    The weeds had taken over during the winter and needed to be cleaned out. These last two near the house are still lagging behind the others. The slugs had been having a go at a couple of lemons that had ripened. Biggest crop of fruit yet. All these little tangy globes were hidden under all the weeds. I'm starting to see curling leaves. I wonder if it's from all the rain we've been having? The single lemon tree out the back had less fruit.