The Garden
Very quiet in the winter garden. The curly kale is a healthy and very tasty winter green and the sprouting broccoli is waiting its turn.
Work in the garden is limited to tidying, maintenance and pruning – the soil is much too wet to work in anyway. Yesterday I finally completed the pruning and training of the espaliered fruit trees – amazing how many vine eyes I needed to fix the new stainless steel supporting wires!
The bundle of blackcurrant cuttings is awaiting transplanting into pots. We either give these little bushes away as gifts or put them into the village school fundraising summer sale.
I finally lost patience with one set of autumn fruiting raspberries. They were prickly, leggy and did not fruit until November. I dug them up and replaced with 6 new spring fruiting canes – fingers crossed that they do actually deliver!
My battle to remove the wheels of my little rotavator continues. It's been a great little machine (the smallest you can buy with powered wheels) but after 12 years the tyres no longer keep their air. Alas the wheels are rusted solid onto their axles – no amount of hammering and penetrating oil can move them. It will be a job for the experts I'm afraid.
In the Workshop
My production of traditional scythes has been going ahead full blast. I now have many hanging from the walls and awaiting the summer rush of sales! I am hopeful that the trend to replace the horrible noisy strimmer with the lovely scythe will continue to gather pace.
My new Draper bandsaw and Bosch mitre saw are brilliant. How many times have I told my students to ALWAYS buy the best tools you can afford. They work better, last longer and give so much pleasure – buying cheap is best avoided. I am still waiting for delivery of the new lathe and sharpening jig I have ordered. Wonderful tools to make wonderful things and banish the winter lockdown blues for some good purpose.
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