Not directly gardening, but nearly finished the drainage and base for my greenhouse today. Mixing concrete and mortar in a bucket by hand is not a fun job!
There was a flat concrete pad already there when we moved to this house, so that is the main floor and have worked around it.
Dug a hole and filled a hole . Prep of a damp, heavy (with the detritus the original builders left just under the surface of the back garden) corner with a more agreeable growing medium. Not sure what I'm putting there yet. There's plenty to choose from - I tallied up 75 pots containing a variety of cuttings/shrubs/bushes/trees all waiting for a spot in the ground. Hopefully, over the next 3-4 months, most of them will get planted.
Thanks @Wilderbeast. Haven't really done much with cement or making founds and laying block before so learning as I go! Feel it's a good skill to have.
@Wibble, it's much easier making cement or concrete using a sheet of old hardboard as a base, or any old bit of wood that's big enough. It enables you to use a shovel to mix the ingredients with the water.
@Wibble As there is already some discolouration to the bricks in the wall behind (and you won't be able to get to that once the GH is in place, it might be worth considering painting that section of wall with a high quality white masonry paint, which will help to maximize light in the greenhouse.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Some builders tend to mix in a builder's wheelbarrow (don't knock it over) to avoid mess.
Not sure how many of these little jobs you are planning over the next few years, but good quality small cement mixers are only about £300.
The brand I have is Belle, which mixes approx a barrowful in one go. The legs and stand and things can come apart and stow in the bucket, and the whole thing will fit in a small hatchback. Wickes sell them as a not-very-well-hidden own brand.
I bought mine back in 2013 to do a conservatory slab, and it has been great. Used 2 or 3 times a year since.
F
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
Not sure if it counts as gardening. The microgreen seeds and the latest growlamp arrived very promptly and were unwrapped promptly, so I can add a couple of seed trays with crops for the New Year period.
And luvverly cardboard for the compost bin.
Interesting that the seed quantities are so different.
Just like the permanent reality that there are always one fewer Green Triangles than children wanting one.
But quite acceptable for £19.95 I think within 615g total.
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
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There was a flat concrete pad already there when we moved to this house, so that is the main floor and have worked around it.
Looks good.
Some builders tend to mix in a builder's wheelbarrow (don't knock it over) to avoid mess.
Not sure how many of these little jobs you are planning over the next few years, but good quality small cement mixers are only about £300.
The brand I have is Belle, which mixes approx a barrowful in one go. The legs and stand and things can come apart and stow in the bucket, and the whole thing will fit in a small hatchback. Wickes sell them as a not-very-well-hidden own brand.
I bought mine back in 2013 to do a conservatory slab, and it has been great. Used 2 or 3 times a year since.
F
And luvverly cardboard for the compost bin.
Interesting that the seed quantities are so different.
Just like the permanent reality that there are always one fewer Green Triangles than children wanting one.
But quite acceptable for £19.95 I think within 615g total.