Postcards from Thailand #66: Hedging my Bets

I deserved every one of those hard-earned steps today! With the worst rainy season in living memory over, the temperatures are starting to ramp up in time for their peak from April to May and so it's time to get back out and try and wrestle some control back in the garden!

That bloody hedge. I do like it but it's taking some work now it's grown taller and thicker and I’d decided a little investment was in order as It’s just too much like hard work with the hand-shears! Time to bring on the cordless Dewalt hedge trimmer. I really don’t know why I’d followed the route of self-abuse with the hand-shears for so long. Except I do, I’d been too tight to spend the money! £120 quid for one 30 metre stretch of Privet hedge hadn’t felt like good value for money, until I could no longer be bothered doing it by hand. I have to say, the electric trimmer is superb. It powered its way through everything in record time and although not exactly, err straight and even, the hedge looks a whole lot better than it did after its massive rainy season growth spurt. I even did the other side that borders on the neighbours famous empty land, and cleaned up the cut boughs afterwards. What a hero.

Talking of heroes, even the father-in-law got in on the act and helped me out by chopping the
grass and weeds back with his petrol strimmer. Cost me a bottle of Thai scotch but well worth it to have my toes remain intact and on the end of my feet where they belong.
It will no doubt take me a few more days to get things totally in control in the garden and finish some repainting and filling after the storms created a few minor leaks but at least it gets me out of the wife’s therapy room and in the fresh air.

There are other benefits too. The main one being I’m due a bonfire. A bloody big bonfire to get rid of all the cuttings, coconut tree fronds and general garden rubbish I’ve been collecting.

The only good thing about the hot, dry season is that very little grows so it's a time to sit back and not have to worry about cutting and pruning. Sadly, the whole garden turns brown, but you can’t have it all. As I’ve mentioned before, I’d concrete the lot if I had my way!

So that’s another job off the never-ending list. Back to painting tomorrow where the rain came
through the plasterboard soffits and further touching up the render where the rain also got in at the back of the paint. After that, back on the roof to sort out the rust and badly fitted panels again. Loads of sealer and patches over the screws where the rubber grommets have perished.

Sorting it all out, one leak at a time. Who knows when the next sneaky out of season burst of rain will happen?

That's it for me today, I really need to try and do a daily report. I’ve been trying to improve my consistency since the beginning of the year and have been doing quite well adding one daily task at a time as I’ve continued my daily streaks.

Best wishes to all and I hope everyone is enjoying a healthy and happy weekend.

Martin

@nathen007
This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io

Daily Activity, Gardening