# Autumn Grrrrrr.



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Many people see autumn as a great and colourful season. I see it as hard work.!
Difficult to get the lawn looking respectable and cut as early morning dew doesn't dry off until almost dusk.
Then the leaves cover the lawn and the moles get to work under the covering.
You try to 'suck' up the leaves with the mower on high only to get another deluge the next day or breeze.
By now the lawn is just at the difficult stage and riddled with mole runs. 
A sunny afternoon and you drop everything to get the mower out to the relatively 'not moist' grass. But it is wet and constantly clogs the mower.
Another shower of leaves and this time twigs. The conkers get chopped up by the mower making more mess. The pile of cuttings and leaves is enormous.

Hard work I call it and I never did like gardening.

Ray.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Ray...you've got it all wrong. What you want is a wildlife friendly garden. Lots of piles of leaves for the hedgehogs to hibernate in, horse chestnuts for the squirrels, moles for the foxes, weeds for the bees, twigs for next years birds nests and long grass to absorb the maximum amount of water when it rains and prevent local flooding.

Clearing your garden is not very nature friendly so really you should leave it strictly alone. After a while it comes to equilibrium anyway and your neighbours start to believe that you are actually a forward thinking and knowledgeable naturalist rather than a lazy so and so.


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

You have my sympathies. Until this time last year we had a large high maintainence, high cost house in about an acre of garden which had 17 cropping apple trees amongst the total which included several mature horse chestnuts.

It used to take about an hour on a ride on and the best part of a gallon of petrol to cut it. Irish weather, often wet. We had the usual clogging issues etc. 

We moved and before I sold the ride on the annual service with new battery was almost £100. I bought a flymo for the wee bungalow which we moved to, £87. free electric from the solar panels and takes 15 minutes to cut. 

Davy


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

and don't mention the blasted brambles......

our "lawn" is still full of wide cracks as we have had virtually no rain since mid-May...... the only things that are growing on it are the weeds, no moles, not many leaves yet as still sunny and warmish.....

But I do agree, beautiful though autumn can be, it is also the time for one heck of a lot of clearing up - thankfully brambles burn easily so that saves yet another trip to the tip..... and the wind is gently blowing away from civilisation......

Dave


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Grizzly said:


> Ray...you've got it all wrong. What you want is a wildlife friendly garden. Lots of piles of leaves for the hedgehogs to hibernate in, horse chestnuts for the squirrels, moles for the foxes, weeds for the bees, twigs for next years birds nests and long grass to absorb the maximum amount of water when it rains and prevent local flooding.
> 
> Clearing your garden is not very nature friendly so really you should leave it strictly alone. After a while it comes to equilibrium anyway and your neighbours start to believe that you are actually a forward thinking and knowledgeable naturalist rather than a lazy so and so.


If I had my way G it would be as you say. But as soon as it's looking just a tad 'unkempt' I get nagged. The lady across the lane has let her half acre go 'natural'. Oh boy the stick and comments. 
We do like the wildlife and have several hedgehog boxes. Four deer appear most mornings just outside our garden. Plus the dozen or so bird boxes.
Not keen on foxes since they ate all our chickens and leave poop all over the lawns. I 'manage' moles OK the rest of the year. 
The pic is in summer.

Ray.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

raynipper said:


> The pic is in summer.
> 
> Ray.


Oh my ! A lawn to aspire to.

Our main snaglet is that, while our neighbours are delightful and always willing to keep an eye and more on the house when we go away, it would be a step too far for us to ask them to mow and clip as well as they are our age group and have enough to do keeping their own gardens going.

Hence our " natural look" with lots of shrubs, trees and perennials. A man comes once per year to prune and that's - almost- it.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Crikey, that's immaculate and even with stripes........








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Not a lot of grass, and absolutely NO stripes......

and we have 1 Ha of this (including 30+ plum trees, 5 cherry trees and lots of other fruit trees)

I am not jealous, I always look this green......

Dave


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

Because we were in the country we very quickly gave up the notion of a city garden. Fields all round with up to 10 foot lost round the edges by overgrown rhododendrons, hedges etc, so definitely nature friendly.

Each year the Apple harvest would have been huge, almost on a commercial scale. All of the family, up to forty people, (both sides) from grannies to babies came for a Sunday afternoon which rapidly became a fixture in the Calender. Food was supplied and included the apple tarts with the last of the previous years harvest. Every one was made to take away at least two large boxes of apples for use or distribution.

We were quite ruthless about quality control and ten or fifteen wheelbarrow loads were dumped into the field at the bottom of the garden. Much enjoyed by the cattle which were sometimes in occupation. I always watched to see if they had any ill effects, but nothing was ever apparent.

The dog used to eat a couple of windfalls each day, and got quite adept at pulling apples off the low hanging branches. He even had his preference of tree, an eating apple as opposed to a cooking apple. I only discovered after we moved that apples are not particularly good for dogs. He thrived on them.

When we announced that we were downsizing to a small town bungalow, some members of the family were quite shocked as we had seen a couple of generations pass through the 'apple fest' as it became known. I think it became one of the pillars of the year. As family members grew up and had there own families, this became the one occasion in the year that everyone got together. Size of house and garden helped of course. Now we are down to meeting at weddings, baptisms and funerals.

This year for the first time in 35 years we had to buy apples for the Halloween tarts.

Davy


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

We don't always get stripes Dave. .................... Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Ray

Slowdown

Don't miss the magnificent colours of Autumn 

The seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness 

That ease us into winter, log fires, casseroles,Christmas 

Which then heralds Spring a new beginning 

Slow down to the rhythms of life 

We are getting too old to ignore them

Sandra


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Typical thoughtful Sandra post - I love your outlook and your posts are always well worth taking on board, thank you.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

aldra said:


> Ray
> 
> Slowdown
> Don't miss the magnificent colours of Autumn
> ...


Yeah, OK Sandra.
I do know exactly what you mean. But I am driven by a younger wire. Well a few months younger but she just does not slow down.
Colours are great but they are there all year. Mist means damp. I'm OK my hair curls naturally.
Log fires are great if your not the one chopping, piling em up, lugging em inside, cleaning out after and restocking again.
And as for that big commercial con called Christmas, I would cancel it.!!! Yes I'm a humbug.
Roll on spring and lower electricity bills and Portugal.

But I know what you mean.

Ray.........xxx


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Give over Ray 

Prue is into plants and therefore into seasons

Lots of love prue

Albert chops logs as do you

But come on, a log fire, a few candles 

Us women cooking as you flex your muscles,snugly warm winters , hibernation till spring, and Christmas be it just be a season, Christmas tree, mulled wine and gifts

Shame about my two grandkids,and an extra hound who disturb the idealic dream

But then again, maybe they are the idealic dream

They are here because that's what they want

To live here with the old foggies

Who will prob decorate the house with Christmas trees and more Christmas trees just like we did when they were little and every year since

And one day when we are dead they will prob remember 

A house full of Christmas trees , lights sparkling 

Meals at grandmas, grandad helping with homework and telling them how good they are

And hopefully they will tell their kids the same

and will decorate their tree(s) and remember 

Sandra


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

aldra said:


> Give over Ray
> 
> Prue is into plants and therefore into seasons
> 
> ...


I was just getting into it Sandra, then you put me right off.>:laugh:

Chris


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Real sorry Chris

One mans meat is another mans poison and all that

But you live in todmorden

Autumn colours galore a really beautiful part of the world 

What exactly did I put you off??

Not the colours, the drifting leaves

Log fires and candles

Maybe the grandkids

They put me off too:frown2::grin2::grin2:

Sandra


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I will agree Sandra that Christmas memories will shape your perceptions of the 'Festive' season.
My earliest memories were being locked out of our rented tenement flat by a nasty landlord. The only 'gifts' we had was a cardboard box called a food hamper from the RAF Benevolent Fund. This stopped when I was about 8.
Later my mum tried very hard with three jobs and I fully appreciated second hand bikes at Christmas.

My first traditional style Christmas's were just after we got married and my wife's parents were country butchers. The vast amount of food and presents staggered me at 23.
So hopefully our kids will have some happy memories of Prue's Christmas's. I worked nights to fund them.

But back to the o/p. I like all the seasons except falling leaves.!! Did anyone see the One Show tonight and this topic.?

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

My childhood memories weren't good either Ray 

Faced with Christmas married with children I (borrowed) from Christmas stories 

To create Christmas magic I'd never known 

Overtime they became tradition to be passed down

Though I doubt the kids will recreate 5 Christmas trees , plus the trees outdoors

I sometimes wonder how long I will be able too
Sandra


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## Harrers (Dec 21, 2011)

Well it's not a massive garden but no-one has been near it for 7 years! I have given the grass, if you can call it that, an immediate chop down with a strimmer but then there are a lot of brambles. I am told that bonfires are frowned on in France so will have to cart it all down to the recycling centre. But then there is a load of rubbish from the house and the outbuilding was full. I keep thinking that maybe I will find something valuable but it is hardly likely as the previous owners went bankrupt.

I am burning a lot of stuff in my wood burner but don't think I can burn the brambles there! Can I?


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I think you can have bonfires in the Charante during the winter months Harrers. 

Ray.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

I managed to get the electric rake/scarifying done on my lawns this September and then fed and seeded them. They have mostly come back well and now like you Ray, I'm waiting for some dry enough time to give them a top cut. I lengthen the blades at this time of year but will cut as long as I can get away with it...into December most years. As long as its not too short it does no harm.

Our trees have started their shedding but not too bad yet. I think I'll have a first rake this weekend...and hopefully a top cut too.

Graham :smile2:


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

aldra said:


> Real sorry Chris
> 
> One mans meat is another mans poison and all that
> 
> ...


No Sandra, I love the Autumn colours and the log fire (stove in our case).

It's the idea of the women doing the cooking while the men flex their muscles that puts me off.

To me that feels like what my parents' generation did. Unlike you, I don't particularly enjoy cooking so I don't see why I should do more than my fair share. However, I will also do the wood chopping. I do draw the line though about sharing the gardening 50/50. It's John's hobby so consequently we have a garden that requires a lot of attention, and it doesn't get much from me. I have been enjoying the 'mellow fruitfulness' though.

Chris


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## Lesleykh (Apr 13, 2009)

At least the onset of Autumnal frosts means the copious amounts of dog doodah are easier to pick up. Well, that's what I tell Rob as I kick him out of the back door.

Lesley


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Why are you worrying about the leaves, just sweep them onto the flower /veg beds, then let the worms do the rest.Just watched an interesting bit about it on the TV this evening.


cabby


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

With two huge oak trees and 2000 sq.m of lawn it's a bluddy nightmare at this time of year :surprise:

tony


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

GEMMY said:


> With two huge oak trees and 2000 sq.m of lawn it's a bluddy nightmare at this time of year :surprise: tony


But I bet it's a lovely picture the rest of the year Tony.

Location is everything. Normandy and UK lots of rain and green things grow.
AZ and CA the shrubs needed constant watering or they died.
Our son in Turkey has a beautiful Mediterranean low maintenance garden.

Ray.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Yes, the One Show had a great piece on earthworms pulling all the leaves down into the ground to make SOIL. How wonderful if that? Has made me feel a whole lot better about leaving leaves on the flower beds. We, too, have a large (about an acre) garden. When I had my 40th birthday my mum paid for part of it to be designed by a garden designer. Just the plan and the planting scheme. I am still working on it over 25 years later. The gift that keeps on giving 
The designer asked me what sort of things I liked. I said "trees". I got trees. Lots of them. We also live right next to a small copse full of mature oak, ash, chestnut etc.


Anyone want any leaves?


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes Pat a very interesting film of worms at work.
We have a 'his' and 'her' lawn/garden. 
My wife's is just like an English garden with flowers, shrubs and borders all manicured to perfection. In fact she always wins the best show in the village but it's a full time job.
My 2000m. is half gravel and half lawn. Easy maintenance I thought. But when my wife needed more space to plant dozens of trees, guess where they go?
We now have a 'millenium' wood and a long line of trees bordering my lawn all brought from the states now 30ft. high. My wife knows exactly where each one came from and the memories associated with them.
I'm no gardener and would have concrete and plastic given the choice. Then we could get away in the van more.!!

Ray.


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