Thread by @sara_hjelm

Today, right now 10.37 am local time, is the spring equinox and I start my count down towards the summer solstice #midsummercountdown It’s cloudy and +3°C
The lake and the ground is still frozen, but the first of my 50 tulip bulbs, those near the house wall, are on their way up.

Right now, 10.37 am, the summer solistic is 91 days or 2201 hrs away #midsummercountdown You can also follow a precise count down here sommarlovet.se/nedrakning/som…
Lovely spring morning out there, +6°C and full sun. Bit windy, but very inviting. Heading out, but first some coffee!☕️☕️

Right now, 10.37 am, the summer solistic is 90 days or 2176 hrs away #midsummercountdown
Last night of frost for awhile has passed and outside it’s a lovely day, sunny, no wind and right now +6°C. Today I’ll move the bird feeder containers to the rhododendron and clean the patio!

Right now, 10.37 am, the summer solistic is 89 days or 2152 hrs away #midsummercountdown
Outside it is 6°C & cloudy. I did clear the patio yesterday. Today is for some tidying-leaves and fallen branches-and planting “outdoor” seeds. Perhaps attach those lamps along the stone wall

Right now, 10.37 am, the summer solistic is 88 days or 2128 hrs away #midsummercountdown
Outside it is +7 °C, cloudy, windy and not so inviting. We expect rain tomorrow. Should at least allow some painting, that bench for example. The birds have all found the bird feeders again.

Right now, 10.37 am, the summer solistic is 87 days or 2104 hrs away #midsummercountdown
Outside it is +6°C, sunshine on and off. We had some rain last night, all ice will be gone by evening to welcome the grebes back and there are small patches of green grass here and there

Right now, 10.37 am, the summer solistic is 86 days or 2080 hrs away #midsummercountdown It is +8°C, very still after some rain, birdsong and mist in the air.
Cleaning the lawn is slow work, but now the sofa is in place.
Surprisingly the white magnolia liked heavy pruning in Oct!

Right now, 10.37 am, the summer solistic is 85 days or 2056 hrs away #midsummercountdown
It is +7°C, forecast says even more rain and colder later
I did order sacks of soil, to arrive next week, but today looks like inside: bills, tax declaration, cleaning, washing, website, etc

Right now, 11.37‼️am (as this is first day of the artificiell summer time) the summer solistic is 84 days or 2034 hrs away (also corrected the hours after checking, +2, exact time is early morning) #midsummercountdown
It is +7°C, sunny on and off, but very cold in the wind.

For some reason this did not post this morning:
At 11.37‼️am the summer solistic WAS 83 days or 2010 hrs away. Outside it’s been raining since yesterday afternoon, but it’s warm - +9°C. Lilac buds and crocus grow fast and the birds engage in loud song competitions.
I sort books..

At 11.37‼️am the summer solstice is 82 days or 1986 hrs away. Outside it is +10°C and cloudy. I have some cooking to finish before I head out. Inside the chilies overflow my desk and the snowdrops I thought I had assembled in the fall are everywhere

Right now 11.37 am the summer solstice is 81 days or 1962 hrs away. Outside it is +9°C and cloudy.
Some deliveries yesterday to take care of and this morning the Canada geese pair had arrived. It is spring! Finally ...

First step today - glazing the benches, not perfect but good for another summer. 3 squirrels accompany the work, looking for food where the bird feeder used to be. I had to spread sunflower seeds on the ground under the bushes to prevent the bravest jumping up on the wet paint

Right now 11.37am the summer solstice is 80 days or 1938 hrs away #midummercountdown Only +5°C after a night of heavy rain.
I’ll continue to move soil and benches and prepare the patio for summer. Only small, movable pots will be planted - frost nights are forecasted for Easter.

I did not get as far as the soil, but the patio is in order. Those pots move up on the sofa for tonight. It will be cold. And the bouquets are for inside. Next few days I will start building a shelf over the little bench in that warm corner, to host chilies and tomatoes in June.

Right now 11.37am the summer solstice is 79 days or 1914 hrs away #midummercountdown It is +7°C after a cold morning and lovely weather.
I’m so pleased I had the patio sorted yesterday. I make a tick off list for today with my coffee. Cooking/cleaning inside will be for tonight!

At 11.37am the summer solstice was 78 days or 1890 hrs away #midummercountdown It is +5°C and windy after a cold night, so I stay inside preparing, cooking Easter treats (which is why I was late today) boiled eggs, smoked fish, Jansson’s temptation, pickled herring ...

I think I’ll go for Saffranspannkaka for dessert ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffransp… and combine it with whipped cream mixed with sifted cloudberry jam for a more yellow and Easterstyle touch ...

Today at 11.37 am the summer solstice is 77 days or 1866 hrs away #midummercountdown It’s +8°C, but feels much colder in the wind, cloudy on and off - not very inviting
Tonight we expect rain, good as it’s very dry. If that red rhododendron does not improve I’ll have to water it

Today at 11.37 am the summer solstice is 76 days or 1842 hrs away #midummercountdown Outside it’s +2°C and a smell of snow in the air. Not optimal for gardening.
Spring seems to have been sat on hold by some ill tempered weather deity and strong winds are promised for tonight.

Right now 11.37 am the summer solstice is 75 days or 1818 hrs away #midummercountdown Outside it’s +5°C, sunny after a cold night and not as windy, the afternoon should be ok.
This morning 5 dews guarded the chimney - sure a bother. I’m considering an ousting, but if so by whom?

One couple and last years hatch is my guess. They are also becoming increasingly cheeky. At least the crows keep to the other side of the road and the magpie couple fly off at slightest sound, but the jack-dews just move a few yards.
I don’t want a garden full of crow-birds ...

That’s not why I got all those birdhouses .... or fed the tits, blackbirds and finches all winter.
So maybe a visit by the sweep as soon as I get vaccinated. Or perhaps other options. Preferably before the eggs hatch. Another option is to stop feeding the other birds

And of course it’s jack-daws ... sorry, this lot 👇🏻🤬
Kaja in Swedish. I blame my autocorrect and worries.
I understand Kaja is a common girls name. I would never consider ... never mind how smart and funny they are. Before autumn there could be a major colony hanging around.

Right now 11.37 am the summer solstice is 74 days or 1796 hrs away #midummercountdown It’s +6°C, a bit cloudy, but no cold gusts
1 Water the bush
2 Make room for 2 rolls of 1,8 m high net (replacing the 60 yr old pine “hedge”, quite a change)
(Very happy about the 2 new ferrules)

That was quick, a question of minutes. The net rolls arrive on a 0,6 x 0,8m half pallet so perfect just inside the plank.
I’ll leave the water on for an hour or so on low flow. Poor bush, there is only sand beneath and sloping.

These fur trees were planted when the house was new. For the first 15 yrs I managed with some help to keep it in order. Outside and inside, height and width. Then there was a laps of 3 years when the arborist that helped me every second year passed away suddenly and it grew wild.

.. inside still provides a nice green wall, so no panic, but as most of the fence from early 1970s is long gone, it gives no protection against deer that eat everything, preferably flowers, and leave a trail of tics behind. And those viewing from the outside are not too keen ..

I gain 2,5 m of garden and get lake view from the hammock in the far back. Plan is to use the fur trunks as a border for soil and compost to cover the stumps, plant bushes and flowers and hardy climbers. I already have small rhododendrons. Opinions or tips on the above @eyebeams?

The net is very thin, almost invisible ... Same kind as this but standing rectangles 5x10 cm instead of 10x10. It will need not just poles approximately every 1,5 m, firmly cemented into the lose stony and sandy ground, but also some wood along the top to secure it.

I spent a couple of hrs an evening last week applying sticky deer repellent along all borders. For the fence less part under the fur trees on branches and trunks. I know @C_Hendrick thinks deer in the garden are nice, but not in my opinion. The amount of tics last year was awful

Right now 11.37am the summer solstice is 73 days or 1772 hrs away #midummercountdown It’s +5°C and no wind. It’s very dry Open fires are now strictly prohibited due to the risk of spread

My bush looks healthier after some water and I pray for rain to clear the air of all pollen

The 6 jack-daws spent the morning down by the lake. Little do they know their ousting from the chimney is planned with the sweep’s office.
I look at options for today - too cold for paint and carpentry is hard with gloves. Tonight we’ll get rain, so less pollen tomorrow ...

Right now 11.37am the summer solstice is 72 days or 1748 hrs away #midummercountdown
Outside it’s +4°C but with gusts of 18m/s feels worse-the night held a mix of heavy rain & snow.

I’ll stay indoors and take care of flowers that survived winter and are now ailing for nutrition.