Lawnmower

A lawnmower is necessary even if the turf-covered area is relatively small, which will ensure the grass is kept under control and not allowed to become overgrown.

Fork and Spade

Planting fruit and vegetables creates the need for the soil to be turned over, which is undertaken with a fork or spade.  They also allow large clumps of earth to be broken up to make sowing seeds and seedlings easier.

Shears

Shrubs and trees must be kept trimmed to prevent them from causing an obstruction.  Similarly, the roots of many trees are controlled by cutting back the branches, which helps to prevent ground heave or property damage that can be caused by spreading roots. 

Trowel or Hoe

Removing weeds is easier to achieve with the use of a trowel or hoe, which allows the affected spot to be concentrated on, allowing a gardener to remove weeds with the roots. 

Primarily we would use the garden room as a chill out spot, somewhere you could read a book or listen to music, but I’ll probably install a bar in there too so we could use it for parties and have a sheltered area for eating and entertaining.

There is a spot at the end of the garden that would be ideal for this, although it’s a bit over grown, but I’ll clear this in the coming months in preparation.

The best thing is that you don’t need planning permission as it is classed as a temporary structure, so all I need to do now is persuade the wife and get some money together, which is easier said than done.

Once you have taken off the door handle, you may see a metal plate below.  It may not be necessary to remove anything further if you are simply replacing the handle or knob.  If you wish to replace the sprung latch or a lock as well, it is best to remove those and take with you when you buy a replacement.

To fit the new handle or doorknob set the screws in place by hand. Use a screwdriver to set the screws securely in place. Ensure that the door closes and opens properly.

To bleed the radiator you will first need to switch the heating off.  You need a radiator key and an old rag for the process.  Radiator keys can be bought from most DIY stores.  Take the key and use it to slack the air bleed valve.  This is located at one end at the top of the radiator.  A hissing sound will commence.  This is the air escaping from the radiator.  Hold the rag against the vent.  When water starts to come out you can tighten the vent back up.   The release of water is a sign that all of the air has come out, and you have successfully bled your radiator.

Be aware that if your heating system is pressurised, bleeding the radiators will release the pressure and the boiler will not run.  To bleed radiators on such a system may require professional help.

I logged onto the Blinds 2 Go website where I had gotten my previous blinds and ordered a set of roman blinds in the size and colour I wanted. They got delivered this morning, so I’ll attempt to get them fitted tonight when I get home.

Hopefully these blinds will give us a little more privacy, especially as our en-suite looks out onto the street and although the window is frosted you can still make out my fat bum when I’m taking a shower.

I’ve been cutting a lot of wood this weekend with my bandsaw ready to start assembling next weekend and I hope I get the workbench before then as my 5 year old workmate just won’t cut it anymore (sorry for the pun).

The Draper workbench looks quite easy to put together and should give me the stability and room that I need to make my furniture and boxes.

I’ll post some pictures up once I get everything assembled and post some pictures of the stuff I made too.

I finished painting the walls pretty fast (I used to have a summer job as a painter and decorator so know some techniques), and played on my Xbox for a couple of hours till the paint had dried. The fun was just about to start though as I started bringing the flat pack furniture back in.

The flat pack furniture consists of two side tables (which thankfully I didn’t take apart), a bookcase, storage unit and TV stand. Now, me being me I didn’t have a specific order in which I stacked all of the flat pack pieces and being all the same pine effect colour became really hard to figure out what was what.

The longer pieces and sides were pretty easy to figure out, but the shelves and other bits looked exactly the same. After hours of scratching my head I eventually figured it out and put all the stuff back together.

Note to self: Don’t take apart flat pack furniture unless you stack them in the right order!

They have a great selection of blinds from Roman and Venetian to wooden and roller blinds, all available in a range of different colours and patterns. In the end I went for a set of roller blinds in a beige linen fabric; I typed in the measurements of my window and was suppressed that it came back at under £40.

I ordered them today so should get them before the weekend (fingers crossed as I’ve already removed the old ones and don’t want my neighbours to see my man moobs!).

1.    A bigger house, but not too big! – Of course, I’d buy a bigger house maybe 5-6 bedrooms with lots of land and a big garage to store my cars.
2.    A faster car – I know I’ve just bought a new car (VW Polo) and it’s great, but if I had the money I’d get something expensive like a Lamborghini or Koenigsegg and probably a couple of American muscle cars or hot rods.
3.    An outdoor Jacuzzi – it has to be done doesn’t it, just imagine chilling out in your Jacuzzi and sipping some Champagne, brilliant!
4.    Go on expensive holidays – another must if I won the lottery. Don’t know where I’d go but I’m sure I’d find the perfect destinations if money was no object.
5.    Treat my family and friends – because what’s the point of having all that money if you don’t have anyone to spend it with.

Some simple steps can be followed to help prevent damage to surrounding plants.

1.    The first step is to cut back all foliage and stems to a height of roughly 2 feet from the ground. The remaining length of branch can be used as a lever when pulling the stump from the ground, and will reduce the risk of damage to surrounding plants.

Be careful at this stage of the sharp ends of the cut stalks.

2.    Uncover the plant’s roots by digging around the remaining stump. Chop through the roots with a spade or flat bladed pick. Concentrate on the main roots, one at a time.

3.    Using the cut stems, begin levering the stump backwards and forwards, tearing it bit by bit from the ground. Sever any remaining roots and eventually you will be able to pull it entirely from the ground.

4.    Prepare for new planting by filling the hole with fresh soil.

Growing ivy and climbing plants over old tree stumps can create a feature in the garden. Removing them can be difficult – the best way is to winch it out. Otherwise, a stump chipper service will break the stump down to sawdust.