Time to tart up all your tools?
Only three weeks to go until my expected due date for baby number four, and my frustration at being unable to garden has led me to cleaning.
Not the most houseproud of people, my tools have rather suffered from neglect.
The lawnmower blade needs cleaning and sharpening, if not completely replacing, my spades and forks could all do with a rub down and various trowels left around the garden are probably past their best.
Then there are my secateurs. I love them, but take them utterly for granted, to the detriment of my poor plants.
I have several pairs, from hideously expensive Felcos, the red-handled Rolls Royce of clippers, to some utterly useless plastic ones that should have been thrown out long ago.
I've got anvil ones, with the blunt edge, bypass ones, like scissors, ones with leather handles, ones with rachet handles, ones with twisty handles that are supposed to be less strain on your joints.
I have been using them all in passing, as they are all as blunt and rusty as each other.
I tend to favour the Felcos, as they are easier to find when you've put them down and forgotten them, due to the colour.
Now, thanks to the weather and my condition, I have no excuse not to sort them out for the sake of my plants. Ragged cuts are not good for plants as they allow infection.
It's not tricky to do, but finding a decent sharpening steel might be.
I've had several 'sharpeners' which just haven't been up to much.
The nurseries and garden centres I've tried only seem to sell set plastic and blade affairs rather than a simple medium of fine grit metal sharpening file (which is what you want).
I have a great one now though, thanks to some helpful ladies at the ever-changing B&Q, who even went off to find it for me.
The best one is a small pen-file device which has a small blade with a flat side, a rounded side and a curved channel.
As well as the sharpening steel, it's worth having a can of three-in-one oil (or an oily rag) for cleaning your tools of sap and debris when you've used them.
And once you've started, it's hard to stop. Pruning knives and shears need a regular sharpen, and you can gently do the blades of spades and hoes if you have stony ground.
I've even gone on to clean my potting area, pots and seed trays, untouched for months
.
Some people might say I'm nesting. . .
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Weather for Northampton
Wednesday 08 February 2012
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Temperature: -3 C to 0 C
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