What was I zinc-ing?

I am supposed to be working today, but the weather report and the view through the window have confirmed that is certainly not happening. I have spoken to my client and she is quite happy for me to take a rain check (appropriate) until later on in the week when hopefully it will have fined up.

So at the moment, nursing a mug of tea and listening to the rain through the open window I thought I'd waffle on a bit about a gardening project I managed to finally finish over the weekend.

My brother and sister in law live in southern Scotland in a lovely 'but-n-ben' wee hoos on a farm with their neighbour being both friendly and their landlord. He works for the local council upgrading the social housing and saves anything which has been thrown out as part of the make over. So he has a barn full of vintage zinc tanks, copper pipes and wooden panelling. My brother told me of such treasures, so in August when we were up there, I asked to see. 

Himself's face when he saw me lugging back three (rather heavy) zinc tanks full of happy chatter of what I was going to do with them! The tanks have quietly sat in my greenhouse for the last couple of months waiting for their moment. And Sunday was it!

We have a row of large tubs either side to the entrance to our back yard and I was waiting for the sweet peas and clematis to fade and the roses to finish flowering so I could cut them back ready to be transplanted into the zinc tanks.

The over flow pipes had to be either screwed or sawn off and drainage holes drilled in the base (wow that was harder than I expected) and despite wearing ear defenders I could hear it was loud, apparently several blokes (neighbours) all popped out to see what was happening.... Himself just rolled his eyes and said ..... she's making planters and all the men nodded in sympathy for him 😄

I no longer have the strength in my hands I used to and I have to think differently if I am doing something that requires 'blokey brute force'. Handling the tanks and the trugs of soil took some careful planning and judicial using of a wheelbarrow and various levering tools but I got there.

I had fun making a mess all along the back lane

I still have one smaller tank stashed in the greenhouse, that will be for another time, I need the rest of the plants (dahlias, ornamental ginger, salvias and calendula) to die back then I can give them all a refresh and new soil ready to over winter under cover. 

A quick wash down post gardening was needed