It's hot!Regrettably, it's time to share the not so fabulous side of being a gardener's wife.... well, this is supposed to be warts and all.... It's true that 'Rubenesque' is a beautiful word, but no one really wants it to be used in a description of themselves, so it's in with the Special K and skimmed milk (skimmed of all the taste) and Fereday eating extra Chorizo with everything.... It's sod's law (or possibly Cat's Conundrum) that at precisely the time of year when I need to be dropping the odd stone or two, Fereday needs to be consuming 200% of the GDA of protein and about 3,000 calories a day to keep going.... It's enough to make me give up the air conditioned office for the sweltering outdoors - or it was until I was nearly overcome with the heat after working in the garden on Saturday - don't worry, I revived with a big glass of wine at the Brasserie on the Bull in Halifax (which is excellent, by the way), but not before I misread a menu entry as 'All sharing platters are served with bread and dripping'.... it actually said 'bread and dipping oil', but there you go, I was weakened by sun stroke and trying to read the menu Fereday was looking at upsidedown! What with the diet, I'm finding that menus are like porn... restaurant owners in Halifax will soon be shooing me away from their doorsteps and wiping spittle from the little glass display boxes which they put their menus in.....As we move into summer and the hot weather, I'm deperate to drop the 'winter doughnut', especially as Fereday's wintertime 'sweater basketball' is a thing of distant memory!.... so I'm getting up in the morning and having a bowl of Special K Red Berries (30g + skimmed milk to soften it)... 3 Marlboro and 2 cups of black tea (you can tell I'm getting up early, I manage more than half a cuppa)... then I'm walking into work (just about making the 10 minute walk in under 30 minutes - well, there's the little bowling alley menu, the Patisserie and the corner coffee shop before I get to the office... all with menus... and pretty food pictures in the window).... lunch is now the 'protein scavenge' in M&S and a bottle of water... protein, so I'm told, is supposed to keep you full for longer - don't pity me, I'm surviving on salmon, prawns, crab, sushi (yes, we get sushi up North!!!)..... then a 'torture stop' into Thornton's to buy Fereday some chocolates because I worry that he isn't getting enough calories.... today I bought the white chocolate and fruit mini-bars selection for £6.... needless to say that he's rationing them and they're hidden in the fridge....Dinner equates to the balance of calories up to 1500/1600 which I can afford after breakfast and lunch....and a fair bit of 'grape juice', so tonight we had tuna....Rumour has it that there's a 'mini meal' which takes place between Fereday coming in from work and me getting home when Fereday tops up on calorific lovely, jubbly food....(I'd say the rumours were spread by the house rabbits, but you'd think I was hallucinating for lack of nourishment!).... I'm guessing this is probably the best meal of the day - but I couldn't swear to that.... I'm never home to share it!Incidentally, if anyone is looking for a sideline to the gardening business - and some free help - you could do worse than offer 'team building days' to jaded executives..... "Right, the object of this exercise is to clear the field of all weeds and plant an orchard.... you'll be divided into four teams...... and I'll be sat here under this brolly if anyone needs some advice....." At the very least, on a really hot day, you could manage to rid the world of a couple of bankers or civil servants!
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John F replied to Peter sellers's discussion Stihl hsa40 review
"Seems good value Peter having Two batteries .
Suffering from bouts of tennis elbow it would have being ideal at the time , The lightest I could find was the Gtech weighing around 2.14 kg with battery in which enabled me to carry on working .
It's…"
1 hour ago
Peter sellers posted a discussion
Thought others may find this of use - suffering from health issues so bought Stihl HSA 40 battery hedge trimmer came as a kit with two AS2 batteries and charger for £174 inc vat ,weighs  just over 2kg which was the main factor.Being used to Echo…
2 hours ago
Peter sellers replied to Peter sellers's discussion Cordless hedge cutter
"Update - well took myself off to dealers to try the aforementioned Stihl HLA 40 and found it to be totally unbalanced front end heavy with the rubber sleeve for your supporting arm too far away from the trigger basically a design disaster. We know…"
4 hours ago
Andrew Coates and Max alam are now friends
17 hours ago
Fusion Media posted a blog post
KAR UK has announced the launch of its brand-new K-Series Hose Reel Trolley – a robust, British-built solution designed to meet the demands of modern turf care and industrial washdown applications.Handmade in the UK by a local manufacturing partner…
yesterday
Billybop replied to Peter sellers's discussion Cordless hedge cutter
"quite fancy that Stihl 150B looks good but £700 would only use it very occasionally on the jobs I have already (due to lack of time had to cut down on existing work and not really taking on new jobs) Had the HLA135 for a few seasons now which is a…"
yesterday
Sam Bainbridge replied to Peter sellers's discussion Cordless hedge cutter
"I use a tripod ladder with a stihl hs87t 40inch bar. Makes a far superior job than long reach I hate those bloody things horrible to use"
Sunday
Graham Taylor replied to Andrew Coates's discussion Hadn’t prepared for this
"That really is very sad to have to stop the work you must enjoy.  I'd be really upset and I'm 72!   Don't like to sound pessimistic but would it be an  idea to just pack up the gardening work for something less physically draining?  Might be wrong…"
Saturday
simon caine replied to Peter sellers's discussion Cordless hedge cutter
"I use the Sthil combi unit with the henchmen harness it's a excellent combination you can hedge cut all day with no fatigue "
Saturday
John F replied to Andrew Coates's discussion Hadn’t prepared for this
"Hi Andrew 
A simple approach would be to find the right domestic properties where you can job share and invoice the customer separately .
You are probably looking at the larger gated properties where you can multi task but allocate your individual…"
Saturday
Fusion Media posted a blog post
At Centurion Club in St Albans, course manager Andy Garland knows every inch of the golf course because he helped build it from the ground up. Today, as the club continues to host some of the biggest events in professional golf, Andy relies on…
Friday
Fusion Media posted a blog post
GroundsFest is delighted to announce an expanded partnership with the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), which will see the organisation again become the exclusive sponsor of The Landscape Zone at GroundsFest 2026.The strengthened…
Friday
Richard Taylor posted a blog post
You’re invited to the biggest one-day “Live-and-Running” Ground Care and Turf Machinery show in the country on Wednesday 24th June in Buckinghamshire.See and compare machinery from over 40 manufacturers of mowers, turf care equipment, hand-held kit,…
Friday
Peter sellers replied to Peter sellers's discussion Cordless hedge cutter
"Telescopic, cordless Tim its only for light work. Probably end up with Stihl HLA 40 it does not have the motor at the handle end but only weighs 3.5kg with battery so may be ok. Apart from the Stihl 150  that Billybop suggested I can't see anything,…"
Thursday
Tim Wallach replied to Peter sellers's discussion Cordless hedge cutter
"Long reach hedge trimmer on a kombi with or without an extension pole?"
Thursday
Brian's Garden Maintenance replied to Brian's Garden Maintenance's discussion Thick moss in lawns
"Hi Adam
Thanks for that advice. I'm going to do it now in Setember hopeful may be a better time to do it? 
 "
Thursday
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Stihl hsa40 review

Thought others may find this of use - suffering from health issues so bought Stihl HSA 40 battery hedge trimmer came as a kit with two AS2 batteries and charger for £174 inc vat ,weighs  just over 2kg which was the main factor.Being used to Echo…

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1 Reply · Reply by John F 1 hour ago
Views: 11

Cordless hedge cutter

Looking for cordless hedge cutter with the motor at the battery/handle end and telescopic . Find the ones with the motor at the blade end unbalanced, and before anyone says it - no the battery does not counter balance it well.  Not bothered on brand.

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8 Replies · Reply by Peter sellers 4 hours ago
Views: 313