What jobs are we doing in the garden today 2016

Decided to try something slightly different today when putting seeds in my pots. Instead of sprinkling the seeds on and the trying to cover lightly with soil I did this.

I filled the pots with potting soil and soaked it with really warm water. Then I scattered the seeds on the surface and then sprinkled sand on top of all of the surface. As you know, some pots then got their metal mesh for squirrel defence. I added a dome to each one.

The sand is the different part - it quickly wicked the warm water up to cover the seeds and I have heard that sand is also a good defense against soil gnats or whatever those annoying things are called.

So that is what I did "in the garden today". Pots with ring of fire hot pepper seeds, gazania, zinnias, osteospermum, marigolds dianthus, white and purple salvia, mixed colours of nicotiana and one lonely basil. couldn't do the pansy seeds because I forgot to put them in the fridge

Crossing my fingers that this new little twist will work.

And that's what I did "in the garden" today

 

Ventured onto the lawn today , to collect Molly do doos its really really soggy in places. Going to delay "outside" work for at least two weeks . First jobs are prune and feed the clematis , also buy and plant up my pansies about now .......
I'll be sowing Phlox and Laurentia indoors on the propagator in a week - then its all systems go

 

It may be a difference between your seed and ours Lori, but I've not heard of them being put in the fridge before. They germinate fine without.

 

Today was dry, sunny and calm so I took my first opportunity since the end of October to get outside and do stuff!

I intended to do some weeding but having opened the shed up I thought I'd see if the mower would start. At the end of last season it was barely running which wasn't a good omen but surprise, surprise it started first time.......and then promptly stalled! With a bit of tweaking I got it to start again and sluggishly managed to mow the back lawn. The lawns haven't stopped growing this winter as it's been so mild and with so much rain down they've been like a bog. They've had some respite over the last week or so - so have drained well (sandy soil) which has given me the opportunity to take the top off. I've now booked it in for service before cutting the front lawn, it's twice the size of my back lawn and I don't want the mower to curl up it's toes half way through.

I've also had a quick tidy up in the beds but they need a proper weeding. Surprisingly I found my Knautia Macedonica has a couple of flowers on it, that's much to early! Crocuses are in bloom and the first daffodil is almost fully open. Elsewhere I pulled out bluebells that are up 4 or 5 inches (blasted things!) and dug a few thistles out of the lawn.

Just to finish the day off nicely it's just started pouring with rain again!

 

While the missus is asleep on the sofa catching up on some sleep.
I thought I'd occupy my mind with some seed sorting for the year ahead,
Ordered myself a couple of new palm trees and 5 packets on seeds
Black cherry toms
Echium pinnana
Melianthus major
Purple basil
Perilla

 

Good to know. I'm going to go ahead and start them today- thanks for the heads up!

 

Putting seeds in the fridge is called stratification. Its meant to bring them out of dormancy.

Here, the weather is not good enough to be out in the garden, but at least the machinery I use in there is ready for the season now. Might get a couple of free days now...

 

I did sow the pansies yesterday and potted up some of the roma seedlings.

Went down to look in the propagators this morning and was shocked to see that the marigolds are already sprouting. Last year was the first year I collected seeds from them (store bought plants) and if this works out, that's another purchase I won't need to make.

This seed gathering is way cool

Here's a giggle. I tried to grow lima beans last year and they just would not germinate. So just for the heck of it, I made a couple of soil blocks and stuffed a bean in each one. Day before yesterday. Well, one of them sprouted!

 

If those pansies don't come up Lori I know who's going to get the blame. Time to go into hiding I think..... Let me know if or when it's safe to come out.

Yes, Marigolds are quick to germinate, at a high percentage too.

 

@Sheal I won't blame you about the pansies because I am very good at talking to dirt and know that they will come out to talk back.

We now must walk sideways in the house because I have some 50 pots of seedlings here. Well that is on this level....

 

I'll be starting the first of my seeds off this weekend in the propagator and as they germinate will be moved into a spare room I have. From there they will go into the greenhouse when it's warm enough.

 

@shiney , yes, once the seedlings emerge, I will only bottom water and add even more sand. Sorry to hear about your pain. I hope your pain killers work. Picked some chillies?- my plants are still just little seedlings zone envy again....

I still have some gallairdia seeds to start so I will do that this morning.