WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2017

I'm not due into work until tomorrow so I've spent the last couple of days in the garden tidying up various areas. But today I got the secateurs and saw out and started to prune the White Budeja, the Yellow Budleja, and the Blue Budleja. The Blue Budleja is the oldest being around 35 years old with a massive, gnarled, trunk, while the other two are around 20 years old. I cut them down on each branch to just 3 shoots and giving them a much needed thinning out and opening up. There is only one problem for me with Budleja and that is the fine pollen spores that come off them when being pruned make me choke, cough and splutter if I don't wear a filter mask. I left the pruning last and did the other small jobs that I had on the list. One of them was to check the loose netting that raises the height of the fences keeping my Cats in the garden and other Cats out. There were one or two spots that due to the recent bad weather needed attention but that was soon done.
After that I dumped my pollen covered clothes into the Washing Basket, had a shower, and then, with fresh clothes on, made myself a mug of tea

 

I've no idea what named variety it is, Linzas it came from a "liberated" cutting that my Wife took back in the early 90's We stuck it in a pot and, like all other Budleja, it grew away happily. I think once it was settled in it's spot it shot away and like most Budeja grows to about 10' high and about 7'/8' wide [depending on where it is]. I cut it back to around 3' and by the end of the season it's back to 10' again. It has a more open habit then the Blue variety but the Bees and Butterflies just love it.

 

I had a Black Night, Linz, and it grew to really monstrous proportions. In the end I pruned it in the Winter, dug it up, and with the permission of the Warden planted it in the local walking area.

 

I've pruned and trimmed Budleja branches, Linz, for use as canes. I had some stacked at the Gable end of the House for around 5/6 years and remembering them stuck them into the ground for plant support. A couple of months later I found they had rooted and were putting on leaves!! The Budleja is a true, tough survivor.

 

Good morning to day I am going to collect a couple of bags bark chippings and spread them.just the path to paint and them I can start some proper gardening I am looking for a large Buddleia in between the lambing

 

Today will be another day of not having time to do anything in the garden