WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2017

Got plenty done in the garden today. Started off by giving the herbaceous border a thorough going over as things are beginning to shoot now. Cut back some sedums and osteospermums on which I'd left last year's growth over the winter and sorted out any weeds which had appeared.

Have you noticed how each year, a different weed seems to be prominent and appear more abundant than usual? I was expecting plenty of the the usual early spring suspects like speedwell and bittercress, but didn't find much of either. Instead, I found lots of mouse-ear chickweed had appeared in dense patches over much of the border, so it looks like it's going to be that I'm doing battle with this year.

Cleared a small patch at the back of the bed and planted some sweet peas around a small metal obelisk and a few sticks pruned from a dogwood in the wild area.

Meanwhile, Mrs Trunky cracked on with the edging and has nearly finished it all now.

Mucked out the chickens and gave them a few trug loads of weeds and some grass edgings as a treat.

Hoed around the overwintered calabrese in the veg plot and finished off by giving the wild flower patch a good forking over in places to get rid of any patches of grass and also encourage the wild poppies.

 

I just keep looking at my weeds and walking away..

 

You need to create another garden ARMANDII. I have a large blank canvas and it's just down the road from you. You can let your creativity run riot . Mugs of tea and homemade cake provided.

 

I do the same thing. I keep hoping if I stare long and hard enough they might a go away

 

Had another great day in the garden today. So nice that it's warmer and the sun came out. Really makes me feel happy

Mowed the grass in the back, pruned some trees and conifers, cleared dead honeysuckle, tidied up some penstemons. General pottering about and tidying up and thinking "i love this place!"! Happy happy happy

 

Cake seems be one of the things I am good at. Making cake is creation

When I lived down south I had a very small garden. Up here I have a large garden divided into 3 sections. I don't think I really appreciated how much time and effort a large garden takes and there is just me to do it. I also have other things to fit in. The gardens are a bit 1970's , particularly the front garden, and I really want to change all that. At the moment it seems to be a bit of a battle, which I don't always win. I go through stages of being very enthusiastic and then feeling very overwhelmed. My garden does not make me smile as much as yours does, but I hoping that one day it might.

 

Spent the morning in the greenhouse potting up more toms, peppers and mangetout. Really suprised with the mangetout progress!

 

@rustyroots - are those Aubergines you're propogating in your workshop? It's ok, will grab my coat

Hairy Bittercress... a major pain in the proverbials in persistenly damp conditions (to put it midly). Damn stuff flowers and explodes seeds all year round nowadays.

Have you ever tasted it? Seriously - it is genuinely edible and tastes peppery, just like water cress.

Was gonna mention the lingering aftertaste but won't .

 

They are spuds I am chatting but to be honest, after about a month there is no life in them.

Rusty

 

They looked like eggs, hence the terrible pun about growing Aubergines/Egg plants

Maybe they've got too much light. Am no spud expert but forever finding old spuds in bags that are stored in a cupboard, and they're covered in shoots.

Found one bag that was infested with fruit flies, who'd turned the tatties into a vile, greenish/black soup that has got to be worst smell on God's Earth

 

@Mowerman that sounds nasty

I only started a few seeds today. We are expecting a high of 23f so I'm down to planning and "day dream style" gardening.

 

It turned out to be a pleasant spring day, mild and windless with some light cloud cover, so after this morning's car buying activities a little light relief in the garden was in order.

I sorted out all the pots and containers. Each one was weeded, given a handful of fish, blood & bone, a top up with compost where required and a good watering. Meanwhile, Mrs Trunky finished off the edging, cut down some perennial grasses and hoed in between the autumn sown broad beans.