WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2017

@shiney not sure if the Cowslip seed will be advanced enough yet to harvest the seed as ours have the pods but I don't usually collect mine until they have gone brown and crisp or have started opening on their own.They are not ready if the pods are still green in colour.Being that much further south than me you might be luckily to have them ripe already

Talking of Bee Orchids we found a couple of plants last week growing in a patch of grass in our which was so nice but before I had a chance to ring the council to ask them not to cut the grass because they are rare,they were all mown down and killed

 

That's a good look for your path. I like the way the colour is mirrored in some of the plants.

 

@shiney i keep checking our Cowslips every day to see when they are ready although if I collect the seed I will sprinkle them at the front of our borders as they need light to germinate and my greenhouse is packed with Cowslips and primroses that Mr Kandy dug out of our front lawn in the spring and which I potted up when I was confined to barracks

The Bee Orchids are in a patch of grass surrounded by houses so it isn't an option to dig them up as we don't want anyone squealing on us

We have been taking photos of Bee Orchids where we walk so we know what the leaves look like thanks

 

Is that digging against the law too and will Mrs @shiney stand guard?

Watered the gutter garden after Ozzy's morning walk - early enough for them to benefit and late enough that any slugs/snails were already tucked up in bed.
Checked on Stinky and the final flower has opened but already the other flower heads are dying back; short lived but magnificent in bloom (if not scent).
Need to get Ozzy's paddling pool set up because this heat is simply too much for him. He does like a little paddle when the weather is like this
No doubt the day will be spend with short visits for 5 minute jobs only, I don't do well in heat

 

Yep my job for today, need to set the pool up...so (the kids and) I can have a dip in it

Best get cracking and clear the patio, takes 5 hours to fill

 

Been out and watered pots early this morning....then went to the specialist vets and my doggy's paws are nearly all better....yayayay! We are staying inside today as it's too hot....the courtyard area was 44c yesterday. And there is no breeze!

 

far too hot for weeding today, but I did manage to harvest a reasonable crop of alpine strawberries off the weeds instead....if you are going to have weeds, they might as well be useful ones .



Also harvested lots of seed from the snake's head fritillaries, so now I can mow my front lawn. Well not now, obviously, as it is roasting out there, but soon!

 

Went up to the lotty tonight with my dogs. Harvested the garlic, a bowl of strawbs, mangetout shiraz and some rhubarb.

Walked the dogs back on their lead(as one of the farmers next door has an evil dog that forces its head and neck through the fence to try grab at my dogs). Got one dog in the garden and my Dotty was being stubborn. She likes to walk round to the front of the house...saw some neighbours walking round with their cat that follows them...next thing my dog rushes over sees the cat and grabs it....luckily my neighbour pulled my dog off. The cat was ok but shook up-I FEEL AWFUL! They seemed ok about it. I said to let me know if it needs the vets or anything. The cat didnt even try to run away-it was very weird.

Annoyed as it was only walking round to the front of the house when i took her lead off as she had been pulling on it when she didnt want to go in the back garden. I guess its animal instinct but feel terrible. Dotty on the other hand seemed very proud of herself wagging her tail in delight.

 

They looks great @fat controller

 

Yesterday I re-tied in the Jasmine (insists on climbing the verticals, not the horizontals), dead headed the roses, weeded around the transplanted roses, deadheaded the first of the foxgloves to have gone over (seed spike thrown onto the wild grass bank), and admired all the flowers on our lemon tree.

Then retreated indoors, as it was 11am and already 33c. In the evening, when temps were down from 35c, to a more manageable 29c in the shade, I watered my blueberry plants, in an attempt to keep them alive, and picked the last of the recurrants, and our first real harvest from my "Dad" blackcurrant bush.

Today I've only managed to fiddle with the water pump (locked in by all the watermint stems, so I can't clean the filter sponge), check the bird bath for water, harvest some mangetouts and a yellow courgette, and check on the raspberries (reckoning the birds will steal them before we get a look-in).
Now hiding indoors again, , but I'll be out watering the veg bed, pots, veg trough, roses, knocked apple tree, and topping up the barrel pond once the sun has eased...

 

Watering, thinned out apples and cut back new growth on cordon fruit trees.