WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY 2018

Been looking at pond images with slate. Lots of possibilities . I think my pond could look quite good with mixture of plants, slate and rocks.

 

I think it will make a fantastic wildlife pond

 

Awwww,

 

Yesterday was a total wash-out, so we had to make do with a wander around the garden with a beer in hand, inspecting the fruit trees, and then retreat indoors to make a delicious Easter meal.

Today, weather permitting, I'd like to get quite a bit done.

We still have about 10 barrow-loads of hedge shredding to disperse around the garden as mulch.
Some bridal crown daffs, which we have enjoyed indoors, are ready to be planted out in the garden. We also have some hyacinths that flowered in January to plant out - they should be flowering normally again by 2020.
I suspect that this will be the last spring that my mum is able to live alone in the family home, so I lifted a couple of large clumps of snowdrops (I'd bought the bulbs with saved-up pocket money 35+ years ago), and a clump of an unknown blue bulb. It's smaller in stature than snowdrops, leaves straight up and glossy dark green (darker than bluebells); small round bulbs the size of a marrowfat pea. It's just starting to come into flower, each flower about 1/2" across, sort of speedwell-like in colour. The bulbs were thriving in full sun. I'll put a photo up when it comes into full flower, on the ID sub-forum. Anyway, whatever they are, they all need to be checked for incoming weeds, and replanted!

The salad trough under the kitchen window needs to have the parsley lifted out, and then the compost changed. The spent compost will go on the new raised veg beds.
Yes, the new "raised" veg beds.... at the moment they are actually sunken, as hubby has to help me bring the timber up from the bottom of the garden, to make the risers. Only been waiting 12 months for this help!! Then I can top up with more soil/compost, and get a couple of cloches warming the soil - my first sowing of mangetout peas will be wanting to go out in the next 3-4 weeks.

We need to plant out the thornless blackberry plant. It's currently growing in a large pot - probably straight out the bottom into the ground. But I want to grow it up the dead sweet-Cherry tree - why build a framework when you have one already in place. So that needs a large hole dug in the sand-soil, and backfilled with soil, before bringing the plant over.

There's lots more to do. But I think hubby will have abandoned me well before we get to the end of that list!

 

About thirty years ago I visited the koi pool of a fellow member of the BKKS in North Manchester.
He was a builder. He'd demolished an old Victorian house and saved all the roof slates, He used these to edge his pool and form an impressive rockery and waterfall. He'd arranged the slates like strata, cutting and shaping them as required and used black grout to disguise where any butted up against each other. It was very impressive.

 

2/3 inch of snow in my garden this morning cleared a area to feed the birds and came back in.

 

Having looked at the weather forecast yesterday, I got everything done as it was dry all day. It's rained since last night as was predicted. So too wet for gardening and particularly golf.
My wife said, "You should have gone, all your mates would have been there." It cut no ice with me as I knew they wouldn't have bothered. Our mantra is always, "weather permitting."
We do play on if it starts to rain when we're part way round, unless it's a deluge. I have the same attitude with gardening. If it starts raining when I'm out there, I'll finish what I was doing.

 

It was forecast snow for down here (even yesterday it was being mentioned). Thankfully, nothing here and the rain appears to be having a bit of a break, although it is still quite grey out there. Mild enough though, didn't really need my gilet under my rain coat when I took Ozzy out.

 

Been snowing here most of the morning, turned to rain now so its going slushy. Rain all day forecast, did want to go out and raid the stores for cheap easter eggs but I dont fancy going out, maybe tomorrow. I'll stay in and look for some plants online

 

Not a bad day here.....bright, some sun and quite warm
What plants are you after Perki?
Paddocks Plants are excellent for price and quality ....for variety too .

 

I been looking on paddocks, I've been waiting for about 2 month for them to get colocasia black coral, they do have a heuchera solar eclipise what I want, thinking about Eryngium Neptures gold as well. Might have to send a email cause I don't want them to sell the other plants before the colocasia available, do you think they will hold them back for me?

 

I am looking for a few others , I liked the sanguisorba lilac squirrel you have so that are one of the other variety's - Ratibida pinnata - saliva uliginosa ? - other tender salivas - sedum touch down teak which seem to be very expensive and small plants. And any other plant what floats my boat

 

Yes,I have many of those plants Perki.
Eryngium Jade Frost is a beauty.....I think Paddocks have it still. Astilbe Shogun? astilbe Cappucinno?
I have found them helpful
Hardly subtle, but phlox Goldmine ??? Gaura Corries Gold? Any of these float your boat?
Colocasia Black Coral is on my wish list too

 

Jade frost nice plant , great foliage colour but they sold out. Same with the astible great foliage sold out , Iam put off astible a bit took a few years to dig a monster one out of a bed. it got relagated to outside the garden but I've brought it back in, good for a bit of colour between late Spring - summer

 

I am also plant hunting for a Peony Sorbet