What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2020

@Mike Allen I don't know about Verdun, but Doghouse is posting on a different garden forum that you and I are also on. Uses a different name but the Avatar picture is the same.

 

@luciusmaximus Did you ever track that smell down? I've just been running and caught a distinct smell of something unpleasent a bit like Arum maculatum. The only thing I could find was Smyrnium which in the rain was distinctly unpleasent. Here for info Alexanders, Smyrnium olusatrum | Jeremy Bartlett's LET IT GROW blog and it's relative Smyrnium perfoliatum, Perfoliate Alexanders – a lovely relative of Alexanders | Jeremy Bartlett's LET IT GROW blog

 

Pinched out the snapdragons for the second time, not much else today.

 

The rhubarb that had grown, and been munched down to the ground, and re-grown with the protection of an old bottomless pot? Whatever had developed a taste for rhubarb has also started doing yoga classes. It had reached over the top of the pot sides, and eaten the new leaves and stems down to the ground. I think it may like rhubarb even more than me!

so today I’ve put some trimmed-off fencing around it, with the grating from a brazier on the top. We’ll see if the plant will make a third attempt of foliage!

I’ve also topped up the wildlife pond (we’ve not had any noticeable rain for two months now), replanted the mat-forming thyme that the blackbirds keep pulling out from around the edge of the pond, topped up the water barrel feature next to the patio, and watered the hydrangeas that were struggling in the drought.
After lunch, back out, and made the framework for the runner beans. Tied in the early mangetout peas onto little pea sticks. I find the slugs leave them alone more if they are tied up off the ground. I found a bag of freesia bulbs that I’d forgotten to plant, so popped them in around some pots on the driveway. Time to finish tidying the edges of the drive, and maybe trimming the grass edge of the patio, before a nice cuppa by the pond, and a little tadpole watching!

 

Once again not strictly in the garden but the table in front of my bedroom window...........

Sown .....
Mesembryanthemum
Asarina
Schizanthus
Convulvulus
Cosmos ( 4 types )
Aster ( 5 types )

Got 6 Coral Bells Heuchera ( not keen on the new leafy ones, they've sacrificed the flowers for the sake of leaves ) 50 Lily bulbs and 15 Chincherinchee bulbs to plant out tomorrow.

 

Ouch! Hope you're healing ok Caroline!

All the very best.

 

Thanks @Temmy - I'll blame it on you
Just curious - which game company do you work for?

 

Made the frames for the new netting on the veg beds and frame for new fold away GH staging and watered GH.

Rusty

 

Today I made some space in the greenhouse to put the tomato starts in for a few hours a day. They have been indoors under a 400-watt HPS grow light in a tent for a few weeks. This is the latest I have ever started them, but as I will be growing them in the greenhouse it should make little difference.

We have picked tomatoes for canning for a number of years at a pick your own farm and I must admit they had nice tomatoes last year. They were charging twenty dollars a bushel to pick your own, then they got greedy and added a per person fee of five dollars a person just to enter the farm. For us, that added ten dollars to the cost of a bushel, and I can't imagine families with children paying five dollars for each child. Thirty dollars for a bushel of tomatoes is way too much, considering you are doing the picking.

That said, I saved seeds from their tomatoes and will be growing them this year as a trial. As they have tens of thousands of plants, I doubt very much that they plant hybrids.
In any event, this year's crop should be interesting.

The pots with the lable T in them are my Trusty Old Stanby - Tropics.

 

Sian. I always recall an experience regarding rhubarb. As with most of my life. 'Once upon a time' My brother-in-law agreed to help Dad on the plot. Poor old Charlie, he just about only knew one end of a spade from the other. Come time for a cuppa. Dad asked how Charlie was doing. OK, Pop. Mind you there's a lot of old rotten wood buried over there. Upon inspection. Dad exploded. That's my rhubarb. I chipped in , defending Chas. I got a clip around the ear and told to shut up. Poor old Chas, never offered to help again.....................................I wonder why????????

 

Start off in the greenhouse, bound to be some potting up / pricking out todo. Then when a bit drier; turn compost heap, finish preparing new bed and ground for new grassy path.

 

Its been a bit dreary this morning so Ive spent my time in the tunnel. Potted on Ricinus and 4 varieties of chillies. I started the Ricinus too early and had to support the stems in the early stages to stop them bending over but they now have the spikey leaves growing and have made strong plants so should give a good display this year.
Despite me not sowing anywhere near as much this year the bench is now full. Time to start handing out the tomato plants to make space.

Quick stop for food and its time to give the dogs a run out and then back to the tunnel.

 

I'm at the point where I've no option but to tackle the treestump, I've seen no new growth since I used the treestump killer last year so I think I can get away with just going three or four inches below ground.